Best media article so far on the situation

[Sour Mash]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/9813415/Henry-Winter-even-rich-owners-like-Nicola-Cortese-and-Roman-Abramovich-need-the-fans.html Well summed up by Henry Winter.

[itchen]

This is good too:

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2013/jan/19/southampton-sacking-nigel-adkins-folly

[miserableoldgit]

Good article, and sums it up for me.

[pap]

I don't know.

 

Conclusions look like a hit piece to me:-

 

A bright banker, Cortese needs to talk to fans. He should certainly have fronted up at the media briefing with Pochettino on Friday.

 

 

He needs to listen to sensible former club servants like Matt Le Tissier and Lawrie McMenemy, who share the fans’ passion for the Saints.

 

 

Club power brokers like Cortese and Abramovich need to share the supporters’ mission.

 

I love MLT, but I'm not sure him and Cortese having a chat is going to make a great deal of difference to our fortunes this year. Long term, I'd like to see that rift healed.

 

And wtf is this "supporter's mission" supposed to be?

 

According to some, being a yo-yo club is alright. Others, just staying in the Prem is good enough. Some want more.

[um pahars]

Knew you were referring to the Winter article before I even opened the thread.

 

The piece resonated with me in that whilst it accepts the factual issues regarding ownership, business and decision making, it also empathises with the position of mere supporters and their unusual position of being more than just customers.

 

For many, football is more than a business, it is the cornerstone of their community and an integral part of the fabric of their life.

 

It surely must be possible to run a Club in an effective and efficient manner, whilst at the same time paying attention to the wider community and a Club's supporters

[Sour Mash]

I don't know.

 

Conclusions look like a hit piece to me:-

 

 

 

I love MLT, but I'm not sure him and Cortese having a chat is going to make a great deal of difference to our fortunes this year. Long term, I'd like to see that rift healed.

 

And wtf is this "supporter's mission" supposed to be?

 

According to some, being a yo-yo club is alright. Others, just staying in the Prem is good enough. Some want more.

Agree, don't know what 'supporters mission' is all about, but the overall point is right in my opinion. And the example of Chelsea is a very good one - despite winning the Champs League they are slowly running out of patience at being ignored and treated with contempt. A practical/realistic way of solving that? I'm really not sure.

[Lord Duckhunter]

I'm sick of the negative media coverage over this. They were all up in arms over the sacking of Pardew, yet I haven't seen one hack saying in hindsight they were wrong and NC was right. Life is not just black and white, decisions are not just black and white. If NC had listened to Matt and Lawrie, then I'm sure we'd have Dodd or some other crony of Lawrie or his son managing the club. Lawrie and Matt are two of my heroes, I think most Saints supporters are great, but none are qualified to run the club.

 

A quote I heard

 

Players Play

Managers Manage

Supporters Support,

 

Who did I hear saying that in an interview?

 

 

Lawrie Mac .............

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

While Henry Winter writing about the supposed importance of ordinary football fans may flatter the ego of his adoring readership, I'm not so sure myself that the likes of Abramovich, or Cortese, really care that much about us - indeed it seems plain enough to this fan that their primary motivation is more one of self-aggrandisement, rather than a selfless dedication to the interests of the football fan.

 

T'was ever thus you might say.

 

But if we really are the heart of football then I suppose the games wealthy powerbrokers will start reducing ticket prices soon so that more of us can afford to go to matches again ... yeah right.

[trousers]

I bet Cortese is loving being talked about in the same breath as Chelsea and Abramovich...who'd have thought that 3 years ago....

[Sour Mash]

I'm sick of the negative media coverage over this. They were all up in arms over the sacking of Pardew, yet I haven't seen one hack saying in hindsight they were wrong and NC was right. Life is not just black and white, decisions are not just black and white. If NC had listened to Matt and Lawrie, then I'm sure we'd have Dodd or some other crony of Lawrie or his son managing the club. Lawrie and Matt are two of my heroes, I think most Saints supporters are great, but none are qualified to run the club.

 

A quote I heard

 

Players Play

Managers Manage

Supporters Support,

 

Who did I hear saying that in an interview?

 

 

Lawrie Mac .............

Yeah, it's a media conspiracy, they've all got it in for us. Those red top hacks at places like, er, The Telegraph and Guardian......

[Wes Tender]

Both well written and thought provoking articles, which advocate the position that the fans showing their displeasure at Adkins' dismissal is not a pointless exercise.

[Sour Mash]

While Henry Winter writing about the supposed importance of ordinary football fans may flatter the ego of his adoring readership, I'm not so sure myself that the likes of Abramovich, or Cortese, really care that much about us - indeed it seems plain enough to this fan that their primary motivation is more one of self-aggrandisement, rather than a selfless dedication to the interests of the football fan.

 

T'was ever thus you might say.

 

But if we really are the heart of football then I suppose the games wealthy powerbrokers will start reducing ticket prices soon so that more of us can afford to go to matches again ... yeah right.

No, thats the point of the article, they don't care, but they should. A lot of people I know are getting slowly, but surely, p*****d off with the world of modern football, fan's patience isn't unlimited.

[Miltonroader07]

Lets move on, NA will be ok !!

[Lord Duckhunter]

Yeah, it's a media conspiracy, they've all got it in for us. Those red top hacks at places like, er, The Telegraph and Guardian......

 

Where have I said that?

 

What it is however is people like Winter thinking they know more about the game than NC and others. You only have to watch the Sunday Supplement to see the Winters, Samuals and Cross' of this world pontificating on football, where Managers have gone wrong, where owners have gone wrong. Winter does not know what's gone on behind the scenes, what prompted this decision and after slagging NC over sacking Pards should keep his mouth shut until we see how it pans out.

[Saint Fan CaM]

All very well, but most of the commentators are viewing the situation looking backwards only. Cortese will be considering how he can shape the future and if he thought NA could not fulfil that vision then he is only going to do one thing and that's make a change. One thing is for sure, at least we're not seeing the youth coach being appointed to 'save money'.

[pap]

Agree, don't know what 'supporters mission' is all about, but the overall point is right in my opinion. And the example of Chelsea is a very good one - despite winning the Champs League they are slowly running out of patience at being ignored and treated with contempt. A practical/realistic way of solving that? I'm really not sure.

 

um pahars posits that it is possible to run a successful football club in an effective and efficient manner. There are good examples of well-run clubs to be found around Europe. You can even find some in England. Arsenal are famously well-run; except they now have no "success", at least relative to their all-conquering days in the 2000s. Look at the clubs that have won the Prem lately. Man City - money, mercenaries and egos. Man Utd - leveraged massively on debt. Chelsea - see Man City, but multiply number of managers by 2.

 

Irrespective of whether Financial Fair Play is correctly enforced, there's still going to be a divide on how football clubs are owned and operated. Long term, a solution that would be ideal for many is for the club to be owned by the fans, and have an elected President. I like democracy; I can go with that.

 

Personally, I don't think we've got enough support for this model (yet). The only thing that will garner us support are impressive performances on the pitch. I've still got mates my age who are the biggest Hampshire hogs you'd be like to meet, yet talk about Saints fans as if they're a different f**king breed or from a different f**king planet because they chose a successful football team to support way back when. THEY ARE FROM SOUTHAMPTON! And that sh!t really needs to end.

 

I was only 9/10 at the time, so my memories may be a bit unreliable, but I have never seen Southampton (the city) buzzing about Southampton FC as much as I did in 84/85. I remember seeing people get excited about Saints that were never excited before, and have never been excited since. We need more 84/85s, and we need a trophy.

 

Sad to say, but the reason a lot of the glory-boys end up supporting the likes of Liverpool and Man U is because those teams have had very successful periods. From our perspective, a 84/85 season is an even tougher proposition than it was back then; the top teams often have subs benches that cost as much as the opposition's entire squad. The PL now features some of the best talents around the world.

 

For me, it comes down to a question of what we need more right now. A more democratic decision making process or results on the pitch? I'm perhaps doing the question a disservice by presenting these as mutually exclusive, so let me put it another way. Would a more democratic decision process help to get better results on the pitch?

[Chez]

I bet Cortese is loving being talked about in the same breath as Chelsea and Abramovich...who'd have thought that 3 years ago....

we ought to ask Henry Winter when Cortese became the rich owner of SFC? He's certainly getting richer every year he runs the football business.

[Crazy Diamond]

Martin Lipton on Sunday Supplement is right now saying exactly what I'm thinking.

[Smirking_Saint]

The Telegraph one is good, the Guardian one is poor, this one is also good

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21084754

[pap]

The Telegraph one is good, the Guardian one is poor, this one is also good

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21084754

 

That is a good article, largely because it doesn't seem to have been scribed on the back of a high horse.

[Sour Mash]

Where have I said that?

 

What it is however is people like Winter thinking they know more about the game than NC and others. You only have to watch the Sunday Supplement to see the Winters, Samuals and Cross' of this world pontificating on football, where Managers have gone wrong, where owners have gone wrong. Winter does not know what's gone on behind the scenes, what prompted this decision and after slagging NC over sacking Pards should keep his mouth shut until we see how it pans out.

Yeah Henry Winter and co. should "shut his mouth" He is a well respected football journalist, asked for his opinion. He won't be right on everything, but he offers a pretty intelligent, fair, neutral viewpoint into the game.

[Bearsy]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/9813415/Henry-Winter-even-rich-owners-like-Nicola-Cortese-and-Roman-Abramovich-need-the-fans.html Well summed up by Henry Winter.

 

Nice to hear St Mary's described as "vibrant place of worship known around the world". Have that Fratton Park!

[trousers]

we ought to ask Henry Winter when Cortese became the rich owner of SFC? He's certainly getting richer every year he runs the football business.

 

Was listening to TalkSport last night (yes, I know, I'll repent my sins in due course) and their ignorance about the ownership situation was astounding. Before these people spout their rhetoric it might be an idea to do some research first rather than jumping on the headline grabbing media bandwagon. But this is TalkSport I'm talking about here so we're in Bob Hope territory on that one...

[SaintBobby]

Widespread growth of the fan ownership model is a pipedream, I fear.

 

What's the value of Southampton Football Club? £50m - £100m?

 

There may be twice as many Saints fans as Pompey fans, but look at the laughable attempts by the Pompey Trust to scrape together a truly pitiful £1m. (and this at a time when the alternative could well be liquidation, other clubs would be seeking to raise money from fans on the basis that it would be "nice" to have fan ownership).

 

If there are 10,000 Saints fans willing to stump up £5,000 - £10,000 each, then fan ownership becomes feasible. But there aren't. So it isn't.

 

It pains me to say that Saints can't even get their fan representation sorted out. SISA are a tiny, trivial joke.

[spyinthesky]

Rod Liddle in the Sunday Times is worth a read too

[pap]

Yeah Henry Winter and co. should "shut his mouth" He is a well respected football journalist, asked for his opinion. He won't be right on everything, but he offers a pretty intelligent, fair, neutral viewpoint into the game.

 

Neutral? Nah. The man clearly has an agenda, which is "I know how football clubs should be run". He's making assumptions on NC's decision with pretty much the same information that we all have; the various tidbits that have popped up in the media.

 

I'm with Lord D on this one. There is saying; you don't know what goes on behind closed doors. We're starting to get bits and pieces of info now. It's clear there was friction between chairman and manager. Only one winner when that happens, I'm afraid.

[Lord Duckhunter]

Yeah Henry Winter and co. should "shut his mouth" He is a well respected football journalist, asked for his opinion. He won't be right on everything, but he offers a pretty intelligent, fair, neutral viewpoint into the game.

 

Only it's not a neutral and fair viewpoint. He's made his mind up NC-Bad, Adkins-good. Substitute Adkins for Pardew and he could have rewritten his story from 3 years ago.

 

Perhaps something along the lines of: "NC did a similar thing to Alan Pardew, and despite widespread disbelief at this decisions (including from this correspondent) it turned out to be a master stroke. Only time will tell if NC has got it right again."

[CB Fry]

Neutral? Nah. The man clearly has an agenda, which is "I know how football clubs should be run". He's making assumptions on NC's decision with pretty much the same information that we all have; the various tidbits that have popped up in the media.

 

I'm with Lord D on this one. There is saying; you don't know what goes on behind closed doors. We're starting to get bits and pieces of info now. It's clear there was friction between chairman and manager. Only one winner when that happens, I'm afraid.

 

 

 

Are you being neutral then?

[trousers]

All very well, but most of the commentators are viewing the situation looking backwards only. Cortese will be considering how he can shape the future and if he thought NA could not fulfil that vision then he is only going to do one thing and that's make a change. One thing is for sure, at least we're not seeing the youth coach being appointed to 'save money'.

 

That reminds me, one of the intellectually challenged presenters on TalkSport last night was saying that Cortese's statement on the OS smacked of him trying to build a team on the cheap because he wants to get more academy players coming through to the first team squad....

[Wes Tender]

That is a good article, largely because it doesn't seem to have been scribed on the back of a high horse.

 

But then it shows the performance comparison between all of the managers since Bramfoot, which is so deeply flawed as to make them look like idiots for showing it.

[pap]

Widespread growth of the fan ownership model is a pipedream, I fear.

 

What's the value of Southampton Football Club? £50m - £100m?

 

There may be twice as many Saints fans as Pompey fans, but look at the laughable attempts by the Pompey Trust to scrape together a truly pitiful £1m. (and this at a time when the alternative could well be liquidation, other clubs would be seeking to raise money from fans on the basis that it would be "nice" to have fan ownership).

 

If there are 10,000 Saints fans willing to stump up £5,000 - £10,000 each, then fan ownership becomes feasible. But there aren't. So it isn't.

 

It pains me to say that Saints can't even get their fan representation sorted out. SISA are a tiny, trivial joke.

 

Exactly.

 

Like it or not, the autocratic-but-financed model has got us where we are. It'll also get us to where we need to be.

 

Some very harsh decisions have been made along the way, but so far, the management recruitment decisions seem to have been well-judged when viewed over the longer term. Appreciate that things are still very raw at the moment, naturally.

[pap]

But then it shows the performance comparison between all of the managers since Bramfoot, which is so deeply flawed as to make them look like idiots for showing it.

 

Flawed because we have a "League One" team?

[Lord Duckhunter]

That reminds me, one of the intellectually challenged presenters on TalkSport last night was saying that Cortese's statement on the OS smacked of him trying to build a team on the cheap because he wants to get more academy players coming through to the first team squad....

 

The ignorance showed towards our club and towards MP has astounded me. You had the European journos and the European Managers saying they'd heard of him, knew all about him, was a bright young Manager, and the rest saying he's a nobody.

 

It hit a low when that fat chump Mick Quinn opening his show yesterday by saying "I have a question for MP, WHO ARE YA". I had a face palm moment, Quinn a fat journeyman player, asking an Argie international and respected young coach, "who are Ya".

[waggy]

Henry Winters article struck a chord with me re the squaddie. I was in Cyprus with the UN in the mid 70's and wrote to the club to wish LM well. He sent a personal reply bigging up what we were doing in Cyprus and likened it to what he was trying to do at Saints. Doubt that you'd get that kind of personal service from the club at the moment and whilst I do not agree with whats happened to NA I believe that we should now get behind PM and the players, starting with Mondays game.

[waggy]

The ignorance showed towards our club and towards MP has astounded me. You had the European journos and the European Managers saying they'd heard of him, knew all about him, was a bright young Manager, and the rest saying he's a nobody.

 

It hit a low when that fat chump Mick Quinn opening his show yesterday by saying "I have a question for MP, WHO ARE YA". I had a face palm moment, Quinn a fat journeyman player, asking an Argie international and respected young coach, "who are Ya".

 

this

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

The ignorance showed towards our club and towards MP has astounded me. You had the European journos and the European Managers saying they'd heard of him, knew all about him, was a bright young Manager, and the rest saying he's a nobody.

 

It hit a low when that fat chump Mick Quinn opening his show yesterday by saying "I have a question for MP, WHO ARE YA". I had a face palm moment, Quinn a fat journeyman player, asking an Argie international and respected young coach, "who are Ya".

 

With respect to fighting a relegation battle in the premiership, it is an entirely valid question.

[Frank's cousin]

Its their job, and they love nothing more than to be able to write stories like this - it is news, but also of the type that allows them to present themselves as the 'voice of the people' for a change... the same journas and papers that perpetuate the 'Premier league is the greatest league in the world' hype and feed themselves at the same table. The same broadcasters that utter 'digraceful decisions/hope they get relegated' before dicussing teh latest 'sack race odds with the phone in corporate betting sponsor...

 

So at least view these 'comments' with that in mind - there is hypocrissy in all of us and the media is best in class at it, because they do it with no shame and conveniently forget anything written yesterday - the 'chip paper' mentality literally taken to heart.

 

UP, the sentiments you discribe are great, community enriching part of the fabric of life etc. But where is that same community up and down the country where most clubs below the top tier see dwindling attendance and dwindling revenue - many close to broke as fans stay parked in front of Sky watching the 'best league in the world' TM, rather than being present at the ground of their local club?

 

Its easy to suggest that the monster that football has become, has been driven by business that has disenfranchised the 'traditional working class' fan, but the reality is fans were dwindling well before Sky arrived and clubs faced problems up and down the country - In a nutshell, the numbers within each community prepared to stand by their community club during non successful times is far lower than in times gone past - and most within the community only attach themselves to it when they can reflect in the glory of success, not when its wallowing in the mire - surely 'loyalty ' must go both ways?

 

Given how fans do react and withdraw their cash as attendances fall when clubs are releagted of performing badly, is it any wonder that clubs no longer consider fans the be and end all of the club? Strategies, plans whatever, are designed without the fan in mind - because if they work the fans will come along anyway, and will desert in numbers if it does not, so why consider them?

 

The reality has always been that kids like to be folowers of success - when I was at school in the 70s and 80s, 90% 'supported' liverpool - associateing tehmselves with the success and being onside with classmates was always more important than the 'community' angle of the local club - I dare say it shifted to Man United and the Chelsea in more recent times, but suspect its still a truism.

 

We just like to romantisze the game, a nostalgic view of an era that probably never existed in reality, unless you go back pre 70s - when it was an afternoon passtime, without tribalism or aggression. Yes it was part of the community fabric then, because it was about all there wa sto do on a Saturday afternoon, but I think your notion that its is still that important to the community is wishful thinking I'm affraid. I believe that was lost when so many were disenfranchised from the game not by Sky and business but by the cages and the tribalism.

Edited 20 January, 2013 by Frank's cousin

[Wes Tender]

Flawed because we have a "League One" team?

No. I've already explained this on another thread. Firstly there is such a disparity between the number of matches played under each manager, ranging from 2 to 95. Then there is a time range of 22 years, covering such a fantastic change in football as to make comparisons further meaningless. For example, the glory clubs are now backed by far wealthier people than they were then and the players in the Premiership are now World stars, rather than mainly British players in the 90's. The fact that many of Adkins' players came up with us from the lower division is simply an additional factor that makes comparisons impossible.

 

If you give any credence to that table, then my respect for your opinions is lessened somewhat.

[Lord Duckhunter]

With respect to fighting a relegation battle in the premiership' date=' it is an entirely valid question.[/quote']

 

But it wasn't in that context, it was how he had friends on the South coast and nobody had heard of him, that Ginger **** Durham also called him a nobody. It says more about so called professional pundits that they hadn't head of him, than it does MP. As I said all the foreign Journos who came on, knew all about him and his career.

[Frank's cousin]

But it wasn't in that context, it was how he had friends on the South coast and nobody had heard of him, that Ginger **** Durham also called him a nobody. It says more about so called professional pundits that they hadn't head of him, than it does MP. As I said all the foreign Journos who came on, knew all about him and his career.

 

To be fair LD, it is their job, and done deliberately to create controversy and the phones ringing - them doing it is not whats sad, its the sad fact that some seem to place value in that opinion - I daresay there are plenty whose egos are bruised because that nasty media were pish taking - and that MP must be a nobody because it said so on the radio...

[Guan 2.0]

I'm sick of the negative media coverage over this. They were all up in arms over the sacking of Pardew, yet I haven't seen one hack saying in hindsight they were wrong and NC was right. Life is not just black and white, decisions are not just black and white. If NC had listened to Matt and Lawrie, then I'm sure we'd have Dodd or some other crony of Lawrie or his son managing the club. Lawrie and Matt are two of my heroes, I think most Saints supporters are great, but none are qualified to run the club.

 

A quote I heard

 

Players Play

Managers Manage

Supporters Support,

 

Who did I hear saying that in an interview?

 

 

Lawrie Mac .............

 

I too, was angry that Adkins was sacked, and have yet to see (like the rest of the fans) if this new guy can not only win games, but patch up the fallout.

 

However, Lawrie and Le Tiss are starting to overreach severely when it comes to their criticism of Southampton Football Club, and are using this fiasco to grind their axes to a dull, repetitive point.

 

What LM should have said was...

 

Players Play

Managers Manage

Supporters Support,

I take ****loads for shares (LM) then criticise others for doing the same.

I make bets on games i play in, (MLT) or lie about it in a book to sell more copies, depending on who you ask.

 

Then, as the money runs out:

 

I will set up my agent son with Redknapp to make dodgy deals which will be referred to the Premier League bungs commission (LM)

I will back a penniless weirdo who lives with his mum over a Swiss billionaire. (MLT)

I will bemoan the loss of my personal cash cow, where i just talked with my old pals and a few corporates for a (relatively) huge wedge (LM).

 

Which leads to personal attacks, rather than considered criticism, such as: “"I don't know if Nigel was becoming too popular and the chairman didn't like it," Le Tiss tells BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek programme. "He does appear to have a bit of an ego problem”.

 

I wonder if they will ever mention these during interviews.

[Ewell]

I'm sick of the negative media coverage over this. They were all up in arms over the sacking of Pardew, yet I haven't seen one hack saying in hindsight they were wrong and NC was right. Life is not just black and white, decisions are not just black and white. If NC had listened to Matt and Lawrie, then I'm sure we'd have Dodd or some other crony of Lawrie or his son managing the club. Lawrie and Matt are two of my heroes, I think most Saints supporters are great, but none are qualified to run the club.

 

A quote I heard

 

Players Play

Managers Manage

Supporters Support,

 

Who did I hear saying that in an interview?

 

 

Lawrie Mac .............

 

Maybe you should try and look a bit harder instead of being such a drama queen which incidentally you have been accusing everyone else of being since events unfolded on Friday.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21084754

[pap]

Are you being neutral then?

 

I'm being realistic.

 

Back when Alan Nixon first broke the RdM replacing Adkins story, I spoke with him on Twitter about why it was happening. He spoke then of a rift between Chairman and Manager, over transfer policy, and that the key point of difference was the level of ambition in the transfers. I made the point back then that Cortese probably wanted the big names but didn't trust Adkins to manage them, and that Adkins would be more comfortable with low-key signings than international superstars. The Mirror article bears this out somewhat.

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/tensions-over-transfers-saw-nigel-1546179

 

So whatever ride we've experienced as fans, the situation at SMS between chairman and manager has been broken for a long time. Left to continue it'll result in factions. It's not fair to players to have to divide their loyalties like kids in a messy divorce. Long term, that situation just isn't tenable and even though the vast majority of people on here have had their fingers in their ears whenever bad news rolls in with the tide, the reality is that the club has been rumbling along with this internal strife since last season.

 

A bit of conflict can be very useful in arriving at a good decision, but too much can become corrosive. I think NA getting sacked by TV was appalling, but again, being realistic - he has exited the club with his head held high and already has suitors.

 

Bottom line; most organisations cannot function if the link between the executives and the management is broken.

[Sour Mash]

Neutral? Nah. The man clearly has an agenda, which is "I know how football clubs should be run". He's making assumptions on NC's decision with pretty much the same information that we all have; the various tidbits that have popped up in the media.

 

I'm with Lord D on this one. There is saying; you don't know what goes on behind closed doors. We're starting to get bits and pieces of info now. It's clear there was friction between chairman and manager. Only one winner when that happens, I'm afraid.

Neutral in that as far as I'm aware he shows no clear bias towards a particular team - this isn't a Merson or Le Tiss commentating here. We all know there was friction between the manager and chairman, some of us have been posting about that for months.

[pap]

But it wasn't in that context, it was how he had friends on the South coast and nobody had heard of him, that Ginger **** Durham also called him a nobody. It says more about so called professional pundits that they hadn't head of him, than it does MP. As I said all the foreign Journos who came on, knew all about him and his career.

 

I was listening to Colin Murray's Five Live show. John Hartson and Pat Nevin were both on there saying how bad the sacking was. Bit later, Colin asks them whether NA would be a good manager for Swansea or Everton. They were not as keen then.

 

Same dismissiveness toward Southampton as always. NA is a good enough manager for us, but not for Swansea or Everton. Hmm.

[Thedelldays]

I was listening to Colin Murray's Five Live show. John Hartson and Pat Nevin were both on there saying how bad the sacking was. Bit later, Colin asks them whether NA would be a good manager for Swansea or Everton. They were not as keen then.

 

Same dismissiveness toward Southampton as always. NA is a good enough manager for us, but not for Swansea or Everton. Hmm.

I agree...unless it is wigan, he wont manage in the prem unless he promotes a club...(adkins)

why so if he is brilliant for a team 15th in the prem...?

 

he should have stayed but the reaction is getting OTT from pundits a like....

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

I'm being realistic.

 

Back when Alan Nixon first broke the RdM replacing Adkins story, I spoke with him on Twitter about why it was happening. He spoke then of a rift between Chairman and Manager, over transfer policy, and that the key point of difference was the level of ambition in the transfers. I made the point back then that Cortese probably wanted the big names but didn't trust Adkins to manage them, and that Adkins would be more comfortable with low-key signings than international superstars. The Mirror article bears this out somewhat.

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/tensions-over-transfers-saw-nigel-1546179

 

So whatever ride we've experienced as fans, the situation at SMS between chairman and manager has been broken for a long time. Left to continue it'll result in factions. It's not fair to players to have to divide their loyalties like kids in a messy divorce. Long term, that situation just isn't tenable and even though the vast majority of people on here have had their fingers in their ears whenever bad news rolls in with the tide, the reality is that the club has been rumbling along with this internal strife since last season.

 

A bit of conflict can be very useful in arriving at a good decision, but too much can become corrosive. I think NA getting sacked by TV was appalling, but again, being realistic - he has exited the club with his head held high and already has suitors.

 

Bottom line; most organisations cannot function if the link between the executives and the management is broken.

 

Excellent post. Heart says ******** but brain says you are right

[dvaughanwilliams]

I'm being realistic.

 

Back when Alan Nixon first broke the RdM replacing Adkins story, I spoke with him on Twitter about why it was happening. He spoke then of a rift between Chairman and Manager, over transfer policy, and that the key point of difference was the level of ambition in the transfers. I made the point back then that Cortese probably wanted the big names but didn't trust Adkins to manage them, and that Adkins would be more comfortable with low-key signings than international superstars. The Mirror article bears this out somewhat.

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/tensions-over-transfers-saw-nigel-1546179

 

So whatever ride we've experienced as fans, the situation at SMS between chairman and manager has been broken for a long time. Left to continue it'll result in factions. It's not fair to players to have to divide their loyalties like kids in a messy divorce. Long term, that situation just isn't tenable and even though the vast majority of people on here have had their fingers in their ears whenever bad news rolls in with the tide, the reality is that the club has been rumbling along with this internal strife since last season.

 

A bit of conflict can be very useful in arriving at a good decision, but too much can become corrosive. I think NA getting sacked by TV was appalling, but again, being realistic - he has exited the club with his head held high and already has suitors.

 

Bottom line; most organisations cannot function if the link between the executives and the management is broken.

 

You make very sensible and pragmatic points, however, I think that this situation has been handled so badly that it has alienated the fans. Whilst I fully accept that I am just a customer of a ruthless business, it isn't nice to have that fact rubbed in your face. By acting in a way that is in direct contradiction of the fans' wishes, as voiced by support for Adkins at games, it puts an extra distance between the fans and the club. It hasn't annoyed me enough to stop me going to games, but it will effect some people's decisions who go on an occasional basis. It has affected the way I feel about the club and I might be a bit quieter in my support at games.

 

At clubs that have explicit bankrolling from billionaires, this can be ignored. I'm not convinced that we're in that position. If the club has to be self-funding, treating the fans badly and poor communication is a bad strategy.

[niceandfriendly]

There will have been similar articles or feelings after Pardew was sacked. "Think of the fans!" "Cortese doesn't care about the fans!" "Poor old Saints fans" etc etc, and then that was all quickly forgotten about when Adkins did a great job and gave the fans some of the best times in recent memory.

 

Maybe, just maybe, this guy will be a success and I can't imagine too many will be saying how unfair it all is on the fans if we're pushing up the table/still in the Prem in 2 years time.

[Charlie Wayman]

It's all worthless bull shine, our so-called fans on here were all for boycotting matches to remind Cortese who matters most. so what happened next, they all chickened out 'cos they can't stand the thought of missing a match they've paid for. So much for morality all hot air in reality.

 

Nothing will change lemmings will still queue up to jump over cliffs - we are as one? - and just as predictably Saints 'fans' will be queuing up to get into the amphitheatre so that Cortese can heap more **** all over them whilst telling them nothing and ignoring their interests or needs or views.

 

The more fans roll over for their tummies to be tickled and accept what he's doing without a murmur the more he will be inclined to do exactly what he wants...

 

.... and remember this all you wise ones, he doesn't give a toss whether you are there or not because you'll be replaced by plenty of glory hunters who will want to jump on the bandwagon if success comes and prices double and treble.

 

They'll still be Southampton FC, staffed by players and people you've never heard of and won't care about; with no British players and no connection to the City or it's people.