Southampton Update

Saints still have not come to terms for hiring Jan Poortvliet as their new manager. Their inability to do this doesn't install confidence in me that Lowe's return is bringing much change.

On top of it Southampton is implementing a lot of minor cost cutting measure. Well, minor as long as your not the long time kitman losing their job. http://www.thisishampshire.net/sport/hampshiresport/display.var.2329579.0.saints_begin_costcutting_programme.php

Saints are this week embarking on the "painful process" of making a round of redundancies as they look to slash their wage bill.

The cuts are not just for the management and the players but are also extending to ordinary staff who are currently finding themselves under threat.

Already gone are long serving kitman Malcolm Taylor and club secretary Liz Coley.

The popular Taylor had been at Southampton for 30 years - 14 of them as kitman.

He started out as a steward at The Dell's Archer's Road end, then manned the car park and the player's gate before looking after the directors in the boardroom.

With Saints short of a kitman during Ian Branfoot's reign as manager, he juggled that with his other duties and it was Glenn Hoddle who later invited him to take on the kitman's role full time