Thanks for the reminder DTLW. We didn't see or hear much from him in his short time with us but I am sure when the Saints history books are written in years to come, he will get a pretty big write up. Under no circumstances did us miserable lot deserve to get him, but we did. One of the other amazing things that I found out is that Marcus passed away a month before Nigel took over, so they would never had met. Sometimes life ain't fair...
I think we all will agree.....no matter what happens to the Saints over the years. Those that are old enough now and witnessed the mans delight at Wembley. Lucky enough to have witnessed what has been achieved in such a short time. Will always have a place in their hearts for Markus Liebherr. A seemingly quiet and unassuming man and as the OP says a true Saints Legend......R.I.P Markus
Everyone taking over a football club usually lays out a five-year-plan so I took that with a pinch of salt, although excited we were saved. Three years is incredible, especially when you remember we had a -10 handicap in the first year. Just read a speech ML made when he took over..poignantly he said he was here for the long term...sadly untrue though his legacy lives on.
Been watching Premier League Years and was met with the unpleasant sight of a certain Rupert Lowe... thank god his days are behind us.
I'll never knock Marcus, a huge likeable friendly man. But I believe the real genius is Nicola, it was him who persuaded Marcus to put his money into Southampton, I'm sure that the vision was pretty much his too. Without wanting to upset other Saints fans, I do not believe that putting large sums of money into a club, warrants having a stand named after you. Okay technically it is his stadium! Neither should a statue be erected, Ted Bates gave his life to the club, man and boy, he earned it not bought it. I'm not knocking him, just not idolising him. I would idolise Nicola, if it didn't seem he was erasing all history of the club pre Liebherr/Cortese
Markus was not interested in renaming anything and neither are the Leihberrs. Undoubtedly it was Nicola's plan but he needed Markus to speed it through and give him full support. It may have turned out differently if he'd had to convince a consortium and give them a rapid return on their money.
Hi Zambucco, I think most people here are posting their gratitude to Markus rather than their idolisation (word?). I have immense gratitude for that man putting his money where he did, no matter who convinced him.
I don't mean this disrespectively, but the only advantage that the dead have is that their position never changes. Markus can never let us down now and is preserved forever as a saviour. I have clear memories of how safe I felt at the first game when he stood there with his scarf round his neck. Cortese may yet do stuff we dislike and how quickly fans can turn...remember the car park charge fiasco. Wonder what happened to the muppets who handed their STs back!
Oh yes, wasn't that at the start of last season? Oh what a season to miss.... if in fact they did miss it. Let's get the Echo to track them down and ask them.
I'd always accepted Saints as slightly better off 3rd Division club even when we were in the Prem, where we rarely had a season that wasn't a relegation fight. We were poor country cousins of the big boys, the likes of Arsenal Man U et al. 3 years ago I was ready to pack up football after a lifetime of playing, coaching and watching. A football world without Saints didn't exist. I thought the appointment of Alan Pardew was inspired; the buying of Rickie Lambert equally so. I thought Pardew would take us up, and Rickie would be a victim of our own success. Shows what I know. Like everyone on here I salute Liebherr, of course. But it is Cortese who has shown himself to be a brilliant business mind. When he realised that Pardew did not share his vision there could only be one outcome. Like others I feared for the club then as we sank down the division. Adkin's first couple of games were simply 'orrible. Now the man can stroll across the Solent. I still think I dreamed last season. What a journey it has been and I can't wait for the next step.
I bang on about the brilliance of Cortese often enough. Thanks to Markus for just being there and seeing the dream. I believe he was a kind enough man to realise his friend's big idea and he went along with it. He also knew that the right man to handle the top job was the man who pitched the idea. These three years seem to have gone in a flash. I don't know whether that's due to getting older or whether time flies when you're having fun, but by goodness we've had a lot of fun, and achievement. It's such a shame that Markus is not jetting over every week or so, anymore. Hopefully, his family will continue to do so. In the meantime, this has just been the beginning. Saints have managed to achieve Markus and Nicola's minimum expectations, two years ahead of schedule. The infrastructure is being updated, or improved to state-of-the-art specifications; the people are getting better and better, and Saints are Premier League again. If we could measure Markus in those footballing terms, then in my opinion, he would be the best of Champions League. His gift to us is that his best friend, and our Chairman, is of the exact same standard. The expectation now is for the rest of the Club, and us supporters, to join him.
Rather lose to Man Utd than Bournemouth. And look out for Oldham this year, they're looking a bit tasty.
