SaintBobby

This is a total utter shambles. A disgrace in fact. Possibly Saints worst result the league in 30 years

Adkins would be an excellent appointment. Not a huge name, but a really exciting prospect. Why on Earth do people think he plays hoof ball? He's made the Iron a decent footballing team.

More than likely...

I've worked in media at a fairly senior level for over a decade, so would say I have at least some idea what I'm talking about. I can assure you that press conference information (a calling notice or ops note as its called) is made public in 99.999% of cases. This is entirely different to the accreditation you need to get into the press conference. Even in the 0.00001% of exceptions, press officers simply do not tell bare faced lies to callers about rudimentary operational information. they may stonewall, but even that would be exceedingly unusual, and very risky for the press officer's reputation. It is, by the way, almost impossible to make a "rudimentary check" on who calls in (once you've got through to the press office itself.) Furthermore, once you have issued the calling notice to any media organisation it's essentially public domain material. It is virtually impossible to tell SKY Sports that there is a press conference on Monday at 10am and assume that this information is kept secret. The only security issue is who you let into the press conference itself. You'd often want to exclude members of the public or potential troublemakers and, on occasion, space considerations might mean excluding minor media outlets. Usually though, the challenge for a press officer is the otehr way round (trying to boost attendance - not to cap it). It is virtually inconceivable - so close to a 0% chance as to make no difference - that a forum member on here would receive a text message from a friend about a press coference taking place on Monday and minutes later the press office themselves would lie completely about the existence of such a press conference to a caller who could be from any media outlet at all. I can confirm that there has NOT been a press conference called for 10am on Monday (although I suppose it's possible that by an incredible coincidence they will decide to convene a press conference on this day and at this time at a later stage) I'm happy to receive the benefits of your extensive media management wisdom if you disagree with any of the above, or to clarify any points you didn't understand.

Yes, I think it likely that there will be a press conference at some point in the future at St. Mary's. But it is categorically untrue that one has been called for 10am on Monday. How can you find this out? Phone the Southampton FC press office... Me: Hello, I'm phoning to ask if a press conference has been called for 10am on Monday? Press officer: No, we haven't convened a press conference at all Me: Are you certain? Press officer: Yes Me: Thank you Press officer: No problem I'm still amazed that some people seem to think press conferences are convened in secret. That would be a truly bizarre extension of our media blackout policy...

It may or may not be true that you have receievd a text. It is definitely UNTRUE that a press conference has been called for 10am on Monday.

This result is a total embarrassment. It might be one we can get away with, but the clock is ticking fast. The results so far this season - W 2 D 1 L 2 - are not catastrophic. But they are poor. Especially given the fact that 4 of those games were at SMS. I think there are also good reasons to believe that the current regime is deeply dysfunctional in a variety of ways. From what I can gather, the Nick Illingsworth episode was just an embarrassment - caused largely by him. But the photography ban, the late sale of season tickets, the lack of activity on the transfer market, the odd timing of AP's sacking, the utterly mad and misguided letter sent out with posted away tickets, the ticket tax, the appointment of Jordan Sibley (a highly inexperienced 23 year old, however charming) as Comms Manager....well, none of it points to a well oiled, well drilled, happy-with-itself operation. I'm grateful forever to Markus and NC saving the club. But it does look to me as if we might be in cluster f u c k territory now. Very much hope I'm wrong though.

once you remove Tony Lynam and LLS, that's 28 then...

Let's hope so. I imagine the lack of a manager is an impediment though....can't really answer questions about whetehr seen as a squad player or a starting XI or back up etc. Not an absolute barrier....and of course, there could be great news comign through any minute. I'm just very underwhelmed at the moment.

Seconded. I was expecting a deal to be 75% done. Otherwise, it's hard to see why AP wasn't retaiend for another week or two. To have a two week gap before we appoint a new manager would be very annoying. And also very very unusual for any club (let alone one which had fired its manager rather than see him walk out). I'd think the decision could and should be made in the next day or two.

Sure. I'm still expecting to see new faces, but usually take these sort of loan deals as being add-ons...."nice to have"....but not a fundamental part of building the squad for the long-term. I think our present squad is weaker now than it was in May and find that very dispiriting.

Very, very disappointing transfer window for Saints. Richardson, Guly, Butterfield and Dickson. No disrespect, but that's WAY below what I was expecting. Hope to be proved wrong in the next couple of minutes, but am not hopeful...

Yeah, I stayed up until 3am with my Italian tranaslator just to see that. Guess I shouldn't believe everything I read on this forum :-)

Does the Hart rumour and counter-rumour/denial mean that an appointment is imminent? Today? Tomorrow? As opposed to the "weeks" predicted in the Telegraph or the "foreseeable future" which Dean Wilkins was asked to sign up to?

very helpful new thread lock please

It's a bank holiday weekend TBF And I think it's a fiver a year. But a poll on (a) pleased/displeased on Pardew sacking and (b) preferred successor would be welcome Echo has one on (a)

It may be coincidence, but I doubt it. I met someone from the club a few weeks ago who gave me good reason to believe AP was on borrowed time.

Still, its unusual to see such a discrepancy - even in illiquid markets...

Is O'Neill out to 33/1? Earlier today he was in at 5/1, no?

Are others as worried as me about the suggestion that it might take several weeks to find a new manager and that Dean Wilkins is in charge "for the foreseeable future"? I was rather hoping to be able to foresee us having a new managers within days...

Champions has to be the target. Second is acceptable. Promotion via playoffs is just about acceptable. Anything less is failure.

So hope it's Martin O'Neil, but he's not a great bet at 5/1 Until he formally rules himself out though, I'm holding out hope, however fantastical it seems. I think it's going to be Poyet or Zola...or some continental manager I've never heard of...

Here's my guess: 1. Pardew was nearly removed in the close season, but it was finally decided to give him a little longer on a sort of probationary basis. 2. Some things have gone badly since then - not necessarily visible visible things (although 4 points from 3 matches isn't great), but behind-the-scenes stuff (signings? dressing room unrest? poor training regime? evident lack of motivation?) 3. Cortese decided to act now rather than let things drag on. Having stuck with AP over the Summer, this transfer window is lost on a new manager (although just maybe an extra signing or two will happen with NC calling the shots) 4. There may have been a straw that broke the camel's back - some sort of blazing row in the last couple of days. 5. There isn't a new manager lined up just yet, but NC and others will have been thinking about possible replacements on-and-off for sometime, given that AP's position clearly hasn't been secure. I am not appalled by what has happened if the above points are broadly true.

It's going to be a foreigner, I'm certain of it. Poyet or Zola.

Timing very strange. But I am not that upset or even surprised by the decision. I wonder whether there has been a fallout over transfers. I have been told that AP was the block on some moves, i.e. the problem has not been lack of cash but AP been very particular. I wouldn't be surprised if we do now sign a player or two before the window shuts, even though it seems mad to do so without a manager. I imagine a lot of the problem has been a bad working relationship. But I hope it is really about ambition. I am reserving judgement until I know who the new manager is. If it is Martin O'Neill, that would be amazing...but does sound far fetched. I expect a foreign coach. Of all plausible options, I'd say Poyet is my first choice. I think promotion is now more likely than it was 24 hours ago, but this is obviously a high risk move. Let's hope it's high reward too.