Les Reed's reputation has been slightly tarnished by Soton's recent struggles on the pitch, with the production line of top young players somewhat drying up, and their questionable recruitment
Which by the sounds of it coincides with reed’s promotion (taking a step back perhaps) and it falling apart. I think koeman leaving was really not something they had considered.
There's only so many a Club will find and produce and if the revolving door only goes one way the team will, ultimately, suffer. Imagine what sort of squad they would have now with these in it (how much sold for originally and where now):
Gareth Bale (£7m) - Real Madrid Luke Shaw (£27m) - Man Utd Virgil van Dijk (£75m) - Liverpool Sado Mane (£34m) - Liverpool Nathaniel Clyne (£12.5m) - Liverpool Adam Lallana (£25m) - Liverpool Dejan Lovren (£20m) - Liverpool Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain (£12m) - Liverpool Victor Wanyama (£11m) - Spurs Calum Chambers (£16m) - Arsenal Theo Walcott (£5m) - Everton Morgan Schneiderlin (£25m) - Everton Jack Cork (£3m) - Swansea Jay Rodriguez (£12m) - WBA
And we think we're a selling club!
Jay Rodriguez was a Burnley youth product who Southampton bought for quite a few million. I don’t think Southampton can really take credit for developing him, even if they did make a profit on this outlay.
The list was more to do with the way that Southampton have spotted a decent player, whether they bought them or not and how those players ultimately ended up at a top Club. Lookman didn't join us 'til he was 16 or 17. Pope, likewise, was 19. For sure our input would have been massive in their development but some of that has to be down to those clubs they played for before coming to us.
I'm sure Les is a very nice man, but I never understood why he gets credit for Curbs team's. He resigned a few months before the end of the season and was kept on until the end of the playoffs. That season was all about the last couple of months when we were unbeaten winning 9 out of 10. By that time he was being pushed to the sidelines and replaced by Peacock.
Iirc from curb’s own account Reed was instrumental that season and was gutted he had to leave more for health reasons than anything.
OK but Curbs probably being polite if health reasons why did he move for a job at the FA?
FA jobs are pretty cushty, don’t have to travel every week like at a football club. A lot less day to day physically demanding work (standing in the cold shouting at footballers) and more of a desk job. Remember the bloke collapsed and very nearly died before leaving.
Fair enough didn't know he nearly died. I wonder why he took the assistant role to Dowie and then the manager's job with his health record.
Les Reed was promoted to vice-chairman at Southampton last year as well as being head of football development since 2010 and contributed to producing the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Luke Shaw, Callum Chambers and James Ward-Prowse. He is now, however, being touted as becoming the technical director of the Premier League - responsible for overseeing youth development and maintaining good relations between the 20 clubs at executive level.
His work with Curbs was distinctly undermined by his somewhat disastrous period as manager. However, there is no doubt that he has had a very successful career as a coach and mentor. Some like Brian Clough are destined to manage. Others like his sidekick, Peter Taylor, are coaches pure and simple. Reed falls into the latter category.
If I was buying the club the first thing I would do is get Les on board to build his setup whatever the cost.
I would break the bank to have him come and work his magic.
Les Reed is well into his sixties now. Will he want another full time job? Maybe some part time stuff.
Nearly 68. His role at the FA was to reorganise the set up and groom his successor - and now he's accomplished that.
I agree with you, Len ..... he may feel he's done his bit for the world of English football; maybe he'll keep his hand in with a bit of consultancy work?
He played a major role for us during the Lord Llewellyn years .. if we can afford him, he'd do the same for Sir Lee
Absolutely. Unfinished business for Les with the Addicks. He could and should have said "no" (manager of players he palpably wasn't) but he was offered a poisoned chalice when Dowie was finally dismissed, leaving carnage behind. Time heals to some extent but Les took some outrageous abuse and derision in the press and indeed from some fans. Les a top man and, assuming he's well and up for it, age is no limitation for what he could bring to Tommy, Lee and Steve's team.
Unless he knifes Lee for his job like he did with Dowie of course.
You're joking right?
Nope. Reed apparently went to Murray to finish Dowie off and get himself put in charge. That left Reed, with no management experience, in charge of a team of players who knew he'd got the manager sacked so he could have a crack at it. Four points in seven games and a League Cup quarter final exit to Wycombe followed. Considering we're possibly only just now looking like being able to recover from that season, I'll pass on him coming back.
Unless he knifes Lee for his job like he did with Dowie of course.
You're joking right?
Nope. Reed apparently went to Murray to finish Dowie off and get himself put in charge. That left Reed, with no management experience, in charge of a team of players who knew he'd got the manager sacked so he could have a crack at it. Four points in seven games and a League Cup quarter final exit to Wycombe followed. Considering we're possibly only just now looking like being able to recover from that season, I'll pass on him coming back.
I think Dowie was a terrible manager who should never have been given the job, Murray only done it to get one over Jordan, Les should never have been given the job as manager a great coach, I cant believe he wanted the job everyone knew Dowie was useless including all the players.
Unless he knifes Lee for his job like he did with Dowie of course.
You're joking right?
Nope. Reed apparently went to Murray to finish Dowie off and get himself put in charge. That left Reed, with no management experience, in charge of a team of players who knew he'd got the manager sacked so he could have a crack at it. Four points in seven games and a League Cup quarter final exit to Wycombe followed. Considering we're possibly only just now looking like being able to recover from that season, I'll pass on him coming back.
so you don't know this for a fact then.
Les is one of the nicest blokes you could hope to meet and in my opinion he'd be the last person to stab anyone in the back.
Unless he knifes Lee for his job like he did with Dowie of course.
You're joking right?
Nope. Reed apparently went to Murray to finish Dowie off and get himself put in charge. That left Reed, with no management experience, in charge of a team of players who knew he'd got the manager sacked so he could have a crack at it. Four points in seven games and a League Cup quarter final exit to Wycombe followed. Considering we're possibly only just now looking like being able to recover from that season, I'll pass on him coming back.
so you don't know this for a fact then.
Les is one of the nicest blokes you could hope to meet and in my opinion he'd be the last person to stab anyone in the back.
I say apparently because I acknowledge that I wasn't in the room when these conversations happened. I was under the impression this story was fairly common knowledge though
One of the nicest blokes in Football, also a Charlton fan, have him back a DoF in a heartbeat.
I appreciate the sentiment and definitely a role helping would be nice.
But our current DoF currently pulls miracles out of his backside and as such I would stick. Not a mark on Les, just for me and alot of fans Gallen walks on water. It pains me to admit that Robinson is to thank for that.
I have heard a similar story and pretty sure the meeting took place between Les and Murray, although I think context could be everything.
At the time it was talked about as Les going in and undermining Dowie to get the job, however, it could just as easily be that Murray asked Les to come in and give him a second opinion on what was going wrong with the club as we spiraled out of control. It could just be Les was honest about what was happening and Murray decided that was the final straw before sacking Dowie. The meeting occurring and Reed getting appointed manager in such quick succession could have lead fans putting 2+2 together and getting 5.
Unless he knifes Lee for his job like he did with Dowie of course.
You're joking right?
Nope. Reed apparently went to Murray to finish Dowie off and get himself put in charge. That left Reed, with no management experience, in charge of a team of players who knew he'd got the manager sacked so he could have a crack at it. Four points in seven games and a League Cup quarter final exit to Wycombe followed. Considering we're possibly only just now looking like being able to recover from that season, I'll pass on him coming back.
Tosh I'm afraid. Of course Les voiced his concerns to Murray but he did not "knife" Dowie. Dowie had ridden roughshod over the management structure that Peter Varney & Richard Murray has proposed and that he'd signed up to when he was recruited and had repeatedly disobeyed instructions not to invite his brother into the dressing room on match days. The Board had had enough with Dowie's behaviour (including mysteriously going AWOL on matchdays up North) and dismal performance (as indeed had Les and Mark Robson) and asked Les to take over. Curbs' departure and Dowie's appointment was, sadly, the result of hubris on the part of major shareholders and it was they (coming their senses) and the rest of the Board that acted to end the farce under Dowie.
Unless he knifes Lee for his job like he did with Dowie of course.
You're joking right?
Nope. Reed apparently went to Murray to finish Dowie off and get himself put in charge. That left Reed, with no management experience, in charge of a team of players who knew he'd got the manager sacked so he could have a crack at it. Four points in seven games and a League Cup quarter final exit to Wycombe followed. Considering we're possibly only just now looking like being able to recover from that season, I'll pass on him coming back.
Tosh I'm afraid. Of course Les voiced his concerns to Murray but he did not "knife" Dowie. Dowie had ridden roughshod over the management structure that Peter Varney & Richard Murray has proposed and that he'd signed up to when he was recruited and had repeatedly disobeyed instructions not to invite his brother into the dressing room on match days. The Board had had enough with Dowie's behaviour (including mysteriously going AWOL on matchdays up North) and dismal performance (as indeed had Les and Mark Robson) and asked Les to take over. Curbs' departure and Dowie's appointment was, sadly, the result of hubris on the part of major shareholders and it was they (coming their senses) and the rest of the Board that acted to end the farce under Dowie.
I don't disagree with most of what you said, apart from the tosh part, I suppose you can put it down to interpretation. Dowie did some bizarre things and he was on the edge, there's no denying that. The story I've heard though is that Reed fancied himself as ready to take the manager's job and made it clear to Murray that it was time to shift Dowie and hand him the reins, despite the fact a number of players had made it clear that they were still behind Dowie, and that has never sat well with me. If you think that sacking Dowie and replacing him with Reed was the board coming to their senses though then I don't think history would agree with you. I think we would have got more points if we'd held on to Dowie until Pardew or another qualified manager became available. Putting Reed in killed us.
Unless he knifes Lee for his job like he did with Dowie of course.
You're joking right?
Nope. Reed apparently went to Murray to finish Dowie off and get himself put in charge. That left Reed, with no management experience, in charge of a team of players who knew he'd got the manager sacked so he could have a crack at it. Four points in seven games and a League Cup quarter final exit to Wycombe followed. Considering we're possibly only just now looking like being able to recover from that season, I'll pass on him coming back.
Tosh I'm afraid. Of course Les voiced his concerns to Murray but he did not "knife" Dowie. Dowie had ridden roughshod over the management structure that Peter Varney & Richard Murray has proposed and that he'd signed up to when he was recruited and had repeatedly disobeyed instructions not to invite his brother into the dressing room on match days. The Board had had enough with Dowie's behaviour (including mysteriously going AWOL on matchdays up North) and dismal performance (as indeed had Les and Mark Robson) and asked Les to take over. Curbs' departure and Dowie's appointment was, sadly, the result of hubris on the part of major shareholders and it was they (coming their senses) and the rest of the Board that acted to end the farce under Dowie.
I don't disagree with most of what you said, apart from the tosh part, I suppose you can put it down to interpretation. Dowie did some bizarre things and he was on the edge, there's no denying that. The story I've heard though is that Reed fancied himself as ready to take the manager's job and made it clear to Murray that it was time to shift Dowie and hand him the reins, despite the fact a number of players had made it clear that they were still behind Dowie, and that has never sat well with me. If you think that sacking Dowie and replacing him with Reed was the board coming to their senses though then I don't think history would agree with you. I think we would have got more points if we'd held on to Dowie until Pardew or another qualified manager became available. Putting Reed in killed us.
None of that about Les equates to him "knifing" Dowie. Yes of course he thought he could do the job and yes of course he thought it was time to shift Dowie. So did the entire Board; indeed some had thought firing Dowie well overdue. As for coming to their senses, I meant that they realised they'd been wrong to presume we'd moved on as an established PL club beyond the risk of relegation and that Curbs was expendable. Hence action was needed and action was taken by the Board to end the Dowie disaster. And be in no doubt, we would have been relegated for sure if Dowie had stayed. The prescription for fixing it was another story and, indeed, error compounded error. Les was in hindsight clearly not cut out to be a manager but that did not excuse the derision and vitriole to which he was treated. The Board at that time (particularly the PLC Board) must bear primary responsibility for our relegation I'm afraid.
Reed was a great coach and assistant to Curbs, hence his work for England. But his work for Southampton, ensuring they had players and managers lined up every time one of them got pinched, was outstanding. Would love to have him as DoF.
We had years to think about Curbs' successor and ended up with Dowie. Arsenal and Man U made the same mistake of not preparing for succession. He made sure Southampton were always ready for the next chapter.
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I would break the bank to have him come and work his magic.
Koeman, Puel, Pellegrini, and now Hughes in how long? That isn’t going to help anything, especially the work Les Reed has been doing.
Think a move up to executive in PL is a good one and he should take it.
https://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?57961-Les-Reed#.WsZslbrTWhA
I agree with you, Len ..... he may feel he's done his bit for the world of English football; maybe he'll keep his hand in with a bit of consultancy work?
Unfinished business for Les with the Addicks. He could and should have said "no" (manager of players he palpably wasn't) but he was offered a poisoned chalice when Dowie was finally dismissed, leaving carnage behind. Time heals to some extent but Les took some outrageous abuse and derision in the press and indeed from some fans.
Les a top man and, assuming he's well and up for it, age is no limitation for what he could bring to Tommy, Lee and Steve's team.
I think Dowie was a terrible manager who should never have been given the job, Murray only done it to get one over Jordan, Les should never have been given the job as manager a great coach, I cant believe he wanted the job everyone knew Dowie was useless including all the players.
Les is one of the nicest blokes you could hope to meet and in my opinion he'd be the last person to stab anyone in the back.
But our current DoF currently pulls miracles out of his backside and as such I would stick. Not a mark on Les, just for me and alot of fans Gallen walks on water. It pains me to admit that Robinson is to thank for that.
At the time it was talked about as Les going in and undermining Dowie to get the job, however, it could just as easily be that Murray asked Les to come in and give him a second opinion on what was going wrong with the club as we spiraled out of control. It could just be Les was honest about what was happening and Murray decided that was the final straw before sacking Dowie. The meeting occurring and Reed getting appointed manager in such quick succession could have lead fans putting 2+2 together and getting 5.
Dowie had ridden roughshod over the management structure that Peter Varney & Richard Murray has proposed and that he'd signed up to when he was recruited and had repeatedly disobeyed instructions not to invite his brother into the dressing room on match days.
The Board had had enough with Dowie's behaviour (including mysteriously going AWOL on matchdays up North) and dismal performance (as indeed had Les and Mark Robson) and asked Les to take over.
Curbs' departure and Dowie's appointment was, sadly, the result of hubris on the part of major shareholders and it was they (coming their senses) and the rest of the Board that acted to end the farce under Dowie.
As for coming to their senses, I meant that they realised they'd been wrong to presume we'd moved on as an established PL club beyond the risk of relegation and that Curbs was expendable. Hence action was needed and action was taken by the Board to end the Dowie disaster. And be in no doubt, we would have been relegated for sure if Dowie had stayed.
The prescription for fixing it was another story and, indeed, error compounded error. Les was in hindsight clearly not cut out to be a manager but that did not excuse the derision and vitriole to which he was treated.
The Board at that time (particularly the PLC Board) must bear primary responsibility for our relegation I'm afraid.
They had a game of Cricket.
The rocket scientist said it was to help the players relax. Our foreign players were confused.
We had years to think about Curbs' successor and ended up with Dowie. Arsenal and Man U made the same mistake of not preparing for succession. He made sure Southampton were always ready for the next chapter.