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Cortese breaks silence

saint_stevo

By saint_stevo,
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DT

DT

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Posted
Sorry, have you got an interview with Nicola Cortese regarding Alan Pardew's sacking, sale rumours, Adam Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and more?

 

No? Didn't think so. As exclusives go, it's not that bad at all. We've not heard this level of comment from Cortese since he came to the club, so I wouldn't be so quick to slag it off.

where's the bit about Pardew sacking? (specsavers moment on my part). The other bits are just rebuttals. Hardly earth-shattering.

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trousers

trousers

Posted
Posted (edited)
Maybe there are players lined up to come to us next season IF we are promoted?[/QUOTe]

 

But that would make us "on schedule" rather than "ahead of schedule"

 

(I think that is what doddislegend was referring to?)

Edited by trousers
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jasoneuelllfanclub

jasoneuelllfanclub

Posted
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NC recognises Nige as having a Plan B which is one of the significant changes he has made since coming to the club. I would agree with that even though his tinkering hasn't always worked i.e Carlisle but at least he is prepared to change things and surprise the opposition. Problem with AP was that Plan A was great against the right opposition but certain games he needed a Plan B which never materialised i.e Oldham (home), Wycombe (away) ........

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Simples

Simples

Posted
Posted
Recent Dan Roan tweets:-

 

Cortese - BBC Sport exclusive:"The club is NOT for sale. The Liebherr family are 100% committed. People are trying to damage us with rumour"

 

Cortese - BBC Sport exclusive: "I have no regrets over sacking Pardew. There were lots of reasons why it came to the sack."

 

Cortese - BBC Sport exclusive: "We are ahead of schedule to reach the Prem League within 5 years. But promotion this season is essential."

Cortese on Pardew sacking: "we were missing the attributes that Nigel Adkins has brought. His humanity has motivated everyone."

 

My way of interpruting this would be that we are (as a club) ahead of the schedule. This to me means development of the training ground, staff recruitment, improvements to the club etc etc.

 

To continue to be ahead of schedule, we then also need promotion this year. Football wise, we cant be ahead or behind at the moment because only our final standing when the season has ended will dictate this.

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Matthew Le God

Matthew Le God

Posted
Posted
It would be good to have an overt answer to the question 'is there money available to Adkins in January' date=' and if so how much?'. Perhaps someone going tonight could ask?[/quote']

 

We already know there is money available in January. Adkins and Cortese have already said so. As for "how much?", the club will never disclose this, as it weakens their position in negotiations with other clubs for players.

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georgeweahscousin

georgeweahscousin

Posted
Posted

Southampton chairman Nicola Cortese has told BBC Sport that rumours the club is for sale are false.

 

There have been reports the League One club could be sold by the family of Swiss billionaire Markus Liebherr, the former owner, who died in August.

 

But Cortese said the reports stemmed from a campaign designed to destabilise the club.

 

He said: "The club is not for sale. There's always been a group behind the scenes with an agenda that's not good."

 

Cortese, who conducted the deal to buy the club in 2009, added: "The commitment even after Markus passed away is exactly the same, and nothing has changed.

 

"This is a deliberate attempt to damage the club at this time because we're in negotiations with players and a very important [potential sponsorship] brand."

 

The future of Southampton has been uncertain since Liebherr passed away four months ago, with his daughter Katharina due to inherit the 62 year-old's empire. But Cortese insists the Liebherr family are not looking to offload the club.

 

"Southampton are in a very strong position and people envy that fact," he said.

 

It is essential to get promotion this season. I don't want to think of a scenario where that wouldn't happen

 

"If there's any lack of commitment [from the family] we have a plan B. I know people with money who would have the same attitude as Markus who would join us on this. But, just to underline, the commitment of the family is 100%."

 

Supporters remain fond of Liebherr after he rescued the club from administration in 2009, paying about £14m to save them, and Cortese says he is determined to achieve a legacy for the deceased magnate.

 

"I have been the boss of this from the beginning," he said. "Markus never made decisions, I did, and that is the same now.

 

"A few weeks after he died I was struggling with motivation, but it's not just about Markus now, it's for the people of Southampton and the legacy of Markus, I owe it to him. I'm driving his vision on."

 

Cortese is a former banker and remains friends with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, but denied rumours he is in line to take a directorship at AC Milan.

 

He said: "I'm here to stay. We're at the very beginning. I don't run away from things because something better comes along. We're really hoping to build something that will be massively successful in the future."

 

Cortese controversially sacked former manager Alan Pardew, who is set to take over at Newcastle, in August, but said he had "no regrets" about the decision.

 

"I'm not going into details but there were plenty of reasons why it ended up with the sack," said Cortese. "All the attributes [current boss] Nigel Adkins has added is something we were missing before.

 

"He's a great communicator and motivator and I honestly believe we made a very good choice. I think I can have a very long-term working relationship with him.

 

"He's changed the attitude. His personality, his way of being, it's motivated people. People who haven't been here for a while, they come down here and they say 'it's a completely different atmosphere'."

 

Cortese believes the club, currently eighth in League One, are on track to return to the Premier League by 2014.

 

"We are actually ahead of schedule," he claimed "The plan remains the Premier League by 2014. I think it's realistic and we believe in it, our staff believe in it, the manager believes in it, so there's no reason why we shouldn't achieve it.

 

"It is essential to get promotion this season, to be in line with our plans. At the moment I don't want to think of a scenario where that wouldn't happen.

 

"I think we're in a very good position. We had a difficult start to the season but luckily the other teams are now beating each other. Now the teams ahead of us are closer and we're convinced that we're going to win this league."

 

Cortese added "he could not see any players leaving in January", including midfielders Adam Lallana, who has been linked with Birmingham, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is being trailed by Arsenal.

 

"I can't see a possibility we would sell Adam in January," said Cortese, "and Alex is not going to go anywhere - we're talking about a very young player in the first year of a professional contract.

 

"We'll have to cope with the rumours and we have to help the kid cope with the rumours. He's very well looked after and I don't think he'd wish to be anywhere else than here.

 

"We're very proud to see the progress he's made in such a short period [but] there's still a lot for him to learn, and he's aware of that. We've got a great prospect for the future, but not the transfer market.

 

"There's a few players we're currently looking at, players to add value in League One, but players who can also do a job in the Championship. When we get into the Championship we'll want to be in the top six, already in year one.

 

"But even if you're offering big money in January and you get them interested, they've still got a big choice to make. That's why we can't make promises.

 

"We're strong candidates to do some business in January, but we won't do it for the sake of doing business. If not, we'll make another attempt in the summer."

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Matthew Le God

Matthew Le God

Posted
Posted (edited)
most interesting bit is about "negociations with players and an important sponsorship brand". All the rest is bog standard and as expected.

 

I'd say this is new...

 

"If there's any lack of commitment [from the family] we have a plan B. I know people with money who would have the same attitude as Markus who would join us on this

 

He did after all have a previous career dealing with the interests of many billionaires, so has contacts. But this shows he isn't just staying because of the Liebherrs, but instead because he wants to see the project through and will get new people on board if it ever came to that.

Edited by Matthew Le God
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Window Cleaner

Window Cleaner

Posted
Posted
But most of the value of the team was for free. It's clear what he means. Valdes, Puyol, Pique (albeit lost to Man Utd for a while), Iniesta, Pedro, Messi, Bojan, Busquets. That's a crazy amount of talent, worth what, 200m? All for free or next to nothing. Even Fabregas was their youth product and could have been there for nothing. When they sign players, they often waste money, so it's clear what they're best at. Ibrahimovic was a huge waste, Henry didn't exactly excel. Their best signings were Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, who they had at their prime, but their best team has come with home grown players who know the system, know the club and largely know how to play together.

 

But the sharp end cost a lot of money all the same, Villa for 40 million, Dani Alves for about 30,Macherano for another 22/25,Abidal 20 million. The home grown players are excellent, whether they'd be the same without the expensive imports no-one knows.

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Matthew Le God

Matthew Le God

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Posted
that one is kind of wierd if we are ahead of schedule why is it essential?

 

Probably because they are in negotiations with a company over sponsorship for next season and that company is only interested if Saints are a Championship club in 2011/12. Also if they don't go up this season, Lallana, Lambert, Fonte and Chamberlain will probably go and rebuilding the squad again in League One sets the club back.

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Matthew Le God

Matthew Le God

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Posted
"There's a few players we're currently looking at, players to add value in League One, but players who can also do a job in the Championship. When we get into the Championship we'll want to be in the top six, already in year one.

 

"But even if you're offering big money in January and you get them interested, they've still got a big choice to make. That's why we can't make promises.

 

"We're strong candidates to do some business in January, but we won't do it for the sake of doing business. If not, we'll make another attempt in the summer."

 

This is why the remaining games in December and those early in January are extremely important. The club needs to show players that they will be joining a team likely to be in the Championship next season in order to attract them to possibly drop down a league.

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Matthew Le God

Matthew Le God

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Posted (edited)
Doesnt really leave a lot to question him about tonight now.

 

I'd like to know more about his plans for the stadium.

 

Can you ask him how big he plans to make the stadium?

 

Which is looking more likely, expand St Mary's or relcoation to a new stadium as mentioned in March 2010 interview?

 

Timeframe for stadium changes?

 

Ultimately where does he see the club ending up under the Liebherr investment? Mid table Premier League? Will there be the finance available to be challenging for European places?

Edited by Matthew Le God
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saintjay77

saintjay77

Posted
Posted (edited)

EDIT: Cause I am a muppet who cant read!!!

While its all good things to hear I dont think any of it is massive news. IMO it all seems like the stuff we kind of knew but would be nice if it was confirmed. Now I guess its confirmed???

 

Business as usual and look forward to our march up the leagues. :D

Edited by saintjay77
:facepalm:
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Badger

Badger

Posted
Posted
Doesnt really leave a lot to question him about tonight now.

 

I'm still intrigued by the Liebherr's continued commitment to Saints,which I hope continues despite the reference to others taking over the mantle if necessary.

 

Do they still attend many matches?

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saintjay77

saintjay77

Posted
Posted
Doesnt really leave a lot to question him about tonight now.

 

Champions League has been mentioned before. Would be nice to know if that is a serious aim and if so will we at some point be looking to buy in the super stars of world football to achieve it or making our own super stars of world football via our own academy?

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Brussels Saint

Brussels Saint

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Posted
Doesnt really leave a lot to question him about tonight now.

 

See if you can get him to comment on who he believes are trying to destabilise the club behind the scenes. I'm sure he won’t say, but if you ask him why he thinks they are trying to do it, he might say something and we can fill in the blanks (probably erroneously, but it will be fun trying).

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dronskisaint

dronskisaint

Posted
Posted

This all makes good reading...I'm comfortable that we have an excellent plan to work to including the right people within both the backroom staff & the team ongoing.

 

Why wouldn't anyone be happy to read this about their club? I'm just happy (particularly in the light of the dark months we had) that I'm reading it about Saints.

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Liquidshokk

Liquidshokk

Posted
Posted

I think that was exactly what everyone needed........ and relaaaaaaaaax. Yeah there wasnt any real revelations but to have such reassurance that everything is ok is of great relief.. to me anyway. Thanks Cortese and I hope now all the flapping on here will stop and we'll stop reading things into 3 line articles in a paper that gets pleasure out of stirring things up....

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Saint_Ash

Saint_Ash

Posted
Posted

Excellent article.

 

Points I liked:

 

NOT FOR SALE! but if the owners lose their committment then Cortese has a plan b which includes other rich people.

 

We ARE going to win the league, excellent confidence and I hope it trickles down to the players.

 

Next season we aim to be top 6 in the championship! Brilliant.

 

We have our eyes on some players but they have to be good enough to play in the Championship, not just get us out of League 1, so if we can't get them in we'll get them in the summer. Happy with that.

 

We're not a selling club!

 

Great piece.

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up and away

up and away

Posted
Posted

This was what Cortese had to say when responding to comments at the end of last season

 

One of my early actions was to eradicate the politics that had cast a shadow over Southampton for so long. However, it seems that those same people are trying to continue behind the scenes. I can assure the supporters of Southampton Football Club that I will not be influenced or driven by people who seek to harm the Club in the pursuit of personal agendas - whoever they are.

 

Again very similar with his latest statement

 

But Cortese said the reports stemmed from a campaign designed to destabilise the club.

He said: "The club is not for sale. There's always been a group behind the scenes with an agenda that's not good." "This is a deliberate attempt to damage the club at this time because we're in negotiations with players and a very important [potential sponsorship] brand."

 

We all know where this is coming from, even to the extent of those that come on here to give succour to these rumours. We would be far better served if these muppets went and bestowed their support to Bournemouth.

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doddisalegend

doddisalegend

Posted
Posted
NC recognises Nige as having a Plan B which is one of the significant changes he has made since coming to the club. I would agree with that even though his tinkering hasn't always worked i.e Carlisle but at least he is prepared to change things and surprise the opposition. Problem with AP was that Plan A was great against the right opposition but certain games he needed a Plan B which never materialised i.e Oldham (home), Wycombe (away) ........

 

or this season Hudders away and Carlisle away. The whole plan B plan A thing is rubbish Pardew chopped and changed his formations last year we had big debates over 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 on this forum. He made subs that worked and subs that didn't. No different at all to Nigel, some of Nigels subs (sorry impacts) have been late and poor just the same as some of APs were.

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