He's reinforcing his stance. 7 days ago, he said Morgan and Jay couldn't go. Morgan went off on one. Morgan is now training again and the stance remains the same. If he wanted wriggle room, he'd have swerved this entirely. I agree that actions speak louder than words, but as Ralph has alluded to, the perception of SFC needs to change. Les is doing the 'action' and Ralph is doing the 'words' on the footballing front for now. Now, in my opinion that is perfectly fine for me. I will assess the squad on September the 1st and the general progress of the club can be assessed over a far greater period. I think 'the club' has done some good things since Cortese left. New ticketing site is a lot better, the Swansea away trip was a great touch. PR win with the stripes returning, they're trying to make the fans more involved. There are plans for a fan forum and more open platforms of communication. They're looking to improve the corporate side of the club, and the commercial departments also. Staff are certainly more happy and feel more valued, speaking as someone who is a friend of a couple of 'lower' employees in Saints. Feel free to point out that these are minor (and arguably in relation to on-field results they surely are), but they're still important in creating a 'club' as opposed to a team with a tag-on of everything else that is under performing, for example the commercial arm of the club - or ignoring staff satisfaction simply because the team is doing well. Saints is a business as well as a team, and I think this is being better recognised now. Lets give them a chance and assess. There's no reason why you can't 'talk and do' at the same time. Things are always happening in football, whether we see them or not.
Interesting point about the staff Feeling more valued DTLW. I witnessed a member of staff being communicated to by NC and I wasn't impressed at all. Nor was the member of staff.
There's a lot more 'management' being done by those who are 'Head of Department'. One story I am allowed to divulge relates to the fella who runs the megastore, whose name escapes me for now (I think it begins with a J, Justin or similar). In the weeks after Cortese's exit, he went to speak to Ralph about plans for the megastore and what we're going to stock as well as the general upkeep. He was pretty taken aback, as Ralph basically said: "You're the guy who got appointed as Head of Retail, YOU tell ME what needs to be done. You're qualified in retail. We'll then look at the budget and give you whatever we can to do your job to the best of your ability. But at the end of the day, you're the retail expert, it's your department - you make the calls." He's had a lot more control over what the megastore stocks, how they stock it, the way the shop is organised etc. Another thing on the staff feedback was that megastore staff felt the cravats, blouses, pencil skirts and high heels etc. were unnecessary, as were the suits for the men. That's been listened to, and retail staff will now be wearing polo shirts (relatively smart ones) that bear the relevant info and branding, without looking awful. All staff working at St. Mary's now get free parking (they didn't previously) and every member of staff is entitled to eat in the cafeteria, or 'The Bistro' as it is known. Previously, those who worked in the megastore had to sit out in the back-room and eat their lunch out of the sight of the customers (fair enough). But they weren't allowed to sit upstairs with the media team, the admin staff or anyone else working in the offices at St. Mary's, who had all the access to the darts board, pool table, air hockey etc. It's all part of making people feel valued in their workplace.
Yep the guy I speak to says the same about the working environment at Saints. He seems far less stressed and actually feels he is now a valued member of the company.
It's nice that these staff are happier but as has been said these are fairly minor considerations when compared to the success or otherwise of the first team. Different styles work for different people. There are plenty of stories around the internet about Steve Jobs being an utter tyrant, bully and general all-round **** who often reduced staff to tears. He was a highly successful **** though and I'm far more interested in Southampton being a successful club on the pitch than I am in Southampton being a club with happy megastore staff who don't have to dress up too much.
Totally understand that. But what I'm trying to show is a more open-minded approach that doesn't just ignore anything unrelated to football results. There's a reason our commercial department is currently put in the shade by Watford, yes Watford, and it isn't because they're bigger or grander. It's been neglected and we've under performed. Katharina and Ralph et al, have to assess the company as a whole - not just in regard of footballing results. Damn, it's sure annoying for the fans, but her advisors (and she has the best money can buy), will have been telling her this too. You know what, it must be ****ing nigh on impossible to manage your footballing affairs, footballing development, sponsors, commercial side the PR side and have a good relationship with the fans all at once. That's what Cortese was trying to do. If what I have been told is true, and Katharina wanted to democratise the board with Nicola heading up the 'results' side of the club, allowing others to take a hold of PR, sponsorship and commerce, I can totally understand that. Nicola's attitude appeals to footballers - it doesn't appeal to sponsors who want schmoozing, for example. Nicola had a hell of a lot on his plate and ultimately that may have been his downfall. As well as the actual football was going, 'the club' was being neglected in other areas and failing to perform to the expected levels. There were also a few high-profile breakdowns with stakeholders and sponsors which may ultimately have cost him. He'd progressed the footballing department phenomenally, but the rest of the club just wasn't keeping pace and as has been pointed out, with FFP now in place (which Nicola disliked - and I dislike also), we really have to be sharper on this stuff if we want to find all the little advantages we can pick up in terms of how we can invest in our squad. I don't want to run the risk of turning this into another pro and con Cortese debate, because that's really not my purpose here. I'm just trying to point out that letting people have control over their own departments and then having an executive board above that level, compromised of a handful of people, is probably a better approach for a company the size of Southampton Football Club.
I'm interested in both. Things are looking up for the non playing staff, that's wait and see what happens with Saints team wise. I have said the board have been naive, but when they were put in a mad situation that was you can kind of understand it. Yes they could have been more open, but they choose the bunker down and only speak when ready way. Who knows if it was the right choice. I will give them a chance but like DTLW, come end of the window I will judge them then.
I think you need to look at the whole picture though, rather than just being focused one a single area. I'm fully of the opinion that Cortese lead an unsustainable and elitist environment, it was all geared towards short-term success but long-term disaster. If his removal as chairman has in effect caused this domino effect we've seen this summer, then that tells you all you need to know about his tenure. He built his reign on paper cups, and he was the cup at the bottom. I'm still waiting to see some actions from the club this summer, but fully believe that a sustainable model - where the entire company and it's employees are more valued, will lead to long-term success....but we may have a short-term struggle whilst we eradicate the left over ego's of the previous reign. Actions speak louder than words, but I believe the intentions are right and the club will be in a much brighter place once all is done and dusted.
But if he deceives or is economic with the truth on one point, whose to say that that there isn't more shenanigans going on
Every one lies or makes something seem better then it is. If you can't make something sound great then you shouldn't be in the business world. So it will be what actually is done that will prove if he is speaking crap or not.
He also said that the players we sold not all of them would be in the starting eleven. Not sure I completely agree with him. Lallana, Shaw and Lovren certainly were, and Chambers and Rickie started a lot.
From what I understand, Clyne was considered Koemans option due to his pace and the way he likes to play. I liked Chambers, top class player, but this is why the £16m has been referred to as a 'present' in some area's.
He was talking about the plans for the club moving forward. Rickie would not have been at the centre of our plans anymore, and we already had Clyne. From what I've seen of Koeman, he prefers his full-backs to be like Clyne and Bertrand, than Chambers.
Lambert is at the age were he can't start all the time. So he wasn't lieing, he just didn't say what players wouldn't be starters.
I read it that he was talking about the situation last season. If he was talking about next season then I get that
What's to say there is? One minor point where he MAY have embellished his opportunity? If you really want to focus on the one small possible negative, then fine, be my guest. I'll be resting happier than you but will both have the same amount of fluid in our drinking vessel. Wouldn't it be nice if our race showed a little more faith and believe in each other.
Damn, did he say that? Lieing bastard! Tell me something positive you read in his interview? Anything?
S-Clarke: ''I'm fully of the opinion that Cortese lead an unsustainable and elitist environment, it was all geared towards short-term success but long-term disaster. If his removal as chairman has in effect caused this domino effect we've seen this summer, then that tells you all you need to know about his tenure. He built his reign on paper cups, and he was the cup at the bottom''. Very valid point. One article written after Kreuger's interview mentioned that it couldn't be healthy to have a system at the club where the management structure would fail if one person was run over by a bus. Missed a trick there, Katharina, you should have had Nicola topped and saved yourself a lot of angst .
They did say that at the beginning (without actually slating Cortese too much). They mentioned problems, the failure of the commercial side and the need for restructuring. The result...people up in arms defending Nicola and accusing them of blackening his name. You just cannot please all the people all the time. They certainly couldn't come out and say at the end of the season that we were selling some of our players as that weakens your bargaining position and they may also have hoped to talk some round.
It may be a minor cog but in the end the overall level of happiness of the staff and associates of the club do affect the on field performance. For example the mega store being laid out in a more logical and approachable fashion could increase revenue as well as getting more people to attend the home games in the new kit thereby adding to the game day atmosphere....minor i know but if you applied to all facets of a club it will help. It should be noted that the very fact of being flexible and open to suggestions might itself bring about a some new ideas or methods...rather than everyone but cortese going through the daily drudgery with precisely 1 way of doing something and any outside innovation being approached like a plague rat on the dinner table.
