Southampton are (or at least, have been) one of the best run football clubs in England. Their recovery from a third-tier outfit, to the side which finished sixth in the Premier League under Ronald Koeman, was impressive.
Yesterday they sacked the manager who took over from Koeman a year ago, Claude Puel, after a season which saw them finish 8th in the league, and reach the League Cup final. It looks like a bonkers move, but Southampton have a made bonkers-looking moves work before.
In 2013 they sacked Nigel Adkins, who achieved two promotions at the club, to replace him with little-known Mauricio Pochettino, who had been sacked by Espanyol a year earlier. What’s worse, Pochettino couldn’t speak to language. I’ve no idea what happened to him.
When bold moves come off, they embolden you. Risk-aversion reduces until you become an irascible gambler and are caught with insufficient chips. Southampton look like they are closing the book on an era.
The man who replaced Adkins with Pochettino, Nicola Cortese, left the club in 2014, his replacement also left last month. They are looking for both a manager and a chief executive. Your guess is as good as mine who will appoint the former.
All of this takes place which the club is preparing for a sale to Chinese investors, doubtlessly with the potential buyers approval. If it was Cortese placing these chips, I would hold my criticisms, but this looks like nothing more than a ludicrous punt.
Southampton fans didn’t cover themselves in glory on this one either, chanting “You don’t know what you’re doing” at Puel as his side ran out of steam at the end of the season. Football is so dysfunctional.
This episode tells us lots about the managers’ market in England, but the most relevant point is that it is an increasingly unpredictable environment, which Brendan Rodgers knew when he pitched his tent in Glasgow a year ago.
If you want to build a great football team, the Celtic job is a rare place you may succeed.
Listen to 'The CQN Podcast: A Celtic State of Mind' with special guest, Paul Gallagher https://t.co/GcqBRsupLY pic.twitter.com/NYtC4ETCCE
— Paul John Dykes ⭐️ (@PaulDykes) June 11, 2017
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It’s gone all quiet.
Celtic
The Return Of The Mantilla
Morning Celts
I hope there are some arrests in relation to this tragic fire.
Loads of people saying its corporate manslaughter, i agree.
Management company and government ministers, have a lot of questions to answer.
They should be held to account.
HH
Have we signed anyone yet
Theresa May, visits the scene of the tragedy, and does not speak to any of the residents.
These are the kind of people running the country.
People who truly have no compassion for anybody.
HH
E-Tims mentions that Joe Ledley is available on a free then goes on to mention the old adage of not coming back to a club you left.
Has Celtic ever had a player who came back and did as well or better after leaving (Bertie Auld being the obvious one)
Who were the worst?
—-
Timalloy29
Mulgrew was a worthwhile signing on his return.
Shaun Maloney wasn’t. Still a good player but constantly injured.
GENE on 15TH JUNE 2017 11:44 AM
I know it’s sensitive issue but to put a bit of perspective on the debate there were over 185,00 abortions in England and Wales in 2016 – even if you consider that victims of rape or other such circumstances were an ethical reason then the remainder would still represent modern day slaughter of the innocence imo.
It does in spades.
Did she speak to the Emergency Services in attendance. Perhaps she asked the Police if they were happy about the number of jobs disappearing from their ranks, or maybe she asked the firefighters – who, after having battled for hours to put the blaze out, now have to go into the building and search for the bodies of those poor souls who didn’t get out – how they feel about the closure of fire stations across the UK.
Perhaps not. Photo opportunity for her, that’s all.
WHAT IS THE STARS
Some ugly kid fae Dublin:))
Quonno
I wonder what women think of men discussing their rights, and men deciding what they should be.
Maybe we should ask some of the women on CQN what they think.
HH
MACJAY1 @ 11:29 AM,
CHAIRBHOY on 15TH JUNE 2017 10:54 AM
Hi Mods,
Could you please advise me on something? My post @ 12:52 am early this morning has disappeared.
Has it been deleted?
If so, did someone complain?
I try to be fair and respectful and use moderate language, if the post was deleted, could you please tell me why?
Yours in Celtic.
CB
Hail Hail
====================================
Fascinating.
My reply to this post has just been deleted.
Will this one reach the light of day ?
Haud yer breath.
—————————————————————
Yes it is very odd… sinister even, the way that that some posts dissappear that don’t seem to contravene any stated “rules”, yet many who flagrantly break the rules are allowed to stand.
Think it’s about time I joined a Clique;)
Hail Hail
12.25 The Green Man
And what about the unborn childs rights – Do you think it cares about who speaks up for its rights Male or Female.
It has no voice.
The slaughter since the 1967 Abortion act is a stain on the souls of all of us.
A complicit medical profession have ridden roughshod over any of the protections afforded the child under the act with zero consequences.
To the point now that the mantra that is all about the women right to choose is accepted as legal fact when it was neither the purpose or intent of the act.
CHAIRBHOY on 15TH JUNE 2017 12:38 PM
As long as they act without fear or favour.
Like the rest of the blog.
:-)
“If you want to build a great football team, the Celtic job is a rare place you may succeed”
Unless your name is Ronny Deila I presume?
I think Southampton fans were unhappy with the style of football(sounds familiar) and although finishing 8th, they were a distant 15 points behind 7th, and only 6 points above 17th. It is still a bit harsh considering they were plagued by injuries, however if they appoint Tuchel as they are rumoured to, then that is a helluva coup.
In other news
“Premier League newcomers Huddersfield Town have agreed a club-record £10m fee for Manchester City’s Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy.
Mooy, 26, spent last season on loan at Huddersfield and played in their play-off final win over Reading, which secured them a place in the top flight.
It is thought the fee will be made up of an £8m initial payment, plus a further £2m in add-ons.
There are also buy-back and sell-on clauses included in the deal.
Mooy joined City from Australian club Melbourne City 12 months ago on a three-year contract.
He has not made a senior appearance for Pep Guardiola’s side”
I suspect they would want a similar deal for Roberts
CITIBHOY
Id leave it to women to decide.
I dont think men on a blog discussing the rights of women is a good idea.
CITIBHOY on 15TH JUNE 2017 12:40 PM
12.25 The Green Man
And what about the unborn childs rights – Do you think it cares about who speaks up for its rights Male or Female.
It has no voice.
=========================================
Neither does the father.
Don’t want to get into the rights & wrongs of abortion debate as I don’t think a Football Blog is the right Forum for such a discussion but I would like to share a true story, probably won’t make any impact on anybody, one way or the other.
About 13 years ago a very close unmarried relative of mine got pregnant & decided to have an abortion & unknown to any of her family was headed to Belfast on the train to get the process under way. She later told me that while on the train she remembered a conversation I had with her many years previous & on arrival in Belfast turned around & got next train back to Dublin.
There is an absolutely beautiful 13 yr old girl walking about today who is a source of joy & happiness to all who know her.
I actually can’t remember what I said all those years ago but I am so glad I said it.
MacJay
Like i say, you should ask some of the women on CQN what they think.
Im sure they will have plenty to say to you….probably loads of sentences ending with ‘OFF’:)
Ask the women on CQN, i dare you:)
Ive got a wee feeling i know what their response will be, but carry on.
HH
The Green Man
The woman has a voice
The Child Doesn’t.
The Woman has rights…
The Childs rights have been ignored and wilfully abused by the medical profession and their cousins in the courts since that fate full day.
Im afraid I’m with the disenfranchised on this one. Society has failed in protecting the childs rights to the point where in my opinion any sensitivity to the adequately protected rights of the mother must by necessity take second stage.
Have to disagree Paul.
Southampton fans did not enjoy themselves watching the turgid football tactics of Puel. What’s the point in spending money on a pastime you don’t enjoy?
As you mentioned, people expected Southampton to fall to pieces when Adkins was sacked or when Cortese left. They continue to make good appointments. If Ralph Krueger is still there I’d expect him to make the right choices.
Obviously none of that applies if the club is sold and there is complete regime change.
Corkcelt
I dont think men on a blog should be discussing the rights of women in this manner.
Its disrespectful imo.
HH
Citibhoy
Like i said to Macjay….you should address your concerns to the women on CQN.
See what they say to you.
The Green Man….
12.51
So your suggesting that because a woman feels strongly about something then that makes it alright.
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 15TH JUNE 2017 12:25 PM
Quonno
I wonder what women think of men discussing their rights, and men deciding what they should be.
###
Logical fallacy alert.
Begging the question.
Can i ask that posters desist from talking about women like this.
Its not nice
Ernie Lynch
Lets hear it.
What do you mean
The Green Man 12.53.
Why direct that comment at me.
Have I made any comment either way on the rights of women, have I advocated a discussion on the subject.
Read the one post I made and you will find that the answer is negative on both counts.
Starry plough don’t be slagging the dubs or I’ll get Dermot Connolly after you
Corkcelt
Hold your horses there.
I was making a general point.
Isnt it disrespectful to be talking about women in this way?
HH
Ernie Lynch
Lets hear it then, you were quick enough to snipe
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 15TH JUNE 2017 1:04 PM
Hear what?
Look forward to seeing all on Saturday at the Beer Cafe. Cheers!
The Green Man,
Yes I agree it is disrespectful & totally inappropriate for a male dominated Football Blog to hold a discussion on abortion.
I have already said that this is not the right forum for such a discussion and this is my last post on the subject.
Ernie Lynch
Your post at 12:55
FYI
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/jun/15/claude-puel-southampton-premier-league-expectations
But one can imagine them being better, too. Southampton finished just one place away from qualifying for Europe again but actually they were miles off. As the top six teams soared away only Everton grasped at their coat-tails; below that everyone bunched together in a low-brow sprawl, Southampton being just six points above 17th-placed Watford. Southampton finished only two places lower than the previous year but gathered 17 points fewer. That was no surprise after the top clubs strengthened – partially by buying Sadio Mané and Victor Wanyama from Southampton, and the Saints drafted in replacements who have mostly looked inferior so far. But that does not make it an acceptable state of affairs to Southampton’s peculiar and demanding regime.
Oriol Romeu, here taking to the turf to battle with Arsenal’s Alexis Sánchez, was among the Southampton players who had the best season of their careers under Claude Puel. Photograph: Alastair Grant/AP
The ugliest entry in Puel’s debit column was Southampton’s Europa League campaign. After embarrassing themselves on the continent two years ago under Ronald Koeman, the club had high hopes of making a better impression under Puel – who took Lyon to the semi-final of the Champions League – and Southampton did enjoy a couple of satisfying wins over Sparta Prague and Internazionale. But ultimately they flopped out of the competition like rumbled impostors, eliminated at the group stage by a 1-1 home draw with Hapoel Be’er Sheva. Southampton’s approach to that game was damnable, as they initially played against their humdrum visitors as if aiming for the 0-0 draw that would have put them through.
Corkcelt
Thanks. That was my point precisely.
HH