Will Pochettino stay or go?

Just get the feeling that Mauricio is standing on the street corner, hitching up his skirts at passing lorries.

 

I think he will leave us ONE day but only for a big team maybe abroad.
No offence to spurs but for me their not really a big step up, plus as everyone says 8 managers in 10 years?

 

If Mopo could be sure of keeping the same team and strengthening, then I believe he would stay as he would feel he hasn't fulfilled the potential, as your current team/squad has scope to improve but he knows the team will break up and you don't have the name (or power) to sign players of similar ability. Thats IMO why nothing is happening quick, as we're all waiting for a move to happen, either your star players leave (or commit), your manager leaves (or commits) while clearly our chairman is also waiting to see if someone else becomes available but in terms of current premier league, Mopo is the only real option.

Just after Avb, the other people involved (in selecting) at spurs will be wary of Mopo, as Avb was also a highly rated young manager, he had won a European trophy, been regarded as the best up and coming manager in Europe, but he wasn't right for us.

The best outcome would be for Mopo to stay where he is and for us to bring in someone else but looking around there aren't many managers available, theres no outstanding contender. So we may have to settle for Mopo and you may have to settle for someone like Neil Lennon.

 

Could be some major traffic problems on the roads around Southampton today.

 

Spurs would not lose by having Pochettino as their manager. He made a very quick impact with Saints. However, I'm glad that you think this as well as some of the Board by all accounts.

The one who would lose would be Pochettino himself. Saints are a wealthy and well-run club. Despite the best efforts of the press, we don't lurch from crisis to crisis. Virtually every decision taken over the last 5 years has proved to be correct. On the pitch our top 11 is more than a match for Spurs, its only our squad that is a little thin.

Forget the history of the two sides, going to Spurs would not represent a step up in any sense, apart from his own wages. But why would he go to a club with their record for hiring and firing? He can continue to grow his reputation at Southampton and eventually get his dream move, whatever that might be. Or maybe, one day we'll have a second statue out-front (wishful thinking!).

 

According to this you've had 14 managers since the beginning of 2004.

I'm sorry but we clearly are a big step up to you guys. We had our worst season for 5 years with Sideshow Sherwood in charge and we still finished 6th. In that 5 years the only team in the league we haven't finished above is Arsenal. We also have bigger budgets and a better squad.

I think it's underatandable that Pochettino wants a move this summer, I can't see any better clubs wanting him at the moment and he's facing the prospect of a season of rebuilding at Southampton that would make things tougher for him.

Personally I'm not a bothered about finishing 4th, if it happens it will be great but money talks in this league so even if we got there again I'd expect whoever dropped out to spend until they get back in again. It's kind of the same for you guys though, there's a bit of a glass ceiling above 8th as the clubs above you all spend the kind of money that blows you out of the water(perhaps with the exception of Everton). I just want us playing good football and that's why I want Pochettino.

 

I keep reading comments similar to Lff above questioning why a amanger would join a team like Spuds who regularly hire and fire. Two things:

1. Not really a biggie, but we aren't exactly smelling of roses in the hiring and firing department. Look from the outside and you'll see that (I know, different regimes and all that, but at a glance, we are not much different)

2. The reason why managers like MP/AVB and others may want to take on the job at Spuds, despite Levy's reputation, is that they have absolute believe in their ability to be the one to get it right. That may be blinded by self-confidence, but I understand they would think that. Has anyone not taken on a task that may seem tough in the belief they can do the task well. Ambitious people take on difficult tasks, so I can't understand why people keep referring to this.

 

Funny, I just posted about this very thing while you were typing yours. Beat me too it, but thank you for underlining my point.

I hate to agree on this, but yes, you are a bigger club and it would be a step up. We may have the opportunity if everything held together to really push you and close the gap, but there are a lot of bias fans backing their club here. Understandably so.

 

No one could argue that Spurs is a bigger club than Saints at the moment, but things can change and I think we are on the cusp of greatness now (if we don't blow it). Things can change...Bolton Wanderers were once a big club and Manchester City wasn't. I think that this season we have been in touching distance of Spurs, but lacked the depth to continue. Other teams were wary of us...we were perceived as a threat. But one season isn't enough...we have to do this regularly.

 

It was interesting to hear Cortese state in his BBC interview that a new 5 year plan had been implemented as soon as we were promoted to the PL. This is entirely contrary to what MP said himself at the end of the season, namely that one 5 year plan had now come to an end and that he would wait and see what the new one looked like before making judgement on his position. I wonder if this just means that Cortese was getting ahead of himself and subsequently got himself binned by KL who was adamant that 5 years meant just that and a full review was necessary at the end of this (last) season, hence MP's statement.

 

Pointless stat. We were in free-fall then and heading for administration. Since the takeover we've had three managers in five years, which is fewer than Spurs. So are we a bigger club now?

 

You say three managers in 5 years, like it is an achievement.... his general point is fair comment in my view. Look at our time before the free fall; it wasn't much better.

 

When was that?

 

I don't say it's an achievement at all, it's just a fact. And going back ten years (an age in terms of our club's history) to make a point like that is daft.

 

16 years ago they were relegated to League 1. They were still a big club though, they must have been, to defeat the mighty Gillingham in the playoff final the following year.

 

Nothing wrong with bias, I always try to see the positives with my club too but it's hard for me to ignore the fact that the clubs finishing in the top 4 regularly are the ones that spend the most and the same goes for the top 7 that you're trying to break into.

Touching distance? We finished 13 points ahead of you, the same distance from us to Chelsea(and challenging for the title). You were helped in your start because, for the most part, you played bottom half teams in your opening games but then you had a run of 7 top half teams in 9 games and the form went.

I'm not trying to sound dismissive but Spurs fans know better than most how difficult it is to outperform the teams that massively outspend you, particularly trying to finish above them on a regular basis. I like what Southampton have done, I think it'd be great for the league to have your whole squad stay together and see just how far it goes but unfortunately that's not the way it works.

City weren't one of the biggest clubs in the league but when you spend half a billion and have the highest wage bill in the league then it becomes easy to win things. Give that money to Stoke and they'd be challenging for titles by now. I'm not sure when Bolton were considered a big club though, might have been before my time.

It wasn't me that brought up the number of managers in 10 years, I just thought it was worth comparing your record to ours since ours was criticised. I never said the number or managers had anything to do with club size either. Chelsea had 8 managers in the 6 years Mourinho was gone and it didn't mean they weren't a big club and it didn't stop them winning 2 European trophies, 3 FA Cups and a league title.

We've also only had 3 managers in 5 years, by the way

 

This is why I asked. League one or not, they were still a massive club.

 

I didn't say you did, I said you said it 'like it is'

... him going back ten years, is actually relevant as that is what fans on here have been saying about his club.... "why would MP consider going there when they have had ... managers in X years..."

He made a fair point. The facts are we have had a lot of managers in ten years.

 

I think you make a valid point.

 

So... what exactly are you saying?

That is a fact, but an irrelevant one. Levy has consistently sacked managers for failing to achieve higher than teams with far greater means. Our managers have been sacked for different reasons.