If by tools, you mean the players then yes sometimes they are. Alternatively different people use tools in a different way, sometimes in a more efficient way with better results.

100% Patrick.

I recall hearing that Southampton were constantly working to identify future managers and this might be the case to this day.

Southampton had a list of potential appointments to consider as soon as Pochettino resigned.
They wanted Pochettino to remain at the club but there was always the possibility, as there is at any time in a manager’s tenure they might part company.

Southampton's view was that there has to be a succession plan and they possibly had up to 10 candidates on a list of potential candidates.
Some time before the departure of Pochettino, they began updating and making sure they knew the status of those candidates.They appointed Koeman to replace Pochettino.

Like targeting players and doing the background analysis and due diligence they have always done the same process with regard to managers and coaches.

Despite all their analysis they did appoint Pellegrino who never lasted a season and Southampton were 17th when he departed after 30 PL games!

Edited by Willo (11 Feb 2021 9.41am)

Football is full of facts and most sides of arguments can use them to justify most thought processes. And as to what constitutes a well reasoned thought process, that is again subjective depending on one's own stance.

This is a 'Roy Out' thread, concerning opinions on whether the manager should stay or go, there are legitimate arguments on both sides.

From my perspective, it could be boiled down to those who are more risk averse and those who are not. Or those who value entertainment over status, a combination of both or the grey in between such as considering Roy staying being a risk in itself which again could be backed up by facts.

Whatever your stance, nobody cannot claim it to be 'fact' without the hindsight of seeing every hypothetical situation play out, which is impossible. And as previously mentioned, nobody can claim to have 'greater footballing knowledge' than anyone else. I would claim our football of late to be sh!t, representing no value for entertainment and very worrying, but that's only my opinion no matter how I justify it.

What I do loathe is people constantly jumping on other's posts and using childish, weird sort of virtue signalling claims like calling others 'plastic' or 'not real' fans, 'bedwetters' or claiming people know 'nothing about football'.

It's football FFS, its a funny old game and part of its beauty is it is always open to opinion. Who'd of thought Leicester, who'd of thought Palace 8 years in the prem 10 years ago, who of us thought FdB would was a good idea, who'd of thought David Moyes doing so well back at WHU etc etc etc etc infinity.

If people want to have a moan let them, that's surely part of the deal of being a football fan isn't it? if people think Roy out that's fair enough, as if they do Roy in. By all means post your own opinions, or counter others, but don't claim your opinions as 'fact' to dismiss all opposition, its ridiculous.

Some smart a**e can go back and find my previous posts now where I will directly contradict this lengthy rant,
I'll blame the light ales no doubt

COYP

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

Hear Hear

Enjoying getting up later and not having someone who knows better than me (apart from the missus of course).

In short, that appears to be true whether you are watching it live and having to experience the dross we play, or utilising facts to justify it.

I think it is only 2 in 21 we have won without Zaha and hardly scored a goal in the process? That is a damning statistic for sure.

Well, this just goes back to the circular argument of whether the manager is getting the best out of the players or the players are not good enough and if it is the players not being good enough, then whose responsibility is it for having the correct players in the club and determining the tactics. These are the only variables really.

While I Mostly agree. Do you not think that players play better when they are enjoying their football. Do you think the players enjoy playing the ultra defensive, risk averse tactics roy employs.

Yes they undoubtedly will, but I've witnessed some very good moments with our team when they all concentrate and do not make so many silly mistakes mostly with simple passing to each other, the standard of football has really nosedived quite considerably since this virus has happened and along with the age (which I hate to keep bringing up) and the amount of games being played in such short periods also added to some of our players having not the best ability at the best of times with passing we see the result on the pitch, all players need time to recover especially some that are a little older and age does sadly come into it, look at all the tennis problems someone like Murray is having in fact quite a few of them are now suffering ..Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Stanislas Wawrinka to name just a few.

Whatever the board's decision is they need to make it soon. Either the new manager or RH needs to start addressing who gets offered a new contract and who leaves at the end of the season. If it's a new manager then he needs time to assess who he'd like to try and keep.

What also needs addressing is the role of Freedman as Director of Football. He clearly doesn't see eye to eye with Roy. I just can't work out who actually signs the players. There is clear evidence that Roy has very little input. This is highlighted by him not giving game time to players such as Meyer, Camarasa, Batsyshia, Jach, Banks. We are just throwing money away by going out and buying these players only for Roy to not select them because they don't fit in with how he wants to set up. Sending Banks out on loan when we can't even name a full subs bench is absolute madness.