'Great Day' for Saints

George Burley has been unveiled at St Mary's in a press conference this afternoon.

Chairman Rupert Lowe described today as 'a great day for the club.' I think most fans would agree with that, as Burley was the man most of us wanted to see given the job.

Burleys job title is officially Head Coach, with Sir Clive Woodward becoming Director of Football. Some of the sceptics have suggested Clive doesn't have the experience for the job. Dave Merrington told the bbc:

'Clive hasn't been in the game long enough to warrant being a director of football'

'He can't expect to have any credibility as a director of football when he has only been in the game less than a year.

Merrington's comments do remind me of the 'old school' British managers attitude, much like Harry Redknapp and Dave Bassett, who aren't willing to consider modernisation. Football has moved on and Saints have to try to gain an advantage by using Clive's precise planning and attention to detail.

Hopefully the undoubted expertise Woodward has can be utilised now, and he can work as part of a forward thinking management team, all pulling in the same direction.

George Burley is definitely a forward thinking manager, who's got an excellent pedigree in this division and the Premier league and will get the team playing exciting football. Hopefully now the fans will return to St Mary's and the board, management and players will all pull together to push for a play off place.

Burley took his first Saints training session today and takes charge of his first game away at Watford on Boxing Day.

He said he hoped to build something long term at the club, much like he did at Ipswich.

'I hope to be here for a long time,'

'I've got a contract for two and a half years. We are building something.'

The Scot also revealed he will be bringing his own coaching staff Simon Hunt and Malcolm Webster with him.

So it appears to be a totally fresh start for Saints; Something the majority of fans seem delighted about.

Things really have changed this week at St Mary's, we've rightly recalled Blackstock and Dyer and installed one of the top managers around...Christmas really has come early for Saints fans!

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