I really do not think Nigel is any danger at the moment. The pressure may well be on him around 9/10 games in my view if we haven't got a similar amount of points on the board. There is no doubt a target for him to aim for at each stage of the season. At the present stage I would have guessed that he would have thought it to be around 3 points. I am further guessing for the next stage (9/10) target of around 15 points on the board. So around 30 points after 20 games....45 after 30. Making a final target of around 57 points. At the moment again guessing I would say his target will have lowered to 54 points. No Benitez is not the type of manager we would need down here. Nor is 'Arry!! I cannot think of anyone better than we have at the moment..... Truly do not think it is a major need for any change at present.
A piece of lazy journalism in one of the dailies to fill a space on an otherwise quiet day leads to two separate threads on here about Benitez. Four games into the season and people are asking about the replacement for NA. Would it not be more sensible to ignore these space fillers on the Daily Fail or wherever it was and wait until a decision (if it comes to that ) over Nigel's future is decided by those that make those decisions inside St Marys. As far as I am aware who is fired or not is not decided by lazy journalism creating stories.
I agree with Beddytare. Adkins can't be judged on the perfomance so far. We've played three of the (usual) top four - and led against two of them! Yes, we got thumped. So what? the season starts against Villa and I'm far more icnlined to judge Adkins in the Prem against the next eight games, than the starting four.
I will be gutted, as it will move the team away from being a 'project' to becoming a simple part of the Permiership merry-go-round. We may stay up, just to see our players poached, Benitez leave for a CL side, and a future of mid-table safety and regular managerial ins and outs. No more, no less. I personally would rather risk what may happen with Adkins, because, although it is going to be extremely hard to get through this season, the reward at the end if we stay up is immeasurable. Why can't we buck the trend, and perhaps we can follow the Man U/Alex Ferguson model...?
Ok a serious answer... just imagine that you started a new job 2 years ago and did such a great job that your boss promoted to a higher position, you wouldn't think it was fair if people were questioning your ability to do said job after a month into it. A fair period of judgement would be 3 months at the very least and a further 3 months for a chance to improve results. Nigel Adkins has earned his opportunity and should be given time to work with the new players that he has bought. For what it is worth, I think that the Benitez story is bull and that he would view taking the Saints' job below him.
if we were to lose the next two games i think adkins would be sacked but we're not going to lose the next two games. We'll beat Villa and draw with Everton. Season starts now
Err......... Yes I do think that was/is a target..... Just as I know 50 points has been designated as the absolute minimum. Now I do not want anyone getting me wrong, I am not saying or suggesting Nigel will be kicked out if it isn't achieved. Just that I know for a fact that is the minimum.......If he was to be asked he would probably say there is no minimum other than obvious survival......just as there is no maximum.
Nicola Cortese is a shrewd man, he will know that Nigel Adkins is on a learning curve as he is also. I think the parallel I made is a fair one, it would be madness to not give a manager a fair crack of the whip after the success of the last 2 years.
A target is an aim. Not a minimum. If I set my pool team a target of 105 points to win the league that does not mean that I am going to be looking for players if we only finish on 90 points. So Beddytare is probably quite right in that Cortese has set the target a t a mid - top table points finish. Realistically he will have a minimum of the 40 points to stay up however...... ........you always set the target high and then if you achieve it you have done superbly. So Target place 6-10. Minimum 17th. However I still think Cortese will think very very hard before sacking ADKins even if we go down because he is here for the long term and will know that stability even if we do go down could reap huge rewards over the years to come. Who is going to jump ship if we go down? Rickie? Adam? Fonte? Guly? Morgan? I doubt it. We will lose Ramirez and Yoshida, maybe Mayuka depending on whether he can get into the international side playing in the Championship however we will go down with probably the strongest squad in the whole championship and by far the most loyal and settled squad.
I dont think its the teams we have played its the team we have sent out to play that concerns Cortese , ie not the defeats but the manner in which they happened .
You dont think Lallana will go if we get relegated just after being called up into the England squad ? Or Lambert if he has a great season ? Schneiderlin as well ? Come on be honest .
Pressure in football is far higher then normal day jobs. When in a normal job do you spend 30 odd mil of another persons money on people?, a job in football is nothing like normal day jobs.
So min short in wont be sacked if he achieves to keep us in the League 35-40 points ? or gets us 60 points ? In short keeping us up , that one hell of a broad target he has been set on points though
