Just an observation most likely with no foundation but i thought it deserved airing, I recently heard Everton referred to as the peoples club and it got me thinking what fans think of saints now. This is based only on this season and what we do or don't know about "our" club. Here are a few points to get started and i've not put hours of research into this so if i'm wrong i apoligise. 1. The club have been very secretive this season with hardly any news about anything, took ages to confirm Ramirez injury even though rumours were flying round. no further news on training ground, took a loan with no explanation why. 2. Transfer saga linked with players deals done then no players signed and very little explanation. 3. Now this one gripes me the most and hopefully i'm completly wrong but what have we done to support billy sharp i can't see anything, Donny rovers are selling his gear in their shop and are holding a charity evening and i believe forest are doing the same. Billy is our player and we as a club are doing very little to support him. The minutes applause on sunday is an amazing gesture but its being promoted by the fans so if the club don't support this very few will know about it. Again if my points are wrong then i will apoligise but i just feel that saints fc are at the moment not a very friendly club.
Cortese had an idea for a football team and how it should play. Southampton (with a strong fan base and decent stadium and facilities) became available at a knock down price because of administration. He talked Markus into providing the capital and probably didn't put up much of a fight when asked to run it. He is desperate for Saints to do well and fulfill his dream, However, he is not a life long fan (a bonus but not a necessity for a chief executive) and has no real understanding of the fans and their need to feel connected to the team. I'm glad he came in, saved us and got us back to the PL (with Adkins help) and I have admiration for him in that respect, but it would be nice if he shared HIS club with us a bit more. Not every secret is essential.
I should of added that i actually am over the moon we have Cortese in charge and that i only made this thread as an observation to what has been discussed on here and down the pub with mates. I think he has done an amazing job and i wouldn't swap him for anyone else. i just felt it was worth discussing.
I think it's another one of those you can't have it both ways. I'm pleased we don't have a Chairman who is constantly getting quoted in the press and responding to rumours. That said of course it's frustrating when you don't know much about what's happening around injuries, transfers etc. Overall I'm very happy with the current set -up!
Ha, fair enough. Ok well we were honest with him about his chances of playing first-team football in the PL and got him a loan deal where can thrive. Is that not supportive?
I like Sharp. He's a poacher and I would welcome him onto the bench. The trouble is that, having paid a lot of money for Rodriguez, there is pressure to play him...not fully convinced by him yet. Billy was upset by how he was bundled out and I am sorry that it happened in that way when he had scored valuable goals for us.
Good Points. Here are my views on them: 1. I'm not sure they are being anymore secretive than before. There does seem to be more grumbling and negativity in the rumours that go around about problems, yet this is something I'd expect when a club isn't doing so well on the pitch. We are Premier League now and more media are focused on us than previous. I think he club choose to ignore a lot of the media speculation until they feel it is time to comment. I can live with that. I would prefer this approach to that of a club who have owners/chairmen who continually put themselves in the media. I believe they are trying to just quietly get on with the job. 2. This seems to be aimed at the Buttner deal, where I think United's interest just blew us out. With this deal and other player interest, I respect that the club just keep quiet until a deal is complete; I find that professional. I recently interviewed a candidate from a competitor company and offered them the job, which they decided to turn down. I know I haven't a fan base in my job, but I haven't gone and told customers, potential customers or competitors that I didn't get that person. I can't understand why fans expect to be told when we haven't signed a player. 3. It would be disappointing if the club do not support or raise any awareness to Billy's charity. It is a sad story that we were all involved with at the time. I notice the sponsors are promoting it and maybe that is the route taken by the club, but it would be better in my view if they came out and showed some support more openly.
Good points flt and i didn't know that about the sponsors promoting billy's cause thats good to hear. I like you though wish the club would do more i've not been in the shop for a while does anyone know if his wrist bands are on sale there as they are in the donny and forest shops. On a side note and i know someone on this forum was quite involved in the saints foundation is that still going as again not heard much news on this for a while, there were always stories and news about it on the os in previous seasons.
I haven't been in to check for ages, but I know at the time they wouldn't put the LJS bands in the shop because they were already selling their own Saints Foundation bands so assume nothings changed.
I am grateful for Cotese's efforts and think that generally he has us headed in the right direction, but I have always had reservations about him. The strict mangement of information flow out of the club is generally a good thing, it limits rumours and stops minor issues from diverting effort and energy into managing PR rather than more constructive activities. But the gate is so tightly shut that sometimes it feels overly secretive. At the core of my reservations are the fact that at the end of the day Saints are a purely a business venture for Cortese, he cares for the club only in so much as he can add value to it which can eventually be realised. Whilst I accept this and recognise that adding value means gaining success that we can all contribute to and share in, I also resent the cold and methodical way he approaches it. In short I respect what he is trying to do and am grateful when he succeeds but feel no warmth towards him at all. I suspect that won't worry him!
Yea well there is an argument that it increases them! but on balance it probably stops a lot half truths and snippets that could then be misconstrued. At least I think thats the intention!
I'm totally fine with Cortese being secretive, he runs the club, what would you like to know more of? Transfers/injuries? There are rumours in the papers everyday of our transfers, injuries i.e Gaston perhaps his condition suddenly deteriorated. Bottom line is we don't know, so why is everyone jumping to conclusions. As for Billy Sharp, as previously stated we were honest and sent him out on loan, why don't we all buy the LJS foundation wristbands, I recently got mine and have been proudly wearing it.
People seem to have got the wrong end of the stick with my billy comment, i wasn't reffering to him going on loan thats purely a football decision i just find it a little strange that his old club and the club that he's currently at are doing more for his charity than the club that own him. i even think i read somewhere that sheff utd were planning something.
