Article: CONFIRMED: Mauricio Pochettino replaces Nigel Adkins as Saints manager | Southampton FC, Football

Exactly, and it was Pardew who built the promotion-winning squad. I love Adkins and I have enormous respect for what he achieved, but he's being made out to have single-handedly pulled this club from administration to the premier league which is simply fantasy.

 

Agree PTF. We are all grieving but we have to move on now. Nigel would!

 

We will never be a club that has billions thrown at it (and wasted in many cases), nor would I want us to be. We needed start up money to get us going, but after that I want us to be a financially sound, well run club. If we could get a larger stadium to match that success (long way off I know) we have a huge catchment area to draw new fans from. That is what Nicola saw...we are not a third club in a city...we can draw from miles away. If we succeed, I think it is feasible that we can see regular European football.

 

I'm also thinking along these lines. The targets would have been more focused on our future in the Prem with the requirement to stay up this year. I don't think that because we're lying in 15th and had a slippery start that Adkins went for this reason and that Cortese expects Pochinetto to take us up to mid-table. Rather, he believes 'Poch' has greater potential in the long run and one would hope considering the suddenness of the decision, better ability currently.

 

I don't feel alienated. I am sure Cortese has already done so much more for this club than Adkins ever could have, some people need to remember that.

 

It's a weird feeling to hate the club I support.

 

... but nobody has died.

 

Well don't. Our Chairman sacked a well-rewarded manager. May be wrong, but he didn't sell him into slavery or have him shot.

 

Pochettino shown arriving at Staplewood accompanied by 4 or 5 others on Sky.

Report from St. Mary's too.

 

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but Pochettino's first training session - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcqXFUmbf50&feature=youtu.be

 

Saint Don

I want Saints to be successful but there needs to be recognition of just how far this can be taken with a club like Southampton. As I said in my post, we are incapable of ever competing with the likes of Man Utd or Chelsea. Cortese , if he is to be believed, is trying to achieve something that can never be done. For me, success at Southampton would mean the things I outlined above - I would like us stabilised in the EPL and to give managers / players due reward for their success as opposed to making evaluations against criteria which can never be acheived. At best, we are a middle-of -the -table EPL team and to expect more is wholly unrealistic. Of course, it would be magical to compete with the best 6/7 teams in England but this will never be. We are a provincial club with a small following of exiles scattered around the country. Only "eccentrics" follow Saints abroad. Our rivals in this league are the likes of Sunderland, Norwch, Villa, Stoke, etc. We should never be suggesting that we can match the very best in this country.

Naturally, I would like Southampton to be successful but this shoud be anchored in realism and not be to the future detriment to the club. Yesterday's decision and the reasons given would be ridiculed if spouted by Rupert Lowe and whilst I have some knowledge of the way Mr Cortese conducts his business (or atleast with building contractors employed on his projects) and this conflicts with previous incarnations of the club, I do not feel it makes what he s done correct either ethically or from a common sense / logical point of view. Portsmouth similarly reached for the sky and they got burned. My fear is that pursuit of the unattainable is concerning and quite why Cortese is lauded as "having never failed us yet" on this board when similar comments from Rupert Lowe would have brought derision amaze me.

 

Cortese backed with money Lowe had **** all think that covers it.

 

Christ I damn hope that letter gets to him.

 

Not much evidence of a players' revolt here is there?

 

I will start with my sentiments to the greatest Saints manager of my life time. I will miss you Nige, you gave me the happiest days of my life being a Saints fan. Its not so much the manager i'm going to miss, but the person who would make me feel warm inside and smile every time i heard you speak, and I will always remember your interview at the training ground shortly before the start of our Championship season.

But what my actual point is, I think Adkins sacking comes down to nothing more than the size of his profile. Cortese clearly wants us to become a top 6 club and to attract some of the best young talents in Europe. Rightly or wrongly, I think this comes down to the fact that Poch has played in the top competitions of world football for some of the biggest clubs, whereas, at least to the average European footballer on the outside of our club, Adkins is just a former physio at a small club on the South coast. And ultimately i feel like this was Nigels undoing. I honestly think, hypothetically of course, If Adkins had represented his country, or at least played top flight football in his playing career then he would still be in charge. What's everybody's opinion, is it plausible that Adkins was sacked due to his lack of experience of dealing with, or being around top bracket footballers?

 

Thanks for posting that...good to see them all smiles and having a kickabout. Onwards and upwards.

 

I think for certain they've made very sure they captured ALL incidences of the players smiling (!) but yes, it makes me feel better and of course they're just getting on with it. As someone said previously, I suspect it's actually quite exciting for them all. Onwards and upwards, as Fran says.

 

I think this was a large part of it, yes. The club statement that this move had to made for the sake of the club's long-term ambitions certainly implies this.

 

Beef

Gaydamak allegedly had bags of money at Portsmouth too. Granted, I think Cortese is far better "connected" and is judgement would, on the face of it, seem to be sound, this does not mean he is incapable of making errors. I would suggest that he should have thought more carefully what his customers wanted and that was to keep Adkins. For me, I feel that this decision has demonstrated he does not understand the fans and to alienate his market would normally not be a good thing. Just hope that thiswon't turn out to be a "Ratners" moment.

 

Each to there own imo I'm willing to give Cortese the benefit of the doubt until I see how the season plays out.