ByTheGolacs

It 'almost' restores my faith in human nature. It appears that there are a few sensible, non-reactionary, non-bigoted fans on both sides after all http://www.portsmouth.vitalfootball.co.uk/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=17077&posts=7

Ah! cheers! that's what comes from trying to work with the radio on - " must listen harder" :-) Feel free to delete then.

On this afternoon apparently with Hawksbee & Jacobs. Haven't said exactly when though, but they say they are looking forward to it :-s http://talksport.com/radio/how-to-listen

BBC saying on MOTD that the fee is £12.9m rising to £14.6!!!!!! Does that make it less irresponsible?

I have had some (albeit) limited dealings with Matt and many of the other people in the Acadamy setup as my son is at the Bath Acadamy and often goes to Staplewood for sessions and matches. I know people here an elsewhere really rate our setup, but even so I don't think people realise quite how hard these guys work and how much their care about the overall wellbeing of the kids - they are an awesome team and I would argue that Matt's replacement is a more important appointment to get right than any one £20m player we might buy. I just hope the FA let him get on with the job in the way he sees fit without tying him up with useless meetings and commitees. Best of luck.

Yes, it's Friday afternoon and I have too much time on my hands! But this is quite well written and there but for the grace of him upstair or NC (if you prefer) go we........ http://www.thedaisycutter.co.uk/2013/04/reading-fc-the-long-goodbye/

Having lived near Huddersfield for a dozen years until last year I think he could do a lot worse. The chairman is relatively minted (no Liebherr mind you), they have some history, a decent 24k ground (albeit with c12-14k average crowds I think). http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21184105

Done! Will never use it again ;-) btw if people could please stop using insulting or derogatory words and/or descriptions when discussing NC/Guly/SDR/add/delete this weeks favourite whipping boy then that would be greatly appreciated as that offends my gentle sensibilities too :-p

http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/130123/new-southampton-boss-mauricio-pochettino-rules-out-signing-a

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11096/8428233/Saints-masterplan Of course, it may just be that newspapers need to 'evolve' their articles if they want to keep something in the news for more than a few days, but could it also be that now the dust is beginning to settle most people are coming round to the idea that there may be some logic to removing Adkins?

Maybe I could explain something to those people who have said (along the lines of) ' The success of the club in terms of its' position in the league is not as important to me as the feeling that the club is a nice. well respected, family-oriented one'.................. and many people have. This is just not how the world works - in any industry. It just doesn't. This is not Star Trek where everyone has a job, no money seems to change hands and everyone from low to high is apparently respected equally for the value the bring to the whole. This is a business. People may not like it, but it is. You slag of NC at your peril folks (good luck finding someone else prepared to shell out on a small-ish provincial english football club in the current climate - especially one where the fans turn on it's owners at the first sign of trouble). He is charged by his employers with bringing success. He has done this thus far with bells on. His methods may not be to everyone liking (including mine), but that is life. I have sacked people and let people go from my business. AND (shock!!!!) I have often had their replacements lined up before doing so! Why wouldn't I? Why would I want to lose weeks or months between letting someone go and getting their replacement in. That would be complete madness - just for the sake of being seen to be nice? No thanks. My job is to make money and to provide a good product that people are prepared to pay good money for. On the whole I do that - so, so far, has NC - and that is the truth, he has done well! It is not his job or his concern to be popular. His job is to improve SFC.

Wes, i agree with much of what you say and your posts are almost always well thought out and reasonable, but in this case I did take it into account.In a 'normal' business I would agree with you wholeheartedly. But this is football, and NC knows that if he brings success he will a) have the continued backing of the Liebherrs and make a load of money and enhance his reputation and end up as President/CEO at Inter or AC in 5/10 years time and b) most fans will completely forget this 'anger' because if the team improves and secures its' place in the Premier League and perhaps wins something or gets into Europe, very few people will give a hoot. It may be wrong, it may even be sad, but it is how driven, focussed, win at all costs people work. And I suspect that NC is off that 'ilk.

Now, first things first. I thought Nigel Adkins was a very good, very loyal young manager. One who had a really good chance of keeping us up and one who had the potential (potential not being equal to certainty mind you) to be a really top quality manager for many years to come. But..................... Is anyone really naive enough to think that just because we pay for tickets and merchandise and call ourselves fans of Southampton that this gives us some kind right to have a say in who manages our club? This is a business - whether you like that or not - it is a business. And businesses are run by owners, who either run the business themselves (as I and many on this forum probably do too) OR they appoint someone they trust and respect to run the business for them. Some who run a business have a style that involves consulting staff and customers on how they want/suggest the business ought to be run - others don't, they do what they think is for the best - because that is what they are paid to do, that is what their salary/bonus/dividends/profit-share depend upon, getting results. Personally I could not run my business if I spent all day taking into account the views of my customers and staff - they hold too many differing views - it would be a shambles. It is my job and my right to run my business as I see fit. I try not to go out of my way to do anything stupid - but I probably do - but that is my right - no-one elses. Like it or not Marcus chose NC to do this, and the family have chosen to keep it that way. Marcus (who I believe most people on here think is a demi-god and saviour of our club quite rightly) trusted NC implicitly - so much so that he entrusted virtually the whole of the family's business interests to him after his death. Now, seriously, is there anyone on this board or in the media who knows NC as well as Marcus did and his family still do? This is an appointed official who, in reality, has delivered (it would appear) everything that he was asked to do. He has increased the value of the asset (yes Southampton FC is an asset), in doing so he has improved the long-term prospects for the business (yes - Southampton FC is a business) AND he has, so far, done nothing but good for the club. Yes he has, it would seem, ****ed a few people off. The Daily Echo, some in the media, some old players/managers and even some fans, all of whom believe (so this board and some media comments would suggest) that they have 'earned' some kind of special right to have a say in the running of the business or to have their opinion listened too. That's rubbish. He runs the club, he and only he is directly responsible to the owners and whether we or anyone else likes it or not no-one else has a 'right' to make these kind of decisions other than NC. As I have said I liked Nigel very much, spoke to him on a couple of occasions whilst my son was playing for the Acadamy (have also spoken briefly to NC too btw and he was very polite and respectful btw) BUT this is life - NC is paid to make these decisions. He will rise or fall based upon those decisions too. And for those fools who think that a protest, clapping for Nigel or boycotting will have anything other than a detrimental affect on the team they profess to love - then shame on you. Send your emails and letters if you like, take a couple of days to moan and grumble to your mates down the pub and have your 5 minutes of fame on a forum or TalkSport and then get behind your team and your new manager and make sure that you are not partly responsible for the kind of fiasco that is currently engulfing Chelsea and happened recently at Blackburn. Anyone who plays any part in destablising the team at this most critical of times (and yes the easy, simplistic response is to say that NC has already done that) cannot, in my opinion, call themselves a true fan of Southampton. Rant over!!!!!!!!!

'utterly focussed'? Do you want to google the meaning of utterly yourself or would you like someone to do it for you? All of our signings are Italian are they? Come on - how about trying to be a bit balanced once in while. As for questioning the Chairmans Italian knowledge - I seem to remember one of the Milan teams being pretty keen on having him join their board not too long ago - so someone rates him even if you don't. I like a nice simplistic arguement as much as the next bloke but two completely blinkered points of you being incessantly peddled by people who have no interest in considering that there may be an alternative point of view that is similarly valid is amusing....... Cortese might indeed have a significant role in bringing names to the table - so what, who cares. I have not heard a single creadible whisper to suggest that Nigel is unhappy with the support or assistance he is receiving and call me boring, but that to me is the important thing. I presume you want him to be spending his time watching every game played all over the world, picking his own targets, doing his own calls, negotiating on his own and managing the 1st team in between all of this? Have you considered that he might be very happy with the setup?

'Chief Executive uses extensive contacts within in Italian game to further best-interest of their club - SHOCKER' P-lease!!!!!!!!!!

Did someone die today? We were flat, Sunderland seemed a bit more up for it and (as is often the case when these two happen), the bounces went their way and 50:50's were mainly won by them. We had a bad day. Ramirez was ok. Not brilliant, but far from the worst player on the pitch from both sides. I don't suppose a ****ing wet Saturday in the UK is something he has played a match in too often either. BUT WHAT A BUNCH OF BED-WETTERS WE HAVE ON THIS BOARD. JEEZ - TALK ABOUT GLASS HALF EMPTY KNOW IT ALLS. LOVE READING YOUR POSTS THOUGH. MAKES ME REALISE HOW MUCH I HAVE GOING ON IN MY LIFE COMPARED TO SOME ;-) JOG-ON!!!!!

I have no idea, no-one has any idea and I cannot for the life of me see that it adds anything at all to the debate. What we all know - and it is the only FACT we do know - is that Marcus trusted NC implicitly, not only with his little football club, but also with a lot of his business interests and his money. Personally I think NC has made mistakes, but I have never met anyone who actually acheived anything in life who did not make mistakes. I have met loads of people though who like nothing more than carping after the fact that they would have done things differently and saw the 'problem/mistake' coming ages ago............ they normally spend more time moaning and bragging than actually getting on and doing something.

Thanks guys - appreciate you all taking the time to help me help my 'daughter'.

Apologies if this is in the wrong place but the buy/sell forum does not seem very active. My 13 yr old daughter (honest!!) has developed a bit of a crush on young Jack and I wonder if anyone knows where I might get a poster of him. I cannot see any posters in the online store and do not have a photo that I can use with the DIY online poster printing sites. All the images online seem to be too low res to be used as well? Ideas welcome.

My 13 yr old daughter (honest!!) has developed a bit of a crush on young Jack and I wonder if anyone knows where I might get a poster of him. I cannot see any posters in the online store and do not have a photo that I can use with the DIY online poster printing sites. All the images online seem to be too low res to be used as well? Ideas welcome.

Whilst I personally can see the logic of loaning Billy to Forest it is interesting that he at least believes that the reasons for letting him go were not fully or adequately explained. An alternative reading of it might be that it was explained to him, but he still feels he has unfinished business at Saints. Go to love those journo's!!!!!!!!! http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19490760

20 miles north of London, in Hertfordshire. Direct trains from Kings Cross in 20-odd minutes. Ground is 5 minutes off A1 junction 7.

3 miles from the office - Whoop!

I apologies and withdraw my previous remark - your mother must be very proud!!! :-)

Personally I consider anyone who wants/needs to be part of a 'crew' to be a kn*b anyway.