08 Jan 2014 11:10:19
One shocking rumour I have read from www.tuttomercatoweb.com this morning is Mauricio Pochettino to leave at the end of the season!

1.) 08 Jan 2014
And how would they know that exactly?!

2.) 08 Jan 2014
Probably one of those advertisements.

3.) 08 Jan 2014
Why is it shocking? If all the other rumours are true then he won't have a squad left to manage by then.

4.) 08 Jan 2014
Very reputable source clearly.

5.) 08 Jan 2014
If it means Adkins getting his job back, then I'm all for it!

Pochettino's odds to be the next Barcelona manager are pretty good. Especially when you consider he managed one of their most bitter rivals.

So, here's my question today. If Pochettino does/did leave Saints, WHO would you a) WANT as his replacement as manager? and b) EXPECT/PREDICT will be his replacement?

For me, A) Adkins (realistic view, of course in a fantasy football dream world I'd want Guardiola or Sir Alex Ferguson!)
B) Michael Laudrup. and I'd happily pick him up from Swansea and drive him down to Southampton myself.

I'll do a top 10 for who I think would be a suitable next Saints boss:
1. Michael Laudrup
2. Brendan Rodgers (unlikely as he's doing his own project, brilliantly, at Liverpool)
3. Roberto Martinez (again unlikely, as he's doing his magic with Everton, and they are going to be HUGE over the next decade)
4. Jason Dodd (natural progression from youth team)
5. Karl Robinson (MK Dons manager, young and very enthusiastic, with an impressive footballing mind. Potentially a future Liverpool manager in my opinion)
6. Eddie Howe (what this guy has done at B'mouth, thoroughly good with developing players, especially turning average players into better ones. Did play for Portsmouth though, albeit very briefly, and wasn't this when he got his career changing injury? Not sure who he supports, but a bell's ringing in my mind saying it's either Saints or Pompey (anyone know?), so this issue probably rules him in or out. )
7. Uwe Rosler (played for us, briefly, had worked wonders at Brentford and already made an impact at new club Wigan. Ah, that's the stumbling block)
8. Matt Le Tiss (He's soon going to get fed up of being sandwiched between Merse and Jeff every Saturday afternoon, surely he'd swap that privilege for the honour of managing the club he played so perfectly for!)
9. Myself. I've got the enthusiasm, I want the job, I support the club, I speak four languages fluently and another two pretty well (including English) and, most importantly, I've (with Saints) won the FA Cup six consecutive times now on FifaManager! ;)
10. The best manager to ever get sacked from an English football club, The King Of Enthusiasm, The Nicest Manager On The Planet, The One And Only Nigel Adkins!

So, anyone agree or disagree strongly with any of my suggestions? I think Pochettino's staying, by the way. And, my phone hasn't started buzzing yet, in the way it usually does/would when something major happens at Southampton. He's with us for the rest of this season at least, unless the chairman joins the sacking circuit again.

And finally, if Poch does go, I'd probably settle for having ANYONE but Paolo Di Canio!! (i hate that nasty, vile. person. )

by Saint Etienne, although I started writing before signing in, and ended up with this rubbish-size essay! (sorry, lots)

6.) 08 Jan 2014
Saint Etienne-a very strange post!

Because MP managed a Barcelona rival the odds are good for him to be manager of Barcelona? How does that work? If it does work, why do you not list Harry as your No. 1 to replace him at Saints? And I suppose NC will no longer be at Saints-the person who decided Adkins was not the manager the club required?

Sorry to be a little negative, but I prefer banter to be based on at least a little reality, rather than total fantasy. Oh well, roll on Feb 1st and some of the silly season will be out of the way.

Saint Martin

7.) 08 Jan 2014
If MoPo was to go, which he wont, you don't literally walk on fire for something you won't give your all for, we'll probably get madman Bielsa, he's out of a job at the moment right?

8.) 08 Jan 2014
Poch's managing skills are miles above Adkins seems some people just want to pick a manager just for being a nice guy LOL! Thank god these people don't run the club!

9.) 08 Jan 2014
I wouldn't be surprised if MoPo went of his own decision or pushed. Who saw Adkins / Pardew departures in advance? But the names suggested by St Etienne wouldn't make the bookies top 100 list. Next Saints manager will not be someone moving down the ladder (Rogers or Martinez) or someone like Laudrup who's next club will be a Champions league team rather than one with similar aspirations, and it won't be Eddie Howe who has done well at Bournemouth, that's Bournemouth, but hardly ripped it up at Burnley. He'll be young and ambitious but certainly not from the lower English leagues, that's not really how you move a premier league team forward is it? No it isn't.

10.) 08 Jan 2014
Adkins moved the Saints about 45 places up the English professional leagues in approx two years.
Poch has seen us move about 6 or 7.
I wouldn't diss Adkins, I prefer to say Thanks Nigel.

11.) 08 Jan 2014
^ yes, Adkins moved us 45 places up the league, but with the squad we had, what manager couldn't do that? and if we did have another manager we wouldn't be lumbered with players like forte who we can't get rid of, and we might have kept Dan Harding over Fox

12.) 09 Jan 2014
I doubt Sam Alladyce would have moved Saints up 45 places with "that squad" (or any of the names on St Etienne's list or Poch come to that). You can move on but still be grateful to Adkins for the job he did. I just do not understand some of the comments made on this blog. Don't understand it at all.

13.) 09 Jan 2014
Dear god what a load of irrelevant waffle.

Poch isn't going, he's just settled at Saints and yet to complete a full season yet.

He'll want a decent crack at 'project southampton' before he moves. He is still very young for a manager. He is at home in Spain so will ultimately go to Real or Barca. But both currently have new-ish managers and aren't looking to change yet.

My prediction? Poch will stay at Saints for another 2. 5 seasons, having taken us to Europa league but couldn't take us up another level. He'll go to Real and win champions league within 3 seasons. And we'll all live happily ever after. The end.

14.) 09 Jan 2014
Someone reach for the straight jacket.

15.) 09 Jan 2014
Surprised to have had such a furore of blacklash. But I have to use the cliche misinterpreted card here.

1) I think Pochettino is staying put (for the season at least. After that who knows? Especially with Cortese's firing reputation)
2) Nigel Adkins took this club so far, so fast. And had us playing the superb free-flowing, excellent passing, football. When we got promoted, fans of clubs like Man United said "I'm looking forward to seeing Southampton in the Prem next season". Superb job so well done, and is a great manager, very likable bloke. Reading are very lucky to have him. I was so gutted when he was (rudely) sacked. We are very lucky to have landed Pochettino who was able to continue great work with such a good squad. Pochettino was lucky as well, in many ways.
3) My list was managers suitable for the Saints job. Not literally bookies favourites, and definitely not candidates. They're the types who would fit our criteria IF the super Pochettino ever left us.

Which he one day will.

Etienne.

16.) 09 Jan 2014
Can someone suggest a suitable manager who will be up for the relegation scrap next year after Poch has properly been found out (like at Espanyol)? And if we did go down would Nigel be back in favour with A. Cortese B. The fans?

Thought the need for some realistic perspective was great, all this European clap trap is driving me crazy

17.) 10 Jan 2014
^If anyone even mentions comparing Poch at Saints to Poch at Espanyol your point is invalid and you need your head checking.

Totally different circumstances/clubs/players/resources etc. Mad to even contemplate comparing the two, and using his Espanyol form as reason for an inevitable collapse at Saints.

His system works. It needs high fitness levels, work ethic, large squads etc. Lots of reasons it can begin to fail if the club isn't set up for it, nothing to do with 'being found out'.

18.) 10 Jan 2014
Squad is knackered mid season, probably due to double training, high fitness regime.
Osvaldo, what a brilliant buy? One wonder goal, looks disinterested when he has played, gets banned for multiple games while on the bench after being taken off and now wants to move back to Italy.

Sorry but your argument is weak.

19.) 10 Jan 2014
Sorry but Poch is great. Can't believe I'm having this discussion with a Saints fan?!

1) you said we'd be found out by opposition but as you've just alluded it's nothing to do with being found out and everything to do with fitness levels and squad depth. Saints are a work in progress, need a better quality squad to implement Poch's plan, give it time because in truth this season was all about top half consolidation. Build, keep players.

2) you can't possibly judge Osvaldo after this few games, he's made a better start than many players' first months in the Prem (Henry just to name one). Also Serie A to BPL is a notoriously hard switch to make. Point is - you can't form such a scathing opinion after a few months, it's completely unfounded.

You're on your own rinsing Poch here mate, he's revolutionary and will go on to much bigger things than Saints.

LondonSaint

20.) 10 Jan 2014
Wow this is ridiculous, he's obviously not leaving and wasn't found at Espanyol, like how we used to be, they had to keep selling their best players to keep the club affloat and with limited funds to bring in players, which is the oppisite to us, so I expect to keep progressing our young squad, COYR!!

21.) 10 Jan 2014
"Right everyone we're playing Saints tomorrow and this is the plan. They push up the pitch really high so I want Speedy on the left and Billy Wizz on the right. Lop it over their midfield into space and the two fast lads run onto it. If any Saints players get near them they'll have to fowl us, maybe yellow or even a red card plus we'll have a great chance on goal. And they seem to tire after 75 minutes, all that extra training must be taking its toll. Now have you all got that?"
I think that's what the opposition managers team talk is now, so yes we need a plan B