Lallana's Left Peg

"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.

If he has been given permission it would be in the news.

Do people really think Pochettino would just casually turn up to Spurs' training ground for talks? Even if he did want to be a naughty boy, I'd trust both he, his advisors, and Spurs would find a far more discreet way to talk - and most definitely not somewhere like Spurs' training ground.

Back in the Championship promotion season the Derby fans cracked out the 'We saw you crying in the playoffs' chant which raised a smile and a clap from the Saints fans. Be nice to get them in the cup so we can reciprocate it next season

I think JWP has a lot of qualities, but the big question mark for me is what position will he settle on? He may never settle on a position and have a good career, but would he ever be a first choice starter because of it?

Echo suggested Les Reed was behind the decision. Les Reed hasn't taken too long to take advantage of his profile and responsibilities has he?

https://twitter.com/AlexHoliga

Gaston's face just doesn't fit in Pochettino's system. I like him as a player but he needs a game played at a slower pace and with a bit more forward movement ahead of him. Lallana should be replaced with a new signing. I've no idea who.

At that price it is worth it if Pochettino stays - maybe not if we have a new Manager.

At a time when marginal gains will mean a lot to Saints selling two of your best players is regressive. Nonetheless, pragmatically speaking if there is no more money to keep the progress going then it is inevitable the best players will leave. My concern is more around our ability to replace them. As I have said before, no club has a record better than 50/50 in the transfer market and we aren't any different. Now it looks like we'll have to replace at least two important players and there is a 50% chance of us getting it right. I don't like those odds...

As I have said in another thread then, why are we pandering to him so much? We are coming off like his little *****. Are we not bigger than any one individual?