Tip At The Top

This week's departure of Southampton Executive Chairman Nicola Cortese exposed the chasm between those who consider him a visionary and others who argue that he is simply the puppet at the helm of a game bankrolled by somebody else's money. When the Italian banker was appointed, Southampton found themselves in administration and languishing in League One. He leaves with pundits and fans alike waxing lyrical over the footballing philosophy of Mauricio Pochettino  and the focus on building a project centred on the talents and abilities of a flourishing youth academy as Southampton sit in 9th place in the Premier League. What his reign and ultimate exit does offer however, is a further examination the business side of a beautiful game which is gradually introducing chairmen and owners to play starring roles in the great drama we call football.

Each week terraces and bars are filled with a colour clad congregation who for 90 minutes pray, worship and devote themselves to eleven heroes, each wearing the flag of their parish. It is these very colours and these symbols which connect total strangers to the same cause, releasing a certain tribal pride behind the blind faith in our team. So in a generation of Sky television, astronomical finances and player scandals, are changes to this identity a step too far for the loyal supporter?

Over the course of the season, the role of those behind the immediate football scene has become more and more prominent in the public eye. The influx of money from abroad, along with social media outlets such as Twitter has allowed a greater insight in to the minds and personalities of the previously often anonymous business leaders of a football club. With many owners acting not only as purely businessmen but also as the head of more than one sporting institution, the idea of expressing one's opinions and forging a character for the media to follow has developed greater significance. Liverpool owner John W. Henry famously queried "what do you think they're smoking at Emirates" via Twitter in response to Arsenal's pursuit of the talismanic Luis Suarez and in doing so, stamped his authority upon not only a transfer story, but also upon a club still recovering from the disastrous reign of Tom Hicks and George Gillett, in the knowledge that he could do so from anywhere in the world.

Part of this increased role of the owners and executives clearly feeds to the egotistical nature of the power hungry business person. Having seen the plight of clubs such as Portsmouth, Blackburn and Rangers due to immense financial mismanagement, the relationship between nurturing the traditions and philosophies of a football club with success and even survival at the expense of such virtues has become strained. The argument of "my money, my decisions" has never held greater significance nor has it been so scrutinized by footballing stakeholders. Vincent Tan's decision to radically change the identity of Cardiff City by not only changing the team colours from blue to red but also redeeming the club of the long standing "bluebirds" title was met with vociferous protests from heartbroken supporters. Cardiff have since taken part in a cup final at Wembley, losing narrowly to Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool, won the Championship and defeated bitter rivals Swansea City in the Premier League. Average league attendances have risen by upwards of 4,000 fans and there has been a noticeable increase in the club's global fan base and stature. Suddenly "We're Cardiff City, We'll always be blue" seems slightly naive.

In a similar manner, Hull City owner Assem Allam has stated that part of his rebranding of the Yorkshire club will include dropping the "City" in favour of becoming Hull Tigers in order to be recognised internationally based not on location but instead on title. Despite threats of boycotts and public protests, Allam remains firm on having total control of the club, and indeed applying his name and his identity to the focal point of Hull fans' spiritual reverence. As a result of Allam's continued investment and emphasis on shaping Hull City as a strong brand, he will be able to point towards results at Liverpool, Newcastle and Fulham as proof of his customer satisfaction. The relative comfort of 10th place in the Premier League suggests that as of yet, the iron fist of Allam has thus far proved true.

Which brings the story back to the maverick role of Cortese. Southampton's traditional red and white stripes have been replaced by a kit dominated by block red and the Italian's often arrogant approach to certain circles of the media has seen him become a spearhead for the northward charge through the divisions that Southampton have ventured upon in recent years. Cortese typifies what modern football has become. From the ruthless sacking of Nigel Adkins to the mass financial investment, the former Chairman placed unyielding faith in a formula which prioritised both substance and style.

Club legend Matt Le Tissier, amongst many others, has reduced Cortese's impact on the club to that of a word seldom used in the mystical world of a football- a job. His methodology of spending money based solely on what was tangible rather than what was potentially coming in determined the path that the Saints would follow and in doing so, Cortese fulfilled his position as the vital cog in business operations at the club. He drew praise despite spending Liebherr money and essentially doing what he was paid to do. In modern football however, this is not the case.

Yes Cortese was working under perhaps favourable circumstances and his success was a result of doing his job properly. But in an age where it is as important to be a face and personality on the corporate side of operations as the football side, Cortese exemplified what it meant to represent a club. He put total faith in his decisions and made outlandish statements, such as bringing European football to the south coast and the best way to win the Premier League, seem closer to plausible, understandable ambitions. He went on to demand complete and undeniable perfection from each and every member of staff, with aspects ranging from diets and hotel rooms through to bonuses scrutinized for optimum productivity. Failure to do so meant failure to buy in to his project. It did not take long for his project to be unequivocally supported.

This idea of total control meant that every part of the football club was completed in the image of the Italian. Southampton will not crumble in the absence of Cortese. What they must do, as must other clubs alike, is ensure that the standards and indeed appearances of any given figure in this role follows and builds upon this seemingly ideal template. His methods often polarised opinion but if there is one thing his reign at the club can teach us, it is that where once lay the fans at the heart of the spiritual magic surrounding the club to which we direct our chosen faith, now so lies the often cold, often eccentric and often brilliant sharp dressed, corporate and public prophet.