Saints fans will be hoping that this week will see some big news and I don't just mean the release of the fixture list on Wednesday.

This coming weekend will mark the fifth week since the end of the season and for most Saints fans the problem with that is that Saints have appeared to have sat on their hands and done nothing about the managerial situation at St Mary's.

The press have done much speculation about the future of Claude Puel, indeed the key journalists who usually have the ear of the club are all saying the same thing, that it is virtually certain that Puel will not be in charge for the coming season, but why the delay ?

When thousands trooped out of St Mary's after yet another failure in front of goal and with many having not renewed their season tickets sick of summers of uncertainty, it was hoped that the club would act with decisiveness and swiftly make a decision either way.

What we got was confirmation that the club was reviewing the situation and that it would now consider it's decision, that in itself was a vote of no confidence in Puel, most who write about the club including myself were of the opinion that the decision had already been made and both parties had agreed to end the marriage with dignity and with both coming out of it with their reputations intact.

This involved the club as being seen to have made a reasoned decision and not looking like they had been forced into it by the supporters and Puel perhaps taking a job i France, then they could have trotted out the story that Puel and his family were not happy living in England etc etc.

That was reasonable, but a reasonable period of grace would have been around two weeks, three at a push, but we are heading into the fifth week since the final game of the season and apart from a few well placed media briefings from the club to trusted journalists we have heard nothing.

This is not good for the squad, if Puel were to stay at least five players would not be happy and would be seeking to depart due to their treatment by the Frenchman and his rotation system.

Likewise lining up new signings, how can we possibly do that until we know who will be in charge of the team ?

The main issue here is uncertainty, even if Puel was to stay we could then look at replacing those wanting out.

That could all of course be due to the saga surrounding Lander Holdings and their proposed buy in to a majority shareholding of the club, certainly Saints could have a lot more clout should this happen and that in itself could be a reason why they have failed to appoint a new manager yet.

Lander have now seemingly obtained permission from the Premier League and passed their fit and proper test, indeed last Thursday it was reported that they themselves were celebrating their imminent purchase, but nothing since.

That could be because the i's need to be dotted and the t's need to be crossed and if Lander are serious then that should be quick.

So this week could be pivotal in the history of Southampton FC, it could see Lander Holding take a majority shareholding in the club, believed to be 80%, that in itself could trigger movement in the managerial situation and again might persuade one or two that their future still lies at St Mary's.

We stand on the verge of something big, but we cannot stand on this verge for much longer, their comes a point where Lander need to put up or push on, Katharina Liebherr needs to draw a line in the sand at some point and either the deal gets concluded or we continue on as we are, that doesn't mean that we cannot sack the manager or keep and buy key players, we have done that very well for the last three summers, but it does mean we won't have as much money.

There are those that would prefer this course, the Liebherr family have been good owners and they canot take it to the next level as the Chinese could, however what is the next level ? there are six clubs at the top level in the Premier League who now perhaps have an infrastructure that means that they will rarely be overtaken, Manchester United's appalling seasons are still better than our best and that should be considered.

Yes big investment will help, but it won't allow us to compete on anything like a level playing field and perhaps never will and it should be noted that Everton and Newcastle are two clubs who have tried to build that structure but have failed over the past decade or so.

So what will happen this week ? who knows, but one thing is certain something has to happen soon if we are to continue to move forward, to do so we need to instill confidence and loyalty in not just the squad but the supporter base too.

Rightly or wrongly too many supporters have not renewed season tickets and that is another story, but we need to get them back quickly and start to build a supporter base that can see and believes in what we are doing and buys it's season tickets based not on form which is temporary, but on supporting the club through thick and thin.

It's what they do at the likes of Everton and Newcastle, if we aspire to be above them then we need to match them in all areas not just on the pitch.

Photo: Action Images

REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 09:39 - Jun 12 Maybe the Lander deal is close and they want to get that finalised before approaching a new manager. Its much easier to get the right manager without the doubt about ownership hanging around. The likes of Tuschel probably wouldn't commit until the ownership is sorted and transfer budgets agreed. I think the Lander deal is what's needed to keep up with the likes of Everton. They have a massive transfer kitty and we don't without Lander. The only way to keep up is to spend. Lander specialise in building sports stadiums so I would expect a brand new state of the art stadium to keep up with Tottenham's new ground. Overall I expect this deal is designed to keep us in the top 8 and a bit closer to the big 6. Katharina is doing what's best for the club. The management structure remains the same, which is really important, with the only change being someone from Lander represented on the board of directors.

0

SonicBoom added 10:37 - Jun 12 How will Lander "give us more clout" Nick? They appear to have less money than Kat.
7

Sanguin added 10:42 - Jun 12 Just to point out: We have no evidence that Lander will invest significantly in the club if they take over. We have no real evidence that 5 players will leave if Puel remains as manager. I’m hoping this is dragging on as they negotiate with Tuchel, all of our other linked managerial targets seem to have been snapped up already. I am fearful that this delay means that Puel will remain in charge but, like Theresa May, will be hugely diminished since the Club’s silence on his situation is tantamount to a vote of no confidence in him

2

Jesus_02 added 10:52 - Jun 12 They do need to get their ducks in a row. But im imagining that they need to establish what mutual consent looks like more. The club arent going to want to pay more than they have to but Puel has them by the short an curlies ATM. Rejecting the job in France was his way of insisting his contract is paid up. He cant be blamed for that TBH, he has a contract and saints got compo when RK left.

0

andywelsh added 11:12 - Jun 12 What clubs do these days is continue to pay the departed manager salary and hope they find a new job before they are forced to pay for the termination of contract, so Puel turning down St Etienne is a potential red herring. He would have to stay out of work for some time before Saints paid him off. Of course Saints may be paying him a lot more than St Etienne were offering and so he will wait and see. If of course Saints actually want to get rid of him. So far it is all rumour and speculation.

1

SanMarco added 11:20 - Jun 12 I dont actually understand how the Lander thing is supposed to give us more clout. The 200m or whatever goes into Kat's pocket. If Lander have any left (see SonicBoom's comment above) then they may spend it on us I suppose. Unless the 200m goes straight into the transfer/wages pot it makes no difference and we will have owners who may or may not have a clue how to run a football club - I fear the latter. On the delay over Puel - use what excuses you like but it does seem like typical Saints. The world moves on at a pace and we quietly do nothing...

6

SaintNick added 12:13 - Jun 12 No one seems to be sure just how much Lander are worth, the echo reported this when the investment was first noted. "Born in October 1952, Jisheng served in the Shanghai People’s Armed Police for seven years from the age of 18, during which time he graduated from Shanghai Normal University - before becoming a self-made multi-millionaire. He founded Lander Holdings Group Ltd in 1995 and has only recently switched the company’s focus from property to sports investment. Jisheng’s 59 per cent stake, which he shares with his daughter Jingna, in Lander Holdings was estimated at $1.4 billion last June when Forbes, the respected business magazine, reported that the company’s shares had increased by an incredible 700 per cent during the previous year. Two months later it was announced that Lander Real Estate Company Ltd had become Lander Sports Development Company Ltd. Lander Sports is based in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, but last week the company opened an office in London, which was registered with Companies House on October 27. Last year Macau Business Daily reported: "Lander’s business scope has shifted entirely from property investment to the organization of sports activities; design, construction and management of stadiums; research and sales of sporting goods as well as engaging in sports agency business." " Lander holdings appears to have the money, whereas Lander Sports as a subsidary hasnt got the cash reserves yet

0

REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 12:20 - Jun 12 The management team remains in place, so where you say 'do the new owners know how to run a football club?' the answer is no they don't but they will rely on our existing people to run the club. Katharina has been quite clear that who she sells to will have to have the funds to drive us on. She hasn't wanted to pump ten of millions of pounds of her own money in and that's fair enough. She never wanted to own a football club but she's always done right by us. Lander will invest, they'll want us to be knocking on the door of the top 6. I imagine thier long term plan is to make us one of the most popular teams in Asia because we're massively lacking in that region and if they can do it then it dramatically increases our revenue year on year. They already have roots in selling sports merchandise, broadcasting, building stadiums etc so they're in a good position to increase our exposure. No doubt they'll be organising pre-season tours to the far east like most other big teams.

1

saintmark1976 added 12:24 - Jun 12 A supposed "take over" that has been rumbling on since last October/ November. A manager that "may or may not" be in place for the start of the new season. V V D " not for sale " unless of course we receive an acceptable offer. All I can say is good luck in attempting to get fans to part with large sums of money to buy season tickets on that basis.
6

bstokesaint added 12:27 - Jun 12 It'd have to be one hell of a week for me to start feeling excited about next season. I'm not about to turn my back on my childhood club, but the prospect of a Far Eastern ownership (with dubious finances), an apparently “managerless” club and a number of wantaway stars doesn’t give me any reason to believe that we will have much to be excited about next season, which could be fairly easily mean something worse than the cup final and eight place finish we had this time.

4

aceofthebase added 12:51 - Jun 12 I want this on the record. I want Puel to stay at the club. I want all wan aways to be sold I don't give a damn about the moaning fans who haven't renewed their season tickets. I hope we do not have new owners I hope that Nick will be kind and understanding towards our centre backs. I want the government to give me an extra thousand pounds Oap to pay for transport and a season ticket.

-2

SanMarco added 13:00 - Jun 12 Good luck with the last one Ace....
1

SaintBrock added 13:16 - Jun 12 As we have said before if Landar take 80%, Liebherr is powerless to do anything, to stop any unsavoury happenings or have any real influence over what goes on here. What makes anybody think that they will give any credence to our "family club" heritage or "The Southampton Way"? Our brand has little power beyond Hampshire so Landar will feel free to re-shape the club any which way they want. If they have to borrow money to finance the £200m alleged buy-in demanded by Leibherr no doubt they will quickly sell assets to sink their loan and that regrettably will probably include van Dyke and Bertrand. They are buying a commodity that's all.

4

BoondockSaint added 14:12 - Jun 12 If they are aiming at the Chinese market, at least they won't be changing our colours! (Maybe that's what attracted them to us in the first place).
3

GeordieSaint added 14:55 - Jun 12 Equally there is no real hurry. There is over 2 weeks until the squad, minus the U21 players come back. A new manager would need to evaluate the squad before making any transfer requests anyway which would put him in a longer window than Claude had last year due to the Euros before the season started. Stay calm, I'm sure they have a plan.
2

fubsy added 21:54 - Jun 12 Well said Ace, I hope the government can find £1000 for you too.
2

arthurfane added 16:34 - Jun 13 A big shame that Jason McCarthy has just left us for Barnsley. Top prospect who has excelled wherever he's gone on loan - thought he could offer a future strong option as a converted CB like Calum Chambers did..
3

halftimeorange added 16:36 - Jun 13 All this boils down to is whether you want to attend live football matches or not and see some of the world's best performers, who ever they play for? If you do you'll pay for a season ticket. It's becoming increasingly irrelevant who you support in the EPL outside of the big six. Saints board have proved that we can, at the very least, be up there fighting for the biggest crumbs falling from the top table. We know that our players currently form a top ten squad. They are collectively, at worst, better than most other EPL teams. If Lander come in and/or Puel goes we just might do better but football in England (or many other countries) is now devoid of sentimentality. It's like horse racing, if you can afford the best horse you will invariably win. If you want guaranteed success, don't follow Saints. If, like me, you get a sense of anticipation in supporting your local team on matchdays, stop moaning and buy a season ticket and enjoy whatever skills are on display.

1

Vega added 11:45 - Jun 14 for me the big event would be the signing of Tuchel and one more goal scorer.clear out the fog and make at least an official statement on the matter
0

Vega added 11:48 - Jun 14 SaintBrock 'correctly said.just a commodity for these chinese
0

Blogs 31 bloggers

Charlton Athletic Polls