Some interesting Cortese info

[saint lard]

Considering he was a relative novice I would say keeping us up was anything but a mediocre achievement. When a club is in free fall it is not an easy job to turn it around, even for an experienced manager. Only a simpleton would look just at the players names and points per game ratio and make a judgement. The people at SFC who I spoke to said the players and everyone at the club thought Pearson did a fantastic job.

 

Pearson p!ssed League 1 with Leicester, yet Adkins is considered a managerial god after scraping into 2nd spot.

 

It will come as no surprise that i too find this stance that some have taken as just a tad over the top.

[Dark Munster]

probably more than 3 wins in 13.

 

Conveniently ignoring: only 3 defeats in 13.

 

W3 D7 L3

 

1.23 points per game = solid mid-table form.

[sfc4prem]

He wouldn't have scraped if he was appointed earlier, but that's just my opinion.

[Dark Munster]

Having been in the top half earlier in the season under Burley's win 4, lose 4 management with our best players here. We were in freefall when NP took over after Dodd and Gorman had been in charge.

 

 

 

how many of those under Dodd and Gorman in the league? 0 as far as i can remember

 

 

 

I'm not entirely disagreeing with you here but I think Pearson's overall record on results was ok in the circumstances considering we were in freefall when he took over, confidence was rock bottom, our best players who had played earlier in the season had been loaned out, and the entire squad and even our most committed players were looking completely disinterested and didn't want to be here.

 

What Pearson did do was bang heads together and turn a disinterested playing squad into something that resembled a Championship football team. His down-to-earth/no-nonsense interviews were also a refreshing change from the drivel that Burley churned out week after week. The football he played wasn't pretty but it was the best he could do in the circumstances. Also just before Pearson took over, it was a time of such depression and doom that we had reports of Jason Dodd saying that he wanted the manager's job permanently.

 

Pearson's results may have looked very mediocre on paper but I thought Pearson did a good job with very limited resources and I thought he deserved a chance to manage us the following season. But as we know, Lowe wasn't having any of it.

 

Top post. Just to add, Pearson's short record at Saints:

 

W3 D7 L3

 

1.23 points per game = solid mid-table form.

[shurlock]

The stats only show part of the picture. If you didn't go to the matches, you'll have no clue of the freefall and state of terror we were in under Dodd and Gorman and the resilience and professionalism subsequently brought by Pearson, illustrated amongst other things by the number of games in which we came from behind. NP had one of the hardest run-ins you can imagine and, by the end, had found a formula that would have stood us in good stead the following season. It was pretty obvious he would do a good job at Leicester (not only getting them easily promoted but pushing them within a c**t's hair of the championship playoff finals). The past is the past but it was a profound mistake sacking him.

[NickG]

Conveniently ignoring: only 3 defeats in 13.

 

W3 D7 L3

 

1.23 points per game = solid mid-table form.

 

which was about where we were before he came in!

[NickG]

The stats only show part of the picture. If you didn't go to the matches, you'll have no clue of the freefall and state of terror we were in under Dodd and Gorman and the resilience and professionalism subsequently brought by Pearson, illustrated amongst other things by the number of games in which we came from behind. NP had one of the hardest run-ins you can imagine and, by the end, had found a formula that would have stood us in good stead the following season. It was pretty obvious he would do a good job at Leicester (not only getting them easily promoted but pushing them within a c**t's hair of the championship playoff finals). The past is the past but it was a profound mistake sacking him.

 

we looked totally lacking in confidence under Gorman and Dodd and you did fear it getting worse, and of course wanted Pearson to stay.

[RonManager]

I just want to add another aspect to this very interesting debate. When we got relegated to League 1, I had given up my season ticket and listened to the majority of Saints games on the radio or followed them on here. The day we went down, it was almost like a release. Seeing Lowe move on, was a relief and when ML came in for us, jubilation. But, from a football perspective, the day we got relegated, I knew we had to start again. And so it proved, we have rebuilt this squad from an overloaded, inexperienced rag tag of footballers, to one that has a mix of youth and experience, flair players and hodd carriers. We have become the team that I think most of us always wanted.

 

Whatever your view of the past, I think it must be difficult to celebrate the decisions that previous owners have made since Premiership relegation. For me, it was one bad decision after the next, which resulted in the predictable administration and minus 10, all whilst in League 1, and League 2 was a real threat as was oblivion. That was until ML turned up. As I said at the time, I didn't want billions spent on the team, but to take these bare bones and build fromt the ground up. Slowly but surely. I don't care how long it takes us to get to the Prem, all I want is management of our growth and players that want to play here. When I go to matches, I want to see players that want to be here, that want to play for the team and who want to play as a team. This is more difficult than it seems, but, with decisions like Adkins, both surprising and gradually pleasing, our future seems to be in the right hands.

 

Looking forward, we need to lay to bed the past. The divisions in the board room have ripped the fans apart. Many still don;t see eye to eye on what has gone before. But, today, taking away the personalities, can we all see that Saints are moving in the right direction. Can we see results on the pitch? Can we all see a 'team' that can make you proud to be a Saints fan once again? I can...

 

Come on you Saints!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Les mots juste - Bravo!!

[um pahars]

Pearson p!ssed League 1 with Leicester, yet Adkins is considered a managerial god after scraping into 2nd spot.

 

Although I wouldn't say Adkins scraped 2nd place (in the end it was quite comfortable and given the start he inherited, he did well), I do think you have a good point.

 

Adkins' success is lauded on here, as begrudgingly is Poyets, and Pearson emulated them both. If Adkins can emulate Pearson next season and get us in the play offs then I would be very happy.

[NickG]

he won over 50% of his games with Leicester, that is impressive at any level.

[Turkish]

he won over 50% of his games with Leicester, that is impressive at any level.

 

he won less than 25% of his games with Saints, that's shocking at any level.

[NickG]

Adkins won over 66%!

[Turkish]

Thank god he is our manager and not Pearson then. I bet Cortese has the highest win % of any of our chairmen. come on Nicky, check it out lad

 

League games only, P96, W51, pretty impressive at any level FFS.

Edited 31 May, 2011 by Turkish

[Wes Tender]

Useless comparing percentage success rates between Pearson and Adkins unless the comparison is made on a level playing field, i.e. Adkins' figures are for the division below. What are Adkins' figures for the Championship? I really can't be arsed to check.

 

But for all those bandying around Pearson's figures for us, those figures are meaningless unless they are considered in the context that existed at the time. Factors that ought to be considered amongst others are that Kelvin was injured 4 games into his tenure and Poke had to play some matches. Then we got in Richard Wright and that helped. But the main problem was the defence, where we relied on Thomas and Powell, Davies, Pearce, Vignal, Ostlund, J.Wright amongst others, until 9 games in when we introduced Perry and then the game after, Lucketti. They only had three games before the end of the season, but Lucketti wouldn't play against Sheffield United in the last match.

 

Casting an eye over the attacking players isn't much better. Variously, we had Euell, John, Saganowski, B-WP, McGoldrick, Pericard to choose from.

 

Midfield, again, no really settled choice between Viafara, Licka, Hamill, Surman, Idiakez, Safri, Gillett, occasionally J. Wright.

 

You only have to look down that list to realise that it contained a number of players prone to injuries or past their best and that it was only late in the day that Pearson was able to make an assessment of the capabilites of his squad and then bring in experienced players like Perry and Lucketti to tighten up a poor defence and a good Goalkeeper in Wright to replace the injured Kelvin.

 

So apart from Kelvin, how many of those players would posters want to have in our current team in preference to what we have just finished the season with in the division below? Personally, I think we have the better squad now and IMO this team would hammer that team.

[JackFrost]

Anyway, back to Cortese

[Cabrone]

Some of the ppl on here have some strange views on NP.

 

When a football club is down at the bottom having been on a negative trajectory all season it's tremendously difficult to get them back on track - yet Pearson managed it in a small spell of games.

 

What he did was an incredible achievement and what did L**e do? That's right - give him the boot.

 

Yet another terrible decision that caused the club to immolate itself.

[um pahars]

he won over 50% of his games with Leicester, that is impressive at any level.

 

Presuming that includes his Championship figures.

[NickG]

don't think anyone is saying Pearson is poor manager or doubting how well he has done since - as most expected due to the potential he showed here.

 

we were in a slump but he had half decent squad, not a promotion one but still some good players, players had lost confidence and were dropping - they dropped more over next few weeks after he came and he scraped through.

 

Decent bloke, decent manager but I don't think I will ever think a manager who comes in, adds players and ends up worse placed than when he started did an excellent job for us!

[um pahars]

Useless comparing percentage success rates between Pearson and Adkins unless the comparison is made on a level playing field, i.e. Adkins' figures are for the division below. What are Adkins' figures for the Championship? I really can't be arsed to check.............

 

But for all those bandying around Pearson's figures for us, those figures are meaningless unless they are considered in the context that existed at the time.

 

In a way comparing the figures is meaningless anyway as neither faced the same test. That said, I think you can get an idea of whether someone might be half decent (or an absolutely dinny).

 

As for Pearson's arrival, I think you and a few others have hit the nail on the head in that the context of the time has to be taken in to account. It's meaningless to state where we were when we arrived, without referring to the shambles he inherited.

 

The days prior to Burley going and then the D & G show were very dark days and with someone highlighting the rag tag bunch of players we had, the injury crisis and the general malaise around the place just took me back to how bad a situation it was (I can also remember the initial stories of how bad things were on the money front).

 

NickG hasn't got his facts right with regards 3 wins in previous 13 league games (we only managed 2). Pearson popped up mid February and in recent games we had managed one win at home to Scunny in mid January with the previous win to that being back in early December. We were on a downward fall big time.

[JackFrost]

he won less than 25% of his games with Saints, that's shocking at any level.

 

he was unbeaten in 10 of the 14 games with Saints. that's pretty impressive at any level.

 

You can twist the statistics whichever way you like but at the end of the day he made us very hard to beat, despite the squad being completely disinterested when he took over and the club was plummeting down the league.

 

Most of our squad at that time didn't give a **** whether we went down or not

[The9]

don't think anyone is saying Pearson is poor manager

 

Alpine is.

 

Usually.

[up and away]

The stats only show part of the picture. If you didn't go to the matches, you'll have no clue of the freefall and state of terror we were in under Dodd and Gorman and the resilience and professionalism subsequently brought by Pearson, illustrated amongst other things by the number of games in which we came from behind. NP had one of the hardest run-ins you can imagine and, by the end, had found a formula that would have stood us in good stead the following season. It was pretty obvious he would do a good job at Leicester (not only getting them easily promoted but pushing them within a c**t's hair of the championship playoff finals). The past is the past but it was a profound mistake sacking him.

 

I liked Pearson and would have been happy to have kept him then or if he came in to replace Pardew. But going back to his record with us it was not that impressive. The key game was the penultimate home game against Burnley. We had plenty of time to prepare for what looked the most vital and winable game and we just never turned up. There was no fire, no endeavour and the players just did not seem up for it. Bearing in mind Burnley were on the worst run of away form and our one remaining home game was against SheffUtd who were then the form team of that league. Then Beattie (leagues top scorer at the time) gets injured and they lose all their centre backs, now that was a major stroke of luck, one we took advantage of. But any logic would suggest we wasted our best chance of staying up when we failed to turn up at home to Burnley, then got very lucky with SheffUtd.

[This Charming Man]

Some more info about Cortese:

 

Was on the lash in town the other night and was talking about Saints. Some randomer over-heard and said he's currently working at Cortese' house in Southampton. He said he's incredibly fussy and they've currently fitted 3 lots of fitted wardrobes at his house and he's demanded all 3 be ripped out as not up to standard.

 

Maybe if he hadn't wasted all the clubs money on wardrobes, we could've signed Owen?

 

CORTESE OUT

[Gordon Mockles]

Conveniently ignoring: only 3 defeats in 13.

 

W3 D7 L3

 

1.23 points per game = solid mid-table form.

 

Cos big Nige inherited a superb squad of senior professionals, a motivated fanbase, a solid boardroom accompanied by a world class coaching set up & brilliant physios! I'm glad Nige sorted out the latter. I remember the length of player lay offs in the Burley era & before. Good old Oakley not having his contract renewed due to his injuries yet it was our dumbass physios that treated him for the wrong strain, aggravating the problem & extended the injury time substantially. Oh the gool old Burley era. Incompetency in every facet! Lol

[shurlock]

I liked Pearson and would have been happy to have kept him then or if he came in to replace Pardew. But going back to his record with us it was not that impressive. The key game was the penultimate home game against Burnley. We had plenty of time to prepare for what looked the most vital and winable game and we just never turned up. There was no fire, no endeavour and the players just did not seem up for it. Bearing in mind Burnley were on the worst run of away form and our one remaining home game was against SheffUtd who were then the form team of that league. Then Beattie (leagues top scorer at the time) gets injured and they lose all their centre backs, now that was a major stroke of luck, one we took advantage of. But any logic would suggest we wasted our best chance of staying up when we failed to turn up at home to Burnley, then got very lucky with SheffUtd.

 

Agree Burnley was an odd one - they had nothing to play for and an atrocious away record; but some credit has to go to NP for the subsequent results - not only Sheff U result but also WBA. We definitely rode our luck but its slightly ungenerous to write it off as just that - both teams had something to play off and we could have easily crumbled. While Burnley was a shocker, it was nothing like the Bristol Rovers game that foregrounded NP's appointment and was a barometer of the state of the club. That performance ranks as the worst in recent memory - and far worse than anything experienced under the Dutch Duo.

[Frank's cousin]

***** fight over nothing...trying to compare Pearson v out NIge is surely not the point? i thought it was about tehd ecisons amde by Boards to change managers?

 

We have seen Lowe, not renew Pearsons contract, and NC sack Pardew. Both had their reasons and we can speculate all we like about the whys and teh relative merits or stupidity of the decisons, but to start comparing records seems ridiculous - given so many variables, squad strength (saints and Leicester at the time), the finances and support etc... simply too complex to debate.

 

One thing we can say for certain is that Pearson, Pards and Nige all have their strengths and weaknesses, and given the same squad and resources I think all woyuld have gotten us out of L1, so why teh nedd to compare?

 

Remember, the 'loyalty' some fans show to certain managers, tends to be biassed anyway and is largly dependent on your attitude and opinion of the one doing the sacking multiplied by how results go for the next person in the hot seat... Had the dutch duo pulled off a miracle, would we still be talking about Pearson? Had Nige fecked it up, woudl we not be on NCs back for sacking Pards? Come on be honest, FFS this has nothing to do with their individual merits, just another stick to beat up chairman you dont like with the fan wisdom of hindsight. We dont know how the dutch duo would have done had we not been forced financially to go down the kid route, nor do we know whether Pearson would have faired any better if just having access to the youngsters, but too often IMHO, the pros and cons seem more closely linked to WHO appointed/sacked them rather than a fair assessment bof abilty based on teh footballing and fincial circumstances in which they were operating.