Yesterday, Southampton’s chairman Nicola Cortese resigned. Depending on how long you have been trailing this story, he is either being tempted to take up the chef exec job at struggling Milan, or has found working under owner Katharine Liebharr too much. It’s also possible that Ms Liebharr has insisted on a return on her family’s two rounds of investment in the club and forced his hand.
Five years ago Cortese was a working in Switzerland as a banker and acted on behalf of the now-deceased and father of Katharine, Markus Liebharr. They successfully put a deal together to buy Southampton FC and rescue the club from administration (liquidation is not inevitable, some clubs survive). Cortese had no previous experience in the football industry.
Southampton are a small club who seem cursed to produce incredibly talented youth players, only to see extraordinarily bad executives spurn their bounty. I remember writing about their ‘blood on the boardroom carpet’ six years ago.
A year ago this Saturday, Cortese sacked Nigel Atkins, the manager who won them two successive promotions and put them in a comfortable position on the FA Premier League. Cortese was to 2013 what Vincent Tan is to 2014, the butt of a thousand jokes, but none of us were reading the script.
Cortese’ next move was to appoint Argentine Mauricio Pochettino, the 40-year-old recently sacked manager of Espanyol. Southampton haven’t looked back, despite the words “Hooiveld” and “Fox” regularly featuring on team sheets.
Pochettino is now one of the hottest properties in football but he’s not the story, his former boss is. In appointing a young, low-profile, manager, Cortese tackled square-on the biggest problem in football – the vast risk invested on the shoulders of one man, the manager. A football manager is expected to be a master of tactics, a motivational dressing room speaker, a media communications expert, a scout and pretty much guru of everything.
None of them are good at all of this. As a consequence, clubs invest vast proportions of turnover on player wages and transfers, with haphazard diligence being carried out. The man ultimately responsible for approving this spend is more likely to be a shouty media darling, spending an average of 2.5 years at the club, than someone who has experience of long-term strategic planning.
Cortese figured that what he really needed in a manager was a tactical head, someone who could run a technical team, consulting with scouts, coaches, nutritionists and fitness trainers, and come up with what American football teams call a playbook. You want to play at Old Trafford? This is what worked when small teams visited the Bernabeu last season. Playing teams’ taller/faster/luckier with referees than you? You’ve got to see how these guys are leveling the playing field in Uruguay.
Football clubs need their manager to be Master of Tactics, and if they can concentrate him on this, they’re doing better than 90% of clubs in the game. They don’t need someone ‘connected’ to agents in value markets, this attribute can be recruited easily. They don’t need a good media talker. Despite being able to speak English, Pochettino gives press conferences through an interpreter. Yet the fans love him!
Clubs don’t need someone to play to the galleries, or someone with the ability to induce affinity from his public, most of the time results will keep (most) fans onside.
With his technically-proficient and happy-to-be-working-anywhere manager installed, Cortese had all operations working as he wanted, including the inordinately expensive recruitment process. Sacking a good and successful manager in Atkins was the most ballsy and innovative thing to happen in English football in decades, but he was operating in an industry which is the biggest financial basket case in sport. So, despite his clarity of vision, the Southampton gig was never going to last.
Today’s newspapers predict a mass exodus as Pochettino and Southampton’s gifted players head for the exit, good news for Joos and Danny, perhaps, but you feel for the beleaguered fans, who were shown a glimpse of how things should be done, but for years will wonder, what could have been?
The rest of us can ponder the opportunity available due to entrenched inefficiencies in football.
“You should always have pressure on you”, Stefan Johansen, 15 January 2014. I like this guy already.
Last shout for North America based Celtic fans for the Feile, which starts in Philidelphia tomorrow. Full details of the events can be found here. it’s bound to be a great weekend so get along if you can.
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leftclick Together we will get justice for the Dam 5
21:21 on 16 January, 2014
DJBEE
Frazer Wishart?
Not sure, but if any player is messed about they have a union, and your right it is Wishart he is on the radio in defence of the player and rightly so.
50 odd players at sevco asked to take wage cut?
Radio s i l e n c e. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I expect he will be all over tv and radio, papers tomorrow.
Come on OG. Do you have a story to even hint at.
embramike supporting wee Oscar and Res 12
(Parkheadcumsalford)
20:53 on
16 January, 2014
Auldheid – CST email stated meeting on Wednesday 22nd?
——————————–
Correctomundo. I got the 22nd right but not the day. Here is full invite so a gtreat opportunity for those in the Glasgow area to come along, speak out and or listen.
Dear Member
Happy New Year to all our members, their families and friends.
As you will be aware a number of issues have arisen over the past few weeks which have given cause for discussion/concern amongst the Celtic support.
The Trust has decided to convene an Open Meeting, using the same format as previous successful meetings, thus giving Celtic supporters an opportunity to express their views in an organised and structured manner and perhaps find a way forward.
This meeting will take place on Wednesday 22nd January at 7pm in the Celtic Supporters’ Club London Road.
Although convened by the Trust this is a meeting for all Celtic supporters so please feel free to pass on an invitation to attend to anyone who might be interested.
Obviously the time and date will not suit everyone but we have to begin somewhere and if successful more can be planned.
I am aware that many of our members live well outside the Glasgow area so if there are any topics an individual member would like to see discussed please do let me know and depending on how the meeting progresses there may be an opportunity to raise this.
With every good wish
Yours sincerely
Marie
Marie McCusker
Secretary
I’ll say this. I’m as certain as I can be that McCoist is as much to blame as anyone else is.
I’d love to know how many times he’s played the ” if you don’t give me what I want / let me sign the players I want , I’ll walk and you won’t survive without me” card.
I’ll bet its plenty.
smoke and mirrors
21:01 on 16 January, 2014
We are only charging £15 for a Cup game against an SPFL Club, Aberdeen. I know that you are serious and I agree, why not £10 for a Div. Two team. The oldco charged us £40 plus to attend at their place. It appeals to me to charge their reincarnation as little as possible for the Cup. We won’t charge them £10 more likely £15…oh the days when the oldco could command £40 plus for the privilege.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
weefrathetim
http://www.edch.org.uk/index.php/pets/view/josh/
as one of our bhoys on here would say “braw”
Steven Fulton@StevieBhoy8
This whole Sevco saga could have been easily avoided! I read somewhere the Co-op do great loans
THE EXILED TIM-Free the Dam 5
And the hits just keep on coming…….genius.
smoke and mirrors, the long wait is over, corkcelt
Sorry, I have nothing new to add.
Just the contentment that comes from seeing all the pieces, as mentioned in this very place over a long period of time, finally falling into place – even some of the FFer’s on FF can see it. Tinfoil hats on time
cavansam \o/
All this carnage just to beat a few painters and brickies, feckin wonderful >}
HH
Ok…so tonights Jelly and Ice cream goes to anyone who can find a sevconian who says “Administration is a good thing, Dave King will come in”
5
4
3
2
1
prestonpans
He is stunning. Put me right here, have you adopted him? Lost the plot a bit. An age thing. :)
Weefra HH supporting Wee Oscar.
Just went into the living room and said “looks like the Huns are going bust again” to the good lady wife.
Her Instant reply…
How can they go bust AGAIN!
I have taught her well.
http://t.co/IdaqbPKs3K
the long wait is over
21:37 on 16 January, 2014
Fully agree……but, he must stay
Some class on here tonight, almost spilled my cider on more than one occasion!
Corkcelt,
“….. 3million for the players,and 3million off the wage bill, but no one will take them”
Dont You Just Love Them!! haha, classic!
lilys
TET
The whole thing could have been avoided if the SFA had done the right thing, and allowed them to die in peace. Hope yer no still in the huff wi me. :(
Weefra HH supporting Wee Oscar.
Getting all nostalgic, it feels like the original huns only went bust yesterday.
Need to stop drinkin on a school night
It’s all too easy to laugh at the less fortunate.
They’ve suffered enough.
Rumors on twitter that 15% of the roof could be next.
what’s Scotland tonight on ? bbc Scotland ?
marspapa
20:18 on 16 January, 2014
Tony Donnelly ,
Are you going to issue a public health warning prior to sending your mugshot lol ,
On a serious note, is it wise , if you think of all those hurting Huns you have been
Sending best wishes to , lol they know where you drink , would’nt put it past any
of them to pay a visit , and just like Ally they would be sleek it about it .
Naaaaa, not a problem there, I wouldent worry about that, been around the block to many times to worry about thems,. Never worry about worry, till it knocks my door ;))
s
jackie mac
21:53 on 16 January, 2014
what’s Scotland tonight on ? bbc Scotland ?
stv 10.35…. should be a belter… last time cwissy was on said “no dark skies over ipox” now games will get called off if its raining as the roof leaks
jackie mac
21:53 on 16 January, 2014
STV
Been out all day. Whats been happening?
http://t.co/40xQqYUoDd
Maybe he should of bet against his own team and he would of got off lightly.
the long wait is over
21:37 on
16 January, 2014
I’ll say this. I’m as certain as I can be that McCoist is as much to blame as anyone else is.
I’d love to know how many times he’s played the ” if you don’t give me what I want / let me sign the players I want , I’ll walk and you won’t survive without me” card.
———————————————————————————————-
Aye ,he learnt from simply the best,his loyal cardiginess..”I’ll come back,but I need
30 million to spend oan playrs”
Thank you much sir wattie.
Weefra
Re-homed him, a stray from Edinburgh. The cat and dog will snipe him,ooch , on Monday. I wait a week then he comes home. He looks like my old zoomer and after a discussion with the handlers there seems some comparisons!
Sam_English Sam_English is online now
T.C.I.G.T.T.M.
Join Date: 28-07-2006
Location: Ironwood State Penitentiary
Posts: 53,366
Default Re: an Embarrassing shambles
Our club is a complete and utter shambles with no light at the end of the tunnel.
Sam there is light at the end of the tunnell, but it’s a fekin on coming train ;)
Did the bhuns not smell (another) rat when they postponed those games to ensure no protests before the AGM scam…..incredible….
Lewis No More
Sutherland No More
Loch amber No More
Skye No More
Rangers No More
Sevco No More!
prestonpans
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Good on you kiddo, still waiting to hear from the SSPCA. :))
Weefra HH supporting Wee Oscar.
jude2005 is neil lennon \o/
21:57 on 16 January, 2014
Not a lot…
Read back to around 18:00 and come back wiping the tears of laughter from your eyes!
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
TOSB
Where’s Loch Amber? sounds a lubbily place.
WeefratheTim
Never been in the huff with you >}
I will wager the next survival plan is well under way, the sfa will be working overtime as we speak.
HH
thanks chaps, i’ll check it out on sky
Bhoys… come on
Wheres your heart.. your humanity .. your compassion .. your sympathy.
I managed to type that without sniggering :))))
See it they ur the peeple…how come they are so fekn thick?
Upside doon planet they inhabit.