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UGLY INSIDE
The club needs shaking up
by Chris Newman
03-05-05
Long-time Ugly Inside contributor Chris Newman offers an interesting perspective of Southampton Football Club, as always well-thought out and written.
Those Saints fans that have pointed out that proper investment was needed after the club reached the 2003 cup final are spot on.
If this had been done, I feel sure Gordon Strachan would not have walked. The appointment of Steve Wigley was never likely to work after he was thrown in at the deep end, any more than Stuart Gray's appointment did. We also committed a piece of soccer suicide by selling centrehalf Fitz Hall to a potential relegation rival. This was at a time, Michael Svensson - a player operating in a vital area of the field and in a defence in which we were becoming older, slower and weaker - was still out injured.
As for Paul Sturrock, I liked him after meeting him and I reckon it's still "case unproven" as he never really had a proper chance. I wish him all the best in trying to revive the fortunes of Sheffield Wednesday - a massive club.
However, my theory is, that Saints' problems are deeper than even the above. What concerns me most is the continuing SFC culture of a lack of genuine winning mentality. I speak of that ruthless cutting edge that is needed to go on and win things. It occurred to me once again whilst I was watching our very fine youth team fail to polish off Ipswich in the F.A. Youth Cup Final.
Ipswich are a similar sized club to our own, yet they have lifted that particular trophy 3 times. Saints still haven't managed it once. The Suffolk club have also been former League Champions and UEFA Cup winners. Yes, Saints can equal them as former runners-up of the top division and F.A. Cup holders ... but Ipswich are not the only club of around our size to leave us standing in terms of trophies won.
Wolves, another big-thinking club, despite their yo-yo tendencies, sent two coaches of fans down here for the youth semi-final. Yet, Saints didn't send even one, for a relatively short trip up to Upton Park for a previous round.
In fact the only time in our history that our club showed any proper ambition, was when Lawrie McMenemy came here and continued to build on Ted Bates' good work. We had one of the most widely respected chairmen in football at the time, George Reader, a former World Cup referee.
Reader was very astute and he knew Lawrie would go into the boardroom and kick a few backsides. The result was it gave us the club's most successful period and a host of wonderful memories. In fact we could and should have won even more than we did.
Yes, we all realise it was a long time ago and things move on. However, some things never change. There is absolutely no substitute for having genuine quality in your playing squad. Because of Saints' continued shoe-string budget outlook, the club have ended up with an over-cumbersome squad, packed with far too much mediocrity. It's therefore not really surprised any of the long-suffering and totally shell-shocked fans at the team's inability to continue to be able to compete realistically at the top level. The fans have been sold well and truly short and deserve far better.
Returning to the subject of "Lawrie Mac", I reckon he could still do a good job of some description for Saints even now. I don't however agree with one recent pundit who was calling for Matt Le Tissier to become a Saints manager. Surely his amazing talents would be far better utilized in a coaching capacity. That is if our one-time resident genius obtains his qualifications.
In the meantime, I would be more than happy for not only Harry Redknapp to stay but of course for Saints to remain in the top division IF WE POSSIBLY CAN!!
However, I fear for the future of my team in ANY division unless there is a major shake up, rethink and re-organisation at SFC... come the end of this season.
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