Absolutely Adkins must STAY.
As fans we are absolutely CRAZY to be discussing getting rid of him.
This guy has lead us from the bottom of League one to the Premiership in ultra quick time. I said at the start of last season when we were getting some great results that it was too early for us as we'd need to strengthen massively if we got up and that's difficult as players take time to settle.
Arsenal aside I think we've been well in with a chance of picking up something in each and every game this season. On the ball we look really good in main.
Our problem is quite clearly at the back. Our defence (left and centre) is making appalling errors week in week out. They're defending worse than they did last season (which at times wasn't great either). It's not as if teams are playing beautiful football to score past us or that we're getting caught out by clever set plays or the offside trap. Our defence is making serious basic errors game after game.
Nigel will not be saying to them - "don't close players down when they're in the box" or "when that player drills it across the box, just let it run on through to your man" or "bring players down in the box/handball it in the box". These are individual errors.
Problem is short of changing the personnel that are playing in those positions it's very hard to erradocate them - only Jose, Jos, Yoshi and Fox will be able to tell you why they've done some of these stupid things.
I guess if there is any criticism in this it'd have to be why we didn't concentrate more of our focus on recruiting some stronger defensive players, but lets all face it - go back through the transfer rumours - everyone wanted us to sign the attacking players. We all thought we needed a CB and a LB, but not to this extent.
We're currently playing some of the best football I've ever seen us play and if we can get these defensive lapses in concentration/poor decisions erradocated then we have the makings of a good side.
Get rid of the manager and I think we'll have a real tough one on our hands as he'll have the same problem defensively and may start to try and change the way we play, which could take away our attractive passing style.
As fans we want to see our team beat everyone in the land, but we have to be realistic that we can't achieve that over night.
I think we have enough to stay up but defenders have to stand up and be counted here. If we don't stay up, then I don't think there'd be a better man to get us back up here again.
Just out of interest, those of you who think he needs to go - who do you think is going to take us to the next level anyway? Harry Redknapp? The blose who gets teams playing attractive but has leaky defences? Remember it was Harry that brought in Callum Davenport to plug our leaky defence all those years ago... Or maybe Sven could come and spend all the money we have on overated players?
Every manager we've ever had has made questionnable decisions - Strachan playing Chris Baird in the Cup Final was one - that one paid off, but what about the decision to bring in Delgado, Chala, Delap???
Together as one. Give Adkins the time he deserves to take this team forward. Don't let him be a victim of his own success!!