MarkSFC

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!!

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.

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