Topcat

Where is the evidence that Cortese makes the right decisions? If Cortese had replaced Pardew at the end of last season he could have appointed some young manager and given them a lot of time to get the team onside and playing well. The irony is that the longer Cortese leaves things the more power he will may have to cede to the new Team manager to attract a big name. However Cortese is unwilling to cede power to the team manager having decided that Les Reed was more important to the Club's success than Alan Pardew. Duh. Today we have a different situation where the new Manager will have to start making an impact within a few games to avoid the pressure piling up. A name that attracts back large crowds could of course create their own impetus but a has been or a no name, will not have that luxury. Which is why I am expecting Cortese to do the wrong thing because with Les Reed they have killed off the chances of a big name. I am expecting some gullible no name or a desperate has been and that we will be in a full crisis by November.

The manner and timing of Pardew's removal will have already damaged our ability to attract players. Les Reed is now damaged goods. It will take a new manager and a team up in the automatic promotion slots to restore the image but Reed and Cortese are now labelled as possible trouble to any people considering coming in as players.

(not THE) Kevin Moore, you left out Les Reed's record of 14% wins.

Well under Lowe it got us relegated twice and placed in administration. So I guess that was not successful?

I had not noticed Reed's time at Fulham. Interesting that the wise old bird Hodgson thought Reed was superfluous.

I started a thread stating that the role of Reed given by Cortese was the problem and the main cause of Pardew going. This article in the Echo illustrates why.

It does not compute for an able businessman to do this. But an account manager for a bank is not a businessman and definitely not a business manager. It also does not compute for an able businessman to upset every newspaper through its photography ban.

The difference between the two les's is that one is the representative who swears, spills his food down his shirt and cra*ps everywhere embarrassing his organisation and the other is Barry Humphries.

No, there is a typo in your sentence. It should read. Who has Les Reed appointed?

Attracting in a big name Manager would require Les Reed to cede power and Cortese to keep out of team matters. Having fired Pardew over these issues why would they do a 180 turn on such matters? Unless the pressure from supporters becomes far more intense.

By the time Cortese has completed his plan for customer relations with the supporters, it will need Sir Bob Geldoff to come in and encourage ST sales next season.

Cortese has no experience as a businessmen prior to the Saints. There is no record of managing groups or people. He was a liaison/account manager of high net worth clients at a bank. In that job you are not responsible for hiring people such as a football manager. He studied business management at uni, just like tens of thousands of others.

Mr Pardew was guilty of not being co-operative with the Football Development & Support Centre. As stated in the official statement. "These targets for sustained and significant progress embrace both the First Team and the Football Development & Support Centre as integrated, co-operative units. Consequently, the First Team Manager, Alan Pardew; First Team Coach, Wally Downes; and Goalkeeping Coach, Stuart Murdoch have been relieved of their duties with immediate effect."

Wenger and Ferguson have full control on deciding which players are signed. Pardew did not.

He is more than that. He sits on the transfer committee with an equal say as the Team Manager and it is his scouts that make the recommendations on the players to be signed. He is also listed as an Executive Director on the Saints website which in business terminology means he sits on the Board of Saints as a Director with Executive responsibilities participating in Board decisions. Unlike the Team Manager.

Why not just read the official statement on the Club's priorities "the Club has decided that, to achieve its well known targets, it is essential to make changes to the First Team management and coaching. These targets for sustained and significant progress embrace both the First Team and the Football Development & Support Centre as integrated, co-operative units." The main priority is to improve co-operation between the First Team and Les Reed's empire. To achieve that goal Pardew + 2 were fired.

Yes but they will have to put up with the Les Reed empire and being over ruled on which players are brought in.

That setup relied on a very able Academy coach. They did not meddle in the first team or transfers etc.

Lambert set up Guly with a measured pass on the edge of their box. Guly then failed to shoot on target and it went over the bar.

Yes I think that ratio is from some junior england sides. We generally pick the big guys who can bully the smaller opponents at that age. He also was the Technical Director at the FA for many years and was responsible for all the fine well coached England players that have been winning all the World Cups and European Cups for us these past 12 years...... (Shurely schome mistake? Ed). He took over from Howard "long ball" Wilkinson...

It is not about hate. It is about ensuring that the new Manager has a fair chance of selecting the players they judge that we need to be successful. Les Reed has become part of the problem. He wants to have a say, so must accept some feedback when things are going wrong.

Is it that time of the month then?

Exit2, Les Reed has clearly acted in ways that undermined Pardew and forced a show down. That was not in the best interests of the Club so Les Reed is part of the problem and has to go to give the new Manager a chance of success. Cortese should have more of the blame for setting up this dysfunctional structure.

Les Reed's win % = 14.28% Almost as bad as the worst Saints mgr since 2000, Steve Wigley.

Can he work for Les Reed?