Next season we will be in the PL again, but this will be Nigel's first foray into the top league. He has shown that he can take challenges on and has got promotions with Bangor, S****horpe and Southampton. Obviously a good manager, a great man manager, a motivator, an intelligent man willing to learn, and very much a modern style manager. In the PL, he will be learning as well as most of the team. I know that you, like me, will be on his side and feel that he can do this, but putting aside our red and white goggles, are there any areas of concern? Or are you all filled to brim with confidence? In the end, only time will tell I suppose. On a second note, I hope he is given the time if we don't land running. We want Nicola the Patient not Cortese the Executioner.
Well obviously he is literally a Premier League manager, however I think it is difficult to judge how he will perform until he has had at least a season in the top flight. Even if we are relegated, hopefully his track record of bouncing back with Scunthorpe, we would give him another chance. I think Adkins will do well but I do sometimes wonder about his substitutions when we are chasing a game, well I guess we will have to wait and see but I see not reason that he can grow as a manager as our Club continues to grow.
I have wondered about this. You will remember that when Laurie Mac came to the club he had Ted as a mentor and I can't help but worry that managing in the PL is a big ask but everyone has to be a beginner once and I have every confidence in Nigel. I do think though that he would benefit from a mentor and I said on another thread that Gordon Strachan would be ideal. Just somebody he can chat to and bounce ideas around with, somebody who has done it all and is highly experienced. NOT a line manager or a person with any authority a bit like a trusted mate whose opinion you value and trust. In my last job anyone we promoted to manager was always assigned an experienced manager as a personal mentor for the first year and it worked well and was generally appreciated.
Yes. He's a modern manager and I'm sure he'll more than hold his own in the Premier League. Just look at Paul Lambert and Brendan Rodgers...
Good question, Fran. Past events suggest that Adkins will not know what hits him and Saints could either end up relegated or Cortese steps in quickly and replaces him. I'm talking about Adkins' first foray into the Championship, with Scunthorpe, and his team was immediately relegated. I'm not going to try to read between the lines of Adkins' interview, where he suggested that there would eventually be the parting of the ways. Some people might say that it was a lack of personal confidence to do the job at the highest level, but I think he was just very tired, as he said. Besides, Adkins is a much, much more experienced manager, this time round, and I think he has the best man behind him, in Cortese, who will demand progress, but will give Adkins every bit of help he requires. And as Fran says, Adkins is very willing to learn.
I agree - there aren`t many Premier managers who I would prefer to have. I have every confidence that NA will develop and evolve next season.
I couldn't agree more, he is one of the new breed of young, hungry managers along with Brian McDermott too, that are very thorough, and prepare for each match to the very finest detail. He is an excellent motivator and had surrounded himself with a superb fitness and coaching staff that enable each and every player, in his words, "to become the best that they can be". Before the start of this season, there were fans that had doubts about his ability in the transfer market and he has well and truly answered the doubters with his additions to the squad. Cork,Fox,Hooiveld,Lee and Sharp have all enhanced the squad significantly and fitted into the team ethos well. I think that we have one of the brightest young English managers in football at our club, who is a natural winner (check his stats) and will go on to do great things, either with us or not.
If you think about it guys and gals everyone has to start somewhere. No matter who you are in the premier at some point you were new to that level of football. Some times I have a little trepidation that Nigel shows a certain lack of experience when setting up formations. His use of the "impact players as he calls them" were very effective in the championship, but in the premier I cannot see them having that much of an impact. In the premier it will be more of refreshing a position rather than being able to put a player on for impact. Just my opinion for what it's worth.
The biggest change is that for the 1st time as saints boss we will be heading into matches as rank outsiders. Traditionally you go to some of these away matches to try and keep it tight and sneak a draw but Nigel's winning mentality means we will be going for it. Whilst I admire this approach and Norwich have done well. We may get a memorable result but could be on the end of some hidings. This is all for the future and whatever happens I know the players will be prepared in the best possible way.
Nigel is too modest to admit having the likes of Fergie, Wenger, WGS etc in his phonebook. He won't be short of managerial peers to discuss football with. We also have Les Reed who will have learnt an awful lot from working at Charlton and at the FA.
He deserves a chance at the best league in the world. He's got every asset to be one of the best managers in football.
This mentoring thing ...... really helped Lawrie. Just remind me, didn't we get relegated in his first season? Nigel Adkins is his own man. Shock and awe await.
Maybe a learning curve up there, but after a few blue lines, I think he'll be just fine. Looking forward to finding out, but not in a hurry, this is going to be a fun close season.
Nigel will never show it, but I bet the nerves are starting to set in. He wouldn't be human if he wasn't. Luckily, he'll be very busy over the summer. Hope he manages a nice fortnight with the lovely Mrs Nigel...all those afternoons!
As Godders used a work analogy, I shall use another. When recruiting, I use the principle that the best indicator of future performance is past performance. With this in mind, why on earth would you be concerned about Nigel's credentials? Any criticism (and I know you aren't criticising Fran, I'm simply alluding to earlier remarks on this board) of a man who has just achieved back to back promotions is nit-picking of the very highest order. It's taking a 98% perfect performance and placing the 2% under the microscope. Football management is about galvanising a group of players to play in a certain way and making them believe in themselves when they walk out onto the pitch to compete. It's about being prepared for each challenge as it comes along and reacting to factors that could influence the outcome during the 90 minutes. Nigel has more than adequately demonstrated that he has precisely what it takes. http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/mpl-league.html?seasonid=142&type=Season Total
