Secret Site Agent

Dear Alpine I write in regard to your query as to where the new signings are. From experience may i answer in the following manner. Have you looked down the back of the sofa? I know when I can't find something this is the first place I look, and normally with good results, especially regarding my car keys and the TV remote. However please do not be despondant. After 23 years I understand that Bono still hasn't found what he is looking for. All my love SSA XXXX

This is just another one of my Industry/SFC cross overs but I did find it interesting and may shed a little light on the workings of the corporate mind, perhaps? I wasn’t going to bother as it is another Cortese thread, but I though ‘F it, why not. There are plenty springing up about himall the time' I was a company awards and briefing day, you know the sort where a lot of people go within the company to pat themselves on the back for how well we are fdoiung, give out a few awards, then winge and upper management gives a speech containing various bit of management spin that go on for 30,000 that essentially means,’ People might lose their jobs, no pay rises, more work for less profit’ you know the thing. Any way, I get and award for some innovative activities that save 400k on a job, (whiuch means ½ goes straight into our Sky Rocket, but the tax payer gets ½ as well). Unlike most years when the award is given out by the MD, this time it’s given out by the CEO, the big cheese himself. So after the boring speeches I am smoozing around eating and drinking at the afters party, sorry social interaction event, when the CEO of the group, comes waddling over to me and my colleague and starts talking, congratulations , well done, etc and all I can think is that he has a really big head compared to his body, he doesn’t look like he does in the papers, and that I have underware older than him. Then he mentions a word that brings me back to earth: Southampton football club. Apparently he much admires what Corteze has done and would LOVE to do a job like that with Walsall FC. Not in the ML role, but in the NC role. He also remembers meeting him when NC was with Credit Suisse and my Man headed up a property investmentment group, at a jolly at the the newly opened Emirates Stadium, and remembers him because they were the youngest in the room, (Our man was only 36 when he became CEO). Anyway, I mentioned that NC seems to be riding rough shod and upsetting the fans a little, especially with the Season Ticket fiasco, parking and all. I asked if he would do the same, and his advice in his own words were: - It’s difficult as an outsider to second guess the reason behind some of the tough decisions. He has a single source of income and he has to make the club a going concern. We should be wary of mind reading. For all we know by doing these things he saves an even bigger increase, such as ticket prices across the board, or reduced prices for children, or less money coming in from other revenue streams such as advertising. - He also has to justify and weigh up, no doubt, the cash in/cash out. We should be wary that Marcus didn’t become rich by just throwing money at a problem, and this probably filters down to Nicola, who will continue to be prudent. - Also as a technical man, Marcus likes to see things pan out to a programme and we should be lucky as it is results he wants,(no, not 3-1), and time he’s willing to give. No quick returns for him, as he isn’t in that business. I interject at this point when he speaks about Marcus and quick returns, and he explains that for those used to creating something physical, Like Marcus, my colleagues and I, we are happy to be patient and watch it being build, as we have a linear idea of what goes where and we plan to avoid or deal with the problems as they arise. Whereas people who deal with the Metaphysical, such as he, (Marketing and Property) and NC(Banking), are used to dealing with Abstracts, therefore they have difficulty being in anything for the long haul and like and want instant returns. I tell him that we are all happy that Marcus has come in and saved us and that he has a five year plan to get us back in the premiership, but that we just missed out on promotion. His expression was that it probably hurt NC who wants to beat the 5 years, and we/he have failed to some extent, but Marcus knows in his mind where we should be and if he wants us in the PL in 5 years time, we haven’t failed unless we aren’t in the PL in 5 years. I also said about the public interface, and that maybe NC should meet with the fans a bit more, don’t he think, and let them know what’s happening a bit more. My colleague, (Woking and Spurs) piped in that a few more press conferences wouldn’t go a miss and it ****es you off when they don’t listen to the fans. My head Shed said that the CEO’s of this world are responsible to the Stakeholders, (we’re all stakeholders now) as a whole body, not to the individual whims. The likes of Daniel Levy have a whole raft of people trying to tell him what is best, but he is solely responsible so his decisions are based on many different constraints and must be the best fit for the majority. After pointing out the lack of a board at SFC, he says that it is a unique position not to have people second guess your decisions all the time in an industry where the end product is not always predictable, but people are always mavericks and know best, in football, when they don’t have to back up their words with deeds. We then got onto the World cup,(shoking and a need to do a grass roots shake up, but backing Capello.), then onto mechanical hydraulic shuttering, a quick explanation on why concrete goes hard, how some concrete stays up and some falls down, the concrete barriers down the centre of the M3 and M25, why Alan Sugar don’t like him, and the fact he thinks construction is a really exciting industry that has opened his eyes. He excused himself, shook our hands, congratulated us again, then went to talk to some bloke that designs bridges and looks like he should be haunting houses for a living. Don’t know how much this related to Nicola and his decisions of late, just another opinion. This one more understanding and impartial than ours? Now be good Stakeholders and discuss.

I just wonder why Alpine doesn't start ALL his threads with 'I don't bloody BELIEVE it......' In a tired scottish accent.

With this one I can point to my Rugby experience where I caused a penalty by handling the ball in the ruck. It was promptly moved 20 yards forwards, 10 for arguing with him, and 10 for not calling him sir, but ref. And, to be honest, another rule from Rugby that would benefit being introduced into footy. Belive me, the arguing with the ref soon becomes a thing of the past, believe me, no matter how agrieved you feel. The first is the video ref, in case you are wondering.

I too would go for Redknapp, and I am surprised how many here would. BUT, the ONE thing I would like to see from any manager is having the guts to say, '*Rooney, you're playing crap, your dropped.' (*Insert over hyped, over payed, underachieving mecenary of your choice here.) All I want is that EVERY ONE of them IS playing for their place, and not just get it by default becasue, '....they play ok for their club and sponsors...i mean fans....love them.' Isn't this what a manger does? Choose those in form in training and playing and, if they are not providing, drop them. I said it before, and I'll say it again, IF you dropped a tiop player like Rooney, Gerrard or Terry for one game, they would work their sock off in training to win back their place and would become one of the best players on the pitch suddenly. And so would otrhers. By getting dropped it not only gives them a fear, but ALSO it'll mess with their sponsorship. So, Redknapps still my man, even after his long list of faults.

Whose Tony Panes?

At least when we go to a link to someone elses web forum, it's doesn't look just like ours, except for a different colour. You know where you are now. A bit garish at the beginning I'll admit, but it'll grow on me. It's the content that I come here for, not the look of the web site. Rather like it was the dirty old birds the reason i went to Turpins, I wasn't bothered by the look of the place, or the ambiance.

Well I got to ask, Why aren't you in prison with them STU? Or MLG? Or ME? Simple, because we didn't get involved in that. I was there on the day, with my daughter and even if I wasn't with her I wouldn't have been involved. I think you will find not only are the sentaces harsh because of 'football violence' but also for the damage and costs as well. I do have some sympathy with them, but at the end of the day, and this is harsh too, they did it and they have to pay the price. And as we know, in the real world money is more importatnt than life, unless it is hundreds of millions then it is acceptable.

Been saying that for quite a while. It's what they need, a good kick up the backside that they are not automatically chosen.

Do you know what I have been saying for a long time? Drop them. Have the guts to drop Rooney or sub him. What of the out cry across the country? Yeh, I can see the headlines now, 'Capello in dropping player for not playing well enough' shocker. Rooney, Lampard, Terry, etc don't have to play well, and they always get picked. They are already picked for the 2012 European cup team anyway, so why bother. I would rather see a team full of youngsters play their hearts out, and draw, than this bunch of overpaid, unenthusiastic tossrs. Rickie and Kelvin to the world cup? Don't farking laugh, they would have made impressions their, more than this lot. There must be a decent 22 from the CC and league 1 that would run around the tossers we have in the team. And they would give anything for the chance. Perhaps that is the way forward. Give us a team, not of the 'TALENT' from the Premier League, but from the ones that want to play, and play well for their country. What's that you say, we won’t win anything without Rooney and CO? Well, we aren’t winning anything with them, only becoming laughing stocks. We may have new managers but it's still the same old players failing, isn’t it? They should learn if they are playing badly, they are dropped. Each one of them should be forced to play for their places. I guarantee if Capello drops Rooney just once, Rooney will scream-and-shout-and-cry until he is sick. And then he would work his ******** out in training and go on to become the tournaments biggest scorer. These players play without fear because failure has no negative consequences for them. AND SING THE F KING NATIONAL ANTHEM. If you don't know it, learn it. You never see any other national team, including ours like the rugby y and hockey teams with only one or two singing, or just mouthing the words. Oh, and England Rugby team beat Australia 21-20 yesterday and all 15 of THEM sang the national anthem. And I was shouting Boo-urns as well.

Thanks for the google thing, but I'll wait for the9 to do his thing as i need it to sync to my outlook calander and my PDA, so that it is shared by my org and I am not rotad in to work those weekends, (Hint, Hint)

I second that. Many thanks in advance

'Wimmin, Know you Limmits' I'm up for it. I could dust down my old Madness 'Our House' flat cap as well.

Well, shoot. I did make mention of this as an idea. Well, I do support, if he is willing, Steve, as he is a Mod here, has a very balanced and well thought out views, and he doesn't express his own opinion as others. I Vote Grant. He will get things done.

It's all about recycling these days. By the way, do I have to pay up front for the soil, or is there a payment plan?

Here, Here. There is no trust, I have no faith in an unelected, unaccountable person speaking on MY behalf. I would prefer my own figurehead, from this board. Would I do it?: YES Should I do it?: NO. I would not put myself in the running as I couldn't give it the attention it deserves, basically because I do a demanding job, (steady now, all you construction types.) but beacuse mostly I don't work in the county, let alone the city. But I will support whoever we chooes

Yep, I agree. And one for people full of the brown stuff. And, my personal favorite, one where the press has made a statement and been full of ****. Mods, bring it on.

I'll tell you what. I never had a season ticket for various reasons, mostly based on the fact that I have to go where the work is. But this year I'm going to buy one, so i'll cancel out someone who wont be renewing. So please nominate yourself as my cancel-out. So there, ying and yang and the universe is back in balance. It's not nice, I know, but there are ways and means and it seems to me a 0% credit card works well, and it's is just the same thing, is it not, as a payment plan.

Saints Vs. Bournemouth, 25k crowd Us losing 1-0 at half time to the chants of 'Scummers' and 'We're gonna walk this league' and 'We're going to Saints Mary's' from the Bournemouth faithful Fulltime 6-1 to the chants of 'Scummers' and 'The ref was biased against us' from the 6 of the Bournemouth faithful, the other having left after the score got to 4-1 at 52 minutes. Lambert 2, Antonio 1, Barnard 1, Llalana 2

Rest In Peace Mary Many thnaks for all you did over the years.

I was wondering when they would get out the woodbines, with Bert, 'Berty Bert' Scrivens smoking his pipe and looking wistfully into the ether at the quality of his rough s h a g.

Just a question, but during the debarcle that was the supposed sacking of Alan Pardew by Nicola, what would have happened if the following was reported in both the local and national press: '...................speaking exclusivly to the ECHO, the Saints Trust have made a statement that all fans are encouraging the sacking of Alan Pardew for failure to fulfil the season target of gaining a play-off place, and they support Mr Corteze in his effort to find a replacement'. Not saying this could happen, or would, but it is possible as where are the checks and balances?

I have got to be honest that I disagree with the need for NC to answer these rumours. By treating them with the contempt they deserve he denies them not only the milk of publicity, he also denies them the ability to print another story at his cost, and lets be honest, they can print it with any slant they choose. Also I believe he is being very astute. For every rumour and suspicion they print, which turns out to be un-true, the more he is able to starve them of any kind of credibility, so that when they DO have truthful story, no one would believe it. Also the more they become starved of inside info, the more desperate they will become, and less accurate with the truth. Then all of a sudden they get fed a bit of information such as:’ Saints are not after XXX, who currently plays for YYYYYY, due to budgetary constraints', and within days we actually SIGN XXX, at a less than inflated price. Trust me, in this information age; it is a very good and astute manger who knows how to use the media before they use you.

No, ironic He don't Know how to play Too many people making things up and this is just as valid as any of the'r crap. Thanks for coming.