Many Saints fans will be delighted with the news that Everton have sacked former Saints boss Ronald Koeman, personally I am just a little sad and wistful about what might have been.

Ronald Koeman was on course to challenge Lawrie McMenemy & Ted Bates for the title of Saints best ever manager 16 months ago, after two straight top 7 finishes & Europa League League qualifications he looked set for a great third season at St Mary's, one that perhaps might see him bring a trophy to the club.

Then came Everton, they were determined to get their man, perhaps because the man they had tasked with finding them the right man for the job, persuaded Koeman firstly to ditch his own agent and join him and then made sure that Everton came up with more and more money till eventually Koeman could not turn it down, becoming something like the 7th highest paid manager in the World at the time.

But right from the start you sensed his heart was not really in the job, at his own press unveiling he admitted that he was expecting to stay at Southampton right until a week or two before, he didn't quite say that he went for the money, but you didn't need to be a rocket scientist to get what he mean't.

You felt that he was starting to realise that he had compromised his own morals and ethics to take the job and he was starting to regret selling his sold for cash before the ink was dry on the contract.

Everton fans perhaps sensed that his heart wasn't at Goodison too, the problem was that Koeman like many Dutchmen is very pragmatic, he was to the point and didn't have as much tact as is needed when going to a club like Everton.

Their fans wanted to hear him tell them that Everton were the top club on Merseyside, that they were now going to challenge for a top four spot, that was the rhetoric coming out of Farhad Moshiri the club's new majority shareholder, but Koeman seemed unable to put out the company line, he perhaps realised that the Toffee's were a long way behind the big six in everything including stadium, financial income and the ability to attract the top players.

Put bluntly Koeman was not taken to heart by Everton fans because he didn't lie to them, he told them the truth and they didn't like it, they wanted to be told that success was only a big transfer fee away, that they were back in the big time, Koeman knew it would take more than words.

That being the case he probably realised that his job was doomed from the start, a top four finish or a trophy was the only thing that would keep him in the job more than two years, Moshiri is a new breed of owner, instant success is all that matters.

Koeman perhaps knew that although he could now spent £50 million on a player, he would never buy a player worth that amount, this summer's spending spree saw Everton spend big, but none of the signings suggested value for money, only overpriced players brought in so the club could make a statement, the fact that they bought in three players in the same position for big money and wages suggested that Koeman wasn't in charge of transfers, it was all about spend spend spend.

Given that like their near neighbour across Stanley Park Jergun Klopp, Everton didn't address problem areas but went for marque signings, yous sensed Everton would fail.

But it is harsh how Koeman has been hung out to dry, the fact is he was brought in to do a job that is perhaps beyond anyone at present and that is make Everton a top four side, no one connected wth Everton be it the club or supporters seemed to realise just how enormous this task was, the fans especially felt that all was needed was a name manager and some money, they didn't take into account that at least six clubs had better inrastructure and a squad light years ahead of Everton's.

Still Koeman made his choice, sold hs own morals for a big pay day and because of that now finds that his career has perhaps gone back five years, in the summer of 2016 he was tipped to be the next manager of Barcelona, Holland and even Arsenal, his next move would surely be to a truly top job.

Another year at St Mary's would have cemented his reputation and given him the pick of jobs, instead he opted to be lead by his agents talk of riches and went for money, now he will not be high on Barcelona's list or any big job for that matter, he will now be seen as a manager who is OK at the mid level or with teams in Holland where it is not so competitive, although even his good work with Feyenoord is now overshadowed by Giovanni Van Bronckhorst who won the Dutch Cup and then their first title since 1999 including a first Champions League place in 15 years.

So today Ronald Koeman joins that list of those who should never have left Southampton, it started with the Titanic and in recent times has included Luke Shaw, Callum Chambers, Dejan Lovren, Rickie Lambert and now Ronald Koeman.

As I say although part of me feels that justice has been done, really I just feel numb, numb about what could have been for Ronald Koeman and Southampton FC, both could now be a lot more better off than they are today, although we have continued to make steady progress, Koeman is now back in the also rans of management althou he will have plenty of money to enjoy his time off and reflect what might have been at St Mary's.

Photo: Action Images

the_saint added 20:37 - Oct 23 I went to my personnel department at work and asked if they will pay me 2 years salary if I get sacked
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the_saint added 20:38 - Oct 23 Only in football do you get rewards if your crap at your job
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aceofthebase added 20:55 - Oct 23 Koeman nearly always picked the wrong starting eleven with Saints. A change or two at half time gave us the points and everyone cheered for Koeman. We spent whole games playing on the edge of our penalty area relying on the fast breaks of Mane or kick it up to Pelle. Koeman had arguments with players and many were pleased to see him go. The results were achieved with some very good players despite Koemans poor man management and tactical leadership He left for the money, and I'm sure he is now a multi millionaire, so no sympathy from me. I was never won over by his charming press manner and nor was I going to run down Puel because of his lack of it.

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SonicBoom added 21:15 - Oct 23 You need to get over it. You kept saying how he was honourable and would honour his contract. He proved you wrong. Now you say that from day 1 he didn't look like his heart was in it. With 200 million to spend? And a massive pay packet. I honestly think you are so convinced that you are projecting your feelings onto him. Let it go. He's a big boy, he was making loads of cash and could easily have signed a new contract here but he didn't. Trying to convince yourself now that he really regrets moving is just daft.

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RogerToye added 21:51 - Oct 23 RK brought three decent players into our team after the exodus then 3 ok ones and a numpty 7in all he took the numpty with him and the keeper with Mane and Pelle did the biz and moved on Tadic staying. He Knew Saints strategy is to build on youth but he was expecting his players to come in instead that seems to be where the divide came. His comment on players chasing money was refreshing then he is off too ?? Was he just tickling ears. I think the Agent is 70% in his parting. If you want to bring anyone back it should have been Glen Hoddle he was probably the best manager not to have really achieved something big. We march on !! jury is out on this MP i liked the last MP that attacking brand of football is what we need with this crop of talent.

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steadyeddie added 22:32 - Oct 23 Someone else's problem. Not ours. I read an article in the MOS yesterday about his time at Saints - not all the players wanted to play for him. Quite an aloof character. Transfer that persona up to Everton, and add it to what Nick has written, it was always going to be tough, particularly with their mad and extravagant signings, plus the Europa League fixture pile up.

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A1079 added 23:03 - Oct 23 I think we have a slightly rose tinted view of Koeman's spell at Saints. True there were some positives and he made us believe that we could beat the best and we had some reasonable results against some of the so called top teams. But, I recall a spell where we could not buy a win, even to the point where some wondered if he was engineering it, to get out, then there were the games where we would play well for 45 minutes and then not bother. Then there were the cup competitions, he was simply never interested in cup competitions and continued to take that attitude with him to Everton. He may have taken us onto greater things, but we'll never know, and it is immaterial now.

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SaintPaulVW added 07:25 - Oct 24 If he couldn't manage a squad with no stand out forward and too many midfielders, not sure he'd have been much too use to us.
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SanMarco added 11:43 - Oct 24 Like most things in life being in the right place at the right time is a big part of success in football management. Koeman's style suited the problems Saints had when when MoPo left and the record shows that RoKo was great with us. His departure was a cynical one, yes money of course, but it was crystal clear that he would have preferred to run out his Saints contract and then make a decision. I don't think you can blame Saints for saying "that doesn't suit us". He will now feel that if he had signed a one year extension with Saints (wouldn't have meant he had to stay beyond last season) he might now be Barca manager. The big unknown (and the only one of any concern to us) is how he would have done with us last season. We will never know but even a dull season at Saints would have been better for his CV. MoPo's equally cynical move to Spuds did work (unlike Hoddle) because he was in the right place at the right time once he got there. That wasn't inevitable but that cynicism did pay off - MoPo at Real Madrid is now far more likely than RoKo at Barca. Everton wasn't the right place or the right time but that's a problem for RoKo's CV, certainly not his bank balance. Football is now a totally cynical, money-drenched business and words like 'loyalty' are becoming obsolete but the likes of VVD may care to think that cynical moves to Merseyside are all well and good if it pays off on the field. RoKo would be a hero now if Everton were 2nd in the table, but if it doesn't go according to plan then fans will quickly remember your cynicism, even if they quietly forget their own.

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Abbosaint added 18:26 - Oct 24 Koeman for Barcelona? I understand there is still a managerial vacancy at Gillingham.
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