Lallana's Left Peg

Great news.

Probably, but he did state the phrase a few times. Maybe I am reading too much into it.

Summary: Club did everything they could to keep Pochettino at Saints. Refused to use negative language or acknowledge it was disappointing that he left. Said that the scouting network is now focussed on new Managerial candidates. Said that Les Reed has received lots of enquiries from high profile Managers across Europe. Said a short-list would be drawn up shortly. Main thing for me is that he has set the expectation that a high profile candidate may be appointed.

As per Adam Blackmore:

How do you think the Board come looking out of this then?

Given the Board haven't been telling the players what their plans are then I'd highly doubt Wanyama would be privy to what Pochettino and the Board have been talking about. But he clearly didn't feel worried about talking negatively to the media so that will give you some insight into what he thinks of the Board - or at least the level of respect he has for them.

The Echo labelled it as an opinion piece to be fair to them. I don't have much confidence that the right decisions will be made at the club at the moment.

Bang on.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/11239113.Daily_Echo_comment__Poch_s_exit_a_wake_up_call_to_Saints_board/?ref=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter I feel this is pretty bang on. Managers and players come and go but the Board are not coming off particularly well here and that is my biggest concern (as I have said for several weeks).

Would like to know the reasons he left. If it was the lure of Spurs then fair enough. If it was anything we did to suggest we didn't have shared ambition I'd be disappointed.

"Things Mo has to improve for next season" Could not give a **** if he isn't at Saints.

Managers and players coming and going is a part of life. I'm not too bothered about all that. What I do find a bit weird is the structure of the new Board. The CEO was the CFO who had previously handed in his notice (apparently). He is familiar with Saints but has no experience of the CEO role or of football outside Saints. The Chairman is a hockey guy who doesn't know anything about football, but in fairness he said he will leave all sporting matters to the Sporting Director and his focus appears to be on the club as a whole. So good on one hand he won't get involved in something he knows nothing about, but then again is it not concerning that we have someone leading our club who hasn't got a clue about football? There is an Austrian lawyer / ex-agent on the Board, no-one knows what he does, but he did pipe up that we had a difficult financial situation which appeared to be ill-thought and wrong. And then there is Les Reed who appears to have gained in power and has certainly found his public voice. A man who once said he wouldn't mind Managing again (while at Saints) now appears to be responsible for ALL matters football at Southampton. In the last month we've seen two Youth Coaches sacked which has been an unpopular decision, public statements of no players being sold, and a Manager on the verge of leaving us for Spurs. Now as I said, players and Managers come and go. But what is it about the structure of our club that I should have any confidence in that we'll keep moving forward?

Which is also terrifying

I'd trust him with the Football Development Centre. I'm absolutely ****ting myself at him being the leading light in naming a successor, transfers, and contract negotiations. And he may well be a few weeks away from being made to look a right plonker if any players leave.

Here is why it smarts a little: 1. Who on earth is qualified at our club to name a successor? 2. It provides the perfect catalyst for players to seek to move - rather than state how good the club is they want to join, they can point to Saints lacking ambition and unable to keep Pochettino etc. 3. We get into just about the best shape we've been in my lifetime and it feels like it could come to a spectacularly abrupt end (it was a fun journey back up though) 4. It is a sobering and numbing reminder that no club really is ever going to break the mould in the Premier League unless there is more player and Manager loyalty

I wouldn't necessarily question his commitment because he chose not to sign his new deal when it was offered. It would be fair to suggest he would have more leverage in the summer so it wouldn't have been sensible for him to. But we're now in the summer and he has the leverage he needs - so what is the issue now with it being resolved one way or another? I've suggested my concerns in previous posts - I feel it would be more likely for those to be the issues than any Turkish suggested purely because the ones Turkish suggested are those that can be resolved in house between both parties. The ones I've suggested involve third parties (clubs signing our players and clubs wanting our Manager) so the longer this goes on the worse it feels and why it leads me back to my original statement that Saints are looking a little silly.

Stalling signing a new deal having been offered one months before the season ended - that more consistent for you? And yes it could be for any one of a number of reasons, but I would suggest that if it was for any that you suggested that they could be resolved very quickly. They are easy to sort out to get a yes or no and we move on. Unless you think they are complicated issues that would cause all this uncertainty?

I said I don't know the reason in a previous post. I've speculated as to why I think it may be. I do know he has been offered a deal - well before the season ended as well. That is a 100% fact. Now it could well be that they have been negotiating off the back of that offer for the last few weeks. It could be that the terms are acceptable but at a professional level Pochettino has some concerns. I don't know. But if you are offered a new contract in any line of work - and we can assume it is on improved terms - and you don't sign it, something is up, no?

Do you think it is a comforting situation? I personally find it uneasy that our Manager (who appears important for player retention - rightly or wrongly) is uncertain about something and that is preventing him committing. It doesn't sit well.

They could convince the players for a start...

He has been sitting on a new contract for months. I know that much is fact. I do not know why he hasn't signed it - I can only speculate as to the reasons why but the two I suggested don't seem far fetched to me. Why do you think he hasn't signed it? I will speculate it is because he is unsure of the Boards ability to follow up their public statements and / or he fancies joining a different club. For me, both are fair reasons but why aren't Saints seeking to address the issue and convince him this is the place to stay regardless of other factors?

Because we can't convince our Manager to sign a new contract as he waits on better offers and / or the Board to deliver on their intention that no player will be sold that they want to keep. Neither are a strong look.

I think it can go either way but I do feel Saints are being made to look a little silly and that doesn't feel too good.

Of course, people reacting like this is exactly what they want. They do not care for the journalistic integrity of what they publish. They do not care whether it has any insight. They do not care if they think it is right or wrong. They just want to sell papers and / or get people talking. Which is exactly what has happened. Never ceases to amaze me how people fall for it every time.

There is no way Pochettino being allowed to talk to Spurs could be kept a secret. No way.