A proactive leak probably from the club. Ron has been heavily linked and has said of his own ambition to manage The Netherlands. Strong possibility that would be discussed again with today's game. Especially if the Dutch lose badly.
There's only actually been one that has been properly stated, ie 2009 to 2014, though because the first 5 year plan goals were achieved in 3 years a new 5 year plan was implemented. However, like all plans, even 5 year ones, these can be re-focussed for new evolving situations. I would suggest that having a new massive sackful of TV money in the board's pack pocket demanded a re-focus. Seeing as the TV money hits from next season it was not a bad idea to plan for it and the other ventures. It's a new ball game [sorry].
And Koeman's contract will be something of a canary in the coal mine in terms of their intentions with that new money. It's no secret that his biggest point of contention is that the team needs to be less reliant on player sales, or we'll be left behind. It's also clear from the leak in Wilson's story that the board intends to spin the transfer budget as the consequence of spending in other areas with greater value-added, which also suggests that a sudden change in direction isn't on the horizon. The problem they will face is that they really have no leverage here...Koeman will have other good options, and thus he can push for whatever he feels is necessary, and the board has little recourse but to agree or let him wind down his contract. He doesn't seem like to take a Pardew-esque bargain of a bigger contract in exchange for holding his tongue. Beyond that, he doesn't have much incentive to agree to a five-year plan unless it's fairly aggressive in achieving the stated goals from the off, because the odds aren't spectacular that any of the principals will actually be here in five years. Beyond the board's side, no matter how nice the slow-burn five-year plan, a manager isn't likely to agree to it if there's a decent possibility that they'll get fired in year two or a change in the board will render it null and void before the money drops.
Its so hard to predict what will happen this summer. I'd like to think that Ron would sign a one year add on, but in reality we will probably have a high profile departure before that happens. Its always tougher when there's a tournament. It would be rather dangerous going into the next season with Ron eating into his last twelve months & needing new players to bed in, but that might be what we are faced with. Les, its time to start earning your corn again friend.
Secret from me and I keep pretty close tabs on these things. He comments a lot about a club this size being prey to bigger, richer rivals, but on the whole he's ok with it. I've never thought it a bone of contention with him. In fact, that's how he's worked through out his managerial life and he knows how to operate within those confines. It's one of the reasons why Saints went for him in the first place. I would agree with your incentive argument in the 2nd paragraph if Koeman was a typical manager who wanted to work for the biggest club he could. But he doesn't. It doesn't appear to appeal to him. He'd much rather nurture talent and do successful things the right way, according to him.
Back in December he repeatedly stated in the press that the club cannot continue selling our best players with such a low net spend and expect progress, when all the clubs around us are spending far more: http://www.not606.com/threads/koeman-we-need-to-spend-money.317263/ He also stated that, as a manager, he cannot look at his job as a multi-year project...his job is to win, now. Those two things taken together suggest that he's unlikely to be enthused about a several-year project with little money to spend. Which isn't a negative, really: it means that, if he re-ups, it's likely because he has gotten commitments to spend the TV windfall, which is something most want in any instance.
KNVB want to make Louis van Gaal their new Technical Director, according to The Independent and the Dutch press. Could work to our benefit...
I think we should just lock Koeman into St Marys at the end of next season, then release him when all other managerial jobs are filled. Could occasionally push chips and mayonnaise through the cat flap.
Yes, I'd forgotten about that article, but it didn't suddenly make me think he was dissatisfied with the club. I think he's just being realistic. Also, there's being successful at Southampton under the circumstances and being successful outright, which I'm sure he appreciates. Subsequently, he's said he's back to being a happy-clappy, so as long as there's progression...
I don't think that he's angry with the club. I do think that he believes that progression is far more likely if he has a transfer budget that isn't financed through sales, particularly when all teams see a massive increase in revenue, and will likely to use this opportunity and leverage to get real promises from them concerning the funds they'll stake to back this five-year plan. I'm not particularly sure where the image of Koeman as a purist on spendthrift team-building comes from though, but I'm somewhat dubious that he does indeed relish nothing more than slowly nurturing a smaller club over many years, being outspent all the while, given his past and public statements...were that the case, he'd probably still be at Feyenoord. Edit: if it wasn't a likely point of contention, we probably also wouldn't see the board defending the transfer spending in their leaks to the media, heh.
Am I on my own in thinking that the publishing of this article can only be a bad thing? I say this because if talks were going swimmingly well behind the scenes, the club wouldn't feel the need to push this to the press to keep the fans happy. It feels like a pre-emptive 'well, we did try' message to the fans before Koeman potentially turns the offer down. He may of course not turn it down, but I'd interpret (with no inside knowledge) the publication as meaning that the club are not entirely confident, and perhaps want the fans to get even more behind this being 'home' to Koeman in order to persuade him to sign the deal. If it doesn't work, they've already covered their arses. Is that too cynical, or does anybody else share this view?
That conclusion is just the negative football fan in you coming out. The truth is, whatever happens nothing you or I say will change one iota of the outcome, so let's sit back and enjoy the ride. And you never know, it might be a good sign. Prove I'm wrong.
I agree that there's nothing we can do to change anything, and even though I'd rather Koeman stayed, I'm not overly worried if he doesn't either. We'll find another manager. I just interpreted the fact that it had been published by Jeremy Wilson on this occasion may not be as straight forward 'good news' as most other posters seem to have assumed. More than happy for you to be right TSS The end result (he signs/he doesn't) won't prove either point of view right or wrong anyway, as it's all conjecture, hypothesis and probability. I don't believe that it's definitely done or not done until the club/Koeman states it so, and I can't blame the club for communicating with us in such a way even if it was with an air of it being an early let us down gently. Either way, enjoy the ride as you said. #MarchAsOne (well for another 22hrs anyway), then #WeMarchOn.
My fear with the contract situation is that if he doesn't sign then it's very seldom that a club does well with a manager known to be on the way out. So as great as it is that we know he is likely to honour next season. You wonder how motivated the whole squad will be
I'm sure they will be motivated...the PL does that to you. The hard part may be convincing good players to come that the club won't change if Koeman leaves. Players happy to get into the PL will still join, but perhaps not a player with choices. On the other hand, footballers must be pretty used to managers coming and going....the King is dead, God save the King. I'm not going to worry now...he's still here another season. Mourinho might be free after that.
The worry I would have is just how many players would leave, or want to leave, should Ron move on? I'm not convinced that so many would have left, 2 summers ago, had Pochettino decided to see out his contract, rather than jump ship then, as he was an extremely popular manager, with the first team players. Just my opinion, but at the "smaller" clubs, a player can often show more allegiance to the manager, than the club, especially if he's the reason for the player joining the club in the first instance.
