Professor

What on Earth is this club doing buying a 22-year old English player who happens to have 29 caps for the England u-21 team? Does Southampton have no ambition? No eye on the future?

If, as the French report implies, agreement with Garcia wasn't reached because he was insisting on bringing a third member of his coaching staff with him, I'm impressed with Les Reed's refusal to create a vacancy by dismissing Sammy Lee, who had remained with Saints. The reason for Sammy staying is immaterial, because the fact remains he is a club employee and they have shown loyalty to him. A scarce commodity these days. It also suggests that Reed wasn't so desperate to have Garcia that they would allow him to dictate terms. I have no idea whether Puel or Silva is the stronger candidate but my guess is they are leaning towards Silva.

Wondered why the club were considering a chef, but it was the wrong Marco. Marco Silva's pages on the web must have been well-trawled over by Saints' fans by now. Only five years since hanging up his boots but an impressive record in management/coaching in a short time. Like the idea of having a young manager (even younger than Kelvin). Imagine he would be a lot more active in the technical area, and at training, than our last, rather sedentary manager, who's name I've forgotten. Silva looks the sort of candidate who would have been on the club's radar and as he has just handed in his notice at Olympiakos, this one is beginning to feel as if it might be happening.

Not me mate, I didn't vote yesterday. The Bosman ruling has had good and bad consequences but it has certainly made top footballers very rich. I suppose, if Premier League clubs are limited in which players they can sign that might create a few more vacancies for UK players. I think this thread is interesting because it shows that issues which are far too minor to have featured in the referendum debate, and would have had no impact on it, can still be affected by the outcome. If Cameron had mentioned Bosman, think how many more people would have been queuing up to vote...err...none.

Not quite right, surely. Bosman has meant that EU players can play in any EU country without a work permit. To get a work permit for a non-Eu players doesn't it have to be shown that the proposed player has something to offer that the club could not get by employing a UK, or EU, national. If so, this could clubs still being able to get work permits for international players but not for others. Main impact could be on clubs using European players who are not internationals and on young players coming to the UK to develop as footballers. I wonder if Schneiderlin (among others) could have come to Southampton under the rules that may apply in a couple of year's time. BTW, I wonder if those who voted Leave realised that in a couple of year's time, they may not be able to use their EHIC card for health care when in Europe. With unexpected impact on things like football and travel you do wonder if people were given enough unbiased information on which to take the decision they have.

I'd have no problem with Pellegrini and it certainly looks as if he's been on the short list but if he was the chosen candidate there doesn't appear to be any reason not to announce it. The talk about his Man City contract lasting until 30 June is no obstacle to an announcement in the same way that City announced the forward appointment of Guardiola. The delay suggests that perhaps Pellegrini is second choice while details are thrashed out with the preferred candidate. If that is Marco Silva few of us know enough about him, or anything at all, to take a view but we are beginning to hear positive noises. We should also have confidence in Les Reed and his team to recommend the best person to the Board. Looking back on Koeman's failure to develop young players into the first team, it's been tempting to blame the quality available in the Academy but it could just be Koeman's stated position that you must have a side consisting of international players. Logically, that would never allow any young player to break through. That seems to contrast with Pochettino, who gave Premier League starts to a succession of Academy or uncapped players with the result that people like Lallana, Lambert, Shaw, Clyne and Chambers went on to be selected for England. Pochettino has done the same at Tottenham by showing confidence in players such as Kane and Alli who had not had full caps until after he played them in the side. Nigel Adkins did the same when he took Saints into the Prem, giving 17-year old James Ward-Prowse a start in our first Premier League match away to Man City. If Marco Silva is a return to that philosophy after Koeman's dead hand on young players, that could be a deciding factor nudging him ahead of Pellegrini who is probably more used to following a similar line to Koeman.

According to BBC Breakfast TV, 10% of the population of Iceland are in France to support their team. To compete with that we need five million supporters from England.

Why should any board member have a self-imposed limit on a future decision? The suggestion attributed to Guan looks doubtful and with no source given it's not verifiable. It’s far more likely that the selection panel will reach individual conclusions about candidates based on current factors. It’s possible to have a pre-set picture of what to look for in the ideal manager but to rule someone out because they did not fit with one or other factor decided in advance, would hardly make sense if that meant not appointing the best person available.

It's surprising how many people who are level-headed and sensible enough to be Saints' supporters still haven't learnt not to believe the fictions printed in the sports pages of the newspapers. As for betting odds, we all know these just reflect the money staked and since the money staked is mostly based on the stories in the press, it is no more reliable. I'm confident that the club were prepared for this eventuality and have been handling it correctly. The formal process could only begin once the resignation was confirmed, which was only 13 days ago. If the decision is announced this week, they will have done very well and even if announced next week will still be ahead of Pre-Season.

But the current team finished 2 places higher in the league table and with 7 more points than the 2013/14 squad. You can't improve a team unless you change the personnel. Wanyama going provides another opportunity and losing a player who was unavailable for 9 league games in the past season is not the loss that a regular starter would be. That means he had to be replaced for nearly a quarter of last season anyway.

This looks like a done deal at a good price. It's a reminder that squad strengthening doesn't stop because the first team manager leaves. When the last manager was asked about players coming or going, he confirmed that recruitment and retention wasn't part of his job. It's simply easier for the media to personalise everything by implying that managers buy and sell players, regardless of the truth at individual clubs. Obviously, when a manager is in place he would be consulted and would be able to put forward his own candidates for consideration but since recruitment is part of Les Reed's job it's good to see he's getting on with it and not allowing the manager vacancy to cause a delay.

Long is under contract for two more seasons but that couldn't be mentioned by the Mirror because it would have made the article look rather silly. Not mentioning makes it silly any way. Players should be schooled in saying no comment to journalists because whatever they do say will always be used and twisted for the the media's own purpose and not to the advantage of the person they talk to.

Only came on this thread to see why it's still getting posts, but although he's now history, there is some entertainment in the inquest. The theory that he only raised the Everton job as a bargaining chip doesn't look particularly convincing but it can't be ruled out. If it did happen that way, it has been suggested that Erwin and Jan might not be so happy. To get them to leave as well, might have needed similar 100% pay increases and payment of the compensation for breaking their contracts. If that has not happened, any comments from either of those two might be more illuminating than anything we hear from the ex-manager.

Oh No!!! Graziano! Seeing the replay, he just didn't get the right contact

Outcome could be quite amusing whatever happens. Have enjoyed having Koeman because of his integrity but he seemed to lack flair and now his integrity is in question. The mid-season slump indicated that he had no magic wand so that, if he goes, his loss may not be felt as keenly as it might have been. Possibilities now are extensive. If he wants to stay, the club might not want him unless he stays on the club's terms, and if he wants to go it seems that will also be mainly on Southampton's terms. It would have been better if this episode hadn't happened now, as the close season is short enough without the disruption of a management change. But a new manager brings opportunity to improve and past experience suggests that it will be an unexpected name. We know the squad is strong and that one or two changes are already planned with the intention of making the team stronger. Can’t see Les Reed allowing Koeman to string us along for long and I’d be extremely surprised if he was allowed to stay on unless the terms were very much in our favour.

This is a personal opinion on the pointless Martin Samuel piece, but feel free to take an alternative view. I do not regard the Daily Mail as a newspaper in the sense that news matters and should be honest and truthful. In my opinion, the Mail is a propaganda sheet for a particular political party with stories on sport and other things just to get people to buy the paper. If they didn't carry these sort of items, the propaganda wouldn't be seen. The Mail is not alone of course, The Sun and the Express come immediately to mind, whilst the Daily Mirror does the same for another political party. Samuels' article having been posted here on the site, I have read it and see no value in it at all. As far as I'm concerned, its real function was to include an item that might attract a few people who are interested in football to read the paper.

Turning on to the Turkey v Croatia match, heard one of the commentators remark that Dejan Lovren isn't playing for Croatia because of a falling out with the coaching staff. Can't help thinking that the greatest service he did for Southampton was to leave.

Have only just read this Telegraph article, and I appreciate that many people have already responded to it but would just like to say that my reaction was one of considerable amusement. Probably the reaction of a good few others. It reads like an article designed for the club magazine and yet, unintentionally, it portrays Southampton as a club of immense stature. To say that Everton could not have made ANY more forceful statement of their massive status (the aristocracy of the Premier League, LOL) than by recruiting the manager from, wait for it.... Southampton, is absolutely laughable. Maybe the manager of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Man U, Arsenal, or even Leicester might have justified such an ostentatious claim, but the manager of the team that finished 6th in the League? Not really! This Chris Bascombe, who wrote the piece should consider becoming a script writer for Michael Mcintyre. What is it that Pride comes before? No need to remind me.

I may be wrong, I often am, but I don't think Virgin Media run any trains or operate an airline. It was once part of the Virgin Group of companies but was sold and according to Wikipedia is owned by an American, British-based company, Liberty Global, which is one of the largest Broadband Internet Service providers in the World. Definitely no smelly trains.

A very good read but also a reminder that over the last two seasons the route for Academy graduates into the first team hasn't been working. It's suggested that Koeman was chosen as a first team coach in part because of his record in bringing through youth team players, but did his view on that change? It was recently said, I think by Les Red, that to compete at the top of the Premier League needs a team full of international players, implying no place for a young player. Koeman used very few young players, even on the bench so that there were few if any opportunities to give a run out to a young player. A lot of development players have been sent out on loan so obviously not available for a first team try-out. Has there been a change of policy since that article was written or is the Academy currently failing to produce players of Premier League class?

Having got back from a day in London, I've just lost half an hour of my life that I'll never see again scrolling through pages of people biting on the Everton Fan's bait. Please, don't allow yourself to be baited, don't respond and don't forget there is an ignore function you can use. Personally, I'm very happy at the news. He hasn't been a motivational manager and I believe the outcome of the last two years is down to other factors, player recruitment (not in Koeman's brief), quality of the squad and the excellence of the training facilities. The mid-season slump suggested that he could demotivate players bearing in mind some of the rumours of player disatisfaction with him. The £5m compensation is quite remarkable but shows what can happen when you put all your cards face up on the table at the start as Everton have done. I think we can assume that the deal will go through as Koeman will have been blinded by the salary and won't want to risk losing it now but the club are rightly being careful not to rock the boat until it's a done deal. Many Saints' fans must be killing themselves laughing. We are rid of a manager who proved to be untrustworthy and who is average at best. If the stories of him taking time off to play golf when he should have been working are true, he is below average. His time here has cost us nothing financially and we have a stable club, a quality squad of players, and European football to attract a replacement who almost be definition will be better simply because he won't be Koeman. A thought about Everton. It does look as if the new owner has little understanding of Southampton and may have mistaken our league position with managerial ability. It's hard to see what made Koeman's name stick out among all the other top people who have far more impressive management records than Koeman but lets be grateful that it did.

Which is now something like 6 months ago. I think we all assume there are potential manager files on the Black Box and if so, they would be constantly updated with that sort of basic information. Although we are all shocked at Koeman appearing to go back on his word to serve the full 3 years there were warnings that he might not extend with his slightly odd comments about the club needing to show 'ambition'. Many would have thought it has done that consistently. With contract negotiations on the horizon, it would be surprising if the Box hasn't been measuring the alternatives for at least a couple of months, maybe longer because there's always the possibility that even a loyal and committed manager could fall under a bus. Pellegrini happens to be my first choice, but if I was a gambling man, I'm not sure I'd put money on it. Many would see him as a step up, and for that reason he might see Southampton as a step down.

That is true, but at that time we had faith in Koeman's integrity, in his commitment to see out his contract at the very least, and the expectation that he would be signing for an extended period. Isn't it the lack of integrity that has changed attitudes, with people now questioning whether he ever had a magic wand? For a couple of months up to January things were looking very shaky with a long string of defeats and it was the performance of the squad that turned things round. We could all name some players who performed beyond expectations but would it be right to give Koeman credit for that?

This is the nub of the matter. The club can't rush the compensation negotiations because too much money is at stake but it is holding up the appointment of the replacement. Hopefully, they are going as far as they can in identifying their targets so that it can be done and dusted very quickly once the Everton deal is done. If Koeman's plan did fall apart I can't see the club allowing him to carry on as if nothing had happened, even if we had to pay him compensation, as it looks like its all gone far to far.

Can't deny Emery's recent record in the Europa League but not so impressive in the League. Clearly he would do a good job but another non-English speaker would be a shame as the fans do like to feel that the manager can communicate with them, which probably goes for the players as well. Pochettino didn't use English with the media but he probably did speak English at training. Obviously not the major issue, but my preference anyway is Pellegrini. Not employed, so no compensation and if he could be tempted here he would certainly raise the profile of the club, a factor in attracting top players. As a manager his record is superb.