Southampton Rumours Archive May 27 2014

27 May 2014 18:17:30
Sadly, it's done:
" The Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as our new Head Coach on a five-year contract. "
- Tottenham Hotspur Twitter feed.

Moving on, Murat Yakin may be the new manager of Southampton FC. He recently resigned from his role as manager of FC Basel (the best team in Switzerland) and is being looked at by the Saint's board. His greatest managerial achievement happened last year when he managed to beat Chelsea both home & away in the Champions League. Something which earned him huge praise from Jose Mourinho.

Although we know that the manager has gone, we dot know what will happen to the players. So please don't reply with a doom and gloom post about how this is the end. One man is gone, not our team. For all we know this could be the start of an even brighter future.

Stay cheery Saint's fans! 😊

While I would be with Yakin as our next manager (favourite on by the way) I personally would prefer Benitez. At least has a sense of humour as they list the original Judas Hoddle as a candidate. The sky is always darkest just before the dawn COYR

I quite like the prospect of mclaren. If you completely forget he managed England, he would be quite a good manager. He would be fairly loyal, masses of experience in England and in Europe. With a supportive board you never know. Rather him, yakin or Benitez than your houghtons, Clarke, Makay etc

Didn't Yakin say in an interview he'd be interested in managing Southampton? Something about it on talksport earlier

50% win record overall, only lost 2 league games last season, would love it if he actually is interested

27 May 2014 19:58:39
Shame poch is going. I just hope he doesn't get a load of abuse for "betraying" saints. He did a tremendous job for saints and we enjoyed a fantastic season. The club needs us the supporters to get behind the players (whoever they are) and the new manager. No-one is bigger than the club and saints will progress. Trust me, I have supported saints for 58 years and they are a well run, financially sound and ambitious club. There are only 60 minutes in your darkest hour. Coyr

27 May 2014 20:01:13
Yeah very good record and may well no of a couple little gems tucked away in that leauge

Why did Yakan leave Basel if so good?

Maybe Saints have been doing their own behind the scenes work.

Chapter closed, on to the next one.

Up The Saints.

Excited about the prospect of next year. As real supporters should be. A new Manager, some new signings, who knows, maybe even a top 6 position and Euro football to follow. Watching some young players coming through and taking points from MUFC, LFC and Spurs. Fabulous. Let the good times roll.

I agree I think they no it has been coming for a while and wouldn't surprise me at all if someone was lined up, think they have to say stuff like we have begun our search for a new manager

He left because he felt he has achieved as much as he could at Basel as was leaving them in a better condition than from when he started with them.

As for young gems in the Swiss Super League, Ebenezer Assifuah has turned many heads over there. He is a twenty year old striker playing for FC Sion, he has scored 15 goals in 31 appearances with 5 assists. He also scored 9 in 12 games at the U20 level with Ghana.

As for the young talents at Basel:

NAME: POS: AGE: STRENGTHS:
Airlind Ajeti - CB - 20 - heading, high pressing.

Fabian Schär - CB - 22 - heading, penalties, pace

Valentin Stocker - LW/LM - 25 - pace, shooting, passing (16 goals & 14 assists in 49 games)

Cheers happy man striker sounds interesting as does the let winger

The Yak has been tipped as next guardiola and won the Swiss league and beat Chelsea and spurs many times in Champo league. He would be a great manager and his playing style is very similar to poch but with less tactical flaws (such as dealing with counter attacks).

He also left Basel a short while ago after the mopo speculation grew

Will the last one out please shut the gate! I expect a few to go now : (

Am I the onle who feels Poch put the club in a position where they couldn't do anything to keep him? We know money was never a problem, and as for keeping top/key players the club can only say nobody is for sale. Ultimately if a player wants to leave they will, so he was asking the board to do the impossible imo. I wish him well, he will be job hunting in no time through no fault of his own, Levy is as stable as a Jelly on a rollercoaster!

i would like to see the board move for Yakin, give him funds and proceeds of any players who wish to leave for pastures new, build a squad with more depth and push on next season. I for one back the board 100%, they haven't really given me reason not too. COYS!

27 May 2014 23:10:19
I think people being upbeat are right. I remember watching Saints a lot when Ian Branfoot was manager and we aren't going to be as bad as that with any of the names being mentioned (apart from Lennon).

What the difference between Lennon and yakin? Both make big teams look good in poor leagues. And both had fair champions league runs.

Difference between Lennon and Yakin is type of football and type of person.

Not Lennon! He isn't properly proved and his style of play isn't what saints want, yakin all the way

Totally agree The Hedge, I want Laudrup but Yakin would be fine.

Sick name Benali'sTache

^ I wouldn't want Laudrup if the rumours about him are true

27 May 2014 14:50:33
I think this may have taken another twist ITV are reporting from pochettino himself that:
"I (sic) want to say that I still have one more year on my contract.

It is only normal that these rumours will start cropping up. We know the rules with how these things happen in England.

We will sit down and we will talk. This is the end of a five-year project, we have achieved what we wanted from this project and now a new project has to start".

Sherbourne saint, as much as I wish that was the case that quote was from the end of the season a few weeks back. Poch has sat down with the southampton board and is obviously not happy with what KL has offered.

This statement was about a week ago, this was before the board told him that he will have a squad of 7 players at the beginning if next season. Although he can increase that number by spending around half if the transfer fees received (around 250m) but he can't pay more than 10k a week to anyone. And that they want him to play the youngsters to increase their value.

That is taken from the interview he gave on 11th of May after the Man U game. So as usual the press have taken a story from 2weeks ago and tried to turn it into a new story

Poch is off. FFs we need to sign a decent manager quickly and keep all our players and tie them down. And sign some decent players soon

27 May 2014 18:36:09
Message deleted by editor.

{Ed005's Note - You should be ashamed of yourself for hurling abuse like that at Pochettino.}

Hi ED who do u think is saints main manager targets? Yakin or De boer? Possibilities? We need to get a decent manager quickly and sign some decent players and keep our players

{Ed005's Note - I know nothing about Southampton at all so can't answer any of your questions. I am just making sure the posts get processed.}

I contacted ed no2 via the arsenal site ( he is still very active). He basically said him and saints are done, and he prefers hanging with the arsenal fans. I commented on one of the posts

Loosing a lot of people to North London eh?! ;-)

Ed05 have you any knowledge of another ed replacing ed02 on the southampton page. Feeling pretty lonely down here with no manager.

{Ed005's Note - There is nobody else who can answer specifics. Other Eds will answer what they can.}

Is murat yakin who saints want as manager? I hope we keep our players and sign some decent ones. Coyr ED

Hi ED is de boer a possibility? Who do u think is possible? I hope we get a decent manager and keep our players bar osvaldo, hooiveld bad mayuka and we sign some decent ones

{Ed002's Note - It will become clearing in the coming days who the options are. What will be interesting is if Dan Petrescu is one - he has an offer on the table but might be a good choice. Laudrup would be a good choice, but I don't know if he is interested. De Boer, again I don't know.}

27 May 2014 11:15:45
I posted a few days ago that Benitez was allegedly at Southampton. I questioned then whether this could mean hello Rafa or goodbye Morgan. As Napolis approaches for Morgan were rejected out of hand. could it mean hello Rafa I for one think he would fit the bill perfectly.
Thankyou to KL for the party at Swansea I hope you all enjoyed it as the party could be well and truly over now. Perhaps its time for Kl to sell on to someone prepared toi put thier money where thier heart is. I've been supporting Saints for over 60 years this latest development seems to me to be return to business as usual. spend 5 years watching a team develop to have it torn asunder overnight. Nevertheless Southampton till I die.

I'd like rafa but can't see it happening. Why would he join a club that's selling? He would want assurances players will stay and a hefty tf budget at the very least

How has it been torn apart, talk about being pessimistic. our club is bigger than one man. you say you've been a fan for 60 years you should know better than that then, players come and go as do managers but the loyal fans remain.
TWS

Players may come and go but when you have a squad like we now have you don't want to see it get ripped apart we need to keep the squad and strengthen it to push on for next season we have just had are best ever season

27 May 2014 14:54:53
Players might force a move as players do but that does not mean that weare having a fire-sale.
Nothing that Katerina has done leads me to think that she has anything but the best intentions for the club and why go to the trouble of assembling (not thowing together ) a Board if she was not serious about the club.plus she attends matches.
There are good managers out there and I think that Les Reed will only appoint someone who will do things the Southampton way. A lot of people are knocking Les but he has galvanised the whole structure of the club so that we will continue to produce good youngsters and bring them through. and they will slot in because they play the same system as the A team.
Teams finished above us who had neither our players or manager so it's not set in stone that only certain layers will do. Also it was 3 managers who got us to where we are now. Let's be positive and make anyone who leaves regret their decision.

Wow! Nice comments IRW. I actually couldn't agree more! Well said! I do think though, the southampton way was very much a courtese vision. The problem I think most fans have is that he clearly wanted to win the league and take the "next step" and Shen he left if appeared that the owner didn't share that vision, therefore what I'd the new "southampton way"? Only what we don't want and are all a bit worried about is what happens if KL is only interested in creating great players to sell them and make some of her dad's money back? That's my concern. Albeit you are right in what you've said, provided that we keep trying to move forward.

Tommo and irw my point about supporting Saints for 60 years is that I've seen this movie before many times and sadly it never ends well. I hope i'm wrong and that Ill turn out to be the happiest pessimist ever unfortunately I think you will be the disapointed optimists. On the plus side some of my happiest supporting periods have been watching teams and individules develop. COYR

I have re watched the les reed press conference again, and I just cannot see any players going that the manager does not want to leave. We won't have an exodus of players, that is ridiculous. But even if lallana and shaw goes, I hope he's got thick skin because he is going to look like a right person.
I would be surprised if they couldn't insure the top players stayed, and I'm very surprised if poch goes and it will leave me totally confused as what KL intentions are. If she hasn't got the best interests of the club in hand, why on earth would you attend the games

27 May 2014 08:55:49
Pochettino deal is almost finalised. 3 Year contract with an option for a further year. He will be bringing 4 of his backroom staff. Just the matter of compensation with Saints to agree. Its a sad day for Southampton, all we can hope for now is that the board show real intent with their next manager. I believe certain players will stay if the right man is appointed. Don't forget the players all said how fond they were of Adkins before he left, it doesn't mean mass exodus

27 May 2014 09:21:07
I have an awful feeling that our next manager will be one who needs a job Houghton, Lennon, Holloway ect and not someone who has been hand picked for the job. I also suspect after the 'exodus' they won't be putting much if any money into the team. I hope I'm wrong but we are Southampton and history suggests storm clouds are never far away.

27 May 2014 09:33:39
I totally agree - It does look like it's happening, and it will be gutting as he really seemed like the man to take us forward. But Saint2hotty is right, Managers come and go (I think Lallana has played under 10!) so it doesn't mean all players will look to jump ship. Heard some interesting names mentioned. Steve MacLaren, Neil Lennon, Gus Poyet and Michael Laudrup. Not sure if I fancy any of these, but hopefully the Board will snare an unknown star of the future! :-)

27 May 2014 09:39:36
The only realistic option that would excite me is Michael Laudrup. Neil Lennon would be an unmeasurable disaster. If we make the wrong decision on this appointment we will be in real trouble.

27 May 2014 09:50:42
I agree totally with BenalisTache! It has to be Laudrup. We will play an attractive style of football that will excite the fans. He is a high profile individual, that has been there, seen it and done it during his playing career. He will also attract players to the club.

{Ed005's Note - Another Editor mentioned that Dan Petrescu should not be ignored.}

Hi ED is yakin and de boer possibilities? Does it look like mp will go

{Ed005's Note - I can't help you there mate.}

27 May 2014 10:40:55
murat yakin the old basel manager who's just left would be a good appointment played attractive football and young boss good replacement if mopo leaves

27 May 2014 10:57:05
Laudrup would seem to be the best fit to carry on with a similar style of football and I could see him attracting some top players. Maclaren has really put in some good work both here and abroad since the dark old England days so think he would bring some good ideas and a decnet style of play with him as well as a good knowledge of hidden gems in Holland and Germany (stretching the wishful thinkinig here but its time to be positve).

MP has done a great job and the players clearly love him but the same tools will be available to the next manager as well. The acadamy will still be there, the training ground upgrade project will be completed etc etc so I really do think we can attract a top manager. Potential candidates will see what our club has done for MP's standing in the English game and think "what a great club, maybe I can enjoy the same level of success as well, maybe I can develop the fantastic talent coming through the academy and make a name for myself"?

Managers may use us as a spring board but as long as the heart of the club stays in tact then there is no reason we can't bring in the right "department heads" to run the first team and acheive success.

Hi ED is mp close to signing for spurs? Is yakin a possibility.? Any transfer rumours inwards? Thanks ED

{Ed005's Note - Sorry mate but I can't help at all.}

27 May 2014 14:13:23
Can someone tell me about Dan Petrescu? Is he a MoPo kind of manager I.e high pressing possession football and young exciting players? Is he good enough to improve the team enough to take us up the table?

K ED can't you ask another ED on the situation with poch and transfers and if poch goes is yakin a possibility?

{Ed005's Note - Ed2 is not going to answer any more Southampton questions mate.}