crafty cokcney
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Please God.! Not Again.
Saints confirm Hoddle talks
Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe tonight insisted that Glenn Hoddle remains a contender to succeed Gordon Strachan as manager.
Saints fans have made their opposition to Hoddle returning plain after he walked out on the club in March 2001 to take the manager's job at Tottenham and then lured away their star defender Dean Richards.
But Lowe claims he has made unpopular decisions before and feels if he can forgive Hoddle for quitting, so should supporters.
'Yes, we have spoken to Glenn Hoddle,' Lowe told Sky Sports News. 'Glenn Hoddle is an option. He is a tremendous coach.
'He left this club under somewhat unfortunate circumstances ... if anyone should be bearing a grudge against Glenn Hoddle it will be me.
'He put me through the mill and it took some time to find the right solution.'
Lowe is seeking a replacement for current boss Strachan, who will leave the post at the end of this season at the latest in order to have a break from the game.
'I seem to remember it was not the most popular decision in the world when we brought in Gordon Strachan soon after he had left Coventry. Or when we took Dave Jones from Stockport.
'The club has moved on significantly in the last eight years and it stands to reason that Glenn Hoddle played his part in it.'
Lowe said he would be speaking to a candidate next week but would not say who it was or when an appointment might be made.
'I will say it again, we are not ruling in anyone or ruling out anyone.
'Whatever decision we make will be in the best interests of the club and it is important we get it right.'
The chairman called on the supporters to unite behind the club rather than continue with anti-Hoddle protests.
'It is a big test for everyone at the club now - have we outgrown the baggage of the past and have we got to the stage where the supporters think about their team, rather than the self-serving element who like to see their face on television?' mused Lowe.
'We all have to get behind the club in the right manner rather than being cheap fodder for the media. We need to cut this nonsense out.
'It is an almost surreal situation. We have come so far but we still have a long way to go. It is the board that runs the club - of course we will listen to the supporters. But at the end of the day they support the club, they don't run it.
'We have to make decisions that they sometimes will disagree with.'
Saints confirm Hoddle talks
Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe tonight insisted that Glenn Hoddle remains a contender to succeed Gordon Strachan as manager.
Saints fans have made their opposition to Hoddle returning plain after he walked out on the club in March 2001 to take the manager's job at Tottenham and then lured away their star defender Dean Richards.
But Lowe claims he has made unpopular decisions before and feels if he can forgive Hoddle for quitting, so should supporters.
'Yes, we have spoken to Glenn Hoddle,' Lowe told Sky Sports News. 'Glenn Hoddle is an option. He is a tremendous coach.
'He left this club under somewhat unfortunate circumstances ... if anyone should be bearing a grudge against Glenn Hoddle it will be me.
'He put me through the mill and it took some time to find the right solution.'
Lowe is seeking a replacement for current boss Strachan, who will leave the post at the end of this season at the latest in order to have a break from the game.
'I seem to remember it was not the most popular decision in the world when we brought in Gordon Strachan soon after he had left Coventry. Or when we took Dave Jones from Stockport.
'The club has moved on significantly in the last eight years and it stands to reason that Glenn Hoddle played his part in it.'
Lowe said he would be speaking to a candidate next week but would not say who it was or when an appointment might be made.
'I will say it again, we are not ruling in anyone or ruling out anyone.
'Whatever decision we make will be in the best interests of the club and it is important we get it right.'
The chairman called on the supporters to unite behind the club rather than continue with anti-Hoddle protests.
'It is a big test for everyone at the club now - have we outgrown the baggage of the past and have we got to the stage where the supporters think about their team, rather than the self-serving element who like to see their face on television?' mused Lowe.
'We all have to get behind the club in the right manner rather than being cheap fodder for the media. We need to cut this nonsense out.
'It is an almost surreal situation. We have come so far but we still have a long way to go. It is the board that runs the club - of course we will listen to the supporters. But at the end of the day they support the club, they don't run it.
'We have to make decisions that they sometimes will disagree with.'