Let’s get the negativity out of the way quickly. Koeman is going. We shouldn’t live in a fantasy land thinking that Ronald will be loyal to us and suddenly decide to stay despite the plethora of media reports. Everton can offer him more money and that is all there is to it.
Now that we know the situation, we can start to take positives from it. What I think many people may have failed to see is that by allowing Koeman to leave, the board actually have the club’s best interests at heart. Hear me out on this…
They know that they cannot compete with the wages Everton have to offer and therefore, understandably, do not want to risk Southampton’s financial stability, which they have worked tremendously hard to build up since the Liebherr takeover in 2009. Since those dark days, the board has always been careful not to overpay any players or manager due the possibility of the club falling in jeopardy again. That is why Pochettino left, that is why Schneiderlin left, that is why Lallana left – the list goes on. Fans must realise that the board are not letting these players and managers go because they do not care about the club; it is because they have business acumen and recognise that they must run Southampton sustainably. We do not have a billionaire owner from the Middle East or Asia who will provide hundreds of millions for us to employ and buy who we want – this is a fact that must be accepted.
Since those dark days, the board has always been careful not to overpay any players or manager due the possibility of the club falling in jeopardy again. That is why Pochettino left, that is why Schneiderlin left, that is why Lallana left – the list goes on. Fans must realise that the board are not letting these players and managers go because they do not care about the club; it is because they have business acumen and recognise that they must run Southampton sustainably. We do not have a billionaire owner from the Middle East or Asia who will provide hundreds of millions for us to employ and buy who we want – this is a fact that must be accepted.
Instead, Katharina Liebherr and her board members run the club with its development and expansion at the heart of their decisions. Investments in the training ground and academy secure the future of Southampton FC so that it will hopefully never fall into the problems that it did seven years ago.
One could also argue that Koeman leaving is a good thing. When he joined the club, there were doubts about his managerial abilities and his lack of trophies. Of course, he undoubtedly has done a fantastic job guiding the club to successive record high Premier League finishes and qualifying for Europe in back to back seasons. However, maybe it is true that he has taken the team as far as he can. I would like him to carry on as I feel he does have more to offer but if he feels he can’t drive us onto greater success or does not want to be at the club, then so be it. A manager such as Unai Emery has won three Europa League titles in a row and has the necessary talent and experience to do well with the squad we have.
I would like him to carry on as I feel he does have more to offer but if he feels he can’t drive us onto greater success or does not want to be at the club, then so be it. A manager such as Unai Emery has won three Europa League titles in a row and has the necessary talent and experience to do well with the squad we have.
I think the board recognise that Koeman’s heart is no longer at Southampton and that they cannot pay him what he wants so have decided that they are better off letting him go. They will search long and hard for a suitable replacement such as Emery or Frank de Boer, who will be superior to Ronald Koeman, and can take the club further. Saying this, if he does stay, that would still be fantastic as we have seen how impressive he can be.
To sum it all up, if he dos end up staying, I am sure the current squad will be kept together and perform well next season. However, if the anticipated move does occur, there will be no meltdown as we can bring in a top manager to galvanise the team. It could even turn out better than how it would if Ronald stays.
Therefore, let’s stay positive and believe that the drama will end with a quality manager in charge at St Mary’s – whether that be Koeman or not.
