Les Reed

[Pamplemousse]

 

Net spend champions

[Miltonaggro]

Les Reed thinks he is a pilot, but he cannot fly a plane.

 

In that analogy competency as an air hostess would stretch his capabilities.

[Saint86]

You really do live in cuckoo land are you paid by clotese to make these daily Reed hate posts ?

 

Clotese left us financially in the mire with big interest charges on flops like Ramirez and Osvaldo, something like £40M down the drain.

 

Clotese also did as much as could to damage the club before he left, orchesteating newspaper journalists to write allsorts of 'meltdown' headlines via the then clubs PR and told adidas to do one for no reason other than pure spite.

 

Reed was a club consultant before he became employed and so desperate was cortese to find someone that could run a football club he employed him.

 

Such is your weird stance on Reed i presume you were lambasting him when Koeman arrived and the players that saw us finish in the top ten 3 times in a row with euro football twice.

 

So, whilst there is clearly reason to question Reed over the last 18 months, that is no the complete picture being portrayed by yourself and others.

 

Cloud cuckoo land....

 

He did nothing but ride a momentum curve to make some money and hamstring the club's potential when it was at its peak.

 

He has taken us from a champions league contender to relegation fodder in less than 2 seasons. And you are on here trying to defend him.

Edited 1 May, 2018 by Saint86

[Saint-Fred]

 

Net spend champions

 

We've had the net spend debate numerous times, however I think the real crime is spending £225 million on a squad that is performing no better than the Stokes, West Broms and Swanseas who have spent 100 million less?

 

Whatever the plan is for building a squad it's come up really short in some key area's...

[alpine_saint]

 

Net spend champions

 

That table is a disgrace and explains the predicament we are in

[alpine_saint]

Cloud cuckoo land....

 

He did nothing but ride a momentum curve to make some money and hamstring the club's potential when it was at its peak.

 

He has taken us from a champions league contender to relegation fodder in less than 2 seasons. And you are on here trying to defend him.

 

Spot on.

[Saint Benali]

You really do live in cuckoo land are you paid by clotese to make these daily Reed hate posts ?

 

Clotese left us financially in the mire with big interest charges on flops like Ramirez and Osvaldo, something like £40M down the drain.

 

Clotese also did as much as could to damage the club before he left, orchesteating newspaper journalists to write allsorts of 'meltdown' headlines via the then clubs PR and told adidas to do one for no reason other than pure spite.

 

Reed was a club consultant before he became employed and so desperate was cortese to find someone that could run a football club he employed him.

 

Such is your weird stance on Reed i presume you were lambasting him when Koeman arrived and the players that saw us finish in the top ten 3 times in a row with euro football twice.

 

So, whilst there is clearly reason to question Reed over the last 18 months, that is no the complete picture being portrayed by yourself and others.

 

Biggest load of horse**** that was ever spoken on here Les.

 

But hey let's take a look. So Cortese left us in the mire after wasting £40m on Osvaldo and Ramirez did he? Firstly think you may need to go back and actually look at how good Osvaldo was before we signed him. He scored 17 goals in 30 league games and was the main striker for Italy at the time. The fact a newly promoted team could even think of getting one of the top scorers in Serie A was unthinkable. The fact he had a meltdown was nothing to do with Cortese.... If you want to talk about wastes though how about Carrillio and Boufal? Some signings go well and some don't. That is the nature of the game. The way you try and portray it is we all should have known it would go tits up which is just wrong...

 

As for the financial mire thing. Would this be the same financial mire where we made profits without player sales? The same financial mire where we invested in new training and youth facilities that were needed to push the club forwards? The same facilities that were then added to the valuation of the club which Kat pocketed?

 

If you want to talk about finances how about this one. Les sold nearly £300m worth of players in just 4 years and we are in the drop zone with one of the poorest squads we have ever assembled? Our wage bill went from just over £40m a season to now almost £100m a season in just 4 years. IF we go down and Les has not put clauses in their contracts, especially the ones signed at the start of the season we will be ****ed.

 

But I am sure you are on a wind up.

[red&white56]

That table is a disgrace and explains the predicament we are in

 

No, it doesn't explain anything.

[Batman]

No, it doesn't explain anything.

 

Well, it does

[ericb]

As for the financial mire thing. Would this be the same financial mire where we made profits without player sales? The same financial mire where we invested in new training and youth facilities that were needed to push the club forwards? The same facilities that were then added to the valuation of the club which Kat pocketed?

 

We didn't make profits without player sales, when Cortese left the club was in dire financial straits, we'd taken out a sizeable loan due to our overspending and there was spending going on on things that weren't beneficial to the club (like refurbishing houses), the reason that Kat stepped in and removed Cortese from his position was because of that financial overspend, in fact she was happy for him to carry on in some factor but needed to place checks and balances to protect the future of the club. All of this has been talked about at length here and the London Saints also heard the same thing from Krueger when he met them.

 

Everyone mocks, laughs and jokes when some of us said we were heading down the Pompey/Leeds route, but mark our words that was exactly where we were heading. The club was in a very, very bad situation and simply couldn't afford the outlay that way happening.

 

If you want to talk about finances how about this one. Les sold nearly £300m worth of players in just 4 years and we are in the drop zone with one of the poorest squads we have ever assembled? Our wage bill went from just over £40m a season to now almost £100m a season in just 4 years. IF we go down and Les has not put clauses in their contracts, especially the ones signed at the start of the season we will be ****ed.

 

But I am sure you are on a wind up.

 

So you think Reed sold these players in isolation? I'm the first to think and say it went to far in recent years but the first and second waves of large player sales were to balance the books, the summer Cortese left we had no choice but to accept offers for players, and actually the fact we did so well out of it speaks volumes for the club, if you go back through old interviews you'll actually hear veiled comments that explain the need for these sales and the reasons why (although Cortese isn't mentioned outright).

 

Some people here (and in our fanbase in general) are hugely blinkered to what he did to the club, i think that stems from two things, firstly we were successful in the period he was here. That success was largely built on money we couldn't afford, but football fans will always look back at periods of success and think the guy in charge did well.

 

Secondly due to the overly litigious nature of Cortese (who would often threaten court action on things that wouldn't hold up as the fear of cost would stop people), quality of his press links and pr, and the desire of the club not to air their washing in public the club have always chosen to keep these facts quiet. It's also good business sense from the club at the time to do so as it would've weakened their hand in player sales if other clubs knew our financial position.

 

Finally to add, this last season/summer there was some hugely bad management in the club at it's highest levels, personally i think the rot really hit with the way we dealt with Fonte. There is no doubting he acted appallingly badly, marching into board rooms during meetings, causing divisions in the changing room etc. but he was very much a Saints man at heart, and the leader that carried the side through a hell of a lot.

 

Not playing Fonte in Europe was a catastrophic error on the part of Puel, and soured the relationship to the point it was irreparable, and personally from what i've heard it was reparable at one point and the club even had Fonte earmarked as someone to fast track into management.

 

Post the Fonte saga the board and higher management took their eye off the ball on the playing side, bringing in Kelvin was too little too late and meant to galvanise the squad and bring some togetherness (a role i have no doubt would've gone to Fonte had he stayed).

 

Alongside that, and as others have alluded to here, certain people took more interest in expanding our overseas offerings, as well as managing the sale of the club. Something which included not selling certain "crown jewels", hence the VVD mess.

 

We also ballsed up our choice of manager post Puel (and choice forced not by the fans as some think, but due to him having significantly lost the dressing room) and the club panicked into getting someone who wasn't their first choice by some distance.

 

In terms of not sacking Pellegrino by the sounds of things you can square that blame at the door of Krueger, he felt that Pellegrino was a good tactician with good ideas, and wanted him given time when others wanted him gone. Don't forget we first put out feelers for new managers before xmas.

 

So the truth is bringing Cortese back now, or even defending him, is both an exercise in futility and something that will never happen as the club don't trust him with the most important thing, the money.

 

By all means get angry at the current arrogance and disaster of the board, but understand what came before, and understand too some of this had/has to happen to release more funds for the club (investment in Chinese academies).

[red&white56]

Well, it does

 

Maybe it does to you but it doesn't to me. I'm happy to hear your explanations though.....

[aintforever]

Maybe it does to you but it doesn't to me. I'm happy to hear your explanations though.....

 

Sell best players = football not as good

[Batman]

Maybe it does to you but it doesn't to me. I'm happy to hear your explanations though.....

 

That our transfers in are pretty gash for the money spent. I’m pretty stunned that you can’t see that!

Edited 2 May, 2018 by Batman

[Dalek2003]

We didn't make profits without player sales, when Cortese left the club was in dire financial straits, we'd taken out a sizeable loan due to our overspending and there was spending going on on things that weren't beneficial to the club (like refurbishing houses), the reason that Kat stepped in and removed Cortese from his position was because of that financial overspend, in fact she was happy for him to carry on in some factor but needed to place checks and balances to protect the future of the club. All of this has been talked about at length here and the London Saints also heard the same thing from Krueger when he met them.

 

Everyone mocks, laughs and jokes when some of us said we were heading down the Pompey/Leeds route, but mark our words that was exactly where we were heading. The club was in a very, very bad situation and simply couldn't afford the outlay that way happening.

 

 

 

So you think Reed sold these players in isolation? I'm the first to think and say it went to far in recent years but the first and second waves of large player sales were to balance the books, the summer Cortese left we had no choice but to accept offers for players, and actually the fact we did so well out of it speaks volumes for the club, if you go back through old interviews you'll actually hear veiled comments that explain the need for these sales and the reasons why (although Cortese isn't mentioned outright).

 

Some people here (and in our fanbase in general) are hugely blinkered to what he did to the club, i think that stems from two things, firstly we were successful in the period he was here. That success was largely built on money we couldn't afford, but football fans will always look back at periods of success and think the guy in charge did well.

 

Secondly due to the overly litigious nature of Cortese (who would often threaten court action on things that wouldn't hold up as the fear of cost would stop people), quality of his press links and pr, and the desire of the club not to air their washing in public the club have always chosen to keep these facts quiet. It's also good business sense from the club at the time to do so as it would've weakened their hand in player sales if other clubs knew our financial position.

 

Finally to add, this last season/summer there was some hugely bad management in the club at it's highest levels, personally i think the rot really hit with the way we dealt with Fonte. There is no doubting he acted appallingly badly, marching into board rooms during meetings, causing divisions in the changing room etc. but he was very much a Saints man at heart, and the leader that carried the side through a hell of a lot.

 

Not playing Fonte in Europe was a catastrophic error on the part of Puel, and soured the relationship to the point it was irreparable, and personally from what i've heard it was reparable at one point and the club even had Fonte earmarked as someone to fast track into management.

 

Post the Fonte saga the board and higher management took their eye off the ball on the playing side, bringing in Kelvin was too little too late and meant to galvanise the squad and bring some togetherness (a role i have no doubt would've gone to Fonte had he stayed).

 

Alongside that, and as others have alluded to here, certain people took more interest in expanding our overseas offerings, as well as managing the sale of the club. Something which included not selling certain "crown jewels", hence the VVD mess.

 

We also ballsed up our choice of manager post Puel (and choice forced not by the fans as some think, but due to him having significantly lost the dressing room) and the club panicked into getting someone who wasn't their first choice by some distance.

 

In terms of not sacking Pellegrino by the sounds of things you can square that blame at the door of Krueger, he felt that Pellegrino was a good tactician with good ideas, and wanted him given time when others wanted him gone. Don't forget we first put out feelers for new managers before xmas.

 

So the truth is bringing Cortese back now, or even defending him, is both an exercise in futility and something that will never happen as the club don't trust him with the most important thing, the money.

 

By all means get angry at the current arrogance and disaster of the board, but understand what came before, and understand too some of this had/has to happen to release more funds for the club (investment in Chinese academies).

 

An extremely well written article with plenty of supporting explanations. I don't agree with all of it, but appreciate a different point of view. Thanks.

[Saint Benali]

We didn't make profits without player sales, when Cortese left the club was in dire financial straits, we'd taken out a sizeable loan due to our overspending and there was spending going on on things that weren't beneficial to the club (like refurbishing houses), the reason that Kat stepped in and removed Cortese from his position was because of that financial overspend, in fact she was happy for him to carry on in some factor .

 

In all due respect I stopped reading there.

 

Cortese last full season financial results

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/mar/31/southampton-profits-administration-2009

 

Southampton have announced after tax profits of £33.4m for the year ending 30 June 2014

 

Total revenue increased to £106m from £71.8m in 2013

 

There are lots of positives to take from these financial results. Recording the first profit and positive net asset position for the first time since administration in 2009 is very pleasing. It shows the health of the club and the group is strong and the foundations are there to be built on.

 

And only 2 and a bit months before those results we were told

 

New Southampton director Hans Hofstetter says the club's board has inherited a "difficult financial situation

 

The club posted a net loss of £7.1m and will enter the summer window owing £27m in outstanding transfer fees.

A bill in excess of £30m is also pending for their new training ground.

The most important point is that we are in a position where we do not need to sell any player Mauricio [Pochettino] wants to keep," Hofstetter added

Hofstetter says that will not lead to the sale of star players such as Luke Shaw, Jay Rodriguez and Adam Lallana.

 

So firstly the owed transfer fees and the training ground loan. We simply had to spend that money or we would have been in severe trouble staying up. Those transfers helped the club to become what it would be. Jay, Clyne, Davis and Yoshi went on to play huge parts in our rise. Some went wrong IE Gaston. Building that squad we only needed to bring in a few the following season. Lovren, Wanyama and of course the nutter Osvaldo. We eventually sold Clyne, Jay, Wanyama and Lovren which in total was over £50m.

This for me it the issue people just seem to forget or not wish to talk about. If we buy something we have an asset. It isn't money being ****ed in the wind. You will of course get some come through that don't work out. But at the end of it we had some good times out of those transfers and most of them left for more than what we paid.

 

The same goes for the training ground. We needed to upgrade if we wanted to compete. We have top level facilities now. Ones that are worth a fortune and are shown in the sale of the club. Again this image that we loaned money and it just vanished and was wasted is wrong.

 

In the words of the same guy above

 

The Club has risen quickly in a short period and committed itself to high levels of expenditure both on the development of Staplewood Training Ground, which is likely to exceed £30m, as well as significant future transfer fees. This high level of expenditure has required strong support from the Ultimate Shareholder and once again this has been shown

 

So right there shows Kat agreed to those things. Hardly the shock they later went on to say is it?

 

And the justification for spending that amount?

 

The redevelopment of Staplewood Training Ground will provide the players and Academy staff with the best quality environment to meet the standard set by the First Team who have competed and performed on the pitch at the highest level, and will also help the Academy to continue to develop future talent.

 

So not this really bad idea where the owner was pushed into doing something horrible is it?

 

You say he was spending on stupid things and ultimately this was his downfall. But Kat's advisor said

 

“In other areas the Club has maintained its prudent approach to the stewardship of the underlying activities required to run the Club"

Again that doesn't quite indicate we had gone on a full blown spending bender does it?

 

With the first phase of the training ground due to open this summer, Academy graduates continuing to progress into the First Team, a healthy operating profit position and a strong ownership combined and balanced board we are provided with an excellent foundation from which the Club as a whole can continue to grow

 

Hang on a sec I thought we were in the financial ****? How are we in a healthy operating profit position if we are renovating houses?!

 

And now Cortese was sacked was he? Which doesn't quite fit with what Kat said when he resigned.

With great regret we have accepted the resignation of Mr Cortese. He has done a wonderful job at the club and we very much wanted him to stay

Or are you suggesting she was actually lying and didn't think those things and did actually sack him?

 

And the final bit as to why I didn't keep reading was

We didn't make profits without player sales,

 

"Interim results for the first six months ending December 31, 2012 show total revenue, excluding player trading, nearly trebled to £33.1million from £11.6million, while average attendances rose 16 per cent to 30,372."

Our first six months in the Barclays Premier League show the dramatic impact promotion has had on the club," chief financial officer Gareth Rogers said.

 

"However, the significant increase in turnover has not deterred us from our stated aim of financial prudence in the top division.

 

"I am delighted to report the club's first profit without the aid of player trading since 2005, which demonstrates that prudence in football can be achieved whilst significant investment, both on and off the field, is still being made."

 

So there you have it. Don't take that as a defence of Cortese as he did a lot wrong. But people fail to remember he was a successful business man. Specializing in making money. The loans he got went into the club in the form of assets players/facilities. Those investments were recouped by the club and eventually the owner. Financial mire is having no money at all and being expected to still keep paying out. As much doom and gloom our new officer Hans said in March, seemed to turn to delight only three months later.

The figures do not support that one bit and it is no surprise he vanished without a trace.

[Saint86]

In all due respect I stopped reading there.

 

Cortese last full season financial results

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/mar/31/southampton-profits-administration-2009

 

Southampton have announced after tax profits of £33.4m for the year ending 30 June 2014

 

Total revenue increased to £106m from £71.8m in 2013

 

There are lots of positives to take from these financial results. Recording the first profit and positive net asset position for the first time since administration in 2009 is very pleasing. It shows the health of the club and the group is strong and the foundations are there to be built on.

 

And only 2 and a bit months before those results we were told

 

New Southampton director Hans Hofstetter says the club's board has inherited a "difficult financial situation

 

The club posted a net loss of £7.1m and will enter the summer window owing £27m in outstanding transfer fees.

A bill in excess of £30m is also pending for their new training ground.

The most important point is that we are in a position where we do not need to sell any player Mauricio [Pochettino] wants to keep," Hofstetter added

Hofstetter says that will not lead to the sale of star players such as Luke Shaw, Jay Rodriguez and Adam Lallana.

 

So firstly the owed transfer fees and the training ground loan. We simply had to spend that money or we would have been in severe trouble staying up. Those transfers helped the club to become what it would be. Jay, Clyne, Davis and Yoshi went on to play huge parts in our rise. Some went wrong IE Gaston. Building that squad we only needed to bring in a few the following season. Lovren, Wanyama and of course the nutter Osvaldo. We eventually sold Clyne, Jay, Wanyama and Lovren which in total was over £50m.

This for me it the issue people just seem to forget or not wish to talk about. If we buy something we have an asset. It isn't money being ****ed in the wind. You will of course get some come through that don't work out. But at the end of it we had some good times out of those transfers and most of them left for more than what we paid.

 

The same goes for the training ground. We needed to upgrade if we wanted to compete. We have top level facilities now. Ones that are worth a fortune and are shown in the sale of the club. Again this image that we loaned money and it just vanished and was wasted is wrong.

 

In the words of the same guy above

 

The Club has risen quickly in a short period and committed itself to high levels of expenditure both on the development of Staplewood Training Ground, which is likely to exceed £30m, as well as significant future transfer fees. This high level of expenditure has required strong support from the Ultimate Shareholder and once again this has been shown

 

So right there shows Kat agreed to those things. Hardly the shock they later went on to say is it?

 

And the justification for spending that amount?

 

The redevelopment of Staplewood Training Ground will provide the players and Academy staff with the best quality environment to meet the standard set by the First Team who have competed and performed on the pitch at the highest level, and will also help the Academy to continue to develop future talent.

 

So not this really bad idea where the owner was pushed into doing something horrible is it?

 

You say he was spending on stupid things and ultimately this was his downfall. But Kat's advisor said

 

“In other areas the Club has maintained its prudent approach to the stewardship of the underlying activities required to run the Club"

Again that doesn't quite indicate we had gone on a full blown spending bender does it?

 

With the first phase of the training ground due to open this summer, Academy graduates continuing to progress into the First Team, a healthy operating profit position and a strong ownership combined and balanced board we are provided with an excellent foundation from which the Club as a whole can continue to grow

 

Hang on a sec I thought we were in the financial ****? How are we in a healthy operating profit position if we are renovating houses?!

 

And now Cortese was sacked was he? Which doesn't quite fit with what Kat said when he resigned.

With great regret we have accepted the resignation of Mr Cortese. He has done a wonderful job at the club and we very much wanted him to stay

Or are you suggesting she was actually lying and didn't think those things and did actually sack him?

 

And the final bit as to why I didn't keep reading was

We didn't make profits without player sales,

 

"Interim results for the first six months ending December 31, 2012 show total revenue, excluding player trading, nearly trebled to £33.1million from £11.6million, while average attendances rose 16 per cent to 30,372."

Our first six months in the Barclays Premier League show the dramatic impact promotion has had on the club," chief financial officer Gareth Rogers said.

 

"However, the significant increase in turnover has not deterred us from our stated aim of financial prudence in the top division.

 

"I am delighted to report the club's first profit without the aid of player trading since 2005, which demonstrates that prudence in football can be achieved whilst significant investment, both on and off the field, is still being made."

 

So there you have it. Don't take that as a defence of Cortese as he did a lot wrong. But people fail to remember he was a successful business man. Specializing in making money. The loans he got went into the club in the form of assets players/facilities. Those investments were recouped by the club and eventually the owner. Financial mire is having no money at all and being expected to still keep paying out. As much doom and gloom our new officer Hans said in March, seemed to turn to delight only three months later.

The figures do not support that one bit and it is no surprise he vanished without a trace.

Possibly the best ever post I've read on this forum.

 

What is shocking is how many of our fans could not work this out for themselves. It was obvious from the way the new board blamed Cortese for anything they could, but then took credit for everything he built as it suited them. Pure PR spin from day 0 and nothing but lies to the fans.

 

I was reading the everton match analyses and feeling sorry for saints. Then I remembered the reason we are in this mess is because Les Reed hires Puel and mopey, and then left it too late to sack him... (plus his countless other failings that have taken us from a champions league contender to relegation in 2 seasons).

 

If we get relegated then Les reed and this board need to go down as the worst people to have ever worked for saints. They will have left us with a worse legacy than they inherited, having hamstring our potential and sold it for profits and bonuses. Lowe left us a ground and the best academy in the country. This lot have ruined the academy and sold a title challenging team to secure relegation. It is unbelievable how any fans defend them.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

[benjii]

"title challenging team"

 

[CB Fry]

Possibly the best ever post I've read on this forum.

 

What is shocking is how many of our fans could not work this out for themselves. It was obvious from the way the new board blamed Cortese for anything they could, but then took credit for everything he built as it suited them. Pure PR spin from day 0 and nothing but lies to the fans.

 

I was reading the everton match analyses and feeling sorry for saints. Then I remembered the reason we are in this mess is because Les Reed hires Puel and mopey, and then left it too late to sack him... (plus his countless other failings that have taken us from a champions league contender to relegation in 2 seasons).

 

If we get relegated then Les reed and this board need to go down as the worst people to have ever worked for saints. They will have left us with a worse legacy than they inherited, having hamstring our potential and sold it for profits and bonuses. Lowe left us a ground and the best academy in the country. This lot have ruined the academy and sold a title challenging team to secure relegation. It is unbelievable how any fans defend them.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

LOLZ

[austsaint]

Les Reed thinks he is a pilot, but he cannot fly a plane.

 

Let's hope he's not around to deal with the parachute payments!

[Heisenberg]

Stay up or go down.....Les is a dead man walking. surely?

 

[Saint86]

"title challenging team"

 

Have you not seen Liverpool, or do you not consider the champions league to be a title, or the premier tbf next season...Bizarre that you take issue with that. Very out of touch with most football fans.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

[Roo1976]

Stay up or go down.....Les is a dead man walking. surely?

 

 

youd like to think so

[St Chalet]

I think the smug **** should leave whilst he’s ahead and take the puck wielding knob with him.

[Heisenberg]

A cheeky slip about the back door, no hard feelings Les.

[shurlock]

Maybe we'll get an interview from him now.

[John B]

Les seems to have played a blinder to me.

 

A Cup Final a Cup Semi Final two years in Europe finishes in the PL I could only have dreamed of.

 

When things went wrong stayed calm pull the trigger at the right time brought Hughes in which hopefully has kept us in the PL

 

Now lets see who he brings in to join a battle hardened team for next season when hopefully we can score some more goals.

 

I think the turning point was not Hughes but bringing in McCarthy who is my MOM I would be interested to know when he became fully fit because Forster was a disaster for a season or more.

[saintroyt]

Les seems to have played a blinder to me.

 

A Cup Final a Cup Semi Final two years in Europe finishes in the PL I could only have dreamed of.

 

When things went wrong stayed calm pull the trigger at the right time brought Hughes in which hopefully has kept us in the PL

 

Now lets see who he brings in to join a battle hardened team for next season when hopefully we can score some more goals.

 

I think the turning point was not Hughes but bringing in McCarthy who is my MOM I would be interested to know when he became fully fit because Forster was a disaster for a season or more.

 

Christ drunk with your comments les has sold first class tickets and replaced with bicycles personally I hope he fall falls off his two wheels and is rested in another environment ,thousands of miles away away from sfc

[Miltonaggro]

Need to get the Man City game out of the way clearly, but straight after Reed and Wilson should both resign. They won't as they are both spineless chancers so Krueger on Gao's authority should sack them. Hughes fully deserves the job full time having turned a group of players devoid of cohesion, passion and ideas into a competitive team that can win again inside of seven Prem matches - we were dead and buried under Pellegrino. For me Hughes being manager at Saints feels right (and I remember a shadow of him playing for us at the Dell), a gut -preservation feeling but his passion is infectious and maybe Benali is right that there is a 'connection.' If the lunatic Reed manages a cockroach like self-preservation escape and then 'does a Nigel Pearson' on Hughes we would fully deserve relegation next season and Leslie sectioning under the Mental Health Act wearing his Napoleon hat!

[AdrianC]

There is no way the team and the fans should ever have been in this position.

Reed's method of money making for the club almost cost him dear.

His last two managerial appointments have been mind boggling, doing things on the cheap and hoping for the best.

His persistence with Pellegrino when all at the club and city could see months ago we were heading for relegation was an absolute farce.

He was too arrogant and stubborn to sack the bloke who was clearly out of his depth and wanted to avoid the pay off and Pellegrino who didn't want to resign to miss out on it was incompetence of the highest order.

The way his face was all over the place when things went right and the fact he disappeared to God knows where when it all went tits up and was conspicuous by his absence was disgusting.

His position in a normal club should be untenable due to the mishandling and absolutely ridiculous way he has dealt with this season.

The has been no statement of intent by any of the owners or directors and I don't believe any of them truly know what to do.

I hope the bloke never disgraces the club with his presence again when the season is over.

He and his smug arrogant face can disappear up his own arse as far as I'm concerned and be replaced by a director that can see that success will earn money more than flogging off the talent on the pitch.

I detest the man for overseeing such a cock up of a season and his cowardly behaviour.

F**k off Les you rat b@stard.

[sfc4prem]

Get the ***** out. This squad should never have been down there this season, but even more than that the malaise dripping down from the top of the club has been more than noticeable.

 

Funny how we haven't heard from him in a while, isn't it?

 

Les Reed Out

[Portugalsaint]

Les Reed should retire. He is of pensionable age and it making too many wrong decisions. He should go with good grace.

[shurlock]

Time to put the scumbag out to pasture. No doubt, somewhere, Les is patting himself on the back. What are the odds that we hear statements about how we didn't panic and kept calm under pressure in the next few months.

Edited 8 May, 2018 by shurlock

[Batman]

Time to put the scumbag out to pasture. No doubt, somewhere, Les is patting himself on the back.

 

Video of him sat in the stands at St Mary’s within a few days after the final game, saying how relaxed he is about everything

[whelk]

Hey Bednarek might be our CB rock for future. Still got it Les

[whelk]

Time to put the scumbag out to pasture. No doubt, somewhere, Les is patting himself on the back. What are the odds that we hear statements about how we didn't panic and kept calm under pressure in the next few months.

 

Why a scumbag? Sure he hasn’t fcked up deliberately.

[Saint Billy]

Les seems to have played a blinder to me.

 

A Cup Final a Cup Semi Final two years in Europe finishes in the PL I could only have dreamed of.

 

When things went wrong stayed calm pull the trigger at the right time brought Hughes in which hopefully has kept us in the PL

 

Now lets see who he brings in to join a battle hardened team for next season when hopefully we can score some more goals.

 

I think the turning point was not Hughes but bringing in McCarthy who is my MOM I would be interested to know when he became fully fit because Forster was a disaster for a season or more.

 

Les didn't pull the trigger at the right time, it was far far too late.

 

Despite the fact that Pellegrino should not have been employed in the first place, he was allowed to f@ck the team up for far too long.

 

Hughes has made a big difference and his knowledge and experience in this league has improved us undoubtedly.

 

McCarthy has been immense and has also been a big factor but I think Hughes should get the biggest pat on the back as he took over and improved what can only be described as a mess of a team.

[shurlock]

Why a scumbag? Sure he hasn’t fcked up deliberately.

 

Arrogance, hubris and a willingness to court publicity when times are good yet disapppear when backs are against the walls aren't favourite qualities of mine.

Edited 8 May, 2018 by shurlock

[Toon Saint]

Arrogance, hubris and a willingness to court publicity when times are good yet disapppear when backs are against the walls aren't favourite qualities of mine.

 

I still find it amazing that in the midst of such a sh*t shower of a season, he found the time to push those two articles about Liverpool dancing to his tune and his 'dazzling' transfer successes in January. Definitely a good time for the ol' boy to step aside.

[Saint IQ]

If there was a chance he could of got Ronald to stay at least till the end of his contract he should go for that alone as that's what started this ****storm of a 24 months in the league.

 

Flying high in the top 4 then finish 7th, mid table surge to 6th in the league.

 

Stupid for either party to cut that short. Especially for Everton

[Saint Albert]

Les, Ralph et al courted disaster this season. They left sacking Pellegrino far too late, and were fortunate that Hughes was available and some other results went our way.

 

Reminds me of an old Simpsons episode where the generally incompetent power plant employee Homer Simpson inadvertently averts a nuclear disaster. Doing a Homer became a synonym for accidental success thereafter. Les, it looks like you have at least managed to do a Homer.

[Lord Duckhunter]

I'm happy with Les . 7th, 6th , 8th, 16th. Cup final, semi final, 2 European campaigns. That'll do for me. Has any other administrator been as successful in our history?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[OttawaSaint]

They need to learn thier lessons. The odd gamble looking for a gem is fine but we need quality players down the spine. We haven’t had that. We sold the spine and gambled with replacements.

[Dark Munster]

Why a scumbag? Sure he hasn’t fcked up deliberately.

Not sacking the clown months ago was a deliberate choice, and was a **** up that was obvious to everyone and his dog.

[Katalinic]

I'm happy with Les . 7th, 6th , 8th, 16th. Cup final, semi final, 2 European campaigns. That'll do for me. Has any other administrator been as successful in our history?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Mark Fry did a pretty good.job.

[whelk]

Not sacking the clown months ago was a deliberate choice, and was a **** up that was obvious to everyone and his dog.

 

A difference between incompetence/ getting it wrong. I wouldn’t say Pelegrino was a scumbag just useless.

 

Reed fcked up but easy with hindsight. We all had optimism at start of season and held on to VVD which what everyone said we should be doing with our players and made what looked to be good signings. So easy to polarise and focus on an individual and most clubs success goes in waves and will not be constant. May sound like I’m sticking up for him - I’m not. Appointing MP and sticking with him was appalling but people should be grateful for the success although planks on here will no doubt say despite Les and was Cortese’s legacy and we would be top 4.

Edited 9 May, 2018 by whelk

[Ultimatt]

If he wants to continue this strategy of giving contract extensions instead of moving on bad players; we only sell players that want out; and only shopping at the reject shop then he's got to go. Last 2 years of transfers/contracts have been a complete cock-up.

[Heisenberg]

Reed out

 

Wilson out

[DT]

I've got a horrible feeling Les has promised the Saints manager's job to David Wagner

[ashnats]

Well done les, churchillian performance this season. Held his nerve, only mistake was listening to the fans last summer and handling vvd the way we did. Should have sold him earlier and replaced with the next batch. At least now the fans should have learnt the lesson, and we can get back to a working model this summer.

[Turkish]

Some people still appreciate him