Marsch to Southampton

Quoted from Poojah

It’s interesting isn’t it. Southampton could probably get away with fielding a modestly weakened team and stand a good chance of beating us, but there’s certainly an argument that an FA Cup quarter final against a Premier League big gun, which would require the full deployment of their first team, is a game they really don’t need.

Winning the FA Cup, which would still be a long shot for them, would probably net them about £8m. Staying in the Prem meanwhile would be worth more than £80m. Genuinely makes you wonder if Marsch will be given the blessing of the So’ton board to play the yoof, doesn’t it?

Obviously, they won't want the embarrassment of going out to us.

So he’s been sacked for putting his club in danger of relegation and another club in deeper danger of relegation appoints him?

That would never happen in the real world. All feels a bit Fenty like to me

His main priority will be to see the full first team contenders get a game and get everyone playing to his system so with premier league clubs  having 20 plus first team contenders I don’t see us getting an easy ride particularly as his style is a high action press which we don’t like playing against

Quoted from HertsGTFC

So he’s been sacked for putting his club in danger of relegation and another club in deeper danger of relegation appoints him?

That would never happen in the real world. All feels a bit Fenty like to me

It's certainly all a bit 'Ted Lasso'.

Southampton are likely to play their less used players against us, which include people like Theo Walcott. If he has a good day it could be a very long evening for Messrs Waterfall, Smith et al.

And the forwards might have to get past former Champions League winner Willy Caballero.

Not to be underestimated.....

Didn't we play Forest reserves earlier this season? Big mistake writing Southampton off whoever they play. (IMHO)

Quoted from Maringer

It's madness. A manager gets sacked because his team is doing crap and is only just hovering above the relegation zone but then immediately gets employed by one of the few teams doing even worse!

I get that the young, upcoming manager route didn't work out for them with Jones, but this is an appointment with little apparent logic.

With some of the older managers you can understand it - Big Sam for example did do very well with Bolton etc so they have some credit in the bank despite being crap at other clubs, but on the whole its a merry-go-round of the same names who never achieve sod all isn't it.

I think Poojah’s point about the relative financial returns on the cup v the league is a good one, but it surprises me when middling to weak PL clubs don’t attach some sort of priority to the FA Cup. In reality, they have no chance of winning anything else, and there is the potential for European football and revenue streams associated with that. Guess we’ll see what they do. May feel their kids and/or reserves could/should beat us comfortably anyway, so if they do…I hope we are firing and turn them over. Miserable baskets for banning Harry. Hope we hire a gospel choir and the f**ing Red Arrows 🙂
UTM

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

Southampton are likely to play their less used players against us, which include people like Theo Walcott. If he has a good day it could be a very long evening for Messrs Waterfall, Smith et al.

And the forwards might have to get past former Champions League winner Willy Caballero.

Not to be underestimated.....

In all seriousness, I don’t think anyone is underestimating them. Just merely pointing out a few levelling factors maybe.

The thing is, I don't think there's that much of an incentive financially towards getting into the Europa League, via the FA Cup.  Not if you're a Premier League club anyway.

Including TV revenue and winning all your games, you would get about £40million.  Of course that's not counting matchday revenue but for the earlier stages of the competition you're not getting much profit.  

That is an incredible amount of money, but it's half the annual minimum payment for staying in the Premier League.  The Europa League virtually always screws at least one club over each year in that it diverts attention, drains players, affects league form and isn't uncommon to see it drag a side into a relegation battle.

It's not a view I agree with, but you can see why most clubs hope they don't qualify for either the Europa League or Europa Conference League.