Saints fans are split at the moment about what is going on at St Mary's , Club historian Duncan Holley is a man who knows Southampton Football Club as well as most, here he gives his view of the current situation.
Saints fans may all have differing views about what is going on at St Mary's some feel it is only a minor blip on the playing side of things, others feel it is more serious, For nearly 30 years now The Ugly Inside has prided itself on "Giving Saints Fans A Voice" We do that whether we agree with the writer or not, we believe in freedom of speech.
In that vein we are pleased to give Club Historian Duncan Holley an outlet for his views, we may or may not agree with some of it, but we believe in his right to hold those views and know that he like every other Saints fan has the club at heart.
Anyway over to Duncan !
When Marcus Liebherr finally purchased the ashes of Southampton FC in July 2009 there was a collective sigh of relief all around. It had been a close thing with the Matthew Le Tissier-backed Pinnacle consortium nearly turning us into the laughing stock that was, shortly afterwards, the fate instead of our fishy neighbours down the M27. Phew!
Although I was as delighted as the next fan the club had a future, I remember getting stick at the time for pointing out that although we had now been "rescued” by a bone fide and wealthy new owner, as fans we now had to accept our destiny would forever be out of our hands, or in other words, the new owner could do whatever he or she wanted without giving the supporters a second thought. Even Rupert Lowe had to consider the shareholders first and foremost, but now we were at the mercy of one man — Mr Marcus Liebherr.
Happily for us our new saviour appeared to be a man of integrity who, while undoubtedly chuffed to bits that he had acquired a bargain for around £15m, — a sum that looks a pittance today — he did actually look like he cared about the footballing side of things too.
Who can forget him and his camera at Wembley? Aided by Nicola Cortese who seemed to have liberal access to the Liebherr cheque book, it didn’t take long before we were proudly back in the big time. We are Southampton, we come from League One was belted out with gusto on many a Premier League ground.
Saints fans had not had it so good since the early 80s, the football was widely praised, the Academy was blossoming and, although Cortese upset many with his ruthlessness and disdain for our tradition, we could all live with it while results were positive and the football flowed. But then Marcus unexpectedly passed away. That truly was the day the music died.
At first it looked like, under daughter Katharina, things would continue in the same vein, but no that was, in hindsight, too much to hope for. It didn’t take long for her to realise that the singularly-driven Cortese was just a little bit too free and easy with the Liebherr family fortune and, while that was having the desired effect on the field with Pochettino and his players giving the top 6 a run for their money, her inheritance was taking a serious hit.
Not unreasonably she grabbed the reins, seized back control. Cortese left abruptly and acrimoniously, a signal to the ambitious manager and his leading players that the dream of Champions League football with Southampton at least was over. Cue Exodus. One by one they left, departing not a sinking ship exactly but one which had been full steam ahead one minute, only for a new captain to pull on the brakes and alter course for shallower waters. But there was yet hope, Ronald Koeman looked to be an inspired replacement and it was full steam ahead for a while, helped by the fact there were still many players left over from the Marcus/Nicola years who could still do a job ie the likes of Wanyama, Fonte, Rodrigues, Clyne, Schneiderlin and Davis.
But the driving ambition had gone along with access to serious cash. Les Reed (once Cortese’s underling but in the vacuum now given more power) and Koeman did not see eye to eye, with the former thinking he should have more involvement in team matters and the proud but haughty Dutchman wanting to do things his way. More players from the glory years left and, somewhere along the way, Katharina decided she too wanted out.
Cash rich, trustworthy and honourable owners do not grow on trees as Ms Liebherr was soon to find out and after several false dawns she eventually ended up selling 80% to a Chinese business man, Mr Gao who had a questionable enough background for the deal to pass before relevant authorities before it was finally allowed. No smoke without fire thought the vast majority of worried Sotonians.
Ms Liebherr was at pains to point out she would have only sold to people who would take Southampton onwards and upwards, but despite her well-meaning intentions she had little choice. She was well within her rights of course, it was her club to do as she pleased and as I point out in the first paragraph the fans simply had to accept it.
In the two years it took to finally sell Southampton, Les Reed, now in virtual sole control of footballing matters, made two poor-looking managerial choices, although the more Mauricio Pellegrino has struggled the higher his predecessor Claude Puel’s reputation has soared. Whatever, the truth remains under two mediocre managers, good players have left to be replaced by inferior ones. Under those circumstances decline has been inevitable.
The famed and much-vaunted Academy too seems to have dried up. Talk of Champions League football and five-year plans have melted away with the club content to rely on vacuous slogans like "we march on” to paper over the widening cracks and unfulfilled expectations that had unrealistically been encouraged to rise unchecked.
To be frank it was a miracle that the club managed to finish in the top 8, four seasons on the trot. That was some achievement, but even as last season drew to an end the writing had started to appear on the wall in a train of thought that we had peaked. That’s Ok Saints fans are not stupid, we had had several years of punching above our weight, but we would settle for mid-table now with perhaps a serious pot at a Cup while we regathered.
But now, as 2018 gets underway, the club seem unable to stop the decline and as fans we can only watch the likely forthcoming Armageddon with horror, unable to have any direct influence whatsoever. The Chairman’s interview this week has been a car crash in itself, with his continual references to us suddenly being "a small club” who are where we are because our best player demanded — and got - a transfer.
I’ve met Mr Krueger, he comes across a nice, decent man, but I’ve got to not mince my words here, he is clueless when it comes to communicating with the fan base. He seriously thinks the fans would be placated over the decline on the pitch with the knowledge our reputation in China is on the up. His corporate gobbledegook baffles, infuriates and insults the fans in equal measures. We are desperate not only for some sure-footed leadership but someone who can at least communicate and let us down gently in our own language.
It’s a sign of the times in modern-day football that Southampton fans and for that matter fans in general are now hostages to their own fate, mass protests will cut little ice anymore, non-attendance won’t ruffle any feathers in Peking or Shanghai, the truth is we lost our football club in July 2006 and our control or influence ain’t never coming back.
The only consolation I can think of is many other clubs are in similar situations. Unless you are fortunate to have a rich owner, a la the top 6, who really cares about what goes on pitch-side, then most of us will all forever be at the mercy of the quest for profit ahead of glory.
See you at Fulham!