Weston Saint

Yes, I do not believe Cortese is looking for a Sporting Director (DoF), Les Reed is running most of the show behind the scenes. Will explain when I se you Tuesday week.

Forget about DoF. Les Reed does most of this already. Would expect him to be tasked with finding a new Manager.

Corsacar Saint may be onto something. I have had a name given to me but asked not to disclose. Like CS says, he is English. If it does not happen in the next day or so it could be just speculation but in any event I am going to stick to my previous promise not to put information I receive up on this site.

Whoever it is he has to have the following: Previous proven Managerial experience and tactically aware. Ambitious and hungry for success. 100% buy in to the Liehberr/Cortese dream Experience at lower league football with the qualities to grow with the job Able to work with different personalities and get the best out of individuals and the team collectively Managers who have been out of the job for a while lack hunger and ambition High profile Managers are not the answer in the lower leagues Past sacking or quitings need not apply! All in my opinion of course.

When Pardew was appointed by Cortese it was on his experience at Managing at the highest level but I feel Cortese then realised quite early on that whilst Pardew was a good Manager he did not demonstrate the qualities required to take us as far forward as first thought. Pardew is a good man and can be proud of his achievements at Southampton FC but he was never the man to take us all the way. He did not have the tactical nous or demonstrate the ability to take us to the higher level. That is of course only my opinion but one it seems shared by Cortese. Informed sources indicated to me that Pardew wanted out but was not prepared to just walk. His body language at interviews was telling. However he appeared a proud man and honest. He would have been giving the job 100% despite his reservations. We now have to hope Cortese listens to experienced football advisors and picks the right man for the job. It needs to be a man who has a good track record at lower level and shows ability to go all the way. We do not want a high profile Manager who has not proved himself at this level. He has to be someone who has the ability to get us promotion in this league and grow into the job as we reach higher levels. I would be looking at Eddie Howe of Bournemouth but with one big reservation. He did fine without money and with a limited player pool. How would he perform with Southampton’s wealth ant talent pool? Down the road at Brighton we have Gus Poyet. Another rising Managerial star but does he have the temperament to work with Cortese? We need to support Cortese at this time. We need to give him space. He holds the purse strings. He is the key to success or failure at Saints. If he goes the money will likely go with him. We will be sold and I would hate to see an owner with limited funds just trying to boost his ego running a football club. Cortese has an ego but it is ambition not wanting to be seen at the head of a football club with his toy. My best wishes to Pardew for the future. Some magical moments but likewise some real frustration at times. As for the strange timing I wonder how much that has to do with only putting on our new signing with a few minutes to go. Was that a final reminder to Cortese who picks the players and team on the pitch? Was it the final straw Cortese was waiting for? Who knows, we can only speculate.

I said I would not post knowledge I had but on this occassion to prevent speculation: Adam has been suffering a knee nuisance since pre season. When it did not settle before the season started he was referred to a specialist in London. No reason for the problem was apparent without surgery. He would have been out for about 4 weeks following if nothing found and an estimated 6 weeks if repair necessary. The Specialist recommendation to Adam and the club was to play and see what happened as it might clear itself. The Specialist said if he broke down he would have him in for a further diagnosis and possible surgery. Adam and the club acted on this advice. Let us see what develops. The club are not to blame for the timing. Pardew is not to blame for the timing. Adam is not to blame for the timing.

Agree. It is risky to keep playing with injections. Rather he was out for a while to get it right than him suffer a long term problem.

4-6 weeks is my guess.

If you knew him you would realise no one can lead Dave up the garden path.

At the moment..........they are not getting away with it

Just listening to Merrington on solent. He is purring about our play today. Great result. Hopefully this has kick started our season.

News: Away end is full - not the same in the home sections sadly.

Safety first team again! We have a new exciting player who came to us rather than looking at Roma etc and we put him on the bench and play the same midfield that has got us 1 point only.

When a player is not doing what he is expected to do tactically the Manager should be responsible for letting him know during the game or taking him off. Often Pardew just stands on the touchline with arms crossed or down by his side and does/says nothing so you have to assume the players are doing what Pardew wants. Blame individual players by all means, many deserve it but when it is a collective poor show - no width, hoofing down the middle etc you have to look to the Manager. We have shown some good play at times but when we really need width during the game it is not there. When we need our central midfield to be more positive it is not there. You have to watch the Managers actions during the game to get a full picture. Pardew too often plays it safe. That can bite you in the bum. Just my opinion of course.

We had Surman, he could not get into our first team. We loaned him to Walsall and then Bournemouth. When he returned he went into our first team having gained experience. We have Lallana, he could not get into our first team. We loaned him to Bournemouth and soon after he was in our first team. Both had a contract with Saints. Reading loaned Antonio to us. We nearly did not get him back in January then Reading allowed him to come back on a further loan. Now he is part of their first team. See the connection! That is what clubs in higher divisions do. I am not fussed about him. He was ok, nothing more.

Assuming we only draw those 11 points put us on 131 from 13 games and 6th in the table. Kent on same games are on 123 Essex after 14 are on 115 Warwickshire after 13 on 104 Essex & Warwickshire are playing but at lunch on day 2 the only play (yesterday) Essex 90-7 Fixtures to come for bottom 4 Lancashire v Hampshire Warwickshire v Kent Kent v Hampshire Essex v Durham Hampshire v Warwickshire Yorkshire v Kent Our games against Warwickshire & Kent look massive. Providing we avoid losing both or at least win one I think we will be safe. Essex favourites to go down. My tip will be Kent to join them.

Yorkshire facing minimum of 72 overs after Hampshire declare. Good move to get a few overs in before lunch. Looks like a draw though with Hampshire picking up 11 valuable points. Correction 71 overs

Vince passes 1000 first class runs in his career Close 367/3 of 99 overs Adams 162no Vince 122no Unbroken partnership of 215 runs in 49.2 overs

That is just want Vince needed. He has broken the barrier. He has never lacked confidence

Adams passes 6,000 runs. 132no - Vince passes highest first class score 77no 292-3

Totally agree with up and away. Good post

223-3 at tea. Adams 104 not out....24 from 6,000 First Class runs for his career.

It is all a matter of opinion. Each of us have one. Let us just beg to differ. We have all made our views known.

We did not let them go, they signed for bigger clubs. Only Dennis Wise was let go and that was in his early development.

Not in recent times. People were bias because he was offside so much but some of that was his thinking time was faster than some of the team around him. When he got the ball he passed it and moved into space. Again some of our players did not read that and made him look poor again. Me, you and Derry have all watched him from an impartial point of view and all have come up with the same opinion.