Pardew dismissal raises worrying questions at Southampton
Wednesday 01 September 2010
While most Southampton fans come to terms with the rather unceremonious dismissal of Alan Pardew, questions have been raised from certain quarters about the motives of the chairman who sacked the first manager to bring silverware to St Mary’s in 34 years.
After securing Saints first win of the season – a four-goal demolition of Bristol Rovers – Pardew was ousted from his post as manager, the club claiming: ”to achieve its well known targets, it is essential to make changes to the management.”
A statement released to the media also declared that the club and its hierarchy “recognise that frequent changes to the football management are unlikely to assist in the winning of trophies and promotions. However, we are taking these steps to achieve our aims, which we share with all supporters, to get promoted this season, and secure long term stability and progress for our football operations."
Granted, Saints haven’t enjoyed the most prolific of starts to a campaign that pundits had tipped them to dominate from the off, but Pardew and his youthful outfit were still coming to grips with the hefty tag of favourites. In a division that boasts the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth, Peterborough and Charlton, victory could not be assured week in, week out with early season upsets part and parcel of modern day football.
This in turn begs a question of Nicola Cortese’s true intentions. Yes, he is determined to do what is best for the club he describes as “his baby”, but does his shrewd, calculating business mind cloud his seemingly limited knowledge of football?
At the end of last season, Southampton were embroiled in a war of words with the local media over allegations that Pardew was facing the sack, with Cortese furious the club had failed to achieve promotion after substantial spending in the transfer market. However, the chairman acted swiftly to quell any potential uproar from fans and draw a line under a matter that he described as “a deliberate attempt to unsettle both the club and Alan.”
A message from Cortese to fans was posted on the club website stating that: “In recent days, there has been much speculation in some of the tabloid national and local press about the position of our First Team Manager, Alan Pardew. Without exception it has been ill-informed.
“I completed a thorough review of the First Team with Alan and we are clear and agreed on our plans and objectives for the coming season. Both Alan and I share these objectives and targets. Although getting the football side right is a serious business, Alan and I have a lot of fun doing it and we are developing a mutual trust.”
So what has changed in just three short months? A poor pre-season and sluggish start to the new campaign can be considered minor factors, but the evident cause for fractures appearing at the club is the sudden passing of Markus Liebherr. With Cortese at the helm, Southampton F.C will become a business, where success is rewarded - albeit briefly - whilst failure is simply not tolerated. Many supporters fear the club has unearthed another Rupert Lowe and such apprehension may prove accurate if Cortese adopts the infamous axe that Lowe used to execute so many managers in his callous reign as chairman.
For Saints will not be able to entice a manager of Pardew’s pedigree or standard to the third tier of English football, and without a steely manager with a tough resolve, the club may struggle to “to achieve its well known targets”.
Despite first team coach Dean Wilkins taking over as caretaker boss, the reigning JPT champions surrendered their grip on the trophy, slumping to a 3-0 loss to Swindon in the second round and if this can be perceived as an early indication of what to expect in life without Pardew, Southampton could be in for a long and taxing season.
The key now - as it seemingly always is at St Mary’s - is stability; something that the club has been frantically in search of for the last decade and up until last month, finally possessed.
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