Welcome to the first in a semi-regular series of articles from everyone’s favourite TUI poster SF73 who will attempt to share his (Mc)Nuggets of wisdom with you.

So another transfer window brings another threat by Cortese to up sticks and leave. Message board wisdom seems to indicate that this is another attempt by our Chairman to engage the Liebherrs in a game of chicken designed to free up more cash to be spent in the January transfer window. However, I’m not sure I agree with this…. The January window has always been the poor relation of its August cousin. Clubs in the top half do not tend to make many moves and the window mainly revolves around the clubs at the wrong end of the table desperately bringing in as many transfers and loans as possible in order to try and retain their place at the top table (as evidenced by players having to take a delicatessen number when arriving to sign on at Loftus Road last year).

One thing that is for sure is that if Sky Sports are giving prominence to this story then it’s more than internet rumours and, in all likelihood, the rumours have emanated from Cortese himself. So if he’s not after a few quid to spend in January what is Cortese is after? The Elephant in the room would have to be AC Milan. The club has been in disarray the past couple of years and after sitting a massive 30 points behind league leaders Juventus, this week sacked their manager. By all accounts the new man in looks like being former player Clarence Seedorf, a man with no managerial experience. It must be assumed that Seedorf’s role is more of a head coach appointment and they would need a strong Executive to work above looking after player transfers and the rest, something we know Cortese has no qualms about being involved in. Cortese has an affinity with AC and a move back to his home country must have some appeal to both him and his family. One further thing to bear in mind is that Italian clubs are in for a massive injection of cash from the new TV deal which is the first one that Seria A has signed which is comparable to the deal the Premier League has. If Cortese is set on competing on the Champions League front then he may well feel that Milan gives him a better chance of doing this than Saints.

However, I’m leaning toward another theory. One comment that is constantly trotted out by those who are not fans of NC is that “he is just an employee of the club”. This is quite correct and I’m sure something that rankles with Cortese given the huge leaps the club has made during his tenure in charge. Cortese’s role is pretty unique in the PL in that, although he is a mere of employee he is responsible for every decision at the club from who the manager will be to which (tea) spoons the club uses. We pretty much have absentee owners who its plain to see have none of the interest in the game that Markus did. The only comparable situation to this would be Daniel Levy at Spurs. Levy is far better known by the general public and Spurs fans alike than the actual owner, the foreign shores living, Joe Lewis. However, unlike Cortese, Levy does have a substantial shareholding in Tottenham’s parent company ENIC.

So I suspect this latest show of strength from NC is for one of two reasons. Firstly to get the Liebherr’s to give him an ownership share, something that personally I would have no issue with as it would be something that would tie him to the club for at least the medium term or secondly an attempt to force the Liebherr’s hand and get them to sell the club in its entirety (and let’s face it, it’s an asset they blatantly have precious little interest in) to a consortium group headed by Cortese (who has stated in the past that he would be able to find buyers for the club if ever the Liebherr’s did want out).

A worrying thing for the fans is that, such is Cortese’s massive influence over the club at present, his leaving would leave a massive hole which I could not see who would be able to fill in the short term. To be blunt, there isn’t even a Andrew Cowan to his Rupert Lowe.

One thing which is for sure is that, one way of the other, the situation has to be resolved quickly. As much as all clubs would like to deny it, it has been evident time and time again that off the pitch instability has a habit of finding its way onto the pitch……

Photo: Action Images

saintjeff52 added 11:01 - Jan 15 Blimey. This was 'ghost Written' wasn't it ? Nice to put a face, if it is the face of SF73, to one of the TUI's antagonistic correspondents. Having said all that, a very interesting read all the same. Probably a lot of truth in the latter theory that NC wants more 'ownership' of the Club, rather than being employed as CEO. SF73 rightly says that the situation needs to be resolved ASAP, as if not, the Vultures will be swooping to pick our bones, and picking off our best assets at knock down prices. The Club is all important and needs to stay strong at this time.

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saints__fan__73 added 11:01 - Jan 15 First rate stuff.
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slynch added 11:32 - Jan 15 Speculation about speculation....hang on a minute...that makes my post speculation about speculation about speculation. AAAAH! I feel like saints_fan_73's image!?!
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thingummy added 11:50 - Jan 15 If NC is going to go then go. The brinksmanship if not good for the club. While he has been hands on and good for the club, we will survive. Let's not keep this going until the end of the season. If there is disagreement I think its important that the fans get told the plans for the club by the owners - this should not be open just to speculation. My concern is that they sell to a group that ladens the club with debt and asset strips to pay down the debt - we are a prime target with our young players for such a business model.

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SanMarco added 11:53 - Jan 15 Looks like NC could well be going and if he is it will be because he wants to go to Milan and take MP with him. I have already seen some comment laying into the Liebherrs about all this but let us be realistic - we have reached the hardest and probably near impossible part of the 'five year plan' or whatever you like to call it and if NC walks now while his reputation is as big as his ego then he cant lose. It is sad but nothing stays the same in life, and certainly not in football. Our dreams of going higher are/were based on a fantasy of things moving ever upward with no one of note leaving. It was always unlikely but let's remember that this isn't the end. We have come a million miles in the last few years and one man (well two) leaving will not reverse all of that and may not reverse any of it.

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densham41 added 12:30 - Jan 15 well said sanmarco. Being a saints fan is like being on a rollercoaster. One Minute your up then on the way down.
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SPARTACUS added 12:33 - Jan 15 Stick to flipping burgers Bradders FFS
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ItchenNorth added 13:38 - Jan 15 Give me a choice of Cortese or the Liebherr family at the club come the summer I’d have to say I’d want to be keeping Cortese. I would rather retain Cortese so he can seek out new financial backing, hopefully retaining his position as chairman as part of any deal. That’s not slant on what the Liebherr’s have done for this club (god knows where we would be without them !) but you have to wonder what passion the family has now that they have fulfilled Marcus’s dream; the 5 year plan to the Premiership. Worst case is that both party’s leave (first Cortese over this issue and then the family in the summer). I just have more faith that it is Cortese with the passion for us long term; he just wants control and whats wrong with that ! Good article btw.

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Happy_Jack added 13:52 - Jan 15 I read that with relish ;-)
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BoondockSaint added 14:08 - Jan 15 I've always had the view that NC wants to own a club. Markus was not a football fan and bought the club when Little Nicci brought it to his attention that it would be a good investment since he could buy the club, stadium, etc. for practically nothing (in football terms). The Five Year Plan that has been hanging over us could have been to raise the value of the club and then sell at a profit. I've always said, this was Nicci's path to ownership: If the family wants to sell, he gets backers to buy it for him. All this is probably a ploy like last summer- that they get sick of his ego and sell to him since they don't want the aggro. Markus didn't like the players arguing with the ref, imagine what he would saying to the recent whining about Lallana? Then again, maybe, Hurricane Katrina gets tired of Little Nicci and says, "Yeah I'll put a load more money in-but you're out!"

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LenWilkins added 17:42 - Jan 15 I had him down as more of a Burger King man myself. .Just shows how wrong you can be.
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