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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Guyfawkes
Should that no be ‘Kaffliks’:)
And you forgot Maryhill.
HH
hope the Mexicans know what they re letting themselves in for
sorry forgot link
https://youtu.be/WsTZd5BPr6s
Mon the Mexican tims:)
HH
Why aboooot RC Tyre
I hope somebody from CQN offers to take the new sevco players to St Mary’s:)
HH
Not looking good for wee Paddy – I am gutted – dared to dream
surest way to keep guacamole Green
pat down surface of the guac top with a little water and cling
WDH
And cling on for dear life
HH
Paddy not coming back could explain the Januzaj rumour, if true. Similar playing style, same positions, the main concern with Januzaj is attitude, something we had no worries about with Paddy.
Good dvening friends. Coming to you live from Puerto Pollensa beach.
Absolutely toasting here. And tbats now been 54 hours straight without seeing a single cloud. Going for 55.
Any ins or outs since Tuesday morning? EEs new “free” roaming abfoad oy kicked in today.
Apoks fot any spelling errirs as I can harfly see the phone in this stilli bright dunshine.
JOBOBALDIE
Take off your boxing gloves,it might help!
Hope you and Lady P have a belter.
Bhoyjoebelfast
Thanks I enjoy rummaging through the old memories
TET
cling stir freeze the Brown will take over
JOBO
Couldn’t post without talking about the weather por cierto.
I hear the sound of distant trumpets….
Mr Pastry
Go away you bigot
THEGREENMAN
Not like him to make so many basic spelling mistakes.
Hmmmm…
BMCUWP
Posted a reply, but Mr Mod scrubbed it.
You can guess the jist of it.
Mr Mod, apologies.
HH
Flip
I blame Harry Hood for me missing the eejit in full flow…
Not Harry I may add but cqn chameleon who is pastry or whomever
BT
Mr Pastry or Mr Benn:)
HH
http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/teenage-tipperary-gaa-star-snubs-manchester-united-to-join-celtic-35830359.html
Looks like we have failed with Paddy if the media are to be believed.
Pity.
HH
TONYROME
Just been reading back mhate and saw your post from earlier today , it was an absolute pleasure meeting you A and M in Corfu ! We really enjoyed your company , have to say i echo your thoughts about sometimes on here it can get a bit heated ! At end of day the vast majority on here are good ghuys ! Take care & hope to meet up soon HH ! KTF !
I have watched the GrenFell tragedy and heard housing officials on TV saying how difficult it will be to rehouse those survivors in London ?
What about feckin Buck Palace to rehouse those Queens subjects, plenty of room in there and other stately homes.
An advisor to the Queen last week stated that Liz would not be happy that the Queens Speech was being delayed until later next week , as this would mean Lizzie missing one day of feckin Royal Ascot, which starts on Tuesday !
I’m reminded of David Cameron and PM Mays words that ” We are all in this together”…….I haven’t heard those words recently ?
RIP to all the victims of GrenFell.
Hearing Tina Turner is getting ditched at Snake Mountain and, due to the Mexican influence they will now be running out to Peter Andre, Andre Andre -:)))
NoStinkinHunsCSC
I refuse to believe that given the number of Mexican and Portuguese Tims signing for the Huns , that no matter the number of times they are told NOT to bless themselves as its a hanging offence, surely at LEAST one of them will FORGET when running out the tunnel etc ?
HH
regarding paddy roberts dont forget we are a big fish in a very small pond. ffs. some teams in the english second and third divisions can pay more than us until we get out of this cesspit of orange triumphalism we are fecked god bless the famous glasgow celtic hail hail.
Greetings from a sunny (at last) Florida, let Brendan and all the bhoys have a nice rest, we will be waiting for a Carlsberg Friday to unveil Paddy…:)
BMCUWP-11:28am, well said, but you still get GUYS coming on here telling us what women should be doing,Absolutely priceless
It looks like Jonny Hayes gets the signing season gets under way, Think he will be a useful addition to the squad – he has pace plus has scored some big goals against us over the years!
Here are UEFA’s signing deadlines for our Champions League qualifying rounds …
* 6 July 2017 (24.00CET) for all matches in the second qualifying round;
* 20 July 2017 (24.00CET) for all matches in the third qualifying round;
* 7 August 2017 (24.00CET) for all matches in the play-offs;
Widespread interest in Paddy Roberts is hardly unexpected due to his great form at towards the end of the season and we might just simply be priced out of the market. Pity …
Still we have 5 weeks to sign and bed in new signings before Q3 and a first decent opponent. In Brendan we trust …
EMBRAMIKE
Correct, except we need to get through Q2 first, unfortunately.
Not giving up on Paddy just yet. I’m sure Brendan isn’t either. Remember……there’s just as much guff written about players we are ‘missing out’ on as there is about signings we are supposedly in for.
Fairhill Bhoy
185,00 abortions and some on here have the audacity to suggest women have other choices – how dare I.
I’m out of here – won’t be back
FAIRHILL BHOY on 15TH JUNE 2017 7:25 PM
That argument presupposes that human life begins only after birth.
If human life begins before birth then the argument isn’t valid.
emily mVerified account
@maitlis
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Families rehoused last night been left clueless about where to spend next nights. No word from #kccouncil. Chaos. #grenfelltragedy
https://twitter.com/maitlis/status/875417326740525057
oops, apologies to Embramike……you were clear about Q3 being the first round where we could meet decent opponents. Sorry !
Still don’t think we should take Q2 for granted though, despite the fact that we should be just too strong for anyone we might meet there.
Apologies again, big fella !