It’s funny, people are worried more about the megalomaniac tendencies of a man who was driving us to success, rather than the equally megalomaniac qualities (agent son, jobs for the boys etc) of a man pushing us down the ****ter.
Oh yeah I completely get all of that especially from a fans perspective and also don't believe that he was putting the club at risk (though I think he could have in the future). I do believe he got a bit too egotistical though, the lift at Staplewood for example. I wasn't necessarily trying to reopen that particular debate, just think it's important to remember that it's a lot easier to have that ambition when you're spending someone else's money. We'd reached a point where investment to reach the next level would have cost hundreds of millions rather than tens (not that I'd want that personally). Being the shrewd banker he was, I very much doubt Nicola would have been so keen to try that if it was his money at risk.
Granted. What I was trying to say is that we label Nicola with things like "power crazed" and "megalomaniac" - I'd suggest his tendencies towards those characteristics are equalled by Leslie, but in a less insidious and destructive way. He can be as power crazed as he likes if he gets stuff done, for me. Les is just lining his and his boy's club nest, whilst frittering away all the good work done previously.
Oh that I agree with 100% mate as you well know. I generally find the snidey types more detestable personally too. It's taken a long time for people to wake up to Les at all though so don't hold your breath...
We shall see old bean. We can but hope. Have faith. One doesn't always know what might be happening behind closed doors I still like the old Southampton that used to surprise people in a positive sense.
One thing I wasn't particularly comfortable with during Cortese's tenure was his feuds with club legends like Franny and Matty. Nobody is that big that they can shun our former heroes no matter how successful they are.
Yeah, I would agree with that. I think his mindset was very much to look to the future rather than dwell on the past. In that I think (although an admirable philosophy) he misjudged how important history is for a club. I sort of also wonder how much ex players etc took the piss a bit, but no, he was wrong there.
Didn't he say something along the lines of they were all failures as they never won anything, so he didn't understand why they should be rewarded or something like that?
Harsh, but if that's the case, it's that winning mentality that made the Fergie United teams so good.
Spike Armstrong said that he was turned away from one of the hospitality suites once, he was part of the team that came second in '84, obviously not quite good enough!
Ron may not have eaten babies, but the decline in the progression of the Academy lads was definitely down to him.
You forgot J-Rod if you are including the summer after promotion. I was talking about getting to the PL, so only Sharp, Cork and Hooiveld apply
We aren't, I was talking prior to promotion. You listed a few signings after promotion, I'm not sure why.
I’m not sure why you think Pardew was a better manager than Adkins. We should really have been promoted after our first season in League One, -10 points notwithstanding.
Unknown foreign manager with Champions League experience? Paulo Fonseca "I would like one day to come to England and manage one team. I don't know when it will be but I believe one day it will happen.* "With regards to the team I would like to manage - I am currently with Shakhtar and this is the team I want to manage. "My heart and soul are with them but maybe in future I will consider managing another team." Let's see if he does better than Sparky!
