And we need to stay that way. Employing up-and-coming managers would kill that hard won status stone dead.
But Koeman and Pochettino rather disprove that don't they? It's the results/performances which count for more. Now should we employ an unknown and it fails on the pitch, fair enough. But that can happen with big names too,
We need to employ a manager who is not a self serving disloyal mercenary bastard. That would be my primary criteria, though I accept that in today's world we might have to look a long time before finding anyone who fits that bill.
What we need to do is, get someone new in, stick Kelvin on the staff and train him and make him into our manager. Super Kelv would stay forever.
Matt Le Tiss, who is (or perhaps was...) pretty friendly with Koeman off-field (golf, breakfast, coffees and the like), saying on Twitter that he believes Ronald has lied to and misled senior figures at the club since the season ended. Ouch... it's all gone a bit Mauricio.
I'll make sure to walk right in front of the stand where you're seated then, FLT. I might even pat/kiss the badge..............
There's no point in trying to hide my disappointment, in 15 years of supporting Southampton I've seen 17 different people manage the club and Ronald Koeman was easily my favourite. His demeanour in front of the press, the way he handled pressure, his way with the team, his touch line celebrations and perhaps most importantly, his results. We have improved in both seasons with him in charge, we broke our own record for Premier League points in consecutive seasons and we now find ourselves in the group stages of the Europa League. You really start to get a feel for a manager and when he tells you that he's going to see out his contract, you trust that it's going to happen. I'm sure over the next few days the reasons will emerge but if rumours are anything to go by, paying a manager £140k per week just isn't how Southampton do business and it has stood us in fine stead so far. Bitterly disappointed but thanks for two amazing years and I'm excited to see who the board deliver as a replacement. We march on!
"You're just a school newsletter writer, school newsletter writer, you're just a school newsletter writer!"
I just hope that when Saints break cover to talk about what's happened with Ronald in the media, they let Les do it and not Ralph.
While I'm here, might I just add that Koeman digging out MUFC over their LvG treatment and also telling Wanyama he should honour his contract at Southampton is looking a bit daft right now. Unless, of course, Ronald was given a nudge to speak to Everton when he wouldn't commit long-term to us. Who knows. But if he has genuinely just had his head turned and our offer is still on the table (and BBC say it is), then he's looking daft.
I suppose the club surrendered all rights to the moral high ground when we stabbed Nige in the back. Still, you'd think the bad karma would have attached itself to Cortese rather than SFC. We need to get some Buddhist monks in to sort this out I reckon.
BetVictor first to open the betting market on the next Saints boss, for anyone interested... (not suggesting they know anything, just that these are the odds/names they're throwing about) please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
Also, with the speculation over AVB and whether he's going back to Portugal or taking time out, here's the horse's mouth. (skip to 1:03)
Kill it dead? Black or white, no grey? I've read through a few pages of the big name/small name and both have valid arguments. It maybe that either or is ok. It doesn't kill it dead. It might be harder.
