Optimistic realist says Krueger

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fran-MLs little camera

fran-MLs little camera

Well-Known Member
Feb 18, 2011
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According to the Echo, Krueger has described himself as an optimistic realist. I don't know what Nicola was in reality, but the impression he gave was that he was a man who dared to dream. Undoubtedly the positive side of this was that the players believed in this and spoke of the Champions League. His 'wild optimism' went through the footballing side of the club and probably contributed to our success. I have noticed with some fans that they feel that Krueger's more realistic stance will somehow completely undermine our success on the field...not a view I hold I might add. I think we have just entered a different phase (based on the foundations provided by Nicola)...one with a more realistic chance of success. Just as NC replaced managers to achieve goals, so he in turn was replaced not so much by one individual as by a stronger board. Of course, only time will tell.
 
Im in 2 minds. Maybe the team will perform better without those almost unrealistic targets. Less pressure. Or maybe they will lose some belief?

Its natural to be concerned when a very ambitious chairman leaves to be replaced by a (seemingly) less ambitious one.
 
I feel we could lose players if we lose that clear vision that Cortese had. In the past, there have been comments from the leading players in the squad, Lallana, etc... who have said they'd play for Saints for their entire careers. The loyalty bit is very nice, and I actually believe it when Adam says so, because he loves Saints as a supporter from the stands, but behind it is the belief that there was a driving force and a vision to get to the Champions League and to even win the Premier League. All the players bought into it. There has even been the much publicised strategy that set out to not ask if Saints can win the PL, but when. If the players perceive that Saints have lost that drive and vision we'll see a player exodus on a scale never witnessed before at SFC, in my opinion, and we'll go back to being relegation fodder. Personally, I hope this iteration of Saints does as well as, or better than, the words so far. I hope, but at the moment, I'm not convinced. I'll believe a bit more if all the key players and management stay for the forthcoming seasons. Then we'll know, that crucially, they still believe in the vision.
 
Anyone else see the schneiderlin bit on bbc website.morgon mentions impovements needed to be top six. Do you think that is just the players view that top six is within our reach. Maybe that is the club view.heres hoping
 
I can't see how "vision" is a problem.

Saying you're going to the Premier League in five years and expect to compete for the title is insanely bold when your club is in League One just coming out from administration.

But now we're a team that will finish in the top half, with a solid young core, who just about everyone believes is on the rise. So long as he has the financial backing of Leibherr, it hardly takes much guts or intelligence to make that same statement. Cortese was looking at a 100 mile trek, now we've gone 90 miles and Krueger only has to complete the journey with the finish line in sight. The players, the staff, the owner can all see it.

Besides that, it fits in with Krueger's personal history. He took a not-so-competitive smaller country and elevated them to medal contenders. He just won a gold medal with Canada. He failed in Edmonton, but not due to lack of vision. That's a team that was (and still is) in total disarray, where it was going to be very difficult to do anything with them. But the expectations were still high, because the owners are idiots with unrealistic hopes given their competence, and because Edmonton is hockey-mad and has a tradition of winning. That's not a job you take if you just want to play it safe and maybe coach a few years without any expectations.

I think there are reasons to doubt whether Krueger can carry out his vision, but I don't think there's reason to question that he has the same vision Cortese did.
 
Call Cortese's vision unrealistic, but the players seemed to buy in. And if they don't believe that they can achieve their aims here, they will leave.
 
I'm genuinely worried about what the summer will bring, and I'm normally a happy clapper.

I dread going back to being a selling club after the last few years. If they sell players off on the cheap (IMO £10mil for Chambers & £20Mil for Shaw should be considered dirt cheap), then I will probably not get a season ticket next season to be honest. It would make me feel like the club are taking fistfuls of my money every year and exploiting us. I for one genuinely believe that with this squad plus a few additioins we could continue to push on, and breach the top 6 next season. We are not a long way off of Everton, Spurs & United this season. I am not a glory hunter only in it for winning etc. by any means, and I was there since before the League One days, but my optimism and love for football has got bigger and bigger as saints have got better and better.

Of course, there is a long way to go, and a lot more to be revealed before making such a decision, but which players we sell, and how much we get for them will definitely define my decision.
 
Sure. If players don't like where a club is headed, they'll leave.

But there's no reason to think that the players suddenly believe they can't achieve their goals here.

If they were willing to play at Southampton in League One because they thought we could get to the top, why would they suddenly lose faith now that we are eight in the Prem? The team has improved four straight years running. We might finish ahead of Man U. Four of the players are in/around the national team. Gallagher and JWP are being played. All the pundits think we are headed towards good things if we keep the squad together.

The players don't really interact with the chairman that much. What they notice and what's on their minds are the results on the pitch, the coaches, the facilities and the day-to-day things like that. If Pochettino stays, the players will stay unless they were already planning on leaving.
 
The players main point of contact is the manager...MP doesn't like to put a limit on ambitions, so I don't think the change of Chairman has as great an effect on them as some might have thought. All the team and manager want is stability...new contract for Mauricio will do that. Markus and Katharina have put a great deal of money into this club...don't think we should moan if it doesn't flow quite as fast as in the past. The most important thing is improvement in income so that we don't have to be a selling club...that doesn't mean that no player will ever leave, but a team is formed that keeps the manager happy.

Don't understand this fear that players will suddenly leave en masse...firstly, they are under contract and secondly, they have to have a club to go to. We have a few top players who could move to a bigger club, but, for most, Southampton is as good as it gets...ambitious, free of real money worries, and being well looked after.
 
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