The Pro Cortese Thread

[RobM]

We waited years for a Chairman who would stay out of the press, keep quiet, spend and invest money where it was needed, make difficult decisions without letting fans dictate things and do what is in the best long-term interests of the club, not himself. We now have that.

 

While we're still moving forwards I'm happy - even though I disagree with and dislike decisions like sacking Adkins. If this stops and we start moving backwards, I'll change my opinion, but that hasn't happened yet. -10 in L1 to a safe Premiership spot and continued investment to secure it is certainly moving forward.

 

There will be decisions we disagree we, some we hate, some that make us very angry, but if they are done for the right reasons it's hard to feel to upset.

[Sour Mash]

day to day..week to week...you will calm down and stop shouting at NC soon enough

Not really, I think you'll find I've been fairly consistent on my views of NC. Let me know what your views are tomorrow in case they've changed again.

[Thedelldays]

Not really, I think you'll find I've been fairly consistent on my views of NC. Let me know what your views are tomorrow in case they've changed again.

they wont mate...but I dont believe for one moment you will shout abuse or your displeasure at the directors box every single game.....you wont

[Sour Mash]

they wont mate...but I dont believe for one moment you will shout abuse or your displeasure at the directors box every single game.....you wont

Haven't said I would. Doesn't mean my views will change once I've made my point.

[JustinR]

He's a bar stard ... but hes our bas tard

[CanadaSaint]

Some are calling Cortese "spineless" for not attending the media conference, but I'm willing to entertain the possibility that the right word is "insecure" when it comes to facing the media. In fact, for all his bullying and arrogance, I think he is - inside - a rather insecure person; those things often go hand-in-hand. Let's just remember that he avoided the spotlight even when we were winning things. He's just not a media person, and I suspect that he trusts them about as far as he could spit them. It's not an excuse, because I think he's handled this thing really poorly, but it could be an explanation.

[The Kraken]

Canada, you're right, its not an excuse.

 

Some might suggest a football chairman should be expected to face direct questioning and scrutiny on his decision to axe a manager in such controversial circumstances. Some would say the customers of that football club might deserve that. Others might disagree with that, I'm not one of them. The whole thing has been handled poorly IMO and a refusal to meet the press and instead shut himself away from any form of questioning says a lot about our chairman.

[SaintRobbie]

I am niether Pro or Anti Cortese but the fact is he is the man in charge, the man who the buck stops with. Obviously he thinks this is the right decision and only time will tell if he is right or wrong. IMO Nigel has done a great job for us and we should be eternally grateful to him. But now it is time to move on with the new man, We should support him and see what happens in this second half of the season. If we get relegated then Cortese got it wrong and that is then time to vent the anger, If we survive and maybe finish in the top half of the table then all this will be justified and again Cortese would have got it right.

Love or hate Cortese it doesn't matter because so far his record with the Saints is pretty impresive.

Time to stop the anger and support the new man and the team.

Thanks for everything Nigel, hope you are soon working & winning again.

 

Great summary.

 

Cortese clearly decided Adkins wasnt good enough to keep us in the Premier League and sort a manager who:

 

1. Has proven he can manage at the top level

2. Has a strong international pedigree that will attract quality players to a Premier League that is no longer an Englishman's league, but a world viewed multi-billion £$ industry

3. Has the ability to build a defence

4. Has the proven ability to utilize young talented players and is not afraid to encourage a little more 'in your face' football (we may be a little too nice as the fair play league may suggest)

5. Has taken a team struggling at the bottom of a Premier League and cemented them in mid-table (admittedly it appears he then is forced to sell his players as his Boardroom may have mismanaged and ended up where he started - but you can't blame him for that)

 

Frankly his selection of this new man 8 weeks or so ago when Adkins was struggling was logical to consolidate and then kick us on towards European placings.

 

BUT, (and I am sure Cortese knows this) Adkins then consolidated and frankly gave Cortese better options - a better than good chance of remaining in the Premier League and consolidating next season) AND a proven Championship promoting manager who would be the finest manager you could hope for in the event of relegation. Cortese's decision to change Adkins now is wrong. But his decision to change him 8 weeks or so ago, perhaps a little more understandable.

 

Cortese is ruthless. He cares not for favour, leadership to him is certainly no popularity contest.

 

But, he is ambitious. He is trying to drag us into the reality of new times. To be successful in the Premier League nowadays requires an international focus (sadly) and I sense Swansea's example would not have been far from his thoughts.

 

I watched Paul Merson's comments about how we now deserve to relegate and thought to myself how I'd rather support Cortese than Merson anyway. He may be a ruthless git who has made few friends, but he gets results. So far so good. Saints are on the way to being the Barcelona of the South earlier than planned. But, the timing of this decision is more risky than it needs to be. If it works we stay up, consolidate and may well be in a BETTER position to kick on to greatness as a Club. If it fails and we relegate, we are undoubtably in a far worse position - with a manager who may know the Premier League as he's watched it on TV and read about it (!) but certainly hasn't a clue about the Championship.

 

If we relegate we'll end up starting again. Our manager (oops sorry Coach - another poor decision, I cant help but think this continental system of a DoF and Coach simply adds another layer of leadership friction and complexity where its not required) is not up to it. Our best players will leave. Our best youth will be snapped up by Premier League titans. Cortese will have to go to... and possibly along with him his best quality - our ambition.

 

I am a fan who wants his team to be the Barcelona of the South. I don't want to go back to being in the League for the sake of making up numbers and fighting relegation battle after relegation battle again. But, I think Cortese has just as much chance of regretting this gamble (and believe me this is a major gamble that isn't welcome just yet) as breathing a sigh of relief that he has honoured his friend Marcus by delivering on his promise. I hope boldness favours the brave, but I fear there is a close line between recklessness and boldness.

 

The man praying most for success tonight is not a fan - it is Cortese. It is certainly not the Paul Merson's of the world who would thrive on the disunity this so of crass decision may bring.

 

So what? It seems to me we have but one choice. To accept the change and support it. Make Monday a 'Thank you Nigel' night, not a protest about a decision made. We all have to make this risky decision work... because if it does, by god we're in for a treat!

[Saint Without a Halo]

Without someone elses money he would not have done the things he has done here. Building new facilities with someone elses' money is not an achievement.

 

He has that money in Trust i.e he has to invest and behave legally as though it is his and he is accountable for looking after it! We can blame him for the ruthless insensative way he sacked a manager who has been very successful over the last 2.5 years and who was liked and admired by many but we have to admit he has built this club up from the ashes!

You dont have to look far down the road to see where we could have been without him! I say this as someone who disagrees intensely with the way Adkins was treated and believe he was getting there this season!

But then it is his club and he is responsible for the investment. He is obviously impatient but at least he is ambitious and wants to get there quick. strachan left because Lowe wasnt brave enough to invest for the next stage we are blaming Cortese because he is impatient and maybe rash!

Edited 19 January, 2013 by Saint Without a Halo

[Leicestersaint]

Given his track record, especially the tawdry and shabby way he has treated Adkins, I have come to the view that Cortese is a shyster and scumbag. He has certainly sullied the name of Southampton Football Club.

[mynameisthehulk]

MLG hasn't actually ever given his opinion on this forum. It won't happen on this thread, don't get your hopes up. He just posts links, videos and f5s the official site all day.

 

And I thank him for it, what exactly do you bring to the forum?

[ByTheGolacs]

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.

[CB Fry]

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.

 

 

Slag off Cortese "at our peril"?

 

Peril of what? That he might leave us? So what?

 

He's served his purpose. He can go.

 

It's hilarious the folk on here coldly parrotting the "draw a line under it, move on" routine on Adkins but seem to think the club cannot ever survive without some Italian bloke who's been here for a couple of years.

 

The club was here for 100 years before he turned up and by god we'll be fine when the Rat Faced Cu nt finally gets on his way.