MarkSFC

"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..............

If Harding can sort him out then maybe he's not really good enough?!!!

Cant agree with that....apart from Arsenals unbeaten season....no team can hit the start of the season in 5th and maintain for 46 games. We did start slow but are moving up the gears ( to use your phrase) quite nicely. its now a case of accelerating to maximum speed in the next game or two and cruising along at a hundred for many games...slowing down when the traffic gets a little busy and then finishing the race in 5th again..... We WILL be champions.....wiht a new striker and winger by Tuesday!!!!

Would be a good signing...help Chris Wood in his development and let Tomlinson go! Him, Ambrose, McKenzie and a spinner to ease the load of Briggs next year...a fit ALi and Jones, and Dimi and we will win everything!!!

Hopefully two more by Tuesday.....a striker (to put pressure on ALL 3 - and to ensure we have one on the bench if any of them get injured) and a proper right winger.

This. great post

I think the point Pardew is trying to make is not about big crowds, merely that the crowd has big expectations. And following a run of four games at home the pressure builds when you dont win. Getting into the environment of an away game (whoever you are) is completely different. Having said that, for the first time I am being to see a little crack in Pardew and maybe just maybe he is feeling the pressure just a littelbit! I still think he is the man for this season a t least but he needs to do a Ferguson and create that seige mentality....its ONLY about winning and promotion this season, nothing else matters. On the matter of the DELL...I miss that place immensly!!!

When Antonio came here last season he had pace to burn but little else of substance. His touch let him down, he mad bad decisions and couldnt cross consistantly well. When Papa came in he had pace to burn AND a good touch, could score a little but was nearly always offside but could deliver good crosses. At the end of the season Papa had pace to burn AND a good touch, could score a little but was nearly always offside but could deliver good crosses. At the end of the season Antonio had pace to burn BUT his touch had improved, his decison makinghad improved his crossing had improved and his goal-scoring had improved. The improvement in Antonio was far more marked hence we all liked him...some more than others mind!! I think he is good and potentially very good but that it...potentially. He's currently not a standout performer for the Championship by a long way and all going to plan that where we will be next year. Can you gaurantee he would be good enough then? So if AP has got someone else in mind who is better now and definitely good enough for the championship next season, but maybe not as much potential for the Premier then that seems the best way forward to me. In two months time I doubt Antonio is even mentioned on here!!

ok, four games but if we win the league cup and fail to get promoted would you have been happy?

Typical Alpine...read what suits you. I agree with you BUT it is only two games. Correct me if I wrong but we can still win 141 points.....that might just win us the league

As much I get the sentiment of the OP....chill out man...it's f****** August and we have ONLY played TWO league games. Sure, we should have won them both but we didnt. If we had won them both I assume that in your world that would guarentee promotion?!! Yes the team could ply better and maybe Pards should have made one or two substitutions earlier...BUT he hasnt got the options at the moment really. And yes, I am bemused that he is perepared to"wait" for the right players this long but if thats his strategy and thats the way the market is then so be it. For me having watched Saints since 1977, the first thing that matters is winning....and then the way we do it. That is the only way to be successful, just look at Aresenal over the last 5 years....fantastic football to watch....have on nothing!!! And going back to the OP...two major things happened in the late 80's and early 90's that suddenly put saints at an even bigger disadvantage than previously....All-seater stadiums, and The Premier League/Sky. Then all our money was completely mis-managed in the "naughties" and we are where we are!! We WILL come good again....just watch the season unfold!!

5'11" and only 23......He would be good but is he really a winger?!

I like your reasoning....a "relatively" cheap purchase even on highish wages. Another benefit is he may help Schneiderlin in his development and any youngsters we have in the academy. We don't have a seen it, done it, bought hte t-shirt player that can pass on his experience.

deluded fool....

although I like Antonio it would be great to get someone better!!

Solent suggesting PArdew is looking at awide man....cant see it being Antonio as he played tonight (wouldnt have if we'd had a bid accepted) so another good surprise perhaps?!!

I hope AP picks "his best team" based on performances so far. When you've had the start we've had this sort of game is ideal....absolutely no pressure whatsoever so doesnt matter if we lose, even to a so-called weakened Bolton team. The plus side of this approach is that if we win the huge boost it will give the players could be the catalyst to a big run of wins because this group knows how to win once its back in the swing of things.

i should think that the trend of custom in the hosptality areas is the main reason Cortese has hired someone externally, and as he doesnt start for another week or so we aint going to see much movement in terms of price and/or package. The same will apply to the advertising boards. Having said that on a practical level, I'm not surprised by the low take up (mind you 50 is preety dire regardless) because the Plymouth game was (obviously) on tv and more importantly an early kick-off. I wouldnt want to do hospitality that early....too early to eat really and more importantly not enough drinking time!!!! And then saturday it was Orient...'nuff said!! This club is a work in progress and Im sure it will just get better and better as time passes and as we move up the leagues.....

top.....on a winning streak of six or seven...crowds over 25K....Pardew back to back MOTM winner...Lambert and Lallana POTM winners....and everyone stopd f***ing moaning!!!!

interesting signing...looks good from the clips. We have seriously lacked a runner from midfield - with or without the ball - so this could be exciting. Possibly the two-in-one player to cover Lamberts height "in emergency"!! A CB, a DM, and Antonio and we will storm the league!!

Great statement....should put everyones mind at ease regarding ownership and the future financing of the club. This unfortunate incident seems to have galvanised Nicola Cortese and if ever there was an excuse to walk away then this was it BUT he hasnt and seems to have come out even more driven by the memory of his close friend. Some people who are still a very small minority need to cut this man some slack, look at the bigger picture and stop concerning themselves in petty arguments over petty decisions that effect them. I like that fact he mentions the "Saints Family" a couple of times....we always used to be.....or thats how it felt. WIFMATLF

Well said..me too. Im sure he's a Spurs fan but when he moved here to train with Team Solents Mike Smith in the nineties he somehow managed to get the echo to follow him as if he was a local......