Tonight Saints play in the first round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. A Trophy that bought so much pride to the City of Southampton last season; Alan Pardew's Saints lifted the prize with a proud Marcus Liebherr looking on taking pictures with his digital camera. Five months on and both Leibherr, who sadly passed away and Pardew are gone.
The post Pardew era at Southampton starts tonight, and it is important for the stability of the team that we play well and win. Some may say that this Trophy isn't important that the main priority is getting promoted. That is true but it shouldn't stop us trying to do well in this competition. As Alan Pardew used to say it is all about the winning mentality. After the heroics of Bristol Rovers, this has to carry on tonight.
In terms of the opposition Swindon are no pushover. As we saw from last season they are tricky customers, beating us twice in the League 1-0 last season. They may have had a poor start to the season picking up just two points in four games and I don't expect them to reach the heights they did last year but they should never be underestimated, Painterless or not.
As for Saints I would think we will make a few changes especially if Lallana is still suffering from the knock he picked up on Saturday. Jaidi may also come in for Martin. I don't expect any major changes in team personnel however or changes in the formation, as Dean Wilkins approaches his first game in charge.
So lets go and enjoy the game tonight, lets show our appreciation for Alan Pardew and fall back in love with the journey that is the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.
Tuesday 31 August 2010
Monday 30 August 2010
Pardew Out!!
Whilst watching the BBC news this morning taking in some more of the horrible details of the Pakistani spot betting scandal, my heart sunk even further when Mike Bushell blurted out "and back to football and breaking news from Southampton - they have just sacked their manager".
What!!!!
Had I really been in Bristol just 36 hours earlier watching a convincing Saints side demolish Rovers 4 - 0. It was early in the morning, but yes I had. Has a manager ever been sacked just hours after they have guided their team to a 4-0 away win? I doubt it, and if they have it must have been a very long time ago. But was I really that shocked, I was initially but then thinking about it, it was inevitable. This is what I had feared the most after our saviour Marcus Leibherr sadly passed away, that Nicola Cortese would become a dictator that he would wield a massive amount of uncontrolled and unchecked power. It proves the pre-season rumours were true that Cortese did want Pardew out, it must be a clash of personalities - Cortese obviously didn't trust Pardew to get the job done. The club statement said it all "following a review of the current status in and around the First Team, the Club has decided that, to achieve its well known targets, it is essential to make changes to the First Team management and coaching". Don't get me wrong I respect Nicola Cortese, he wants to get Southampton back in to the big time but after today that respect has wained a little. I don't subscribe to the 'get Cortese out' faction undoubtedly he is a good businessman but I have to question his judgement on this one. Businessman he might be but this was a bad footballing decision.
Just think back to July 2009 - the club was in administration we didn't even know if we were going to exist to play in the 2009/10 season let alone get promoted. With a ten point deduction and hardly any pre-season Pardew built a team from scratch that finished only seven points off the play-offs and secured the Johnstones Paint Trophy. The first silverware for Southampton since 1976 (the Ted Bates Trophy doesn't count). He built on that squad pre-season and we were in a good position to get promoted this season. But what now a new manager has to come in a stamp his own style on a team, he will have to work with payers that he wouldn't have signed and he will want to sign others. This step into the unknown creates instability in the squad that we do not need at the beginning of the season. Maybe Cortese will appoint someone and we will get promoted, but that will be despite this decision to sack Pardew not because of it. My real fear now is that Cortese will appoint a yes man, Pardew undoubtedly stood up for himself. This would be dangerous, dangerous terrority. I would rather Cortese take care of the finances and let the manager get on with the footballing decisions.
It is important we show our appreciation to Alan Pardew at St Marys tomorrow night - and a few chants of 'there is only one Alan Pardew' will get the message across. Despite my frustrations though it is unhelpful to get on Cortese's back, he seems to have made a very bad judgement call in this respect and I just hope this decision doesn't slow down destination Premiership, but this is undoubtedly the goal that Cortese desperately seeks and I am sure he will get us there. But tomorrow we will be looking for our 14th manager since the year 2000.
Update: I have been informed that the last manager to get sacked after a 4-0 away win happened only last season. It was Bryan Gunn former Norwich manager who guided his team to a 4-0 win at Yeovil in the league cup. He had lost 7-1 at home to Colchester just days earlier though.
What!!!!
Had I really been in Bristol just 36 hours earlier watching a convincing Saints side demolish Rovers 4 - 0. It was early in the morning, but yes I had. Has a manager ever been sacked just hours after they have guided their team to a 4-0 away win? I doubt it, and if they have it must have been a very long time ago. But was I really that shocked, I was initially but then thinking about it, it was inevitable. This is what I had feared the most after our saviour Marcus Leibherr sadly passed away, that Nicola Cortese would become a dictator that he would wield a massive amount of uncontrolled and unchecked power. It proves the pre-season rumours were true that Cortese did want Pardew out, it must be a clash of personalities - Cortese obviously didn't trust Pardew to get the job done. The club statement said it all "following a review of the current status in and around the First Team, the Club has decided that, to achieve its well known targets, it is essential to make changes to the First Team management and coaching". Don't get me wrong I respect Nicola Cortese, he wants to get Southampton back in to the big time but after today that respect has wained a little. I don't subscribe to the 'get Cortese out' faction undoubtedly he is a good businessman but I have to question his judgement on this one. Businessman he might be but this was a bad footballing decision.
Just think back to July 2009 - the club was in administration we didn't even know if we were going to exist to play in the 2009/10 season let alone get promoted. With a ten point deduction and hardly any pre-season Pardew built a team from scratch that finished only seven points off the play-offs and secured the Johnstones Paint Trophy. The first silverware for Southampton since 1976 (the Ted Bates Trophy doesn't count). He built on that squad pre-season and we were in a good position to get promoted this season. But what now a new manager has to come in a stamp his own style on a team, he will have to work with payers that he wouldn't have signed and he will want to sign others. This step into the unknown creates instability in the squad that we do not need at the beginning of the season. Maybe Cortese will appoint someone and we will get promoted, but that will be despite this decision to sack Pardew not because of it. My real fear now is that Cortese will appoint a yes man, Pardew undoubtedly stood up for himself. This would be dangerous, dangerous terrority. I would rather Cortese take care of the finances and let the manager get on with the footballing decisions.
It is important we show our appreciation to Alan Pardew at St Marys tomorrow night - and a few chants of 'there is only one Alan Pardew' will get the message across. Despite my frustrations though it is unhelpful to get on Cortese's back, he seems to have made a very bad judgement call in this respect and I just hope this decision doesn't slow down destination Premiership, but this is undoubtedly the goal that Cortese desperately seeks and I am sure he will get us there. But tomorrow we will be looking for our 14th manager since the year 2000.
Update: I have been informed that the last manager to get sacked after a 4-0 away win happened only last season. It was Bryan Gunn former Norwich manager who guided his team to a 4-0 win at Yeovil in the league cup. He had lost 7-1 at home to Colchester just days earlier though.
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