MarkSFC

joking right?

Afair post Weston but we need two or three players to change the way we play. Would/could we have got them if PArdew had stayed (or been sacked earlier)??? Take Lambert out of the equation for any reason and we have two similar strikers playing - no height - and no striker on the bench. I like Puncheon (although he needs to have more "result" if that makes sense, but after him we only really have a 16 year old down the right. I would have thought this was the ideal game to blood Do Prado in the middle, a)to what hes like and b) to freshen things up in there (DH and MS are so boring!!) and c) to have a real runner into the box with and without the ball. So, is it Pardews or Corteses fault.......possibly both....and a little bit Wilkins and Hunters!!!

think it through..if true he wouldnt sack him, he'd wait for the approach from Villa and get compensation rather than pay his contract up. Or if he was but then no approach came...certainly, sack him!! Hopefully it was GM...no payment!

Exactly...nailed on that there is a mutual confidentiality agreement in place. Would be good to hear something from him though!!

well ,well, well!!!what a wierd few days it has been On Saturday al lwas great in the world...a 4-0 win away from home to kick start the season and the expectation of one or two signings to boost the team..... Then the bombshell explodes and the world we thought existed down at Staplewood is blown right open...........feelings of excitement and hope blown away down the street....a sudden chil in the air........oh well, maybe Mr Cortese will run down the road and catch the excitement and rekindle the hope after a few hours and add another member to the family in order to lessen the feeling of confusion. And maybe a new present will draw the family together for the wake and as painful as it may be we will all start to move on and get back in the swing of things. Well Mr Cortese in his grief may have compounded the grief of the city in the last day or two..........to me, we have lost two people who for very different reasons did a hell of alot for this club and for two very different reasons have been taken from us with no (apparent) good reason. It may only have been the JPT tonight and although I couldnt bring myself to attend, listening to the game remimnded me of all the bad times we have had in the last few years. My fear is this will only get worse before it gets better.....Mr Cortese, unless you have some master stroke to pull out of the hat by the weekend this could be a nasty few weeks. And Im an optimist!!!!!!!

well said!!

OMG...If Hart is appointed this will on the face of it be one of, if not the worst decisions ever....even worse than Lowes (apart from Potaloo). This would make us a complete laughing stock in my opinion...not usually fussed by that sort of thing, but when you think things couldnt get any worse............ The only thing Hart got right was the academy in Leeds.......he cant coach, organise and manage full grown players............

check your work email!!

I did say probably....!! But I do think that we have as much if not more potential to get to the Prem and stay than than all those. I think Cardiff are near the edge financially and are taking the gamble to get there this season...Forest seem to have no money, spent it all last season really and failed...Leeds, big club in terms of history and fanbase but their team isnt that good, thaey wont go up this year. Middlesboro are probably taking a little bit of a financial gamble this year with the number of signings...if MacBoro dont go up this year I suspect WGS will go and they will have to re-build...AGAIN!! Leicester seem to be the best placed financially with their new investors. I dont think we will "storm" through the divisions but we will (almost definitely) go up this year and then its down to budget! Will Cortese/Leibherrs invest to ensure we go straight up or will they do it over two seasons...... choice of manager will probably indicate their thinking!!! Its a very interesting and potentially very exciting time to be a saints supporter....equally a (percieved) bad appointment and the feel-good factor diappears for months rather than hours/days......

Its interesting that other clubs fans just see us as a.n.other league one team because when it comes down to it we are "right no" BUT and this is the point that is missed by people outside the area I feel.....we have more "potential" to get to the Premiership AND stay there for many years than probably any club outside the Premier League right now. We clearly have the financial muscle to get there as quick as possible and to a manager outside the Premier League or out of work we will be/are a very interesting and exciting project. The next manager of Saints could well make his name and achieve "possibly" back-to-back promotions. This looks good on anyones cv!! Of course my comment includes a bit of "potential" and "possibly" but nevertheless we have a very good infrastructure that is also being improved, so attracting a big name is definitely a possibility. Personally its a must because anyone who on face value is deemed "worse than Pardew" will not get fans onside (and maybe not players) and this could easily ruin this season. Logic suggess someone who has worked at a higher level most likely the Premier League because getting there is the easier part of this project....staying tere is the hard part!!

Exactly...well said..... Echo and Alpine in mountain out of molehill commenting yet again.........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Seems very balanced article. Interesting that it appears to be Pardew that people didnt get on with........maybe Cortese isnt as bad as some people like to think he is.

new marketing opportunity...buy an umbrella..get a free coffee

fair enough.....but this could be the best thing in the long term......

knee jerk.....its his first sacking and we dont know whos coming in yet. When Cortese has sacked ten managers in two weeks then it will be QPR mark2!!!

Thanks Alan Pardew.....you have helped to revitalise our team and gave us a decent season with a brilliant day out at Wembley....that can never be taken away from you. I have had the feeling though that something wasnt right for a little while so maybe something has gone on behind the scenes. Good luck to him but I am sure will be stronger for this tough decision.....

The more I think about it the more likely it seems to me that Zola will be the chosen one. Italian...been there, seen it, done it PLAYER who will gain instant respect from the players, but of course will have to earn respect as am nager from them and perhaps more importantly us fans. Steve Clarke no doubt would be his assistant...very experienced coach/assistant obviously mainly at Chelsea and worked with one of the best in Mourinho! The fact that Dean Wilkins has stayed suggests to me that the new man wants him and therefore the new man is already chosen. Why else keep part of Pardews team which Cortese has decided does not fit in with his vision for the future? Surely in Hunter, Dodd and Reed there are enough people in the club to organise and run trianing for a few days (at most). After all, Dodd has already done it. I think a BIG name is needed to boost morale in the fanbase and to send a message of intent to the football world. Zola is a big name but nt in management terms...thats what concerns me although I do think he did a very admirable job at West Ham n extremely difficult times and handled himself with real aplomb both during his time there and immediately after.

I think you miss the point entirely here. By stating that they realise changing the manager frequently is not good, they are making the point that this decision has not been taken lightly. CEOs are paid to make the big decisions, they live and the ydie by them. As Cortese has no precedent yet in management changes I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and see who he appoints but more importantly where the team finishes come May. To be blunt thats actually all that matters. We will all have our choices and reasons for any particular manager but ultimately its the results on the pitch that matter. Because of the timing I would be very surprised if a new manager is not in place by tomorrow, if not sooner. The players will be in a bit of shock and although Wilkins will carry on training them, Leadership of the team is critical. When a manager is sacked appointments are usually very quick indeed. When managers resign, the process is longer because the club would not have planned for it.

show me the quote where Cortese said he wouldnt ever dream of sacking Pardew

Completely agree!!! This is arguablt THE biggest call of Corteses time at the club!!!

http://www.skybet.com/betting/football/manager-specials/t10002896.html no ononeil at all and these lists rarely get it right!!!

"The club has decided that, to achieve its well known targets, it is essential to make changes to the management," said a Southampton statement. "We recognise that frequent changes to the football management are unlikely to assist in the winning of trophies and promotions. "However, we are taking these steps to achieve our aims, which we share with all supporters, to get promoted this season, and secure long term stability and progress for our football operations. These quotes MUST mean that a "proven" manager is lined up...MON clearly heads that list. If Cortese goes for a manager who has never won anything or got promotion then these statements cover the real reason. If not MON which I actually think could be a goer....could explain the timing of this.....then there arent IMO any other really good appointments AND ones that will get the fans onside. Whatever your critisism of Pardew team selection and tactics he has done a really good job here. The vast majority of the paying customerbase liked him I think so Cortese needs to pull a big rabbit out of a very small hat here!!!! Shame Mourinho has just gone to Real!!!!

Wow!! Stunned....... I can only imagine that this was decided a couple of weeks ago and then tragic events delayed it OR something has happenned in the last couple of days, probably in regard to transfers and Cortese has made his decision. Having said that and listening to Pardews interviews over ther last couple of weeks he has seemed "different" to last year, less upbeat, and maybe the pressure was too much for him and COrtese has seen that. If he cant handle the pressure of Lague One what would he be like furthger up?!! Im shocked and slightly disappointed BUT these things do happen, its COrteses first BIG decision and until we see who comes in AND where we finish this season it is too early to judge it. The timing does seem strange but despite the qoute re candidates being evaluated, Im sure Cortese has his choice already...it will just take him a few days to meet withthem. This wont take long...we really are an attractive club at the moment!!

Yeah think youre right...got to win the championship...priority

Time for Pards to swoop..............