Graffito

Taking a punt with the most important appointment to a multi million pound business. Taking a punt...I hope you're not a businessman.

There was a time many years ago when Southampton Football Club, if not a by-word for integrity, was respected as a decent well run club.

That little b&stard Le Fondre reminds me of Adrian Heath. Drags Newcastle down though.

He didn't give Adkins £7m to go shopping with. That's not how players are signed at Southampton.....as you know.

Put Pochettino into Google translate and you get "Little bit".

Was thinking waving hankies just ain't British and then I saw this.

Thanks for keeping it on topic. Saints were a value buy. Ein schnappchen as ML called it. Buy low and sell high. Try as I might I can't see them in it for anything but the money. They also converted £30m or whatever of debt to equity. All well and good but they'll want it back.

Anybody considered that the long term ambitions may not be as long as we'd like and Cortese been given the task, with a timescale, of building up the club to sell it? Or does he love all things Saints?

I heard Nicola Cordozy but then I could have heard what I wanted to hear. Think i'll switch it off now, there's only so much West Ham I can take.

Not sure whether the twisted and re-written comment was addressed to me but if so I disagree that I've done either in my comments. It probably was going to the wire with Nigel. Where is it going now Lord?

The way I see it, the safer decision would have been to leave Nigel Adkins in post and make the change, if Cortese thought it necessary, at the end of the season with PL status preserved. No guarantees but it was evident to most of us that progress was being made under Adkins and we were heading in the right direction. Instead of which Cortese has made this high risk decision midway through the season and midway through a transfer window. Fair play, he's made two good appointments so far, though you could argue he's made two poor sackings and got lucky with Adkins. I could understand the decision a little more if there were some prospect of high reward this season but realistically the best we can hope for is preservation of PL status. On the face of it that looks less likely now with a rookie Manager that speaks pigeon English. Does Cortese have free reign or has he been set targets? Go beyond Cortese to the owners. We know nothing of what they want from the club nor what financial or time pressure Cortese may be under. The Academy and training ground improvements suggest long term. Cortese may genuinely believe new bloke is a better long term option but the timing of the apoointment seems odd. We're ahead of plan aren't we so what's the rush?

"This decision has been taken with the long term ambitions of Southampton Football Club in mind." Cortese's short statement on the sacking of Nigel Adkins then refers to long term targets. This is the only explanation we have for a decision which puts at risk, unnecessarily, our PL status. Do we know what those long term ambitions are? What are the targets? Do the clubs ambitions align with the fans'? I'd like to know. Cortese seems to be in an awful hurry to get somewhere.

For those that don't go to matches, why not boycott thenmatchday thread. Or at least makebyourbfeelingsnknown at half time.

We could smuggle in a box of matches and set fire to ourselves. Would look good on Sky.

What they do in Italy? Concrete overcoat.

Done at football or bullfights in Spain as a sign of disgust.

Haven't read the thread so sorry if these points have been made, probably have been many times, but a strong show of thanks and support for what Nigel Adkins has achieved, as opposed to a protest, is totally in order, in fact it's the least we should do. I spent pre match on Wednesday with several Chelsea fans, all totally opposed to the appointment of Benitez. It's a club divided, with predictable results on the pitch. Having shown our appreciation for Nigel the last thing we need is to carry on and do a Chelsea given the precarious position we are in.

Not so much as a thank you to Nigel Adkins in Cortese's statement. Just got home so haven't checked but I understand Cortese wasn't at the press conference. What sort of leadership is that? This is a massive and unnecessary gamble with our PL status. This new bloke better be good.

http://www.todomercadoweb.es/?action=read&id=32384 This "exclusive" says he would have signed already but would sign Monday to avoid problems with the current Manager. The so called exclusive is from sources close to Porchettino. Doesn't sound credible to me.

Yeah I took a look and it doesn't appear to be widely reported in the Spanish press, probably because it's not news over there, just whatever has been picked up from the report on TV3 a Catalan tv station with a website. I think I read some rumour of this late last year when Nige was under more pressure. If there's anything in it at all reckon it's old news. Maybe someone sounded him out in November, results picked up and this bloke heard nothing more and is now trying to raise his profile.

Although this match is some weeks away I thought I'd draw to the attention of anyone intending to travel by train from or via London that you can advance purchase for £16 return.

Hit JRod early down the channels or don't bother. Not JRod's fault, we just don't pick up his runs quickly enough. Way we played first half was crying out for Lambert to hold the ball up. He came on, immediate impact. Another point, we have England's future fullbacks. Finally, Schneiderlin and Cork played really well.

Ticket and transport it's more or less the same price for me to go from my home in north London to Wigan as it is to go down the road to Chelsea. Cheaper food and drink too.

Relieved to read his surname means conqueror.

I support that. Football grounds badly needed improvement in the wake of Bradford and Hiilsborough but we seem to have thrown out the baby with the bath water in dispensing entirely with terraces. there seems to have been an agenda to gentrify football and it's never been quite the same since.