What happens to Southampton and Mauricio Pochettino after Nicola Cortese resignation?

As Southampton executive chairman Nicola Cortese resigns, can Southampton become an easy shop for Premier League giants?

Nicola Cortese guided Southampton since the German businessman, Markus Liebherr, had bought the club back in 2009. He was the man who was behind the team’s revival as the Saints progressed from League One to Premier League in three years. Cortese managed to establish a solid young squad capable under the manager Nigel Adkins but later replaced him with a Spanish young coach Mauricio Pochettino, who has turned the side into a competitive power in the English top flight. However, back in May 2013 Pochettino claimed he was only working at the club as long as Cortese did, which made the pundits think he would resign immediately after the chairman. Still, the Spanish manager will not quit until after the upcoming fixture against Sunderland and could be in talks about his future at the club with the new chairman Katharina Liebherr, daughter of Markus Liebherr, who had passed away in 2010.

The talks started growing about possible sales of the players to interested clubs, including both Manchester giants. Luke Shaw, Rickie Lambert were named among the most likely stars to leave Southampton. However, we believe the resignation of Nicola Cortese will not trigger the players’ exodus. Some of them, like Adam Lallana or Morgan Schneiderlin, played before Liebherr takeover. Most of them played under Nigel Adkins, now they play under Mauricio Pochettino. What they manage to keep throughout all the changes is faith in the team and enormous ambition, which they have proven in the last four seasons. So if any squad member parts ways with the club, it will be for any reason but Nicola Cortese resignation. Mauricio Pochettino, however, will quit if he is a man of the word. The question is whether he lasts till the end of the season.