I wonder if people see it as a situation that may lead to a bit of instability, especially if the sale of the club is a possibility, that ST sales might just suffer a little. I think Cortese's ambition and future plans for the club would have a positive impact on sales and so it might just have a negative effect if he isn't around. Just a thought...
Simon Peach has just been on talksport. He said Cortese was like marmite to Southampton fans, I would say much more love than hate him. He says story could develop as early as later today and that Cortese has proven that he can deliver on what sometimes sound like unachievable targets. He doesn't think they are looking to sell but don't understand some of the finer points of football. Did end by saying he thinks Nicola will stay once the details are ironed out.
If Cortese does stay, I wonder whether we'll get a sort of 'liaison'...someone on the board who doesn't necessarily have oversight, but serves as the primary means to translate the trust's will to Cortese and vice versa.
I tried to explain this to the guys at work in the Cafe earlier - I said that the owners don't appear to share the same passion for the club as Markus did and that managing a football club is different to managing a traditional business, 'speculate to accumulate' with tens of millions of pounds with high risk isn't necessarily considered good business practice and that to match Nicolas ambitions that is exactly what they would they would have to do. Hopefully both will consider and respect what Markus would want if he was still here (rest in peace big fella) and continue to support each other to achieve Markus' goal.
Nicola Cortese - speaking in December 2010: "If there's any lack of commitment [from the family], we have a plan B."
I really, REALLY don't like the Echo - http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/sa...ture/?ref=twt&utm_content=Southampton, Saints,
Hmmm, I like Simon Peach, but if I had a pound for every time he had been wrong about Saints.....................
I see a lot of people seem to focus on the transfer funds. I can't see that as being a problem here at all. Quite simply Sky money is going to cover that and we will still make profit with some to spare. I think this could be more to do with off field investment. I dare say Nicola wants to expand ASAP. Probably as soon as next season ends and needs to know that the funds whether it be surplus from the season's proceeds or topped up by the Liebherr estate are there to get it done. May well have been brought on with the hold up in staplewood. I think other posters seem not to read some things as well. The Liebherr's are not looking to sell but they are open to offers. That's like Morgan is not for sale but if £30m is offered then he may well be gone. What is all this 'wrong time to sell' rubbish. The club is worth the same now as it will be at the start of next season. It is worth that because next season's sky money is guaranteed so it doesn't matter that we haven't received it yet. I dare say that we are worth more now than we will be once we've finished the transfer window because no-one is going to sell a club for say £60m when a new owner could then not spend any sky money and instantly make profit. Saints are currently worth 100-140m IMO. That is because of the guaranteed income plus the profitability and low wage bill in comparison to other teams. That is a sound profit for the Liebherrs on the £45m or so they have spent. In all honesty I would suggest that Nicola has done a yes prime minister and had this leaked to basically get an answer without having to ask. I am pretty sure that he and his Credit Suisse friends will have been talking on/off for the last few years awaiting the best moment to step in. I don't have too many worries, but lets stop this belief that we are worth more next season than now. We are worth the same now because that money is guaranteed. And lets hope that stadium expansion does start end of next season. That will dispel all these stories of differences. It will be a statement of intent and belief and support and togetherness of the owners and chairman
You don't get the sky money in advance, someone has to cover the expenditure this summer, besides which the Liebherrs might want a slice of that new money.
Whoever is responsible for paying Nicola's salary - and I've no idea what he gets from SFC - must realise that he has so far delivered on every target he's set himself, ahead of time. If you employed him, you'd want to keep him, unless you were planning to offload the business. In the latter case he'd still be an asset to prospective new owners, but his position would certainly be insecure and you'd expect him to be seeking reassurances. Maybe that's what's happening.
That information is released in the accounts, I can't remember the exact figure but suffice to say it's more than £1m a year.
Don't know whether you noticed, but underneath the article there was a clear message from the fans. The most direct was the last one, which read... -------------------------------------------------------- There are no Mixed Emotions. 100% Backing for NICOLA. WE ARE RED ARMY AND WE ARE NUMBER ONE IN THE SOUTH. WE RULE THE SOUTH. COYR ------------------------------------------------------- Message seems pretty clear to me.
Yes I did see that - it just frustrates me that the anti-Cortese blinkers so impact on their 'journalistic integrity'!
