Squad jets off to get to know new boss

9:40am Wednesday 23rd January 2013 in Saints News Photograph of the Author By Adam Leitch, Chief Sports Writer

Mauricio Pochettino Mauricio Pochettino

Saints are splashing the cash to allow new manager Mauricio Pochettino two chances at bonding with his new team.

The contrast in destinations for the trips could scarcely be starker.

Saints have this week jetted out to Barcelona for five days in the relative warmth of the Spanish sun, where Pochettinho will feel totally at home.

Next week they will spend four nights in the less salubrious, and certainly much colder, surroundings of the north west of England.

The club are pulling out all the stops to allow the new man time to get to know his squad and get his ideas across.

Pochettino and the squad flew out for the Barcelona trip yesterday, having shelved initial plans to go to Malta that were themselves originally postponed from December.

Pochettino knows the area well, having spent more than five years at Espanyol, known as Barcelona’s second club, as a player and manager. Saints will remain in Spain until Saturday when they will return and begin preparations on home soil for a big away double header at Manchester United and Wigan.

Saints roll up at Old Trafford next Wednesday before taking on Wigan theee days later. Upon their return to England, Saints will try and aid the preparations for both of the big games by spending the necessary money to keep the team up in the north west for much of the week, rather than have them travelling backward and forwards.

Pochettino will be on standby, though, in case he should need a quick return to Hampshire after the United game with the transfer window closing the day after the match at Old Trafford.

Saints might not be enjoying quite the 27c temperatures that Manchester United are currently relaxing in with their mid-season trip to Qatar.

But Barcelona will certainly be markedly warmer than staying in Southampton.

The forecast is for dry weather during the Saints trip with highs of around 11c, compared with a maximum of just 3c is Southampton.

Being away with the team will also give Pochettino a chance to get the players away from everything and focus on his new ideas. Pochettino was largely forced to stick with what Nigel Adkins had been doing for the game against Everton with very little time to adjust and tinker with anything.

He certainly has that opportunity now, though, thanks to the gap in the fixture list created by Saints’ FA Cup third round exit that has given them this upcoming blank weekend.

Comments(21)

OSPREYSAINT says...
10:04am Wed 23 Jan 13

The aircraft chartered for the Barcelona trip, an executive version of the British Aerospace 146, arrived at Eastleigh airport on Sunday morning. So it may not have been planned in a rush. It would seem to be a good idea to build up a bond between players and management, and they will have more time together, as when they return they will be spending some time up North for the Manure and Wigan games.

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Philip of Romsey says...
10:11am Wed 23 Jan 13

Ole!

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mbetts says...
10:44am Wed 23 Jan 13

Great opportunity for the players to brush up on their Spanish!

Bet they think they're lucks in, Nigel would only take them to Chester Races!

Olé!!!

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Beer Monster says...
10:52am Wed 23 Jan 13

Ola Senhor, una cerveza, por favor?

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danhyr30 says...
10:58am Wed 23 Jan 13

que?

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saint_rednwhite says...
10:58am Wed 23 Jan 13

Opportunity for some of our transfer targets from Spain to have a sneak peak before they sign.

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Alicesdad says...
11:23am Wed 23 Jan 13

I reserve my right to be as jealous as hell about this luxurious team bonding exercise.

BUT... I am pleased as punch that the club is in a position to do such things. It shows our financial capability, our ambition and also shows that we are doing things in the fashion of a big club.

Just four years ago we couldn't have afforded to have a team lunch in McDonalds.

All in all we seem to be making quite an impression in the world of football. Managers are talking very respectfully of our team, nobody is looking forward to playing us, and we are slowly moving up the table.

I remain sympathetic with Nigel Adkins and his back room team. They will rightly feel agrieved to have had their tenure cut short so abruptly. No doubt they will have been financially compensated - but it will still hurt. However the true test of whether Cortese has made the right move will be shown between now and the end of the season.

The two northern matches are very important, Pochettino will be looking for a win at Wigan and a point at Utd. This is certainly achievable.

So I wish the squad all the best for their luxury break and I look forward to the next two matches.

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lindfieldsaint says...
11:28am Wed 23 Jan 13

"he was largely forced to stick with what Nigel Adkins had been doing for the game against Everton" Hardly a handicap as it was generally acknowledged (including by Moyes) that Saints played well and are a good team. After the bad start they have accumulated 19 points from 13 games which is top 10 form.
I hope Pochettino doesn't adjust and tinker too much!

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ThatMatthewGuy says...
12:05pm Wed 23 Jan 13

FC Barcelona B are Barcelona's second team ;). I have concerns about Pochettino's Spanish inquisitions, I just hope we don't become the Spanish Wenger of the EPL, a nice mix would be preferred with a majority towards English, home grown status of future U18 Spaniards aside.

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rocketone says...
12:09pm Wed 23 Jan 13

Don't be jealous of staying away for work!
Remember Adam has a new son that he probably would have liked to spend some time with.

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Block 34 says...
12:21pm Wed 23 Jan 13

Bet Nicola "Rupert" Cortese chose the hotel!!

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OSPREYSAINT says...
1:06pm Wed 23 Jan 13

Block 34 wrote:
Bet Nicola "Rupert" Cortese chose the hotel!!
That is an insult too far IMO. Please take it back.

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MccSaint says...
3:56pm Wed 23 Jan 13

OSPREYSAINT wrote:
Block 34 wrote:
Bet Nicola "Rupert" Cortese chose the hotel!!
That is an insult too far IMO. Please take it back.
Not so sure it is so far, time will tell. For all the good NC has done he does seem to have a touch of the meglomaniac about him. But we have little choice so grin and bare it, being a saints fan is never dull!

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OSPREYSAINT says...
4:46pm Wed 23 Jan 13

There is a poll on another Forum. The question is "Does Cortese still have the fans' backing". Read the question carefully, 62 votes so far, guess what the score is?

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OSPREYSAINT says...
5:02pm Wed 23 Jan 13

Times up, as it stands the poll shows 60 saying yes, and two saying no.

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OSPREYSAINT says...
7:16pm Wed 23 Jan 13

Up to 75 - 2 pretty convincing.

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Egomaniac says...
9:34pm Wed 23 Jan 13

OSPREYSAINT wrote:
There is a poll on another Forum. The question is "Does Cortese still have the fans' backing". Read the question carefully, 62 votes so far, guess what the score is?
What's the web address please?

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Bermondsey boy says...
9:34pm Wed 23 Jan 13

OSPREYSAINT wrote:
Block 34 wrote:
Bet Nicola "Rupert" Cortese chose the hotel!!
That is an insult too far IMO. Please take it back.
You really are a turncoat aren't you. I will be interested to see what you have to say if we start to struggle.

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OSPREYSAINT says...
11:18pm Wed 23 Jan 13

OSPREYSAINT wrote:
Up to 75 - 2 pretty convincing.
96 4 now and it's on not606.com

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OSPREYSAINT says...
11:21pm Wed 23 Jan 13

Bermondsey boy wrote:
OSPREYSAINT wrote:
Block 34 wrote:
Bet Nicola "Rupert" Cortese chose the hotel!!
That is an insult too far IMO. Please take it back.
You really are a turncoat aren't you. I will be interested to see what you have to say if we start to struggle.
A turncoat for depising the name Rupert being used against Cortese? Get real. If we start to struggle I will be posting my usual opinionated twaddle as always, do you think we will struggle or have you been ignoring what has been going on since black Friday?

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OSPREYSAINT says...
9:58am Thu 24 Jan 13

100 yes 4 No. It is isn't going to change much so I won't update any more. If the question had been worded differently I suspect the result may have been a lot different!

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