MarkSFC

We certainly do have the best players in this league, almost in every position and more than one in some. The trouble is they are not a team and miles from the team they were last year. And the only way you get a group of individuals is to get someone to motivate, organise, and manage them. Until that happens today will be repeated....

Dave Merrington is not God. Fact.

Good/great managers do not have to tout themselves for a job.......especially one which is as good as this one.

Sounds like a man desperate for the job.....but not in a good way!!!

yes!!!

I think the Les Reed appointment was the very sensible action. All clubs serious about Youth Development have an "academy director" - whatever the actual title is. Leaving this to the manager of the first team is flawed for two main reasons: 1) it is a drain on his time and energy 2) if or when the first team manager leaves, the academy suffers and the new man will feel it necccessary to change things even a little because thats what people do. The long term success of the club will have a set up where, if unfortunately the first team manager goes, the structure remains in place and the CEO appoints who he deems the best man to fit in witht the set-up but more importantly make the First Team succesful. The manager should embrace the set up, work with the Academy director (Reed) but ultimatley have only one accountability - success. Equally the Academy Director should work with the First team manager and coaches towards the development of the "kids". To us the most important man will be the manager....for the long term sustainabilty of the club the AD is possibly the most important "role".

Merrington has always struck me as someone who listens to rumour and passes it off as fact.

I agree with your post alpine but these players will play BECAUSE IMO they have no real choice as they are only League One. If we were in the Prem then I would agree that may happen because they know they are marketable assets. Here they would ruin their careers somewhat I think! Anyway it wont happen as long as we get a top manager!!!

What a ridiculous post...what a surprise, someone who makes a statement without any facts as if it is fact and judges everyone together on the basis of his/her opinion on something that may or may not have any truth whatsoever. Have you ever heard of context either....have you ever thought of justifying your statement....how do you survive when you are not the centre of attention...of course, thats why you posted this!!

Howe is a difficult one I think, potentially very good but it's a gamble. But then as others have said every management appointment is a gamble. The trouble being for managers like Howe, he wouldn't get alot of time ( from the fanbase) to get results, 2 or 3 games initially. He would have to build trust very quickly. Someone with more of a history of success would get longer before the trust element would deminish. The other thing for me about Howe is that although he had a pressure of sorts, he couldn't actually lose last season. Wherever they finished would have been ok under the circumstances but he did do a fantastic job. Taking on Saints would immediately put him under extreme pressure and under a spotlight that he hasn't previously experienced. How he would cope is anybodys guess....well Corteses ultimately it would seem.

Why would the result change anything mate? Cortese is going to get hid man whether it takes a week or three and a result will not change that!!

Yep. Exactly the fear I had (well, Rickie out would be worse) but now we have no striker option on the bench AND Lallana is out. New manager and a loan or three needed asap!!

They may not know because maybe Cortese has buttoned down the hatches and ensured that leaks do not happen. You always speak of knowing things and I'm sure you do but maybe something did happen and this just sped things along. If the rumours of an incident are indeed the basis of the truth then well done Cortese. Decisive appropriate and professional management. I have just re-read the official club statement and the "incident" theory fits far better than the "planned" theory. The first paragraph particularly, the last, and the words "co-operative unit" midway through. I hope something did happen because otherwise Cortese planning is poor otherwise....unless an appointment is made today.

They may not know because maybe Cortese has buttoned down the hatches and ensured that leaks do not happen. You always speak of knowing things and I'm sure you do but maybe something did happen and this just sped things along. If the rumours of an incident are indeed the basis of the truth then well done Cortese. Decisive appropriate and professional management. I have just re-read the official club statement and the "incident" theory fits far better than the "planned" theory. The first paragraph particularly, the last, and the words "co-operative unit" midway through. I hope something did happen because otherwise Cortese planning is poor otherwise....unless an appointment is made today.

Saying nothing different to every other caretaker manager ever does. All of a sudden they are in the spotlight so have to make an impression either to get the job full-time ( not in this case I pray!), stay on under the new manager, or get another job elsewhere!! At least he has been a manager before

Normally only after a string of bad results....I think we all know thats not the reason now...

True...I think he did his best work at Leicester mind you...albeit longer ago! The prdicament I think MON fins himself in is that Wenger, Ferguson, Redknapp (hate to put his name or his club up there, but have to be fair!), and Hodgson will be at their respective clubs for at least this season and probably at least two or three to come. This obviously limits the options of anyone who wants to be at a "top4/5 club". UNLESS you find another club who wants to get there.......other than the monwy you get in the Prem...there wont be too many clubs with potentially more money than us behind them, half a dozen maybe. Who knows, I think it is possible even if unlikely. Trouble is Im not too set on anyone else!!

Top post Dave...

The trouble for any manager "waiting" is that who ever you are your stock goes down the longer you are out of work. Take Jewell for example, I think he took the Derby job for that very reason and becaus ehe couldnt win there (on and off the field) his career has gone. Before the Derby job he was one of the best out of work managers (if that makes sense?!). On that occassion he took the wrong job but made the move wuickly mot to be out of wrok...look at him now!! Mark Hughes said almost as much when he took over at Fulham though that it wasnt a case of taking any job but taking one quite quickly. That could be what O'Neil is thinking.....and we are on paper one hell of an opportunity for someone to grab some glory.

When I heard the news on Monday morning I was initially shocked but then as I thought about it I assumed one of two things; either a) NC had someone lined up; or b) something had happened to neccessitate the sacking. Because it was three people my instinct was on a. 3 days on and I am inclined to think it must be reason b)!! Why else would a very clued up CEO who despite some (percieved by a minority) ill-judged misdemeanours, make such a massive decision at the time he did? I doubt we will never know the real reason but my belief now is that there must have been some major falling out / gross misconduct issue with NC and AP/SM/WD. Or maybe just AP and NC decided the others should follow straight away in order to prevent an sh8te-stirring in the camp. It also seems that Wilkins may have been the odd-one-out in the team, or maybe he was in actual fact the whistle-blower on something?!! Regardless of the reason(s) for the change I do think that a swift appointment is paramount to promotion this season....leave it two or three games down the line and it is possible that morale will suffer (players - who are employees like most of us - need leadership, leadership and motivation who they respect and believe in) because they all know Wilkins is not really the manager. As professional as they are....he wont get the best out of them!! Think about when yu havent had a permanent manager or one that you respected, regardless of yur personal agenda did you work for him/her as much as normal? 3 days on, regardless of the reasons I still think Cortese needs to make a major signing.....someone that sends a message out that SFC means real business AND so does he. As much as everyone feel it is unlikely, we need to get a manager who could "easily" manage in the Premier league. For two reasons really...1) for the reason stated above...and 2) to get us there and to stay there. There is no point in getting a manager who may get us to the Prem in two to three years but isnt good enough once we are there. Brown,Hart,Southgate,Jewell,Blackwell,Shearer,Coleman,Howe,Adams,Curbishley, all for different reasons, do not fit that bill for me. However unrealistic they may seem....O'Neill, Keegan, Sven (not a personal choice!!), Rykard, McClaren, do fit the bill for me. Zola,O'Driscoll, and Lee Clarke maybeCOULD!!

Isn't that Kevin Dillon - former Skate?!!! 'Nuf said....

Believe there really is a God!! Only that calibre will do.......

I think thus has been a stroke of genius by Cortese. We are "The" South Coast Club but we knew that anyway!!!

Great thread!!! Not: I will save you money by not using the changing rooms for my half-time talks. Do Say: I will bring Theo with me....

If by not working now (if in fact this is the case - and not just The Echo sayso or whoever!) you mean signing Harding, Lambert, Hammond, Puncheon, Fonte, Jaidi, Dickson, Richardson, Butterfiled, Waigo, Antonio, Barnard, Connolly, Martin, aren't good enough products of that then I say keep it up actually! Of course its all changed now AP and cronies have gone but in theory if they were a committee it was doing ok!! Les Reed I'm sure would have had an input particularly at U21 level, but I'm sure he didnt lead the committee. Cortese seems (from the outside at least) to draw very strict lines when it come to job description, responsibilities and accountabilities. Any manager coming in must be empowered to make the final decision on "choice" of player. I'm sure he will be!!