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Burley's Rasiak dilemma

8:00am Thursday 3rd January 2008

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George Burley could face a transfer window dilemma over the future of Grzegorz Rasiak.

Reports suggest the Polish striker is attracting interest from clubs in England and Italy as sides start to make bids for players in the January window.

Rasiak is one of Saints' major assets and one of only a few players that could command a decent fee in the transfer window.

Since the latest changes at the top of the club Burley will not have to sell regular first team players like Andrew Surman.

But he is expected to be asked to trim his squad and to be told he will have to sell to generate funds to bring in new signings.

Burley will not be under pressure to sell Rasiak but may decide he has to for cash to spend and to free up the comparatively large wages he earns.

The justification would be Rasiak's recent lack of starts in the first team.

Rasiak has started just one game since the beginning of October and has been more used to playing second fiddle to Stern John and Bradley Wright-Phillips. As such it may be that Burley decides he needs to sacrifice him for the good of the squad.

The Polish striker has plenty of admirers, Sheffield Wednesday and Fulham both tried to sign him in the summer for the £2m fee Saints paid to Derby for his services in 2006. Charlton have also been linked.

There are also understood to be several Italian clubs interested.

For full story see today's Daily Echo.


Your Say YourThis is Hampshire

SONLY ME, WORK says...
8:23am Thu 3 Jan 08

If he is that much of an asset then why the fcuk has he only started one game since october?????

mal, south yorkshire says...
8:39am Thu 3 Jan 08

if burley isn't going to play him he might as well sell him. I have often been critical of rasiak's work rate but at least he scores goals when playing regularly, so along with many other decisions can't understand burley's thinking in not playing him.
I have been one of those who have backed Burley, but now think it might be the time for change. a new manager, billy davies, never thought I would hear myself say that but at least he might instil some passion and he would certainly get the team fitter, would have the chance to freshen up the squad during the transfer window.
on the subject of transfers there are a number of fringe players that burley has bought but never played or look like playing who could be sold or released. we have a number of good youngsters who could be given a chance if any of the main squad were injured and would probably show more passion and commitment than we have seen lately.
finally if things don't improve soon, and I don't neccesarily mean results, there will be no one left to watch the team. I at least want to see effort and commitment to the cause not the limp efforts witnessed at hillsbro oakwell first half and worst of all at St Mary's against watford. and most of that has to be down to burley's team selection ,tactics and motivational skills.

Matt @ UTS, says...
8:41am Thu 3 Jan 08

It will be a travesty if Burley gets rid of Rasiak as despite what people think he will guarantee you goals. To get out this league you need a goalscorer times two.

Anyway if someone is leaving in January then it needs to be the 'coaching failure' Burkley.


deary, southampton says...
9:11am Thu 3 Jan 08

as much as rasiak can be a good player, he only ever seems to do a job away from home, he never scores at home, but he can't score goals if he ain't playing! bit of a nice dilema for burley when all strikers are scoring, but why spend £1m on saga only to leave him as 4th choice!
but that just burley and his strange tatics, everyone has seen it week in week out now, he's lost the plot, lost the changing room, lost the team! what decent manager decides to play wright at left back when he's right footed when we have skachel sat on the bench and when he went out and got vignal to play left back, (not that i'm saying vignal is any good) and also he plays wayne thomas at right back when he's a centre half!! it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work whats wrong there!
i've got no doubt that we have a good squad of players when all are fit but if we don't play them in their best postions we ain't ever going to get anywhere! best to start with a bit of a clear out so we can get rid of these players that burley keeps signing just for the sake of it! get rid of:
chris makin - waste of time
darren powell - useless
lucien mettomo - never seen anything of him!
mario licka - plays every pre-season game!
jason euell - keeps better players out!

send some of the others on loan, lallana etc.

as much as i think burley has lost the plot, i just can't see who else we are going to get in that is going to do much better! plus we probably can't afford to get rid of burley!
all i know is something needs sorting and it needs to be done now!

the mick channon windmill, says...
9:23am Thu 3 Jan 08

rasiak should be the first name on the saints team sheet, he will always be moaned at by an element of fans who think he is not mobile enough, but saints over the years have had too many strikers who could run around like headless chickens but could not find the net, what rasiak guarantees you is goals, is that not the job of a striker. i had continued to give burley my full support until recently as i thought his track record was good and the off field problems were to blame, but the fact is i dont think he can turn this situation around now. There is no dilema over whether burley should sell rasiak or not, he should be back in the saints team now, the dilema is whether we should have burley picking him as our forward or a new manager either way RASIAK MUST NOT BE SOLD and get back in the first team along with saga when he is fit to return

saint38, 445-124 says...
9:25am Thu 3 Jan 08

This story sums up saints in a nutshell. To sell him is a dilema, best assett we have! what a joke, if he is that bloody good why is he not playing every bloody game. Burley you really are a useless manager. wake up no one wants to play for you with your incompetent team selections, total lack of motivation, and a total lack of fitness & pride.
THE ONLY PERSON LEAVING SHOULD BE YOU BURLEY.
TAXI FOR BURLEY

robin nottinghamsaint, nottingham says...
9:55am Thu 3 Jan 08

Posted by: saint38, 445-124 on 9:25am today
This story sums up saints in a nutshell. To sell him is a dilema, best assett we have! what a joke, if he is that bloody good why is he not playing every bloody game. Burley you really are a useless manager. wake up no one wants to play for you with your incompetent team selections, total lack of motivation, and a total lack of fitness & pride. THE ONLY PERSON LEAVING SHOULD BE YOU BURLEY. TAXI FOR BURLEY
G B. LOST THE PLOT PLEASE PLEASE GO

Martin Orford, says...
10:10am Thu 3 Jan 08

Rasiak is class and the only reason people think his work rate is poor is because he doesn't get involved in the headless chicken style of play employed by the rest of the team. Remember the last lazy player we had that could score 20 goals a season? He kept us in the top league for years. Football at its best should be about getting the maximum returns from the minimum effort and Rasiak and Le Tiss are prime examples of how to do that.

get burley, out says...
10:21am Thu 3 Jan 08

Rasiak is by fair our best forward. Why isn't he playing? I believe that sometime is going on behind closed doors between Rasiak and GB.

I remember last season when Rasiak wanted to take the spot kick against Barnsley but Surman took it. Ever since then Rasiak has not been a starting player.

GB should of got them in the dressing room after the game and got it sorted.

Just leave GB selling Rasiak is a mistake.

get burley, out says...
10:23am Thu 3 Jan 08

Also, why sell Rasiak when we have players like Powell,Licka,II who are always out or not playing?

Dan, Soton says...
11:02am Thu 3 Jan 08

I do not understand why it is Rasiak that we are contemplating selling?

Lets be honest, although John has scored reasonably well since his arrival it would appear that appart from a few from BWP everyone else has gone on goal strike.

Last season we had Rasiak on 18/19 goals and he barely played in the second half of the campaign!.... plus we had goals from midfielders like Viafara, Surman et all!

In my opinion John should be the sub option and a starting pairing of BWP and Rasiak... alternatively a starting pairing of John and Saga.

As far as trimming the squad goes well I would sacrifice any of the following:

Mettomo
Licka
Powell
Vignal
Euell
McGoldrick
and although I hate to say it Clauss.

Then I would tell Burley he has 3 games to pull out 9 points or he is gone.

There are many many managers out there and I personally would not mind seeing Billy Davies down running the show at SMS.

Although we are sitting idol between Playoff and Relegation we MUST pick up some significant points and quickly!!!... we are not good enough or fit enough to secure enough points without more focus and fitness!

COYR!!!

steve, at work says...
11:05am Thu 3 Jan 08

Rasiak clearly will get you a fair few goals a season, but does he not need to be happy and playing for that to happen? Why have 2 million (ish) quid sitting on the bench, when that could fund someone to play left back who not only has a left foot, but is not either low on confidence or just plain rubbish.

It appears we chased Saggy (as did other clubs) and were desperate for him to sign, so why is he not been given a chance? When he comes on he's not match fit, as he's never playing. BWP has come on in leaps and bounds, but he still can't finish.

WE could also get rid of lord lucan's lesser seen brothers Mettomo and licka, lessen the wage budget even if we don't get any money for them.

And why are the club always saying how good the youth is when we rarely see them given a chance on the bench?

Rasiak-fan, says...
11:11am Thu 3 Jan 08

I can see this scenario: Burley sells Rasiak, then Burney leave Saints in february, and Rasiak start scoring 10 goals per month...

SFC, Bishopstoke says...
11:26am Thu 3 Jan 08

If Burley hadnt wasted so much money on pointless midfielders (euell) then we would'nt have to sell Rasiak!

To thisishampshire.net
We bought him from Tottenham...not Derby!

Kate, Andover says...
11:31am Thu 3 Jan 08

get burley wrote:
Rasiak is by fair our best forward. Why isn't he playing? I believe that sometime is going on behind closed doors between Rasiak and GB. I remember last season when Rasiak wanted to take the spot kick against Barnsley but Surman took it. Ever since then Rasiak has not been a starting player. GB should of got them in the dressing room after the game and got it sorted. Just leave GB selling Rasiak is a mistake.
Surman took the penalty because he was on a hat-trick. I don't think anything is going on with Rasiak and Burley, I just think Burley has lost the plot and doesn't really have his heart in the job and that's rubbing off on the players.

With all the problems before the season, selling players/injuries/etc
, heads have gone down and a few bad results have cemented the fact that none of the players believe they can do well, no matter how much they tell the Echo otherwise.

Selling Rasiak will be a mistake - not playing him is a mistake as far as I'm concerned and I hope Burley and the board see that.

Fred, Southampton says...
11:31am Thu 3 Jan 08

This report is utter tosh. There is a dilemma and that is that under Burley no players are fit enough so the likes of Rasiak are not able to show their full potential.

That is why we sell off players cheaply, who then go to other clubs, get fit and motivated and play well.

Simple solution: The board sit down with Burley and tell him that he has to resign with no cash in his back pocket because he has not ensured that the basic role of a club manager has been fulfilled. We replace him, and the goalkeeping coach with someone with passion...Keegan, Adams etc., have been mentioned, who will get the best from the players we have. This might include the old lags like Kelvin Davis and Jermaine Wright, but the transfer window is still open if needed.

EMJ, farnboro says...
12:06pm Thu 3 Jan 08

EXCHANGE RASIAK FOR JAMES BEATTIE.(who wants to play for Robson anyway) GIVE THE MGR'S JOB TO LE TISS + BENALI. FOR CHRIST SAKE DO SOMETHING TO BRING BACK THE SPIRIT OF SOUTHAMPTON F C

A Saint Forever., Southampton says...
12:44pm Thu 3 Jan 08

Unfit Squad.
De-Motivated Team.
Too many injuries because of both the above.
Tactically clueless.
Lost the plot on team selection.
Leaves top scorer etc. on the bench.
Wont speak to or allow Dodd any proper input.
Will only allow his goalkeeping coach into the technical area on matchdays.
Has wasted vast sums of transfer money.
A catalogue of repeated, ridiculous excuses.

NO more money
NO more excuses
NO more time, George.


On PAPER... we have on of the best squads in the division, so get a motivator in who can put the fear of god into this lot,whip them into shape, or send them packing.
THEN think about who to bring in.

Shut the door on the way out George.



AllSaintsNoCurves, Southampton says...
12:59pm Thu 3 Jan 08

One thing I have been disappointed about with Saints this season is the way we have been passing the ball. Burley is meant to be a manager who supports good footballing sides and encourages teams to pass the ball lots...but so many times I have seen teams come to St Marys and pass the ball around better than us. I have seen our right and left backs get the ball and not look inside for an easy pass but hoof it down the line where it is easily defended. We are so fustrating to watch, and in my view easy to play against! Our biggest weakness is our goal keeper who has to be the worst keeper I have seen playing for Saints in years. We don't have any creativity in the middle so have the same problems Newcastle are facing. Non entertaining football and we're not winning games!
Burley has to get back to basics. Put players in their proper positions. Pick players in form and who play with passion. I'd play Lallana just behind Rasiak, drop Davies, use Wright-Phillips from the bench, start Hammell who's been our best player since Dyer was injured. I would play Viafara everytime instead of Euell who's been useless in midfield.
Lets start winning games and play with passion...remember the Roy Keane effect last year!

Rasiak-Doubter, says...
1:10pm Thu 3 Jan 08

Rasiak-fan wrote:
I can see this scenario: Burley sells Rasiak, then Burney leave Saints in february, and Rasiak start scoring 10 goals per month...
10 goals a month? If you include the 6 goals he gives away because of his p1ss poor touch then, yes he might get close to 10 goals a month.

GS, Winchester says...
1:16pm Thu 3 Jan 08

There is no way Rasiak will stick around if a half decent Italian side comes in for him. He'd be an ideal striker for even a mid table Serie A side such as Cagliari.

Chris, Farnborough says...
1:32pm Thu 3 Jan 08

Get rid of Burley? Are you mad? He's the man who will get SFC out of the Championship.

Granted, that will be into League 1, but, as a PFC supporter, that looks a good prospect to me.

mark w, tooting says...
1:38pm Thu 3 Jan 08

burley's treatment of rasiak has been appalling. he linked up well with BWP at barnsley while john was ineffective. and yet he's immediately dropped again for the watford game. his lack of starts is scandalous, esp as his strike rate is a goal every other game. look at it from the player's viewpoint - if he can't get in a side who are hovering over the big drop to league one, is there any point in him staying? that said, i still think getting rid of burley will cause yet more upheaval of the sort that has got this club into such a mess in the first place. see what he can do in january. if he can't turn it round, get rid in the summer by which tame we may/should have some investment assuming crouch can pull his finger out

fed up, says...
1:38pm Thu 3 Jan 08

Selling Rasiak will be a mistake - not playing him is a mistake

absolutely right, how has he gone from prolific scorer to benchwarmer in so short a time? Not being given the chance and that has to be down to Burley.
never mind, we'll be out of the Cup by Saturday night (that useless piece of cr*p Steve Howard to continue to b a thorn in our side), lose at home to Scunthorpe and then we'll be down among the dead men.

depressed, says...
1:41pm Thu 3 Jan 08

getting rid of burley will cause yet more upheaval of the sort that has got this club into such a mess in the first place. see what he can do in january. if he can't turn it round, get rid in the summer

sadly, yes, that's the best we can hope for.....

David, Poole says...
1:52pm Thu 3 Jan 08

The Burley situation is becoming a real embarassment to Saints. What I cant understand is why Crouch who says he is a Saints supporter goes on supporting Burley when he knows darn well that the man has lost the plot.His team selections are laughable, his insistance on playing people out of position is worth a goal start to the opposition, and his tactics are puerile to say the least consisting of passing the ball around instead of using the flanks to get behind defenders then crossing for Raziak and Saganowski.Its not rocket science after all.
Opposing teams are being given too much time to regroup when Saints are in possession and I hardly ever see opposing defences being stretched because of Burley's insistance on an over-congested midfield.
It's time Burley left, we are just six points away from the relegation zone for god's sake!

Benjani,, Portsmouth (Pride Of Hampshire) says...
2:30pm Thu 3 Jan 08

i remember the gay rights war many a time have i been on the front line of a gay gay pride rally taking one for the boys mmmmmmm LOVIN IT LOVIN IT i was taking that

dave hunt, soton says...
3:26pm Thu 3 Jan 08

the echo really should name the italian clubs supposedly interested in rasiak.
or maybe they can't because the story is just filling paper

Adam, says...
3:27pm Thu 3 Jan 08

Typical Saints fans want Burley out,lol member when you did'nt want Hoddle back he would have ensured you prem football still, You got what was coming to you!! Relgation to the Championship, You team is now poor and cheap, maybe you could get one of the polish that work on the docks to play for you!! He would do better,

Somebody needs to proof read this story, says...
3:44pm Thu 3 Jan 08

"£2m fee Saints paid to Derby for his services in 2006. Charlton have also been linked."

I thought we paid Spurs for him!!!

Typical poor story from the Echo. Another schoolboy error.

Derry, west hampshire says...
3:44pm Thu 3 Jan 08

There is almost unanimous agreement by all the posters. Burley has run his course,Raziak should play and be used properly with the best partner available,Saganowski then Wright-Philips.

I understand that Burley is now on a 12 month rolling contract. If that is the case it will cost the same no matter when he goes.

For me give him the required notice now, then send him on gardening leave until the notice runs out. That way no lump sum required. Get rid of the rest of the coaching staff except John Gorman and explore the possibility of him working again until the end of this season with Glenn Hoddle, at least we know they are competent.

At the end of the season make a permanent appointment whoever that is.

I cannot see us doing anything except wasting the rest of the season, and further alienating the supporters. It isn't going to be long before the games are ruined by a reaction and a Burley out demonstration as per recent years with Lowe and Branfoot, I do not want that, so get him out now.

goldberg, usa says...
3:59pm Thu 3 Jan 08

who are we gonna sign to replace him

Bitterne Park Saint, Bitterne Park says...
6:28pm Thu 3 Jan 08

Martin Orford wrote:
Rasiak is class and the only reason people think his work rate is poor is because he doesn't get involved in the headless chicken style of play employed by the rest of the team. Remember the last lazy player we had that could score 20 goals a season? He kept us in the top league for years. Football at its best should be about getting the maximum returns from the minimum effort and Rasiak and Le Tiss are prime examples of how to do that.
The big difference between Le Tiss and Rasiak is that Le Tiss was a team player.

Rasiak has wasted more team goal opportunities (greedily trying to score from impossible positions when someone 5 yards away has virtually a tap in) than he has scored himself.

Bear in mind also that Le Tiss made goals for himself and you have to credit our other players for setting Rasiak up. I think that Saga's goal return in the games he has played is jusy as good as Rasiaks.

Le Tiss also provided the majority of our goals back then but Rasiak hardly ever puts someone else in cos he is greedy. The only time I can remember was just the other day when he finally provided a couple of chances for BWP at Barnsley.

I wouldn't be disappointed to lose Rasiak (the tree) one little bit bur I can see why others disagree.

However it is clear that you need your strikers to defend from the front these days in all leagues and Rasiak doesn't do that. I accept Stern John doesn't either but he is a far better hold up player and has scored goals.

Let Rasiak go for £2m, bring back McG for cover and sort the defence out.

All of this is irrelevant if Goerge Burley remains our manager because he will take us nowhere but down from here. I can't stand Billy Davies but I bet you if he became our manager tomorrow we would finish at worst 6th as we have good players who are just unfit, unmotivated and confused about the role they have to play.

AllSaintsNoCurves, Southampton says...
6:55pm Thu 3 Jan 08

I have to say...we should swallow our pride and bring back Hoddle! It's the only way he's going to get back into the Premiership anyway. I think he would get us playing football the way we enjoy watching it. Maybe the players would respond to his training as they are not responding to Burley clearly!!

Amadul, Dubia says...
7:20pm Thu 3 Jan 08

Say how much your outfit worth including the current shareholding.

Thorshammer, Valhalla says...
8:09pm Thu 3 Jan 08

We started the season needing a back four.
We are half way there with a reasonable centre back pairing at the half way stage.
The full back positions are dire, we never replaced Dodd and have failed to get in a left sided defender who can do the basics.
If Burley does something about it now then we
can sit back and relax,if he fails then it sure is squeaky bum time,look at our last games.

nidge, South of Watford says...
8:23pm Thu 3 Jan 08

Saints have an excellent record of ridding themselves of lame-duck strikers. Just look at the top three currently in the Championship. If Rasiak leaves, the top four scorers come the end of the season will be all ex-saints.

Martin Orford, says...
9:01pm Thu 3 Jan 08

AllSaintsNoCurves wrote:
I have to say...we should swallow our pride and bring back Hoddle! It's the only way he's going to get back into the Premiership anyway. I think he would get us playing football the way we enjoy watching it. Maybe the players would respond to his training as they are not responding to Burley clearly!!
Hoddle would be even worse than Burley; the short passing game that they are both so keen on is a complete no-no in the Championship for anyone intending to get out of it (from the right end). We desperately need a long ball merchant to get us out of the sh*t whether that's what the purists in the Saints crowd want to see or not. Hoddle was a disaster at Wolves and has not had a sniff of a job since. Bring on horrible Billy Davies or someone else that will do a bit of shouting at the players and cut out all those unnecessary passes across the centre circle.

ITK, down the dustpipe says...
12:35am Fri 4 Jan 08

The latest I heard was that Greg was on £15k a week if he starts a first team game and £7.5k if he doesnt. I also hear that Kelvin Davis is on £15k a week basic! I cant confirm this but its what I heard from a reasonably reliable source.

CHRISR, poolside says...
12:50am Fri 4 Jan 08

RASIAK SHOULD BE IN THE STARTING 11 EVERY WEEK. I HAVE SAT THERE AND LISTENED AS HE GETS STICK FROM THE SMS FAITHFUL LAST SEASON AND THE START OF THIS ONE WHEN HE CAN BE THE ONLY CONSISTENT PLAYER IN OUR SQUAD THROUGH SCORING GOALS, BUT HE NEEDS TO PLAY. ADMITEDLY HOME FORM ISNT THE BEST, BUT IT WONT GET ANY BETTER WHEN HE IS ON THE BENCH. BWP, WHATS HE ABOUT, HE HAS GOT PACE BUT HALF THE TIME HE IS O/S OR SEEMS LIKE HE CANT BE BOTHERED AND THEN WHEN HE IS GIVEN A SNIFF AT GOAL HE DECIDES TO PASS FROM THREE YARDS OUT INSTEAD OF SURELY SCORE. DONT GET ME STARTED ON WHEN HE APPLAUDS RUBBISH PASSES OR WHEN HE FAILS TO READ A BALL! STERN JOHN HAS SURPRISED ME, STRENGTH AND SKILL NEEDED TO SCORE IN THIS DIVISION AND SAGANOWSKI ALSO NEEDS TO PLAY TO GET ANYWHERE NEAR HIS FORM AT THE END OF 06/07. BWP HAS GOT TO BE JUST A SUPER SUB, SAGA AND JOHN FOR HOME GAMES AND RASIAK AND JOHN ON THE ROAD. WE WILL PROBABLY FIND ALAN BENNET IN ATTACK ON SATURDAY THO!! BURLEY SORT IT OUT - IT GOES FROM:
1X GK
4X DEFENDERS
4X MIDFIELDERS
2X STRIKERS

Mr myagi, okinowa says...
4:00am Fri 4 Jan 08

Burley is getting alot of stick, fair enough he deserves it hes done a **** job. But someone who is escaping the criticism is Malcom Webster. He is the clubs goalkeeping coach and our goalkeeper is useless. He is prefered on the bench to the assistant coach Dodd? When he was appointed i was told by someone in the game that webster is Burleys drinking partner. I disregarded this comment at the time but now i have no doubt this is true. David coles is regarded as one of the best in the buisness he had a love for southampton and was developing some good young keepers. What a disgrace that Burley forced him out. Where is he now? Hes with pompey and hes been part of david james career best form!!

RB, southampton says...
12:12pm Fri 4 Jan 08

You may as well sell them all for what good are a team that are unfit, unorganised and half are playing out of position. It all points to the manager and therefore things are not going to get any better. Billy Davis is the obvious choice. Look what he did at Derby & who did he have playing for him? Not half a good a squad as we have!!

Lilly, Leicester says...
7:12pm Fri 4 Jan 08

Hi Leicester fan here. We are coming to give you a hiding this weekend. We know how to beat you. A few hard tackles and your guys will hide. No stomach for it you see. They are are all spineless.

get burley, out says...
1:52pm Sat 5 Jan 08

Lilly wrote:
Hi Leicester fan here. We are coming to give you a hiding this weekend. We know how to beat you. A few hard tackles and your guys will hide. No stomach for it you see. They are are all spineless.
Now I know why no likes Leicester. Oh well you can't really say much I mean look where you are in the table.

Down you go and I will be laughing at you.

**** NORTHERN ****!

i am a nutter, london says...
2:03pm Sat 5 Jan 08

get burley wrote:
Lilly wrote: Hi Leicester fan here. We are coming to give you a hiding this weekend. We know how to beat you. A few hard tackles and your guys will hide. No stomach for it you see. They are are all spineless.
Now I know why no likes Leicester. Oh well you can\'t really say much I mean look where you are in the table. Down you go and I will be laughing at you. **** NORTHERN ****!
you blues are finished today

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