x

Matt Le Tissier Column - Matt On The Saints Situation

Matt talks about the surprising happenings at St Mary's this week and why he is glad that Mauricio Pochettino is staying.

Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to stay on as Southampton manager is good news for the stability of the club.

Had the Argentinian left then maybe their season would have fallen to pieces.

It would have rocked the boat had he gone at this juncture especially if, as speculated, a number of players had followed him out of the door.

The majority of Saints fans will be pleased to see him staying on even though the team is having a bit of a wobble at the moment.

Maybe one of the important factors behind his decision was his relationship with the players.

They seem to have a pretty good team spirit among the squad and the players appear to like him.

He’s come out in his press conference today saying none of his stars are for sale which is great to hear.

But he had backed himself in a bit of corner with the statement he made in the summer: If Nicola Cortese goes then I go.”

Maybe in hindsight he will learn from that and not make such rash statements like that again.

You never know it may have been a case where he was put in a position where he had to say that.

I’m not particularly surprised by Cortese’s departure after what happened the last time the transfer window was open.

His toys came out of the pram a little bit when he wanted more money for transfers and he got the backing then.

So for him to kick-off again is this transfer window was slightly inevitable but with difference consequences.

There will probably be a lot of fans, who are only concerned about what happens on the pitch, who will think this is bad thing for the club.

But I think anybody who’s had any dealings with the man will think completely differently.

A lot of them will think "Good riddance” to be honest because he upset quite a lot of people with the way he conducted his business.

We had our own differences of opinions but I didn’t lose any sleep over it.

The fact he’s actually chosen to walk away at a fairly crucial time in the transfer window, with a couple of weeks left to strengthen the squad, proves he didn’t have the best interest of the club at heart.

It was always a case with him of having the best interest of Nicola Cortese’s heart.

If he had gone about his business in a different way he would have been a huge hero with everybody.

It was a shame that there were bits he did off the field that he kind of spoilt when everything else was going so well.


Matt Le Tissier invites you to sign up for Goalden Goals for free now and win £200 .

What to read next:

Newcastle Awaydaze
This season’s visit to Newcastle United is tomorrow night with an 8.15pm kick-off, and it’s live on Sky TV. You’ll find St. James' Park on the north-western edge of the city centre.
Honours even in hard-fought draw at Elland Road
It looked like a good opportunity to achieve a famous victory over Manchester United, but in the end we didn’t show quite enough quality at either end of the pitch to force a win over our deadliest rivals.
Disciplined Leeds earn away point at Anfield
It was a frustrating night for Liverpool, as for once Leeds produced a defensive masterclass, to stretch our unbeaten run to seven games, in a period of the season when we are playing some of the biggest names in the Premier League.
Liverpool Awaydaze
Our visit to Liverpool will kick off at 5.30 on New Year’s day, thanks to live coverage by our friends at Sky TV.
Farke accepts Leeds have more to do after draw at Sunderland
Leeds can be delighted with the second half performance at Sunderland, which should really have earned us all three points, but Daniel Farke knows we will have to keep this run going before we can start to think about being safe from relegation.
Sunderland Awaydaze
Our game at Sunderland kicks off on Sunday at 2pm, thanks to yet another Sky Sports selection. You'll find the Stadium of Light on the site of the former Monkwearmouth Colliery on the north bank of the River Wear, the opposite side from the city centre.
Calvert-Lewin brace takes Leeds to win over sorry Palace
With Crystal Palace’s away record this season it could have been a difficult game, but Leeds produced a high energy performance to keep the good run going and pull six points clear of the bottom three
Brentford 1-1 Leeds United: Calvert-Lewin header earns deserved point
Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored for a fourth successive game to earn Leeds a crucial first point on the road since September.
Opinion: Brentford set example Leeds United would do well to follow
Sunday’s opponents Brentford are one of the best-run clubs in the country. They haven’t sacked a manager in more than ten years. We’d be wise to think on that before telling Daniel Farke to piss off.
Brentford Awaydaze
Our visit to Brentford will kick off at 4.30PM on Sunday, thanks to our very good friends at Sky Sports.