Saints players may not have any coaches (From Daily Echo)

Saints players may not have any coaches

11:15am Tuesday 30th June 2009 in

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MARK Wotte will reconsider his Saints position tomorrow – and has warned that the first team faces having NO coaches to train them.

Wotte’s contract as head coach comes to an end today.

As of tomorrow, he will officially revert to his previous role as academy director.

He has already turned down two job offers from abroad to remain with Saints and wants to take charge of the first team next season in the third tier.

But, with one more club waiting for his decision, he can’t put off deciding his own future for much longer.

The first hurdle for the team, though, is to find someone to coach them tomorrow.

Not only is Wotte out of the picture, but Dean Gorre’s consultancy contact expired in May and Michael Svensson’s contract runs out today.

It may fall to a youth team coach to train the first team but Saints do have the experience of former reserve manager Stewart Henderson to call upon.

Wotte said: “I have my last day today (as head coach) and then probably I will stop doing this job.

“But I don’t know who is going to do the training sessions for the first team.

“Michael Svensson and Dean Gorre are also gone.

“The problem is we don’t know anything that’s going to happen in the next two days.

“Players and staff are running out of contracts.

“I think I have been very loyal and patient with this club.

“But it’s hard reading people who are not making a bid expressing their opinion on the new manager they want to sign.

“I hope we have a solution within 24 hours and everybody can make decisions.

“As I said before, I don’t think this club has to change management because this club has had too many changes of management.

“It is probably one of the reasons this club is in League One.

“But if the Pinnacle group want to change the manager, they have to buy the club and then do it.”

Wotte – Saints’ 14th manager or head coach since Alan Ball arrived in January 1994 – has continued to do his job admirably throughout all the summer takeover talk.

He has been angered by speculation and talk from potential investors over who they would appoint as a new manager before they have bought the club.

He added: “I will reconsider my position tomorrow.

“I have been loyal to the club, preparing the team for a season without knowing if I’m in charge.

“I’ve been in football too long to keep on doing this for somebody else.

“I regret the situation and I wish we all knew our futures a couple of weeks ago.

“It will cost the club some players.”

Comments(17)

Tirau Dan (NZL) says...
11:20am Tue 30 Jun 09

Mark you've been staunch and did a great job. Matt says Pinnacle is buying the club.. hopefully as we speak. I sincerely hope they have a great position for you if not the managers job. If you are replaced I have the feeling it will be by a legend that you'll enjoy working with.

Good Luck to you and the staff.