Southampton face nightmare scenario of losing Cortese

Another planted story by Cortese. He's such a bloody drama queen/baby when he doesn't get his way.

Exactly the same scenario as last year, just done to apply pressure on the Liebherrs and to stir up some of the softer Saints fans to cry all over twitter and forums etc.

Anyway, perhaps the reason he is threatening to leave is that Cortese is fed up with seeing empty seats at St Mary's??

So, if that's the case, then all of YOU who bleat on and on about supporting the club, supporting the "project", showing ambition and being "down with the don"... but then can't be arsed to turn up for Saints games unless we are playing a big club.... well YOU ARE TO BLAME.

 

Well said CBK!

Let's hope it's another clever negotiation again!!

 

Who do you think this "news" came from?! It's from Cortese's personal PR man (yes, he has one who does work just for him).

 

The club will go on. Never know, we may end up with someone better.

 

It's going to be a long day.

I really hope Pochettino doesn't leave immediately if Cortese does leave...

We all appreciate what the Liebherrs have done for us, especially Marcus of course, but if Katharina doesn't have her heart in it then they should sell. Rather than put Cortese in a position where he feels he has to resort to brinkmanship to meet Marcus' and his own goals (if that is what this is?). It's not like they wouldn't make a good profit - they paid £14M and Fulham sold for around £150M last year apparently...

If it is the Liebherrs or Cortese? (of course it's never that simple). Who would you chose?

 

It's not that clever really though. He's probably exploiting the Liebherr lack of understanding on how football & the media works, but in business terms, I'd be very unimpressed if a senior employee of mine had a gripe and went to the media to apply pressure instead of sorting it out round the table.

You can only cry wolf so many times...

 

I'd have no respect for Pochettino if he left just because Cortese did.

We support SOUTHAMPTON FOOTBALL CLUB, not individuals who happen to be passing through it.

 

Cortese obviously had influence over Markus as he convinced him to buy us in the 1st place. I think the telegraph story could be a good insight. Cortese has said in the past that he knows other people who would be willing to invest in the project. So could Katherine have refused to sell to them?

As DTLW alludes to though, the journalists involved would have been briefed by Cortese. As supporters we have never heard from the trust and what their intentions for the club are. We assume as the club was inherited and we never see Katherine at any games that the family is not really interested.

Looking at the club in pure economic terms you'd suggest that the rate of growth is unlikely to continue to increase at the current rate and it would take strong investment to get us to the Champions league level and the next plateau of income.

for me Cortese is not a man to tread water, he either wants to be able to re-invest into the club or for the family to sell to someone who will. Sounds like the trust are not doing either.

 

You're right CBK but football is an industry that is constantly in the public realm and uses the media to its benefit when it so chooses.

I agree that he could be pushing his luck if he is playing games but if, again, he doesn't feel he is being backed to achieve his goals (that were clearly set when Marcus was alive) then he might as well give it 'one last shot' and apply some pressure.

 

Not so sure that would be the reason, however last night it did go through my mind that he may be wondering what he needs to do to get this club with more fans through the turnstiles. We were 3rd/4th in the league at one point, enjoying the best times for years, yet getting below capacity attendances. It may make him think he has taken us to our 'level'.

He might be thinking that part of the plan was to get to the Premier League, get a team that can compete and then extend/rebuild the stadium ... not a lot of point in that at the moment.

 

Strange view, Pochettino works for SFC, he is not a supporter like us?
I imagine if your boss brought you to a company to embark on a new project and subsequently left, then you would also consider leaving? Or is that different?

 

Spot on. This is not my opinion, but one could play devil's advocate here and suggest that Cortese is bored or had a really tempting offer and wants to move on. How does he do that? He rocks the boat? It is all possible

 

Cortese is on a good thing here, he pretty much runs the club how he see's fit, with the family seemingly putting up the funds required to take the club forward, without getting involved. If he was to go or if he stays and the family sell up, Its hard to see that he would get the same freedom to spend someone else's money and run it as he does now. Just look at the Hull Chairman, Cardiff Chairman. Its their money/club and they want to control it.

Alas, Marcus and Nicola's relationship was a special one where one was completely trusted with the others wealth to deliver a common goal, dream even. With one party sadly gone it was never going to continue in the same vain, even though the surnames remained the same.

 

It's only different because football, believe it or not, is a sport and we've had 12 months of Pochettino saying about how the CLUB must move forward and we are all in it together, team mentality, blah blah blah. I know this sort of speak happens in business too, but their isn't the emotional attachment from the "customers" to the extent of football supporters with their club.

But then, I personally never really believe anything the vast majority of people in football say anymore. It's 90% bullshit. Cynical perhaps, but I'm more right than wrong (sadly).

 

Just popped by, and I don't want to be a killjoy, but we already have a thread running on the situation between Cortese and SFC. From now on, unless that one runs to over a 1000 posts, could we not keep comments to it..?

Ta. By all means transfer your comments there or I can merge threads when I have a moment.

 

Have no idea about the truth or otherwise of these rumours, but, as I said yesterday, don't take Sky as gospel. They tend to just report rumours and, sometimes, quote them as gospel. Also, sadly, don't use Nicola's past words to suggest he won't leave....things do change. These rumours depress me because I want everything on an even keel...even the fact these rumours keep reappearing suggests it isn't...nothing is forever, let's just hope for the best.

 

There's no use panicking over this. Personally, I don't believe he's going to leave, but if it happens, we'll deal with it.

 

Bit different to yesterday where it was a rumour we were all dismissing. Every paper and the BBC are running articles on it too as of this morning. I'm not saying its 100% true but the sources of some of the articles suggest they are not wild shots in the dark.

 

All these rumours at least inoculate us against too much pain. Imagine the shock if we woke up one morning and he was gone. The problem is that we have also bought into Nicola's dream...we want that ideal club that has been sold to us...we may have to accept a different sort of club. I like being different to the others and having a feeling of superiority (probably more than we deserve, but nice).

 

If he does go, it seems most are reporting it will be in the Summer, which gives everyone time to prepare for the adjustment. Who would take over though, that is the question - if Cortese left would the club be sold?