Pardew and Coaching Staff Sacked.

[ericofarabia]

Anybody who thinks Pardew hasn't done a good job might well want to compare last seasons 1st few away games, notably Huddersfield and Swindon with saturdays game at Bristol Rovers.

 

I think this is a personality conflict more than a football orientated decision.

 

As somebody said earlier ... his replacement better be something special.

 

You'd have to think NC already has somebody lined up, but the timing leaves us with no time to bring in any extra players (unless it really is NC and not the manager who's making the decisions after all!!) and how about the players who came here impressed with AP's approach and ambitions ..... hopefully too late for them to make similar rash decisions and part their ways with the club.

 

I'm am still in a state of shock and really feel for Pardew. I'd love to hear his side of the story f'sure.

[waterlooville saint]

First off, thanks to AP and the team for all they've done and the great day out at Wembley earlier this year. I wish you all the best for the future.

 

I'm a little surprised at the timing, as everybody else has said, the day before the transfer window ends isn't the best, especially onthe back of a 4-0 win, which I had hoped would kick-start our season - I also think we've been suffering from the "We're favourites", especially at home and was hoping the fact that we have a few away games would help us with teams having a more open approach when we play away.

 

However, I have huge faith in NC. I think he is a great business person (I know many on here don't see that as important, but I think it is) and I don't think he would have done this unless there were problems of some sort behind the scenes ... and hopefully has a great replacement team lined up.

 

Lets keep on supporting the team and let the owners sort out the management.

 

COYR

[Hedgehog]

Perhaps AP didn't "Embrace the football development and support centre as integrated cooperative units" as quoted on the OS? And felt that he was being undermined by input etc. from those outside the first team set up.

[TopGun]

This is no surprise and has been coming for a while. AP has not been bad but he is not good enough for NC.

[Badger]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/aug/30/southampton-sack-alan-pardew

 

Training ground unrest?

 

Article states :

 

A number of recently recruited figures to the coaching staff had resigned ...

 

Really ? I'm not aware of any, although have been away for two weeks.

[Daren W]

The typical knee-jerk reaction from somebody whose opinion I normally value, but I excuse it on the grounds that people are in shock by the announcement and have not had time to form a more circumspect opinion.

 

For example, to claim that sacking him after just three games is going to jeopardise the season is way over the top.

 

So to summarise on what is factual and what is not, all of the information posted on the OS is factual; the manager and the management team have been sacked. So that is the sum total of anything that is known for a fact. Everything else posted on this thread speculating about the reasons for AP's dismissal, whether ML would have allowed it, who we have lined up in AP's place, etc, is all pie in the sky and should be treated as such.

 

I'm going to wait and see who we appoint in his place. It could be that we are able to attract a manager who will have people changing their minds very shortly.

 

In Cortese I still trust.

 

Not a problem Wes, and it's welcome that you, unlike others, can vehemently disagree with me without getting personal or rude and offhand...

 

But I disagree, with the transfer window about to close and just 3 games into the season, the sacking is pure, unadulterated folly...

 

It proves that the rumours abounding from St Marys at the tail end of last season were right and Cortese wanted Pardew out were right. The timing means that any manager has to start from scratch and yet again the New Year transfer window will be relied on for that impetus to force us away from the promotion pack. I has thrown the whole season into chaos and we are starting again. That's not hearsay or theory Wes, it's a fact. The club is, in terms of management, in chaos. We are starting from scratch... again...

 

You're right in saying that a good appointment will appease us all and we'll all forget about Alan Pardew if the new man is real head turner but it doesn't detract from the fact that this is a disastrous decision. Finally hitting our stride, we sack the manager. The timing is shocking.

 

Had this been Lowe Wes, you would had been fiercely critical. You can't excuse a bad decision based on who made it...

[Charlie Wayman]

Hate to say "told you so" in any case most of you probably didn't read my two comments last week;

 

(i) A very closely connected ex-player hinted to my pal that Pardew was 'on his way'

(ii) Pardew's coldness towards Guly suggested to me that Guly was appointed by Cortese and not Pardew - suggesting Pardew was no longer in charge of recruitment.

 

Ah well, we old lads don't always get involved in the rumour rounds but we do have enough savvy to understand how these things work and what is a real story and what is not.

[Badger]

You have no evidence either way. Apart from that he has sacked a manger three games into a season, after a victory. On that basis he is AS BAD as Lowe. Showing no understanding of pre-season or the requirement to let a manager build his own squad. So ergo Cortese is no better than Lowe.

 

I have been reserving judgement on this, but am drawing a similar concludsion.

[st alex]

Initially very surprised and disapionted by the news as I like AP and thought we have gone up with him this season.

 

The Guardian's insight:

'A number of recently recruited figures to the coaching staff had resigned, reportedly citing discontent with Pardew and his closest staff.'

 

This does fit the reports of staff walking lately, doctor etc (although at the time I asumed it was clashes with NC if anything).

[TopGun]

Prediction: lots of aghast reactions for the first few hours/days followed by short term memory loss when a "special" manager is appointed....

 

I'm with you there Trousers.

[saintscottofthenortham]

When AP was appointed, we were all made aware that he would be judged after 18 months. As we have yet to reach that said period, and we havn't done too bad as of yet, I can only hope that they have someone they feel far more suits there ambitions is available. However, I feel this is more in hope than realistic.

[saintscottofthenortham]

Initially very surprised and disapionted by the news as I like AP and thought we have gone up with him this season.

 

The Guardian's insight:

'A number of recently recruited figures to the coaching staff had resigned, reportedly citing discontent with Pardew and his closest staff.'

 

This does fit the reports of staff walking lately, doctor etc (although at the time I asumed it was clashes with NC if anything).

 

I seem to recall West Ham fans saying something about AP's ego. When things were going well and he was well respected he started getting a bit above himself. The qoute I remember was a hammer saying that AP insisted on being called "God", but that just seems a bit too far fetched.

[sadoldgit]

Not long out of bed but still in a state of shock. The timing sucks. To echo others, I wish good luck to Pardew for the future. He can certainly manage at a higher level than League 1 no matter what the CEO thinks.

 

As for Cortese, he strikes me as a person who throws his dummy out of the pram if he doesn't get what he wants when he wants it. He also already made us look silly with the photo thing, now this.

 

I am also wondering whether Markus was on board with this decision? If so, perhaps he was the kindly old boy we thought, if not then Cortese has acted with indecent haste so soon after his funeral.

 

For some time I have been worried that Cortese will turn out to be worse for us than Lowe ever was. His methods may well turn out to be successful, but is success at any price worth having? Say, the soul of the club?

[Dibden Purlieu Saint]

Uncertainty is not nice, to be sure. I understand why people are p*ssed off.

 

Its just not clear to me that the consequence of this decision not happening would have been promotion.

 

I guess we'll never know. Either way, this seems like a really stupidly timed decision. Why didn't he do it at the end of last season? It makes me think that it has been done off the cuff, like they've had a falling out between Saturday and today. Just doesn't add up to me.

[Mr X]

this is the bit from cortese's statement that ****es me of the most "We recognise that frequent changes to the football management are unlikely to assist in the winning of trophies and promotions" ....... well obviousy you don't recognise it that much!!!!

[Glasgow_Saint]

Good signing, poor results all things considered.

This was inevitable IMO! NC will now appoint the right man to get the best out of this very good squad!

 

I think NC has some Italian contacts so Zola is my tip 4 the top.

[Charlie Wayman]

Not a problem Wes, and it's welcome that you, unlike others, can vehemently disagree with me without getting personal or rude and offhand...

 

But I disagree, with the transfer window about to close and just 3 games into the season, the sacking is pure, unadulterated folly...

 

It proves that the rumours abounding from St Marys at the tail end of last season were right and Cortese wanted Pardew out were right. The timing means that any manager has to start from scratch and yet again the New Year transfer window will be relied on for that impetus to force us away from the promotion pack. I has thrown the whole season into chaos and we are starting again. That's not hearsay or theory Wes, it's a fact. The club is, in terms of management, in chaos. We are starting from scratch... again...

 

You're right in saying that a good appointment will appease us all and we'll all forget about Alan Pardew if the new man is real head turner but it doesn't detract from the fact that this is a disastrous decision. Finally hitting our stride, we sack the manager. The timing is shocking.

 

Had this been Lowe Wes, you would had been fiercely critical. You can't excuse a bad decision based on who made it...

 

But what would you have said after Rochdale beat us 2-0 next Saturday under Pardew?

 

I don't agree with you at all, lots of people have been calling for Pardew's head for months, now they've got it. Sooner rather than later is good for the club if we want it to progress. Let's face it we are not playing very attractive football most of the time and I for one am fed up with long aimless balls up to their box.

 

I suppose a few players will bugger off now that Pardew is out but there are better ones around and Cortese has made sure that he didn't give Pardew more money to squander.

[Cirensaint]

Alan pardew has never been the man to take us forward. He has no plan B in games, substitutions always came too late to affect a game, the squad looked decidedly unfit at the start of this season. Yes the timing is a little strange, but if it wasnt for Marcus passing away i think this may have happened after the Plymouth game. People are blinded by the JPT win last season, we were inconsistent in the league last season and all we heard was excuses about dodgy pitches and teams playing negatively against us. We are an expensively assembled side who should have done better and shown more consistency than we did, and the three league games at the start of this season only cemented that theory. Cortese has made quite a few gaffs but on this one I couldnt agree with him more, my only regret is that he went momentarily soft at the end of last season and didnt do it then.

[sadoldgit]

You are implying that this decision was a temper-tantrum from NC. I cant beleive he has come so far in business by making decisions like this.

 

I can. I have known many CEOs/Senior Execs who behave like children if they don't get what they want when they want it.

[sadoldgit]

But what would you have said after Rochdale beat us 2-0 next Saturday under Pardew?

 

I don't agree with you at all, lots of people have been calling for Pardew's head for months, now they've got it. Sooner rather than later is good for the club if we want it to progress. Let's face it we are not playing very attractive football most of the time and I for one am fed up with long aimless balls up to their box.

 

I suppose a few players will bugger off now that Pardew is out but there are better ones around and Cortese has made sure that he didn't give Pardew more money to squander.

 

Money to squander? I thought most of his signing had been excellent to reasonable and he has not spent a fortune either.

[Shanghai Saint]

Absolutely ridiculous - had faith in the direction until now.

[Chez]

....may as well get in barry fry.

loving that idea, but how is he going to build his squad of 47 players in just two days?

[up and away]

Radio Solent said earlier they thought a new manager may not be appointed for a week or two yet. I would have thought this might be the case had we lost 4-0 Saturday and Pardew lost his job due to a poor run of results. Instead Cortese has, for whatever reason, made this decision now and would surely have someone lined up and ready to go? Especially considering the coaching staff were sacked too.

 

I don't think Cortese has another manager lined up, we will soon see on that one. I would not mind betting this has sprung up after the Bolton game and Cortese can no longer trust Pardews word to prioritise the league. When Cortese laid it out that the league was the top, top priority and that he did not spend all that money in last seasons window for the cups, that is very clear. This season the league would have been the top, top, top, top, priority, considering how much failing to gain promotion cost last season and the further amount we will be spending this season.

 

I really cannot believe how dumb Pardew has been. In the elation of the win over MK Dons to get to the JPT final he stated in the programme notes that he had prioritised the cup (something the Ehco picked up on and quoted). This was then probed by Solent in their interview with Cortese the following Saturday in which he laid it out very plainly without getting into a direct slanging match with his manager.

 

To then hear you manager after the Bolton game to say, this was not a priority game but we treated it as such, has to be dumb beyond belief for everything that has gone before. It will be over some aspect of this point which found Cortese's boot sliding up Pardew's arse. Although the poor start against poor teams never helped, I doubt Cortese would have not let Pardew continue, unless he felt their working relationship was irretrieveable. Pardew only has himself to blame here!

[Whitey Grandad]

I've just found out. Oh FFS here we go again, have we learnt nothing from the past? Another two seasons lost whilst the new manager gets in his own men and the players he doesn't rate languish in the reserves. There's only three days left of the transfer window so we shall be stuck with a bunch of disillusioned players who can only see promises that will be broken. This new manager had better be something special. I assume that somebody must be lined up. If not, then this proves my concerns that Cortese knows precious little about football in the lower divisions. Who chose Pardew in the first place?

[doggface]

No surprise, just the timing.

 

Thanks for your efforts & the JPT Alan - feel a bit for him

 

will reserve judgement on this till the end of the season, MUST have someone lined up.

 

Zola & Clarke imo - time will tell...

[Shrek]

Totally shocked by this. I feel its a mistake to let AP go.He has not been given enough time. I do feel he had his limitations, but dont sack him now? Mid season maybe if our form was indifferant i.e not in the top 5 by mid season. If AP's replacement comes in and we dont get promoted as they have had most of the season. What then? Sack the next one? I just feel NC by doing it this way is backing himself into a corner and will lose the respect of the fans as time progresses if we fail to get out of this leauge...

 

With the money spent so far, top 5 by mid-season would absolutely not have been good enough for NC. The investment was made to win the league and swiftly advance to the Premier League. Bumbling around the top 5 would not have been in the plan, not in the 2nd season of AP anyway.

[Saint Baz]

O'Neill now priced @ 8-1 with Sky Bet.

Other latest prices are:

E Howe 5/2

P Brown 4/1

G Zola 6/1

P Tisdale 12/1

 

I would love for O'Neill to come here, but I just can't see it happening. As i'm a betting man, Zola is where my monies going, but i'm not convinced he's best for our club.

[Asaint4ever]

Is it possible that our new manager could be announced today?

[S-Clarke]

Is it possible that our new manager could be announced today?

 

few weeks IMO. I don't even think they're close.

 

they've kept on Wilkins to create a familiar face in and around the first team, if someone was imminent i reckon he'd have gone too and Hunter would have just taken a day or 2's coaching.

[brett24]

A lot of people were moaning about Pardew last week when we drew with Orient! Now he has been sacked he is great again! I really like Pardew and am gutted he has gone. Only time will tell if this was the right call from NC, let's get behind the team on Tuesday. The players we have should have walk this league, I think I could manage to take this team up. As for new managers I hope it is someone who has some experience in the lower leagues, Zola is high profile but would prefer someone like Pearce, Curbs or O'Neil.

[Wilko]

I hear Sven has always been a Saints fan.

 

I'm off to polish the statue.

[Toomer]

What is W A N K E R in Italian, if that's what happens when you win 4-0 away god help the next bloke if we get beat 4-0 at home.

[John McAndrew]

is Zola and better then Pardew...i dont think so.Maybe Cortese had a shortlist of managers he really really wanted and one of those has become available...I'm awaiting the appointment before judging Cortese on this

[Saints foreva]

Well, I knew it would happen soon but didn't expect it to be after the Rovers game.

 

I hope this doesn't unsettle the players as they appeared to love playing under AP.

 

Not sure how I see it, whichever way you look at it a JPT win and a 7th place finish despite spending the best part of £3m is not good enough.

[NN2 Saint]

The worst thing is the fan base is being split again just as it has been so many times previously. I don't want to comment yet as I do not know the full facts but all I hope is for promotion this season regardless of who the manager is

[Burger]

This is a maasive decision for NC to make. He is almost in a no win situation. If we go up it will be based on APs work, if we don't.....then NC will be the reason for failure.

 

I don't believe NC is stupid, so I can only assume that he sees major issues in what is happening off the pitch that he believes will effect the long term success.

 

I was never a big AP fan. I reckon most managers would have achieved at least what AP did given the resources he had, but I do believe he would have taken us up this year. So my big issue is the timing of this decision. It can only harm our prospects this year.

 

NC must have considered this and still thought that it was right.

[rudi-skacel]

klinsman??

[Robsk II]

Seems a bit ****ed up to me.

[sadoldgit]

Let's see, we sign a "Brazilian" midfielder because we all know that anyone born in Brazil is naturally a football genious. So next it will be an "Italian" manager because as we all know anyone born in Italy is naturally gifted in football management.

[martel]

Zola no thanks.......

 

AGREED, he was a great player, but he will never be a great coach.

[Saint Billy]

Alan pardew has never been the man to take us forward. He has no plan B in games, substitutions always came too late to affect a game, the squad looked decidedly unfit at the start of this season. Yes the timing is a little strange, but if it wasnt for Marcus passing away i think this may have happened after the Plymouth game. People are blinded by the JPT win last season, we were inconsistent in the league last season and all we heard was excuses about dodgy pitches and teams playing negatively against us. We are an expensively assembled side who should have done better and shown more consistency than we did, and the three league games at the start of this season only cemented that theory. Cortese has made quite a few gaffs but on this one I couldnt agree with him more, my only regret is that he went momentarily soft at the end of last season and didnt do it then.

 

Got to agree with this!

[sadoldgit]

What is W A N K E R in Italian, if that's what happens when you win 4-0 away god help the next bloke if we get beat 4-0 at home.

 

It is C O R T E S E

[saint lard]

Is it possible that our new manager could be announced today?

 

someone on the news website is convinced Martin O'neil will be announced today.

Would relish the thought if true,but somehow really doubt it.

[martel]

What stupid timing - the day before the transfer window closes - if they were going to sack him it should have been done weeks ago. If we are talking to players they are hardly going to join us now.

 

Did the death of Marcus delay the timing of the sacking or did it remove Cortese's only obstacle to doing it?

 

How will it affect Pardews team? It's probably put an end to our chances of automatic promotion. By the time we have a new manager or whatever it's going to be in place it could well be too late.

 

The only decent managers out there I can think off are O'Neill, Hoddle and Coppell but I can't see anyone of their calibre dropping down to League 1

 

I would add Poyet to that list, however, we would of course have to poach him from Brighton.

[Foxstone]

Not long out of bed but still in a state of shock. The timing sucks. To echo others, I wish good luck to Pardew for the future. He can certainly manage at a higher level than League 1 no matter what the CEO thinks.

 

As for Cortese, he strikes me as a person who throws his dummy out of the pram if he doesn't get what he wants when he wants it. He also already made us look silly with the photo thing, now this.

 

I am also wondering whether Markus was on board with this decision? If so, perhaps he was the kindly old boy we thought, if not then Cortese has acted with indecent haste so soon after his funeral.

 

For some time I have been worried that Cortese will turn out to be worse for us than Lowe ever was. His methods may well turn out to be successful, but is success at any price worth having? Say, the soul of the club?

 

First point is not correct as this was cleaqrly not a knee jerk decision but has been in the offing for sometime.

 

The second point in bold is a wild and if I might say so a very disrespectful opinion towards the late owner who ensured we have a future as a club.

 

While I am surprised at the timing of this decision, NC clearly does not think that Pardew is up to the task in taking us up and has chosen to act now, rather than later!

 

We will see who his replacement is and we can of course judge him on that, but for now I am happy to still trust NC!

 

Nevertheless, Thankyou Pards and Wally for the JPT and the decent ride, and all the best for the future.

[Flyer]

This seems very reminiscent of Flav at QPR, he was a control freak over everything, even the little things. Eventually he wanted a say in buying players and the selection and formation.

 

When the manager stood up to him, he got sacked. Then he bought in a puppet manager of a low calibre as no decent manager would take the job knowing they werent in charge.

I think the same thing will happen here, we will see soon. The only way the club got back on track is when Flav left, I think the same is true with NC and Saints.

[Saints Warrior]

Cortese `are you Rupert in disguise`, `we want Rupert out, we want Rupert out`...

 

Back to square one, exactly the same as Lowe. Who is buying the players and making the decisions...why employ AP in the first place ? why not Cortese justbe Manager himself. What a supit bloke.

 

Cortese out ,a manager In!

[ekyfatang]

crazy as hell !!!! are we not already the best in the league ??? thanks pards for all youve done.

[corsacar saint]

Duncan,was spot on. Personally I am not surprised,if we win automatic promotion,then it is the correct decision,if we do not,then it is

obviously not.

[S-Clarke]

someone on the news website is convinced Martin O'neil will be announced today.

Would relish the thought if true,but somehow really doubt it.

 

link?