Who wants a takeover anyway?

[Professor]

Some people would just like anyone other than the current board in charge, but most people favouring a takeover are understandably, desperate to see Saints back in the Prem and can't see that happening without a massive input of money.

 

They may be right, although Hull and WBA could be demonstrating that there are other ways to get back to compete in the top league.

 

If SFC had a foreign manager (which we have already) and a first 11 consisting of 6 South American internationals and 5 African internationals, plus squad players from France, Italy and Germany., etc., who knows, we could be in the top 6 of the Prem in a year or two, but where would Southampton be in that? That would not be The Saints. Is a team wearing our shirts all that matters, regardless of who they are?

[St Paul]

Hull have a very rich backer compared to Lowe and what a contrast West Brom's spell in the CCC was compared to ours.They got rid of one or two, but maintainted stability throughout, meaning they were able to return to the top flight during the parachute payments.I didn't see them desperatly off loading their better players, whilst only reinvesting £90,000. They didn't even need a "World renowed Sports Sceince expert" or a "vision coach" either.........

[Snowballs2]

Hull have a very rich backer compared to Lowe and what a contrast West Brom's spell in the CCC was compared to ours.They got rid of one or two, but maintainted stability throughout, meaning they were able to return to the top flight during the parachute payments.I didn't see them desperatly off loading their better players, whilst only reinvesting £90,000. They didn't even need a "World renowed Sports Sceince expert" or a "vision coach" either.........

 

 

no comparison...one has money...the other has empty promises

[70's Mike]

if you follow the Profs logic we should be all happy in the Wessex League if we had 11 home grown kids

[saint1977]

Some people would just like anyone other than the current board in charge, but most people favouring a takeover are understandably, desperate to see Saints back in the Prem and can't see that happening without a massive input of money.

 

They may be right, although Hull and WBA could be demonstrating that there are other ways to get back to compete in the top league.

 

If SFC had a foreign manager (which we have already) and a first 11 consisting of 6 South American internationals and 5 African internationals, plus squad players from France, Italy and Germany., etc., who knows, we could be in the top 6 of the Prem in a year or two, but where would Southampton be in that? That would not be The Saints. Is a team wearing our shirts all that matters, regardless of who they are?

 

If the board don't maintain the right number of coaches for each of the age groups, we won't even have an academy, we'll only have a centre of excellence and will only play the smaller teams - result, we won't attract anywhere near the calibre of young players that we are now. So this "youth" strategy is anything but, it is a short-term fix to keep Barclays from putting us into administration. Hull have actually had some decent investment, the sort Southampton FC (via SLH) has been starved of over the years after the "reverse takeover" so there's no valid comparison.

 

We don't need an overseas sugar daddy, just a modicum of medium-term investment that bring the academy back to full strength (which would probably with the finding of another Bale or Theo gain the investor a return alone) and buys 3-4 experienced players to bolster the first XI and make us an established CCC level club at least (our current board would probably be OK at BSP or League 2 level but not CCC). The current board cannot offer us that and even the most hardened pro-Lowe posters now acknowledge that. I think those that are posting saying that increasing attendances will increase the prospect of such investors are correct to do so though, a 40% drop in attendances, however understandable, doesn't help so us fans need to do our bit to send the 3 Amigos on their way.

[SaintRobbie]

if you follow the Profs logic we should be all happy in the Wessex League if we had 11 home grown kids

 

Which is exactly where we're heading under Lowe and Wilde.

 

Takeover I think please. TAKEOVER not investment.

[saint1977]

Which is exactly where we're heading under Lowe and Wilde.

 

Takeover I think please. TAKEOVER not investment.

 

Not sure we can afford to be too choosy Robbie. I'd prefer a takeover to get rid of the 3 Amigos and Askham but the bank has the most say. Also, if investment allowed us to rebuild the academy and buy 5 experienced players to help the best youngsters along, I'd support it, whether Lowe stayed on the board or not. If someone invested a decent amount, they'd call the shots anyway, not Askham and his mates.

[saint1977]

Some people would just like anyone other than the current board in charge, but most people favouring a takeover are understandably, desperate to see Saints back in the Prem and can't see that happening without a massive input of money.

 

They may be right, although Hull and WBA could be demonstrating that there are other ways to get back to compete in the top league.

 

If SFC had a foreign manager (which we have already) and a first 11 consisting of 6 South American internationals and 5 African internationals, plus squad players from France, Italy and Germany., etc., who knows, we could be in the top 6 of the Prem in a year or two, but where would Southampton be in that? That would not be The Saints. Is a team wearing our shirts all that matters, regardless of who they are?

 

Actually Prof, not sure I'm that bothered about the PL, I think it's become a bloated corporate balloon that may go pop at any time. Anything below CCC level for SFC is totally unacceptable however and the club is geared for Leagues 1 or 2 at present, even in the way that the academy is being run and that's very dangerous with the off-the pitch (albeit reduced) overhead level and sports science empire left from 05/06 which the club really couldn't afford post-relegation although Rupert and SCW's experiment might have fared better if we'd stayed up in 04/05.

 

Still, that's where we're at and the system could be revitalised if someone of SFC calibre comes in and invests what's needed (not megabucks but beyond our current board and major shareholder base) to revlitalise it and make it sustainable. Just one top player a year could make it profitable although academies at £4-5m a year are not cheap to run.

[SaintRobbie]

Not sure we can afford to be too choosy Robbie. I'd prefer a takeover to get rid of the 3 Amigos and Askham but the bank has the most say. Also, if investment allowed us to rebuild the academy and buy 5 experienced players to help the best youngsters along, I'd support it, whether Lowe stayed on the board or not. If someone invested a decent amount, they'd call the shots anyway, not Askham and his mates.

 

Fair point. Would need to be an emasculatingly high investment though for Lowe to lose influence. In a funny way I'd like to see him on a board... answering questions continually to the new owners why he made so many foolish decisions.

[saintwarwick]

Fair point. Would need to be an emasculatingly high investment though for Lowe to lose influence. In a funny way I'd like to see him on a board... answering questions continually to the new owners why he made so many foolish decisions.

 

He may have made a few (not many as you say) foolish decisions but he also made some good ones, does he answer to them as well :confused:

[Arizona]

Some people would just like anyone other than the current board in charge, but most people favouring a takeover are understandably, desperate to see Saints back in the Prem and can't see that happening without a massive input of money.

 

They may be right, although Hull and WBA could be demonstrating that there are other ways to get back to compete in the top league.

 

If SFC had a foreign manager (which we have already) and a first 11 consisting of 6 South American internationals and 5 African internationals, plus squad players from France, Italy and Germany., etc., who knows, we could be in the top 6 of the Prem in a year or two, but where would Southampton be in that? That would not be The Saints. Is a team wearing our shirts all that matters, regardless of who they are?

 

Forget all hose foreign mercenaries like Pahars, Monkou, Niemi, Lundekvam, Ekelund and Killer. Give me a team of Jermaine Wrights and Chris Makins any day of the week.

 

I don't care what nationality the team is, what matters to me is that they play for the shirt, they play well and they win. Nationality has nothing to do with that. Obviously I don't want a team made completely of foreigners, but there is some middle ground between that and having 11 teenagers born and raised in the same caravan in Hedge End.

[sadoldgit]

A takeover is no guarantee of sucess and might even be a more cruel scenario in that the fanbase would assume a cash injection would eqaute to a Prem return and be massively let down if that did not materialise.

 

Remember? The Wilde Bunch rode into town and splashed some paint and money around by like a cheap night on the p*ss, all we were left with was a hang over and a nasty little rash.

 

Whether we survive, flourish or go down the pan is all in the lap of the Gods. There are no quick fixes. There are no sure fire solutions.

 

In many ways I am glad that we hae not been taking over by some "corporation". The so called "big clubs" are mostly racking up huge debts. What is going to happen to them in the long run? This money has to be repaid and at some point I can see some Prem clubs going under, such is the financial climate.

 

It might not be too nice to contemplate, but the best thing for SFC as a club might be to cut its cloth accordingly and jog along in the CCC.

 

What is worse, not getting back in the Prem or the club folding entirely?

[Fowllyd]

Forget all hose foreign mercenaries like Pahars, Monkou, Niemi, Lundekvam, Ekelund and Killer. Give me a team of Jermaine Wrights and Chris Makins any day of the week.

 

I don't care what nationality the team is, what matters to me is that they play for the shirt, they play well and they win. Nationality has nothing to do with that. Obviously I don't want a team made completely of foreigners, but there is some middle ground between that and having 11 teenagers born and raised in the same caravan in Hedge End.

 

I think that's P*mpey's plan B for when that nice Mr Gaydamak takes what's left of his money away...

[Wes Tender]

A takeover is no guarantee of sucess and might even be a more cruel scenario in that the fanbase would assume a cash injection would eqaute to a Prem return and be massively let down if that did not materialise.

 

Remember? The Wilde Bunch rode into town and splashed some paint and money around by like a cheap night on the p*ss, all we were left with was a hang over and a nasty little rash.

 

Whether we survive, flourish or go down the pan is all in the lap of the Gods. There are no quick fixes. There are no sure fire solutions.

 

In many ways I am glad that we hae not been taking over by some "corporation". The so called "big clubs" are mostly racking up huge debts. What is going to happen to them in the long run? This money has to be repaid and at some point I can see some Prem clubs going under, such is the financial climate.

 

It might not be too nice to contemplate, but the best thing for SFC as a club might be to cut its cloth accordingly and jog along in the CCC.

 

What is worse, not getting back in the Prem or the club folding entirely?

 

Using Wilde as an example of what happens when you get what you wish for is a bit wide of the mark. Granted he filled the criteria of being somebody in charge of the club who wasn't Lowe, but he failed the other criteria necessary, that he brought no investment in the club other than his purchase of shares and Lowe and his cohorts still remained in the background. Now we have the worst of both worlds, Wilde being Lowe's Poodle and their joint shareholding being harder to displace than previously.

 

And it is wrong to say there are no quick fixes. A takeover by people with serious money to buy the best players would get us out of this division in one season, having hired the services of a brilliant manager along the way. I know it won't probably happen, but it couldn't be written off with a broad sweeping statement saying there are no quick fixes. Obscene amounts of money are almost a sure fired guarantee of success, just as a total lack of money is almost certainly going to lead to decline and failure. Regrettably we are in that latter situation currently.

 

 

Even cutting our cloth according to our means doesn't even assure our future playing in the fizzy pop league, as any player worth having will be a target for richer clubs and will be gone. It might take some time, but eventually further relegation is inevitable under those circumstances, as we will never be able to sustain the development and growth of the team to progress.