Baird of the land

He's a decent manager but his style of play and approach in no way fits how Saints are set up. Avoid like the plague please.

Board are fasting appearing to be asleep at the wheel. Now maybe they aren't but they aren't selling a message to media or fans and even more worryingly aren't selling one to the players of their ambition and vision. Compare this with all the apparent buying into Cortese's previous vision and it is extremely worrying.

The key is whether board have been idly lounging around whilst Mauricio acted like a Groom with jitters about his commitment to us. If they have spent those weeks nailing down a short list of replacements they need to talk to(if he left) then we can all happily accept that while like a duck on the surface they appeared to be doing nothing their legs were frantically kicking under the surface. I do worry they are only now starting that work rather arranging interviews and making an appointments but that's because this board seem so new and naive.

1) Ball leaving for city 2) Mopo leaving for spurs 3) Hoddle leaving for spurs In terms of level of guttitude during my lifetime. No one will ever top my childhood despair of Ball leaving.

No panic appointments needed. Several weeks till World Cup starts to identify who we want & convince them to join.

Think he's more acknowledging that we've got some World Cup players of note. See no reason if we sell him with an ambitious challenge he'd refuse to sign till he'd watched all the World Cup games.

If we can't attract someone of stature and approach of yakin etc Then I'd prefer us to go young British, similar passing approach with faith in youth (Sherwood etc) Mclaren would be marginally ahead of moyes simply due to style of football fit but a disappointment.

The more I read about yakin the better he sounds. Do the board have ambition to go for him though?

I find it far more unreal that some people are keen on him when he is such an atrocious fit with us.

Would be deeply disappointed if it turns out to be moyes. That there's worse fits for us such as Mackay/hughton is about all positive I could say. Reading yakin's quotes for first time made me hopeful he might be interested in coming. Seems young, plays right way & has cut his teeth well at Basel. As long as he has similar faith in youth it looks like a great fit with saints.

Losses to the 1st 11 0 or 1 would count as success. 2 disappointing but maybe not crippling 3 or more disastrous.

Struggle to think of any case of a manager moving between prem clubs and taking vast swathes of his former squad. Think he might go after Morgan personally.

Spurs game at st Mary's next season will be fun!

Only positive is that it has happened relatively early & that it is a World Cup year. Get replacement sorted in next couple of weeks and give him a little time to get his feet under the table and be ready for when business really kicks off post wc.

Really would like a crystal ball to see if in an alternate world where cortèse was still running the kingdom whether he'd have gone. If there's ambition in Krueger and co hopefully they'll land a highly rated young manager who shares much of potchettino philosophy and commitment to young players to stop an exodus. Of the more budget contenders I assume they'll be perusing Sherwood would get my vote.

Moyes would be an poor choice and not because he's disgraced but because he in no way fits with the notion of continuity in terms of approach, style, youth focus etc. It would be akin to chucking everything out the window. He'll no doubt do ok if he chooses a club that matches his approach. I'd expect to see him pop up at Newcastle/Sunderland eventually or Celtic if he wants glory.

Mclaren's a decent coach, wouldn't trust him with input transfer wise though. Equally I'd be concerned if he's happy to jump ship after derby gave him a lifeline back in to management so recently.

Struggle to see any circumstance where saints board could present guy who failed as Norwich manager as replacement to potchettino if he goes.

Now it would make me laugh for a few moments if he gave Dodd and Williams sackings as reason behind him jumping ship.

The guy who completely ignored liverpool's youth system. Personally I'm hopeful there's zero chance he'd come to us.

Such a shame bielsa moved to marseille. Wonder if anyone abroad such as current chile manager will be considered or will they restrict focus to domestic ones this time round.

Signing a guy with a serious injury would really set him on a course for a quick sacking.

Please not McKay or Moyes, truly awful fits for saints as is Benitez but he'd never come anyhow. If they go domestic Sherwood, Lennon, di Matteo or Adkins would be the ones that think best suit style/youth emphasis.

Think Adkins was well on course to keep us up last season. Doubt we'd have reached the heights so quickly but if the current don't have same ambitions as cortèse the stability of keeping Adkins might have suited them better.

Go for Sherwood and then finish above spurs. Wouldn't be quite the level of smugness of watching ball and city go down after he'd jumped ship but would be close enough.