Summer 2014 Transfer rumour thread - Part III

That might be the key phrase to a lot of things happening over the next few weeks and months.

The elephant in the room [or the ghost in the cupboard, I think it's the former] is Poch saying it would make no sense for him to stay at Southampton FC if Nicola Cortese left. Yet, in January, several days after Cortese left, he said [quote from Guardian quoting Poch]:

"I want to show my gratitude to Nicola Cortese. I believed in him, he brought me here, my staff and my family. I am full of gratitude to him.
Eight months ago when this happened we were finishing my first season and I did say that if he left there would be no sense for me to stay.

The new situation is different. We are in the middle of our new project. Nicola knows of my decision to stay; I have spoken to him. I am fully committed to the staff, the players, the club and it would make no sense to leave in the middle of our path."

Long term managerial projects don't end after another few months when you are in the middle of one. So maybe we need not be as uncertain. Of course there is always the lure of another club, but Poch strikes me as a bloke who likes to finish what he starts. And he's nowhere near finished here. Of course, if the board start selling off his players, just as they had to at Espanyol, then I'd expect him to jump, in fact, I'd encourage it, for his sake. Be loyal, by all means, but don't be stupid.

 

Makes you wonder what the board are playing at when you read statements like:

"#saintsfc boss Pochettino not drawn on his future but admits one 'project' is over and it's up to the club to tell him about the next one."

Pull your fingers out and convince everyone to stay, it can't be that difficult. So far the only thing Krueger has achieved is a bike ride to Birmingham.

If I kept saying 'I'll wait until the summer" to do my job i'd get the sack.

 

Not Brazil then..?

 

Nah Adam will be there . So it will be gutting. I still think Pochettino will stay btw, from what I heard about the first round talks.

 

I'm not sure these statements should necessarily be taken at face value.

Also, why shouldn't they wait until the summer? He's got a year left on his contract, they need to agree a direction forward for next season and beyond, and if they can reach agreement on that a new contract should be a formality. I can understand the attitude that those discussions should wait until the current season is over, and if everything is as calm and settled as they say then there should be no rush.

 

You may be right but it would be an odd chairman who really had only achieved that.

A more accurate way of saying it might be, "So far the only thing we're aware that Krueger has achieved is..."

Vin

 

And which reliable fly-on-the-wall source told you about those..?

 

It's worth remembering that Krueger is not Cortese, and his role is different too. The whole board should be judged, not just one person. His job is to be a chairman, not to make all the decisions and take sole responsibility for implementing them.

 

The same person that told me about Wanyama and that we were signing a Italian striker and a few other things.

 

I completely agree with you to be honest, I was just venting. My boss is a Portsmouth fan and has been winding me up all week! It's just the most obvious thing in the world that we need to keep Mauricio, so I just wish they would all sort it out. (Maybe they have already behind the scenes - I just want to know!) it's putting a real dampened on our season when instead of praise, all we get is other fans saying our team is off in the summer.

 

Blackmore saying Pochettino has been offered a contract already but hasn't signed it yet. So he obviously wants more talks.

 

Oh, that one. Yes, I remember questioning you about that source before.

 

[video=youtube;u4chhPse9go]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=u4chhPse9go[/video]

 

Pretty much exactly as I've seen it. Nicely summarised by Lawrie, there.

 

Poch said "The new situation is different. We are in the middle of our new project. Nicola knows of my decision to stay; I have spoken to him. I am fully committed to the staff, the players, the club and it would make no sense to leave in the middle of our path."
He now has said the five year plan will be completed at the end of Sundays game, now it is time to find out what the next "plan" is, then the decision will be made. Pat. pending I would say.

 

Yeah, I posted the quote above before aquiring the knowledge that he also said today that Saints were at the end of the 5 year project. Up until this morning I was 100% confident that Poch was staying to see out his contract and build on it at Southampton. But now I'm seeing the signs of someone who is not only keeping his feelings to himself, but is batting away questions purely because if he gave any clue away it would be to say that he is going elsewhere. Of course, as Beef says, it could be brinkmanship. I think he could have a more reassuring tone without giving anything away. Perhaps he's that pee'd off with the media that he's decided to give them absoutely nothing. To be honest, they've deserved bugger all, considering how much they've hounded him and this club about anything other than what is going on, on the pitch.

 

It seems strange all this negative stuff.

I think it really highlights the massive crest of a wave we have been riding on the past 5 years. We have literally lost no players that we didnt want to lose (Ox the exception). We have signed players we never dreamt we could compete for, we have improved our position every single season.

All on the back of a ruthless chairman whom many disliked, but none could argue we wouldnt have been where we are now without him (and the Leibherr Dollar of course).

All of a sudden our success is being noticed, the waves we are making are causing ripples far and wide and the "BIG" clubs are starting to take notice.

We may well lose a player or two this summer, but providing we invest it correctly there is no reason we cant then kick on again.

Remember when Everton lost Rooney, everyone thought that was them finished, they kicked on.

I dont want to lose Lallana or Shaw, or anyone else but it may happen and probably will. It just makes me think what an amazing journey we have been on and I dont want us to fall back into bottom half strugglers again !! Just as we were starting to dream of top 4 finishes in the near future it seems people are swiping it from under our feet. Theres obviously a reason why NC left, my betting is the £££ was being reigned in and with that our future/ambitions changed. All the players bought into "that" vision which is why they signed long term deals. I believe they all wanted to be a part of it.

 

It's not actually about losing any one particular key part of the jigsaw. They can go providing the others stay. It's about the players who don't stay to see the replacements, but follow the one or two out the door. You can have all the great and motivating words from Krueger as you like, but if the vision isn't backed up with real purpose and money then it all comes to nothing, and people know it. Then they leave and the dream is gone, perhaps never to be rekindled. Cortese wasn't the easiest chairman to get along with, it seems, but there was never any doubt about him or what he wanted for the Club.

I really don't care that much whether Saints have the same players/manager or all different equal/better players next August. I'm sentimental, but not that much. I'd much rather have the same because they work together very well, and a few quality additions will make them even better. It's a simple formula. Has this Owner/Board got the guts to pursue it..? There the doubt remains. It's in their hands.

 

Look, Pochettino is currently negotiating a new contract. There's no indication he wants to leave, but he's got a year left, he's in no rush. If the board give him an acceptable offer, he'll take it, but why should he commit himself early? He's in a strong position, and the longer it drags on the better his negotiating position becomes, so why does anyone think he would give anything away in an interview?

 

I'll ask this question again, and I really don't know why I keep having to, but what exactly has the new board done to earn such distrust? I get wanting to question them, it's only sensible, but why are they so much more untrustworthy that an Italian megalomaniac?