New Manager Thread

[Jack]

Yeah Parker seems the most realistic shout out there. Great at getting promoted, not good enough for the Prem so probably needs to step back down. Would get a tune out of this squad, if we can get a few of them to stay 

[Suhari]

With all the #scartissue we will have next season, there seems only one man for the job......

[Gloucester Saint]

2 minutes ago, sockeye said:

For all of this aura around Dragan why is his ownership group making the same mistakes for years on end.

It’s not an aura, it’s some not very sharp supporters who even after this episode can’t see or read what’s right under their noses. Phil Parsons is another example - incredibly naive. You and I can actually see the obvious and know that nothing good will come from SR owning the club (best case) and in 5 years’ time there’s a reasonable possibility there won’t be a club to support (worst case) if the EFL or our fanbase doesn’t force their removal. 

[trousers]

19 minutes ago, manji said:

He’s a businessman

Any danger of seeing him apply these business skills at Saints any time soon?

Edited yesterday at 11:20 by trousers

[Kenilworthy1959]

One thing I was wondering about Tonda was if his incredible run would extend to another season? We have seen it before. Dowie took Palace from the edge of relegation to winning the playoffs, and was then garbage afterwards. I thought perhaps Tonda might have continued to be good, but now we will never know. 

[Badger]

13 minutes ago, manji said:

It will be forgotten eventually. But it’s great clickbait same as commentators dropping in a comment about our 9-0 defeats, we are going to have to get used to “same old Southampton always cheating for quite a while”.

im going to put a few random thoughts, getting rid of Sports Republic is insane. I’ve been trawling Balkan press. Because of Solak it’s big news although a lot of the Serbian press are using it to attack Solak because of his fights with the Serbian President. 
Fans need to get some perspective about Solak he’s not just boss of SR he’s main shareholder of Union Group a fucking huge South East European comms company. He’s a household name there some people were trying to get him to start a new political party mainly because he’s one of the few to stand up to Putin backed Vucic 

I’ve watched his TV interviews he doesn’t waffle isn’t scared of being controversial. Hes got a Balkan man of honour vibe. 
He didn’t take our last season in PL well , he was fuming we didn’t get promoted through playoffs last time the playoffs are a lottery. He’s a businessman. 
Hes recently been in London fighting and winning a court against some Dutch company. 
Owning and even better having Southampton is prestigious and a middle finger to his enemies. I can’t see him walking it would be humiliating for him. The interesting thing as he’s occasionally. Suggested he’d be interested in someone becoming a co owner. 
A lot of younger fans might not know when we went into administration they were dark days we started in League One with -10 points thank the Lord along came Markus Leibherr. 
We were getting huge crowds in League One and up we went again the era of Van Dyck, Mane, Koeman, Europa league.

We get rid of SR the likelihood of getting another Markus Leibherr is unlikely. One very promising sign is Katrina is back on the board she’s been very active attending a lot of games. Very proactive with Saints Foundation. She looked pretty good too lost weight leather coat Gucci shades. 🫢 

We’ve got to play our part stop the finger pointing just let the processes work out No protests , booing players, yelling at board members. This is an existential football crisis , the world has changed massively. Football going to look a lot different but if we aren’t careful it could be the end of the club. Even before this kicked off it would have suited a lot of people if we had gone kaput. 
 

 

 

 

Like many of us there are times you post utter crap, but that’s a good and interesting post.

I know you’ve commented on SR several times with a bit of an insight into them and Dragan. A couple of questions though in case you can shed light on it.

Hasn’t Dragan lost control of his media group? And with it perhaps both some wealth and influence.

Have read about his business success and empire a few times but intrigued as to how he hasn’t transferred those talents to SFC. The phrase I’ve used a few times is that he seems a magnet for buffoons at Saints with those in charge or positions of influence.

Personally I was disappointed by our handling of this episode and what has been published about Parsons. I’d have hoped that Dragan would be at the forefront putting Gibbo back in his box.Cortese or Lowe would have been at the forefront (even if there had been some blustering from Rupert).

Agree with you about Katherina Liebherr being involved. Perhaps she and her son can magic up some Swiss billionaires to put some cash in to go along with Solak. 

[Badger]

20 minutes ago, benjii said:

I guess you're happy anyway, now the Zionist is leaving?

What ?? 

[trousers]

6 minutes ago, Badger said:

Hasn’t Dragan lost control of his media group? And with it perhaps both some wealth and influence.

https://www.eureporter.co/lifestyle/media/2025/10/21/european-media-dragan-solak-loses-control-of-united-group-in-court-defeat/

Dragan Šolak’s (pictured) turbulent bid to regain control of United Group, the telecom conglomerate in Southeastern Europe where he remains minority shareholder, has ended in decisive defeat. Media outlets across Europe report last week’s ruling by the Amsterdam Enterprise Chamber as the final chapter in the billionaire’s struggle to cling to influence over the company he once dominated.

As Bloomberg reported, “the ousted founder of… United Group BV failed to convince Dutch judges he could bring an unfair dismissal lawsuit.” The court in Amsterdam ruled his case inadmissible, rejecting his attempt to initiate an investigation into the company’s governance and leadership. The decision, Bloomberg noted, represents “the latest legal salvo stemming from a management fallout at the European telecom and media firm.”

Šolak - who still owns 36% in the Group - had asked the court to appoint an independent investigator into what he described as alleged “abuse of governance” by the company’s new management. But the judges found that the dispute was not within their jurisdiction, as United Group’s parent company is registered in Luxembourg.

Leading Dutch title Het Financieele Dagblad reported that Solak “has failed in his attempt to involve the Enterprise Chamber in the conflict surrounding the company.” The article pointed that Solak has tried to “involve Serbian politics in his campaign” and emphasised United Group’s position that there is “no management crisis whatsoever, but rather a fabrication by Solak to regain his influence and income at United Group.”

 

The Times of London column section, entitled ‘Dragan roars in vain’, also covered the “failed bid to install a court-appointed representative to investigate” the company Solak was ousted from in June. The paper added that the ruling leaves Šolak “unsuccessful in his legal action against the European media conglomerate United Group”.

According to Mobile Europe, earlier this summer the court rejected Solak’s attempt to fast-track his action, denying him an urgent intervention in July 2025.

Greek business daily ProtoThema  called last week’s outcome “a judicial victory for United Group,” signalling a stabilisation of the group after months of internal turbulence and legal drama. The outlet underlined that the decision “marks a clear end to the founder’s influence” and “confirms the strength of the company’s governance under new leadership”.

 

United Group, in a statement quoted by Bloomberg, said the verdict “confirms what has been clear all along: this was never a genuine governance dispute, but another in a long line of distractions orchestrated by Mr. Šolak for his own ends.” The company added that “the court was able to see through it,” an apparent reference to a campaign by Šolak to regain his influence through litigation and media pressure.

For Šolak, the loss is more than legal - it represents a dramatic decline in both his corporate and personal influence. Once hailed as the Balkan media mogul and self-styled defender of press freedom, he now finds himself shut out of the company that made his fortune. Solak’s insistence to the Times that “this has no impact on Sport Republic or Southampton” - the football club he owns - did little to shift attention from his mounting setbacks.

Whether Šolak will pursue “other competent jurisdictions,” as his family office told Bloomberg, remains to be seen. It does appear to be contradicted by a subsequent statement issued by Solak and covered by N1, where he expressed his “hope that the new management delivers the same exceptional results for all stakeholders, as we did for all those years.” Perhaps this statement is a recognition that each successive defeat further isolates him while strengthening BC Partners’ position and reinforcing the legitimacy of United Group’s current management.

For a company that has spent the past year under intense scrutiny, the ruling offers closure and the chance to move forward. For Šolak, it may mark the start of a more uncomfortable chapter: that of a founder-turned-outsider, decisively shut out from the empire he built.

Edited yesterday at 11:31 by trousers

[Wade Garrett]

Is there a thread anywhere about a new manager?

[Fabrice29]

4 hours ago, Miltonaggro said:

Sean Dyche, nearly four years after he should have got the gig over the idiot Jones. He would likely galvanise the players and not take an ounce of shit from the media. 

When was the last time Sean Dyche actually galvanised a player out of interest? 

[Willo of Whiteley]

I suggested Scott Parker a few weeks ago as a decent choice; when there were mentions about us tying Tonda down to a new contract (and if unsuccessful).

Oh how the same people have changed their tune, massive 360 😂

[tdmickey3]

Just now, Willo of Whiteley said:

I suggested Scott Parker a few weeks ago as a decent choice; when there were mentions about us tying Tonda down to a new contract (and if unsuccessful).

Oh how the same people have changed their tune, massive 360 😂

You should wind your neck in mate you have had a fair few u-turs on here

[trousers]

1 minute ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

I suggested Scott Parker a few weeks ago as a decent choice; when there were mentions about us tying Tonda down to a new contract (and if unsuccessful).

Oh how the same people have changed their tune, massive 360 😂

Yeah... it's almost as if the situation has changed massively since your proclamation...

[Fabrice29]

Isn’t Scott Parker and his football pretty much despised by every fan base he’s managed? Pretty sure they’ve all got better after he left too. 

[tdmickey3]

14 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

Isn’t Scott Parker and his football pretty much despised by every fan base he’s managed? Pretty sure they’ve all got better after he left too. 

He promoted Burnley in to 2? so why hate

Your hero did it via playoffs and you said we should love him and he is actually despised wherever he goes

Edited yesterday at 12:17 by tdmickey3

[Miltonaggro]

26 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

When was the last time Sean Dyche actually galvanised a player out of interest? 

When was the last time he was managing a disgraced championship side?

[benjii]

51 minutes ago, Badger said:

What ?? 

Wasn't he dead against Peretz on account of his nationality?

If not, I apologise and must have the wrong person.

[Badger]

6 minutes ago, benjii said:

Wasn't he dead against Peretz on account of his nationality?

If not, I apologise and must have the wrong person.

Who was ? Sorry I’ve obviously missed something 

[Fabrice29]

37 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

When was the last time he was managing a disgraced championship side?

You’re right. He doesn’t do that because he’s carved out a niche for going onto podcasts and getting a job at the lower end of the PL and doing a bad job there instead. 

39 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

He promoted Burnley in to 2? so why hate

Your hero did it via playoffs and you said we should love him and he is actually despised wherever he goes

You would have to ask Burnley fans that really. I wouldn’t want my hero back either btw. Other than I wouldn’t enjoy your hissy fit if it did happen. 

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

2 hours ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

I suggested Scott Parker a few weeks ago as a decent choice; when there were mentions about us tying Tonda down to a new contract (and if unsuccessful).

Oh how the same people have changed their tune, massive 360 😂

Lol, I love a massive 360 u turn. Dont you end up where you start?!

[Thereisonlyonemickychannon]

5 hours ago, die Mannyschaft said:

FA will ban him for at least 2 seasons. What about an AI version of Tonda, he can do robotic prematch interviews..

Tonda made a stupid mistake

he is young and hungry. Don't sack him, let him put it right and prove to all those blood thirsty rats that he is not afraid 

[AlexLaw76]

38 minutes ago, Thereisonlyonemickychannon said:

Tonda made a stupid mistake

he is young and hungry. 

And guaranteed to improve?

[Wade Garrett]

Robbie Keane has just jacked his job in.

[S-Clarke]

9 hours ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Liam Rosenior must be on their list

Do you know what a manager is? Liam does.

It's man-age. He's aging men. 

Absolute genius that bloke.

But no, please. I didn't want him when he was at Strasburg either. a Hipster nothing.

He'd make a good Sports phycologist though, and we may need that after this summer.

[skintsaint]

1 hour ago, Wade Garrett said:

Robbie Keane has just jacked his job in.

Must be going to Celtic.

[S-Clarke]

6 minutes ago, skintsaint said:

Must be going to Celtic.

Didn't Martin O'Neil say he's staying on? God knows.

[AlexLaw76]

Pompey Manager. He is actually pretty good, and it would be very funny

[skintsaint]

haha can you imagine

 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

19 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Do you know what a manager is? Liam does.

It's man-age. He's aging men. 

Absolute genius that bloke.

But no, please. I didn't want him when he was at Strasburg either. a Hipster nothing.

He'd make a good Sports phycologist though, and we may need that after this summer.

We've been linked before. Wouldn't touch him with a barge pole, but SR on the other hand 

[S-Clarke]

Just now, Lee On Solent Saint said:

We've been linked before. Wouldn't touch him with a barge pole, but SR on the other hand 

Yeah I know, and that's what worries the crap out of me! He's the last thing we need.

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, S-Clarke said:

Yeah I know, and that's what worries the crap out of me! He's the last thing we need.

Just think he cleansed we would all be, watching the team respecting the ball before kickoff 

[bpsaint]

11 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Pompey Manager. He is actually pretty good, and it would be very funny

Pompey were always destined to lost him to a bigger club tbf, he’d probably do alright here.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

2 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Yeah I know, and that's what worries the crap out of me! He's the last thing we need.

Could all be academic anyway, we don't seen to have much of an appetite to sack Eckert 

[Themotherfunky]

Steve Cooper has just been sacked from Brondby..

[AlexLaw76]

1 minute ago, Themotherfunky said:

Steve Cooper has just been sacked from Brondby..

He loves 3 at the back...and he looks odd

Not for me

[trousers]

3 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

He loves 3 at the back

 

[trousers]

21 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Didn't Martin O'Neil say he's staying on? God knows.

Does he still have a place in Winchester....?

[St. Ciervo]

If players rip up their contracts, we may find ourselves without a true first team. Cooper has worked with little and succeeded in the past. He might like 3 at the back, but the Lego company certainly won't be making a face of his likeness any time soon...that may be a plus perhaps. 

[Wade Garrett]

8 hours ago, Themotherfunky said:

Steve Cooper has just been sacked from Brondby..

I wouldn’t touch him with a barge pole now.  He has failed miserably in his last two jobs.

[The very right reverend]

Nothing would say f**k you to the EFL, FA, media and opposing fans we're Southampton and we hate you all as appointing Bielsa.
I'm all for creating and owning an identity as pantomime villains, it is going to be thrown at us anyway and will galvanise the club, fans and manager.

[Captain Jack]

10 hours ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Pompey Manager. He is actually pretty good, and it would be very funny

Yes indeed. Didnt we all laugh when 'Arry cam here. That went well if I recall. 

[Badger]

11 minutes ago, Captain Jack said:

Yes indeed. Didnt we all laugh when 'Arry cam here. That went well if I recall. 

Not to mention the time we signed their on loan POTS for £10m when they were in L1 still. 

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

Need a clean break. Not another unknown, up and coming manager but someone with experience who the players would get behind from the off.

 

Parker / Cooper or Frank but think the latter would have way more opportunities. 

Parker would be decent. I'm happy to accept consistent results if he repeats what he did with Burnley with Saints.

[It's There]

Pauli’s or Warnock of the old guard.

[Thereisonlyonemickychannon]

14 hours ago, AlexLaw76 said:

And guaranteed to improve?

Is that a question? If the F A ban him then football is corrupt. Just look at the influence Middlesbrough had at the enquiry to try and destroy us. And the rats get to a final! 

Tonda is young, strong, intelligent and brave. Don't destroy him too!

[Ted Bates Statue]

3 hours ago, The very right reverend said:

Nothing would say f**k you to the EFL, FA, media and opposing fans we're Southampton and we hate you all as appointing Bielsa.
I'm all for creating and owning an identity as pantomime villains, it is going to be thrown at us anyway and will galvanise the club, fans and manager.

That would easily top hiring Koeman to replace Poch (and I was always surprised his name was never linked with us in that era - mind you, Tuchel was, and I hear he too could be available soon).

Seriously, we might be in disgrace, but we're unbeaten in the league since January and how many jobs come up for a team in this kind of form? Granted that Scienza will leave, and I accept Charles, Jander and THB may well be off. 

Get Bielsa in a room with the rest of the players and his grenade and they'll be the perfect blend of being too scared and too awestruck to leave. Next season would be a banger.

 

 

 

[Wade Garrett]

Was told Scott Parker this morning.

Just waiting for confirmation from the CoT.

[Lord Duckhunter]

I think we need to make a big statement similar to when we took Pardew in league 1. He wasn’t one of my favourite blokes, but he was a Premier league manger. It made a statement and I’m sure it made players mind up if they doubted we were determined to get back up. Maybe Dyche isn’t ideal, but he’s got contacts with agents and other managers (important in the loan market), he’s got a reputation in the game and would send out a statement we’re not mincing about with hipsters. He won’t be affected by any outside pony and will buy right into the “let’s show the bastards”. This time round the job is for a man, not a fucking laptop merchant. 
 

This is going to be a tough league next season, with West Ham or Spurs, Sheffield Utd & Norwich won’t be as pony as they were this year, Middlesbrough (if they lose today) will be tough, Wolves & Burnley aremt going to do a Leicester. We can’t spend 5 or 6 games with a manager coming to terms with the league. 

[sfc4prem]

15 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

I think we need to make a big statement similar to when we took Pardew in league 1. He wasn’t one of my favourite blokes, but he was a Premier league manger. It made a statement and I’m sure it made players mind up if they doubted we were determined to get back up. Maybe Dyche isn’t ideal, but he’s got contacts with agents and other managers (important in the loan market), he’s got a reputation in the game and would send out a statement we’re not mincing about with hipsters. He won’t be affected by any outside pony and will buy right into the “let’s show the bastards”. This time round the job is for a man, not a fucking laptop merchant. 
 

This is going to be a tough league next season, with West Ham or Spurs, Sheffield Utd & Norwich won’t be as pony as they were this year, Middlesbrough (if they lose today) will be tough, Wolves & Burnley aremt going to do a Leicester. We can’t spend 5 or 6 games with a manager coming to terms with the league. 

Sean Dyche? Are you fucking serious?

[AlexLaw76]

1 minute ago, sfc4prem said:

Sean Dyche? Are you fucking serious?

What is wrong with Sean Dyche