Southampton sack Pardew

Manager and coaches dismissed as Saints hunt for new boss

Last updated: 30th August 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Southampton sack Pardew

Pardew: sacked

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Southampton have sacked manager Alan Pardew and his coaching staff following a mixed start to the season.

Saints have won just one of their opening League One games - although that was an emphatic 4-0 victory at Bristol Rovers.

A statement on Saints' official website said: "Following a review of the current status in and around the first team, the club has decided that, to achieve its well known targets, it is essential to make changes to the first team management and coaching.

"Consequently, the first team manager, Alan Pardew; first team coach, Wally Downes; and goalkeeping coach, Stuart Murdoch, have been relieved of their duties with immediate effect. The club wishes them well for the future."

The 49-year-old led Saints to the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in March with a 4-1 win over Carlisle at Wembley and they started the season as firm favourites to achieve promotion to the npower Championship, although one win in their first three matches leaves them 14th in the table.

Saints are now on the lookout for someone to guide them out of the third tier of English football.

The statement from the club continued: "While we have commenced our careful evaluation of our candidates and longer term requirements, Dean Wilkins has taken on the caretaker role for the first team and he will be assisted by Martin Hunter, the under-21 coach.

"We recognise that frequent changes to the football management are unlikely to assist in the winning of trophies and promotions.

"However, we are taking these steps to achieve our aims, which we share with all supporters, to get promoted this season, and secure long term stability and progress for our football operations."

Comments (149)

Karen Eyers says...

As a Southampton season ticket holder, I think that the manager''s departure has been premature - but having watched games under Pardew where Saints have dominated in the first half and then scratched a draw - it was obvious that something needed to happen. However, replacing Pardew with Hart will be an immensely unpopular choice and I think that the Southampton board will under-estimate the extent of the back-lash - if you are going to sack a popular manager - the only appeasement to the fans will be a bigger name. Another ex-Portsmouth manager will not fit the bill!!!

Posted 14:53 31st August 2010

Alan Meheux (Southampton fan) says...

Here we go again ,personality clash and ego issue here,Pardew was his own man and so is this NC Chairmen.What we need is stablity and how many years have we been saying that!! Going forward NC will have al list of who he wants and he knows a negative appointment will put him on Lowe scale and we do not want that.My ideas Howe is an excellent young mrg and will manage at Championship level at least may be prem,Southgate is available so is O''Neil to soon i want a uk based manager not an overseas take the money etc guy. This is a very important appointment and the person must be right otherwise we are here in Div 1 for a few more years,also NC how many chances will you get.... Up the saints forever.

Posted 13:16 31st August 2010

Steve Bradshaw (Preston North End fan) says...

I couldn''t believe this. I rate Alan Pardew as one of the best managers in English football. Southampton - you have just shot yourself in the foot.

Posted 12:36 31st August 2010

Patrick Fish says...

OK, where do I start? As a Manchester United supporter, the 6-3 battering we took off the Saints years back still sticks in my mind, but this smacks of even greater idiocy and surrealism. You sack a manager who is a tried and tested PL/Champ manager after he beats a Brtistol City side 4-0, who in my eyes were promotion candidates. The board may have saved the club to a degree but lets not forget that to manager a club off the pitch is one thing, but on the pitch is a different ball game (no pun intended). Pardew is a respected manager and to clearly do something like this is only something that comes from the disrespectful. The fact that 144 comments have been registered on this board in such a short time would suggest the gravity of this. I feel sorry for you Alan but you may be better off, unlike the Saints.

Posted 07:35 31st August 2010

Godfrey Cook (Southampton fan) says...

Not surprised with the announcement yesterday, was talking to a member of staff at the club on Friday and he said that Kelvin had told him that things were not good. AP was not always my fav choice of gaffer at SFC but he achieved more that others had done in the past. Good Luck with your new job in the midlands (Villa fans will be lucky!)

Posted 05:44 31st August 2010

Emma Head says...

If players and fans didn''t have enough to deal with a few weeks ago when our owner of southampton football club passed away our players and fans now have to face a new team rebuild due to the sacking of our manager ap.

Posted 01:19 31st August 2010

Jamie Soul (Southampton fan) says...

i just really dont get it, okay we haven''t got off to the best of starts but we beat bristol rovers 4-0 on saturday with everyone playing there part, i dont see why we would want to sack someone who knows league 1 so well, the only reason i can think of is maybe he''s going to go to aston villa or sheffield united?

Posted 00:49 31st August 2010

James Harding (Portsmouth fan) says...

It''s a crazy decision and I''m glad other Pompey fans are with me on this. I''d be over the moon for us to have one win, one draw and one defeat so far this season! Not only this, but Southampton were not exactly disgraced by Bolton in the Carling Cup, as they were beaten 1 - 0. The fans should be calling for the chairmans head. I was expecting us to swap places in our respective leagues this season but maybe a League One South Coast Derby is beckoning...

Posted 00:34 31st August 2010

Gerry Mangan says...

Wake up and smell the coffee those that mention getting Martin O Neill. It is Southampton in league 1 were on about For crying out loud AP was getting there,and had the credentials to keep on getting there. But in all honesty I sincerely hope its downwards the Saints go now. The owner deserves it,its the same as Boro sacking Gareth Southgate when 1 point off the top of the table. My have they progressed or what?

Posted 00:31 31st August 2010

George Mcalpine (Southampton fan) says...

Well with the rumour i''ve heard going around was that cortese sacked or "released" pardew due to the fact he enquired into the villa job before saturdays game. Dont know if this is true but it would have given cortese an excuse to sack him, also the rumour could be true because why has he sacked two coaches along with ap, only adds tothe fact pardew could be going villa and them two could be going with him. Just a rumour but it has logical reasoning behind it. All i hope is saints get a strict manager, hopefully not zola, nice enough guy but not mentally tough enough to handle any club i think, needs an assistant job before he gets back into management like poyet.

Posted 22:44 30th August 2010

Matt K (Manchester United fan) says...

This is ridiculous. Pardew, a clear calibre for the premiership gets lumped off by Soton! They are really trying to be the low league replica of City. I mean who else could they get in at this point? Curbishley? Zola? Probably an affliction with ex west ham managers... Good luck to them without him, reckon Sheffield, Brentford, Huddersfield, Swindon, Charlton and MK Dons are fit for the top 6, depending on Sotons next move.

Posted 22:27 30th August 2010

Robert Davis (Southampton fan) says...

Good grief! Does it ever stop? When will Saints have some stability and why do we insist on having muppets in charge in the boardroom? Pardew has been the first manager we''ve had in recent years that actually looked like he knew what he was doing. Have the results really been that bad so far this season? We''ve just thumped Bristol away, and Bournemouth in the Carling Cup. Oh, and we only lost 1-0 against Bolton. One other thing - who the hell gets rid of the manager at the start of the season when you don''t even have a replacement lined up? Looks like we''re going to be stuck in this bloody division for another season. Good luck AP and thanks for all the work.

Posted 19:09 30th August 2010

Darren Harvey (Southampton fan) says...

Interesting decision - the only benefit may be that the message to the players will be that failure wont be tolerated and it may give them a kick up the a**e! Hopefully the Board have someone lined up to match their ambition, although there isn''t a hope in hell that O''Neil will come, but perhaps someone like Phil Brown would consider it?!

Posted 18:49 30th August 2010

Tim Dawson (Peterborough United fan) says...

Some things in football I just can''t understand, ok so it''s not been the best of starts for the Saints but come on, give a guy a chance!! I really thought Saints would be there or there abouts for automatic promotion but I''m not so sure now. The 4-0 win over Rovers was an indication that they were moving in the right direction, what more could a chairman ask for? By the time they''ve found a replacement, he''s sorted his team out and the team has adapted to the the new bosses way of playing, they could be even further behind the pack leaders. The chairman has shown again that he''s got no idea about running a football club. Cortese is a a joke, the club are not getting a mention in The Sun newspaper because of his refusal to let the press take pictures at the ground!! The guy just hasn''t got a clue. Saints fans will probably call for Cortese to go but I hope he stays because there''s less chance of Southampton challenging The Posh at the top end of the table while he''s there!!! UTP

Posted 18:38 30th August 2010

Eric Bennett says...

Perhaps you dont know, there are men like this at many clubs - People that think they know how to run a business - Look or if you have any sense dont look at Mike Ashley.Great Football Clubs will never be great again with Fools like this in charge.Good luck APJust look forward.

Posted 17:29 30th August 2010

Jonathan Moody (West Ham United fan) says...

I''m gutted for Southampton,Alan is a good manager,I am a West Ham fan and I was gutted when we sacked him,he got us promoted and to the F.A. cup final but because of a bad start to the following season got the boot,or was there personal problems of that I am not sure,but I am sure Southampton''s board may of made a big mistake! good luck to Saints and good Alan he deserves better.Jon Isle of Wight

Posted 17:19 30th August 2010

Ryan Skillen (Manchester United fan) says...

Pretty laughable decision to sack pardew they only lost 1 league game godness me, i thought he was the best man to bring the saints back to were they belong the premier league. The bigger problem now is finding a replacement and please O''niel will not be the new saints boss. 4 REALISTIC candidates would be Kevin Blackwell,Gareth Southgate,Paul Ince and Phil Brown.

Posted 17:15 30th August 2010

Matt Walker says...

The only reason I can see we''d sack AP is that we have someone else lined up. The fact that the statement say we''re looking for someone dosen''t exactly give me a vote of confidence..

Posted 17:15 30th August 2010

Puttock Leslie says...

I was surprised and dissapointed to learn of the latest developments at Southampton F.C I have supported the Saints for over sixty years and felt at the end of last season Alan Pardew and his team had done a good job under difficult conditions. Marcus showed his appreciation by turning up and supporting the team and its management. It appears that Mr. Cortese is a hard business man and expects fast results. He seems to have upset the press by banning their photographers from the ground and I am told any tradesman working at St. Marys has to pay a parking fee. I only hope he has sound business reasons for this latest decision and we do not return to the Rupert Lowe era of management. Good luck to Mr. Pardew I for one thought you were a good manager and am sorry to see you go.

Posted 17:05 30th August 2010

Mr Bean (Southampton fan) says...

Saturday afternoon, 2000 travelling saints fans were singing Pardews name as they thumped Bristol 4-0. Cortese better have a good manager lined up otherwise the fans won''t be happy. Rumour around the club is that the two didn''t see eye to eye, hardly suprising with the Chairmans height. His ruthless and shrewd business brain might keep Saints financial secure but if he lets his ego get the better of him too often, the stability the club thought they had will be lost and it will be Rupert "your fired" Lowe all over again. Martin O''Neill would definately be a coup but I think Curbishley is more realistic.

Posted 16:49 30th August 2010

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