Nicola Cortese wants to return to English footie

This comes up every 12 months. I could've predicted it would be from Jim White too!

jim white on talk f uc k wit sport is such a cliched old k u n t everything to him is sensational and wow factor.!!!!!!

If it is a question of Le Tiss and Frannie at SMS or Cortese, surely there is no contest?

You can only get so far if you make that many enemies, and that was as far as he got.

I always smile at the bitter jibes at him, but he was instramental in bringing us back from the dead. It is sad he was not appreciated by us more

I think it shows how little people generally know about business. He was absolutely the right person to rescue us from the lower reaches of Division One. The club was a mess from top to bottom and it needed his no nonsense approach. It upset a few people and killed a few careers but the end justified the means.

Longer term, his drive would have left a few blind spots in our development and he was effectively spending money that wasn't his to spend. So his departure was similarly well timed.

The same people flip flop over Les Reed and Ralph Krueger because they simply don't understand their roles. Their popularity rises and falls depending on our success on the pitch which is a bit like judging Theresa May by the quality of Bananarama's latest concert.

Isn't the debt that we are saddled with, because of him?

 

(It's arguable that debt both got us to, and, kept us in the Prem though).

Lol the current owner is, if rumours are to believed, about to saddle us with 70% of £200m pounds worth of debt...that's £140million pounds! Not sure even Nicola got us to those levels!

The good news is if she leaves she becomes the devil and everyone will hate he anyway...possibly this time with good reason!

The rumours are most definitely founded and in many places have even been openly talked about by the clubs leadership, in particular the need to sell our "top assets" (their words not mine) because of historical debts.

Is that still the case?

jim white on talk f uc k wit sport is such a cliched old k u n t everything to him is sensational and wow factor.!!!!!!

I can't stand him since he's started on talksport come's across as a right knob head !

Heard he wasnt mr nice guy from people within in the club. But id have him back in a heart beat

This clown still deluded then, what a nasty piece of work he was and so glad hes gone.

This. The one thing the Dwarf was good at was spending a lot of Marcus Leibherrs money on good PR for himself. A pen pusher with an attitude problem.

This. The one thing the Dwarf was good at was spending a lot of Marcus Leibherrs money on good PR for himself. A pen pusher with an attitude problem.

good at picking managers too

and marcus seemed content with him spending his money too (his daughter, less so)

good at picking managers too

and marcus seemed content with him spending his money too (his daughter, less so)

He brought us Markus!

Heard he wasnt mr nice guy from people within in the club. But id have him back in a heart beat

This.

Please come back.

Was thinking the same thing yesterday.

Why? how would he do a better job than the current lot? The current owners won't be giving him the free reign to spend cash like he had last time will they?

Why? how would he do a better job than the current lot? The current owners won't be giving him the free reign to spend cash like he had last time are they?

I agree, however he is ruthless.

No way would MP still be in charge, he’d have had a replacement lined up and sorted months ago.

We don’t need Cortese but we do need someone similar to him.

Would be fab if he was there.

Please come back.

Where's Richmond Saint when we need him?

If he didn't want to work under KL and be accountable then I can't see the Gao's giving him a free reign no matter how effective he might be as a CEO.

I would take relegation and the return of the Don tbh. I have no doubts that is a 1 step back, 2 step forward move.

I would take relegation and the return of the Don tbh. I have no doubts that is a 1 step back, 2 step forward move.

Absolutely. I'm not one of these fans that would 'prefer life in the championship' but if Cortese came back it would be worth it. Even without bags of money to spend his winning mentality and ambition was a key element to our rise and it has evaporated now

Would love gao to sack off the current lot and get him back in

Agree he's be pretty decent in the Championship as he is a proven lower league operator.

Just to check, we are talking about the same Nicola Cortese that basically got dismissed for spending money we didn’t have?

Just to check, we are talking about the same Nicola Cortese that basically got dismissed for spending money we didn’t have?

Absolutely. I'm not one of these fans that would 'prefer life in the championship' but if Cortese came back it would be worth it. Even without bags of money to spend his winning mentality and ambition was a key element to our rise and it has evaporated now

 

Would love gao to sack off the current lot and get him back in

Doesn't need to be cortese. Just someone like him.

Just to check, we are talking about the same Nicola Cortese that basically got dismissed for spending money we didn’t have?

A cynic would say he was carrying out his friends wishes after his death until the evil daughter inherited the club , Sold the best players to get back the money Nic had spent out of said inheritance then sold us to the first supervillian she could find !

Just to check, we are talking about the same Nicola Cortese that basically got dismissed for spending money we didn’t have?

Do you have a source for this?

My understanding was that he wanted us to continue to progress which was a risk we weren't willing to take. We wanted to take the safer option which has ultimately led to regression and could cost us financially if we go down. "Speculate to acculaulate" comes to mind - and that doesn't mean doing a Pompey. We have done the polar opposite and taken profits whilst being complacent that our 'model' would see us through. Its a myth and with the current small minded board we will forever go backwards. It's not just about money but the psychological factor. How many players cited lack of ambition when he was here?

Just to check, we are talking about the same Nicola Cortese that basically got dismissed for spending money we didn’t have?

He ripped up faxes

Do you have a source for this?

 

My understanding was that he wanted us to continue to progress which was a risk we weren't willing to take. We wanted to take the safer option which has ultimately led to regression and could cost us financially if we go down. "Speculate to acculaulate" comes to mind - and that doesn't mean doing a Pompey. We have done the polar opposite and taken profits whilst being complacent that our 'model' would see us through. Its a myth and with the current small minded board we will forever go backwards. It's not just about money but the psychological factor. How many players cited lack of ambition when he was here?

Spot on.

I agree, however he is ruthless.

 

No way would MP still be in charge, he’d have had a replacement lined up and sorted months ago.

 

We don’t need Cortese but we do need someone similar to him.

Good point. Reed and Krueger probably would've got a razor sharp hat in the goolies if they tried to intervene.

Do you have a source for this?

 

My understanding was that he wanted us to continue to progress which was a risk we weren't willing to take. We wanted to take the safer option which has ultimately led to regression and could cost us financially if we go down. "Speculate to acculaulate" comes to mind - and that doesn't mean doing a Pompey. We have done the polar opposite and taken profits whilst being complacent that our 'model' would see us through. Its a myth and with the current small minded board we will forever go backwards. It's not just about money but the psychological factor. How many players cited lack of ambition when he was here?

Problem is without a billionaire willing to speculate you can’t do it. When the money goes so does the ‘ambition’, it’s pointless moaning about it.

Nicola was unpopular with folk who had their feet under the table at the club. He decided a clean sweep was necessary to end the factions arguing, that made enemies and loads on this forum ridiculed him (dwarf and all that). In fact ever since he left the winning ambition that brought Poch to us has drained away with all the ambitious players. Now we have the left overs. But have his critics, like Mane's critics, learnt anything? NC will never come back here, but we need someone like him, capable of taking control and overseeing another clearout. Don't know why real fans didn't love him. OK he had a big ego, thank God for that, let's have another one

Why? how would he do a better job than the current lot? The current owners won't be giving him the free reign to spend cash like he had last time will they?

For starters I’d imagine he’d long off Pellegrino pretty sharpish which should have happened weeks ago.

For starters I’d imagine he’d long off Pellegrino pretty sharpish which should have happened weeks ago.

To be fair he wouldn’t of employed him to start with

Why would we want Cortese back when we are now kings of the net spend table! We're even due a relegation trophy to go with it! Go Les. Go you champ. TRUE AMBITION

I THINK YOU'LL FIND IT'S CALLED AMBITION. AMBITION.

I THINK ITS CALLED CARRILLION

Please come back.

Even the return oif Rupert Lowe couldn't be any worse than Reed and Krueger are at present. Lowe's greatest default was he failed to attract investment, Had he succeeded we may have an entirely different opinion of his ability as chairman.

Do you have a source for this?

 

My understanding was that he wanted us to continue to progress which was a risk we weren't willing to take. We wanted to take the safer option which has ultimately led to regression and could cost us financially if we go down. "Speculate to acculaulate" comes to mind - and that doesn't mean doing a Pompey. We have done the polar opposite and taken profits whilst being complacent that our 'model' would see us through. Its a myth and with the current small minded board we will forever go backwards. It's not just about money but the psychological factor. How many players cited lack of ambition when he was here?

Ok, maybe dismissed is the wrong word but essentially that was the disagreement. He wanted to spend more than the club had, and had committed us to a big spend on the training ground which Katharina Liebherr later had to cover in a loan.

He left at the right time for his reputation, the promises he was making to players, which was driving the ambition you mention, were based on us spending our way into the champions league, which was never gonna happen. Sure, a few players and pochettino might’ve stuck around for another year until they realised he didn’t have the money or any means to get it.

No Art, the return of Lowe would be like going from the frying pan into the fire. No, no, no.

Just to check, we are talking about the same Nicola Cortese that basically got dismissed for spending money we didn’t have?

Yep. Mental isn't it how all of our fans take the **** out of pompey for robbing local businesses ect and spending money they didn't have yet want us to have the same model.

Honestly, our fan base is FULL of dulards.

Yep. Mental isn't it how all of our fans take the **** out of pompey for robbing local businesses ect and spending money they didn't have yet want us to have the same model.

 

Honestly, our fan base is FULL of dulards.

Rubbish. We do the polar opposite. In business you have to take calculated risks and that doesn't mean going hell for leather like Pompey did. There CAN be a happy medium that doesn't involve being as cheap and unambitious as we are now. I don't think anyone wants us to have a Pompey model.

Just to check, we are talking about the same Nicola Cortese that basically got dismissed for spending money we didn’t have?

A mere £25m overspend on the training ground, just a minor error. Not dismissed though, technically speaking.

There was a web article that lasted about a day or two, I couldn't find it again, that said he was over paying players and hiding the costs in the training ground overrun. When he left, the club stopped these payments and the manager and players all lined up to leave. I don't know how true all this is, but the article was there and then disappeared.

A mere £25m overspend on the training ground, just a minor error. Not dismissed though, technically speaking.

And our current board never make up stuff to suit their purpose.

No Art, the return of Lowe would be like going from the frying pan into the fire. No, no, no.

Sorry but we're already in the fire.We need someone who'll put it out.

Rubbish. We do the polar opposite. In business you have to take calculated risks and that doesn't mean going hell for leather like Pompey did. There CAN be a happy medium that doesn't involve being as cheap and unambitious as we are now. I don't think anyone wants us to have a Pompey model.

We didn't under Cortese and I have that on very good authority.

Doing a Pompey

#jesuswept.

A mere £25m overspend on the training ground, just a minor error. Not dismissed though, technically speaking.

So, people believe Les and Co's PR, but only when its about how great they are, and how bad Cortese was...

So, people believe Les and Co's PR, but only when its about how great they are, and how bad Cortese was...

Well no. Some people know friends and family members who actually have information about Cortese and what he was like. Nothing to do with some crummy club pr.

He was ruthless and not nice personally...

He was ruthless and not nice personally...