Southampton – Faces Without Names

I thought I’d be off to watch the South Coast Club play at Swindon on Saturday, but I’ve been earmarked for the Bristol Rovers/Brentford tussle instead.

In some ways I’m quite relieved because – while I agree with any local and national newspaper making a stand against the Executive Chairman of the club, Nicola Cortese – the current dispute isn’t doing the players or fans, in particular, any favours.

Cortese has decided in his wisdom that newspapers should pay for the privilege of running photographs provided by the club’s own snappers. In an effort to squeeze revenue from every orifice though, he’s missing the point. Whether he likes it or not, the papers give free advertising to his business. If he was forced to pay the going advertising rate for the space given over to the club by numerous newspapers each season, it would be back in administration long before Christmas.

Former club owner Markus Liebherr sadly passed away at only 62 years of age recently and I can’t help, but feel that he may have been keeping Cortese’s wilder excesses in check. German-born Liebherr led Southampton out of administration ahead of last season in which they won the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. He will be fondly remembered by Saints fans for his contribution to the club. However, I’m not sure that same will be said of Cortese.

And last week Cortese compounded his increasingly poor image by sacking manager Alan Pardew – shortly after they had trounced Bristol Rovers by four goals.

This is the same Pardew who helped Southampton win that Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and also took them to within a whisker of the play-offs last season – despite starting the campaign with a ten point deficit. Believe me, there were several players at clubs in those play-off positions looking over their shoulders and bricking it as the Saints marched up the table. No one was in any doubt that, should they make it, they’d then stroll into the Championship via Wembley.

I suspect that Southampton fans are becoming increasingly frustrated by Cortese, but also wonder what the players make of it. Let’s face it, they work in what is effectively part of the entertainment industry and grew up wanting to see their faces on the telly or their names in print. No harm in that at all, but when no-one knows how well they are playing it’s not going to help them seal that big money move or extended contract – assuming they wish to stay at the club following recent events.

The other thing worth pointing out to Cortese is that many of the papers use freelance photographers and pay them. It’s their livelihood and he’s affecting their earnings – not many of them will have earned their fortunes acting as a merchant banker.