Eric Black, the next to be named by the Telegraph

[fatletiss]

Morning, flt. Why are you replying at this hour? You should be out selling stuff, you lazy sod. No wonder the economy is going down the pan. QUOTE]

Mmm, any true good salesman would have done all their meetings already this week in particular and then just be mopping up paper work and admin this morning. I may even get my credit card receipts and forms sent in today and email the form over to accounts. All in time for ....

THE RYDER CUP

 

[TheSecondStain]

And right on time...Ralph says it is a personal issue for Black and nothing to do with the club.

What he's saying is that Black was acting for himself and not for, or under instruction from, the club. Whilst I wouldn't find it necessary for Ralph to submit that, there are people who would, especially after Ralph's high sounding words of a couple of days ago.

I suppose it was only right and proper that Ralph should illustrate the position of the club and its new employee. Whether that means the eventual dismissal of Eric Black, I can only say maybe. It does give Black a chance to clear himself of any wrongdoing. However, given Ralph's high moral stance on this issue, I expect it only to be a delay in Black leaving the club.

Where's the petition for Sammy's return then.?

 

[fran-MLs little camera]

I'm sure the club will fully investigate the facts and give Black the chance to explain.....but in the mean time he is standing on a plank with a sword at his back.

 

[TheSecondStain]

I think the focus should be on the wrong doing, not whether or not a newspaper is making money from reporting it.

Indeed. Sure, a newspaper will make money from increased circulation. One feeds the other. I would much rather see news about the media exposing corruption, and this being in the public interest, than endless twaddle involving the celebrity culture, for example, which was entirely invented to generate news, and which isn't in any public interest that I can comprehend.

 

[saintkitch]

Seems a bit strange the telegragh going for someone like Black unless they thought he had a bit of history and would be open to a bit of wrong doing. If the Telegraph knew this then maybe Les and the team should have done a bit more research on him before employing him, what with us promoting a whiter than white operation.

 

[----HistoryRepeating----]

What really bugs me about this is, it was said by a lot of us that he didn't deserve the chance he was given with us, he really had not earned it (anyone who went to Villa park last season will understand this statement better). So this amazing opportunity lands in his lap, then after such a short amount of time he's caught out saying these things which are either potentially illegal, or stupid and damning. Either way, it shows a massive lack of understanding about the position that was presented to him. I'm pretty furious about this. How dare he.

 

[TheSecondStain]

Seems a bit strange the telegragh going for someone like Black unless they thought he had a bit of history and would be open to a bit of wrong doing. If the Telegraph knew this then maybe Les and the team should have done a bit more research on him before employing him, what with us promoting a whiter than white operation.

I would suggest that the DT did a lot of research before they interviewed their suspects. It is said they started their investigation 10 months ago, yet only did their interviews in the last month or so. That suggests a lot of background research into who to zero in on. Eric Black, and other candidates, may have quite a bit of alleged form amongst the informed football gossiping classes.

I did wonder myself about the quality of our due diligence with Black, but the sort of thing meetings he's been involved in usually happen without the concealed video recorder handy, and it's improper to judge a person on pure hearsay.

 

[fran-MLs little camera]

Seems a bit strange the telegragh going for someone like Black unless they thought he had a bit of history and would be open to a bit of wrong doing. If the Telegraph knew this then maybe Les and the team should have done a bit more research on him before employing him, what with us promoting a whiter than white operation.

The connection seems to be an agent, McGarvey...they seem to have approached him to arrange meetings with interested parties, but he claims the topic of conversation was supposed to be about setting up a business.

The whole conversation needs to be heard, so the Telegraph need to release full details. Re-listening to the Black interview suggests he could be talking in general terms about how to deal with lower league scouts and managers*....he even says that they probably won't have to pay interested parties. Context is everything. The FA will want to know why he didn't report the conversation to them if he was innocent....his argument will be that he thought it was just a general conversation. Context again.

*I worked for a big multinational once and I remember one conversation about how you couldn't get anything done in South America without greasing palms. The conversation went on to describe how such things were done...none of us went on to bribe despots or open Swiss bank accounts...so care has to be taken with overheard snippets.

 

[latviandream]

That reads like my hit list.

Seriously though, if we want to be seen as whiter than white, Eric is off.

Black is not whiter than white.

 

[SAINTDON13]

Black is not whiter than white.

A bit of a grey area you say. Wait until we see things in black and white and then make a judgement.

 

[Le Tissier's Laces]

We need to turn this into an opportunity. Assuming he is suspended we need to find someone else to translate for Claude. I don't think Black translated at the press conferences - just on the training ground. Any French players out there that we could possibly get in the next window? Perhaps someone who no longer features for the first team at their own club? And how soon could we get [HASHTAG]#bringmorganhome[/HASHTAG] trending?

Edit: Actually Pied, Boufal and Hojbjerg all speak French too - can't really see us missing Black.

Thierry Henry likes Claude...

 

[Ronnie Hotdog (MLsfc)]

Woke up this morning and read through the sports headlines and didnt see a single article on Black for sometime. Everything is just about the Ryder cup! Probably a good thing as it allows Saints to make decisions with less media scrutinty.

 

[Le Tissier's Laces]

I'd love them to release a list of people that they tried to ensnare who told them to piss off.

That would be equally revealing. Who are the good guys?

 

[fran-MLs little camera]

QPR saying Hasselbaink remains their manager and they are still awaiting full details from the Telegraph, so I guess we are in the same boat. I suspect that some of the unreleased footage shows they went a bit overboard in their approach....I expect a few court cases coming up with the Telegraph in the dock. Even the police find these sting operations hard to manage...have to walk a fine line.

 

[saintalfie]

The connection seems to be an agent, McGarvey...they seem to have approached him to arrange meetings with interested parties, but he claims the topic of conversation was supposed to be about setting up a business.

The whole conversation needs to be heard, so the Telegraph need to release full details. Re-listening to the Black interview suggests he could be talking in general terms about how to deal with lower league scouts and managers*....he even says that they probably won't have to pay interested parties. Context is everything. The FA will want to know why he didn't report the conversation to them if he was innocent....his argument will be that he thought it was just a general conversation. Context again.

*I worked for a big multinational once and I remember one conversation about how you couldn't get anything done in South America without greasing palms. The conversation went on to describe how such things were done...none of us went on to bribe despots or open Swiss bank accounts...so care has to be taken with overheard snippets.

Exactly right, context is everything. Most of us could be hung if a piece of a confidential conversation we have had with someone was lifted and shown to the world without the full content being revealed. Goodness knows ref Eric Black, i think that the majority of these guys involved in the professional football business probably think its the norm to pay for information or for someone putting a word in for them, whatever the bloody FA rules say. Many of these people who have been in football all their lives are not the sharpest tools in the box either.
Regarding South America Fran, i have done a lot of business with shipyards, suppliers, etc in Chile and Uruguay over the years and never once been given or received a 'dropsy' - however in Argentina, Brasil, etc its a different story. But they are nothing compared to West Africa - you will not get a single container, or anything else, in or out of say Freetown with out backhanders - its the way life is conducted.

 

[fatletiss]

What really bugs me about this is, it was said by a lot of us that he didn't deserve the chance he was given with us, he really had not earned it (anyone who went to Villa park last season will understand this statement better). So this amazing opportunity lands in his lap, then after such a short amount of time he's caught out saying these things which are either potentially illegal, or stupid and damning. Either way, it shows a massive lack of understanding about the position that was presented to him. I'm pretty furious about this. How dare he.

I went to Villa Park last season and I can't agree with the first part of your post. That game had no bearing on Eric Black's ability to be Assistant Manager at Southampton. Whether people thought he was right for the job based on footballing terms has nothing to do with the current situation and really needs to be kept separate. It is fine that people didn't rate him as a coach when we signed him, no problem at all with that (though I disagreed at the time, perfectly ok for people to see that differently) but don't mix the two things up.

I agree with your second part, that it looks like he has mucked up badly and it is annoying if it casts any shadow over us.

I am not defending his actions in any way (or sentencing him yet either - though it looks bad).


EDIT: Unless you are saying there was knowledge or rumours of this sort of side to him at that time.

 

[fatletiss]

Black is not whiter than white.

Are you saying Stuart Grey was only a bit dodgy?

 

[sotonsaint]

Just seen the footage, it's hardly conclusive but at the same time dosent do him any favours.

 

[Missing Lambo]

I think the focus should be on the wrong doing, not whether or not a newspaper is making money from Reporting it.

Of course. But if an old Marxist isn't allowed a cheap jibe at the Telegraph on this forum, then civilization as we know it has come to an end. Not to mention comedy!

 

[Ronnie Hotdog (MLsfc)]

Just seen the footage, it's hardly conclusive but at the same time dosent do him any favours.

They have released about 50 seconds of a conversation that was likely an hour or longer. Hardly gives us an idea on context or even what was actually said in the majority of the conversation.