Graffito

He is engaged in a bitter dispute with Southampton’s greatest footballer, embroiled in litigation with another former player, has fired two popular managers, banned the local paper, sacked long-serving programme-sellers and increased ticket prices. So, what was the result when Southampton fans were polled for their opinion on executive chairman Nicola Cortese? Ninety per cent backed him. Full article: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/saint-or-sinner-nicola-cortese-drives-southampton-on-8488069.html

Ok, well perhaps Morph will clear that up and if so there have been private shareholders with whom we have been in safer hands but I would point to the fact that the reverse takeover was allowed to happen. The point is, even in the best of times for the vast majority of us it hasn't been our club.

You say Leon Crouch, I say Michael "COYR" Wilde. Was he a Saints fan? No wish to rake over old ground but the ordinary fans being shareholders means nothing because they control fck all. Most of us own scores of companies in the sense of being shareholders because we have pension plans or we have other investments. We have no effective control over those companies. As for the skates, fair play to them in going for fan ownership.

And the majority of whom were not shareholders taking a dividend from the club. Look, the fans have never owned the club.

When did the fans ever own the club?

Nice that most of the article covers Saints rather than City. He says some nice things about Saints as you'd expect from Kevin Keegan and makes some pertinent points though I'm not sure about this: Nigel has got an impressive CV now and he hasn't done it with lorryloads of cash - the achievement of delivering Premier League football on a relatively low budget will make him an attractive proposition to may chairmen. The article is probably ghostwritten. And what's this about the donkeys of the New Forest?

Why not, you bleat about everything else.

Blog in the Guardian "Pochettino can prove himself against champions" as below. Note; double training sessions for fitness, players convinced by Barca trip that Pochettino is big time. "You don't know what you're doing" is one of the most frequent taunts directed by supporters at referees, managers, directors and anyone else whose decisions meet popular disapproval. Oddly, you never hear crowds follow that up a while later with the admittedly less-catchy chant of: "Actually, sorry about that, it appears you do know what you're doing." Perhaps Southampton fans will be the first? Then again, perhaps not. But what is clear is that three weeks and three matches after the hugely contentious sacking of Nigel Adkins, the club's new manager, Mauricio Pochettino, is winning admirers. Now all he has to do for the decision to hire him to be vindicated is, well, win matches. There are signs that his team will start doing that soon, perhaps even on Saturday against Manchester City. Pochettino's team have already given the other Manchester side a mighty scare. In Pochettino's second match in charge, Southampton outplayed United for long periods, finishing the match with 57% of the possession and twice as many shots as the hosts – but as 2-1 losers. Sir Alex Ferguson said afterwards that Southampton were the best opponents that his team have faced at Old Trafford this season. Wigan Athletic players expressed similar sentiments after scraping a 2-2 draw at the DW Stadium last weekend. So what has he changed? The first part of the answer to that is: not that much, because not all that much needed changing at Southampton. The team had played quite well all season and the defensive problems that undermined their fine, attacking play early on in the campaign were already being eradicated under Adkins as he and the players adapted to the Premier League while retaining the qualities that had helped them achieve two promotions in two season. So there has been no transformation. But there have been tweaks that have made a positive impact. The Argentinian speaks only sketchy English but has had no problem conveying his message, partially because all three of the coaches he brought with him speak English fluently and partially because his message is not that complicated. The main change he has made is to make the team more aggressive without the ball, encouraging them to harass the other team into coughing it up as close to the opposing goal as possible and then, with the opposition ragged, Southampton are to use their forward flair to quickly take advantage. "Our style of play is to win back the ball as soon as possible and then play it," explains the Argentinian. "We moved forward our lines and play more upfield. When we lose the ball we must have the mentality of winning it back as soon as possible." That is how Espanyol played during the three and a half years for which Pochettino kept the club higher than their resources should have permitted, earning the admiration for his tactics from Pep Guardiola among others, before the consequences of continually selling their best players finally caught up with them. Espanyol players nicknamed him "The Sheriff" and used to talk of training sessions that were fiercely "intense" yet "fun". Southampton players have expressed the same view, which is just as well, as Pochettino has treated them to double sessions since his arrival. It is simply fitness work – but, in fact, Pochettino has no quibble with the level of fitness that he found and so far the focus has been on ensuring there is a solid structure to the way the team press. "It may seem like we are running more," he says. "But really we are just running in a more organised way." One player who certainly looks like he runs more is Morgan Schneiderlin. The central midfielder has always been a dynamo and has made more tackles and interceptions this term than any other player, but under Pochettino he, like the full-backs, has also been ordered to attack more, a mission that is, of course, easier to accomplish if Southampton win the ball high up the pitch. His goal against Wigan, when he sprinted 50 yards forward before slamming in Gaston Ramirez's cross from close range, could become a regular feature. "I like midfielders who cover a lot of ground and go into the opposing team areas," says Pochettino. "We ask players to do what they are capable of doing and both Jack [Cork] and Morgan have a great capacity in that respect so we ask them to use it." With Adam Lallana now sufficiently recovered from injury to challenge for a starting position, City are in for a serious test. They are the sort of team that Southampton aspire to beating on a regular basis. Executive chairman Nicolas Cortese is unashamedly demanding with his targets and envisages achieving more than mere survival in the Premier League. To him the dismissal of Adkins is a reasonable form of ruthlessness, since he believes that while Adkins may have kept the team up, Pochettino can take them higher. The new manager helped embed that notion before the United match when he took the squad to work out at Barcelona's training ground for a few days. Premier League players may have more wealth than they can dream of, but using the same facilities as Lionel Messi and Co. is one way they can still be wowed. It is clear from talking to Saints players that the experience helped persuade them that their manager is big time. They need to start winning to convince everyone else that he came at the right time.

Agree but for Gerrard.

It goes badly wrong if you appoint the wrong manager (or sack the right one).

We sing One Harry Redknapp. He turns, he smiles, he waves....he gets 29 thousand w@nker signals.

You can"t not tell us now after that big build up.

England's loss is Saints' gain.

Liverpool pressed and harried Man City, just as Saints will, and had the best of it. That's the way to play them. I hope Toure isn't back as he would have made a difference today and will against us. Liverpool look a good side btw.

On the assumption that this isn't a wind, no I love possession football. Like a lot of West Ham fans I would hate to have to watch their style week in and week out. I'd be happy if they went down with the dinosaurs. As for end product, West Ham have scored 28 and we've scored 33.

Yes you are right Yoshida did attempt to man mark, and got under the flight of the ball. I don't know about the switch to man marking. For various reasons I haven't seen any of Pochettino's matches live. I'll look out for it on Saturday.

Yes you're right he did (attempt to) man mark as I myself pointed out on the match thread soon after the match, so I'm not being consistent. No excuses but I'd had a good night out when I posted the zonal comment.

Top lads both. Cork generally been well regarded on here. Schneiderlin took some stick early doors. Couldn't understand it whatsoever. His quality has been evident from day one.

As merely an observer of his performances he appears to be someone who needs pushing more than coaxing. A big kick up the @rse should do it. Pochettino's the man.

You were there and I wasnt so I can't say you are in the wrong but watching on line it sounded very loud. Really.

We use zonal marking (with Lambert sometimes man marking a danger man). This generally means no full backs on the posts.

Yeah but remember it was lapse in concentration, a bit of inexperience from an otherwise excellent 17 year old, that cost us two points. Nothing more nor less.

I'm as disappointed as you are but look at the performances of the players. There's reason to be optimistic in my view.

We tackled hard and chased the ball down second half.

Really encouraging performance. Great spirit, determination and skill. Let down by two bits of sloppy defending. Yoshida lost Caldwell and then misjudged the flight of the ball from the corner kick. Shaw, who had an otherwise excellent game, played them on for their equaliser by not coming out with the rest of the defence.