I've not once said I wanted him sacked. Just merely predicting/speculating what I think will happen. I seriously hope I'm wrong and of you listen to the wife I normally am. (Although I was bang on about lambert being dropped)
This thread almost gave me a heart attack. Panicy few moments checking what was going on aaaannnddd... Nothing. Good sentiment and intentions to the thread but bit of a silly one!
If you listen to wives SK we are as men always wrong. I'm sure Fran will back me up! On Nigel I would be amazed if anything happened now before the Spurs game and my sincere hope is he has until Christmas to show he can turn this around. NC knows a new manager isn't necessarily the answer. New players could be but that can't happen before the new year.
SK.......Just thought I might give you a little lesson about managers at Saints and our history........ Do you know who they reckon has been one of the very best managers at Saints? It was Lawrie Mac. When he took over we were more than holding our own in the then first Division in November 1973. Sadly the first thing he did was to get us relegated out of division 1 in his first season in charge. Saints had good players then too.... Now that took a lot to except especially as we had had Ted Bates for so long.........However the next 3 years were the most thrilling years in Saints History. 1974-1975 the rebuild year.....1975-1976 continuing the rebuild and a bonus of an FA cup win. 1976-1977 continuing rebuild with us finishing 2nd to Bolton........The next 27 years having a lot of fun in the top league later to become the Premier. 9 of those years with Lawrie Mac so a new manager to the top flight didn't do so bad did he? Yes we had our really trying years we also caused our usual upsets and had our good years with a lot of fun. Not forgetting some of the best players in the world playing for us. We are still in that rebuild mode we have got to the Premier too early or maybe just earlier than we expected. We are nearly there we will not be so easy to beat as the season wears on. We have had three good years it stands to reason that we are going to have one bad year one better year and then back to the good years for a while..... Look at our history it is about to repeat itself....trust me.........
I hope not.....but we do have a history that points that way with managers that have not managed in the top flight before. Yes I do think we will keep Nigel although it is going to be another tough year.
I hope NC gives him more time but results have to improve. NC is smart though he will only get rid if he can get some-one better! There aren't that many better managers around and are available IMO!
It is not our board that lacks class it is the back stabbers who are seeking his removal that have no class. I am truly disappointed that such people support the club I love and even more disappointed that one absolute idiot thought it would be constructive and helpful to write to that apology of a newspaper the Echo spouting his "Nigel out" drivel. Nigel Adkins is the best thing that has happened to our club in a long, long time and he is going to be one hell of a manager in the PL given time. Like Cortese and the players he is having to learn. What I find puzzling is that the people who are calling for his head included an idiot who suggested that Nigel would be gone any way as Liverpool would be coming for him. So this guy wants him sacked because he isn't good enough for Southampton FC but Liverpool want him. For me that sums up nicely the Nigel out campaigners. They are idiots for whom rational thought is beyond their capabilty added to their total lack of loyalty and any sense of common decency. There have been polls all over the web and the encouraging thing is that in most of them around 80% of the people voting want Nigel to stay. I am sticking by Nigel and I will still be there shouting his cause should we be in the Championship next season.
It's too early for Adkins to go but I personally would be looking at the 15th game and seeing where we are. We have to improve now, not keep saying it will come. We're in danger of a totally deflated camp and Nigel making even more rash decisions. We've had right backs playing left back, centre backs playing right back and left back. Lambert playing deep or as sub. Do Prado as a lone striker, Rodriguez playing left wing. No defensive midfielder and played all 3 different keepers. That tells me Nigel is panicking when he needs to be calm and work out the winning formula on the training ground. Of course we could blame the lack of defensive signings but someone had to make that decision... Did we even try to sign people? Is Adkins failing to attract those players? All I have seen is us making a ridiculously expensive signings because the money we offered. Not players jumping to sign because of Adkins. I think Adkins has made some poor errors in judgement so far and I don't believe in sentiment in football. Adkins will be paid a bloody good wage by Southampton to produce football that wins games in an entertaining manner for the fans. There's nothing entertaining about getting tonked by West Ham after every week saying we need to cut out mistakes and improve defensively. If we get relegated it won't be easy to re-group and come straight back up. We will lose players, have to bring others in. Lift the players that stay and change the formation again. That will not be part of the plans at all. £30 million spent should be for us to comfortably survive and I think we have brought in Adkins targets, not Cortese's. I genuinely believe he's out of his depth right now but good natured Saints fans tolerate that because that's what were used too in the premiership. To balance the argument. I do like Adkins. He has done well with the promotions. His signings in the lower leagues were ok. He always remains positive and despite my criticisms I believe he is on a learning curve right now and deserves a few more games to prove he can make things happen. Plus we have had a few injuries (although so have most other teams) I really do hope we can string together a few wins to get the monkey off Nigels back as it's weighing down heavy on him and un turn the players right now. Sort it out quickly Nige !
And for the case for the defence I present Ian Holloway, who saw Blackpool promoted to the Premiership, was relegated after one season, but is still manager of Blackpool.
Ok different slant on it. If Adkins gets the chop what would be fans honest opinion be of cortese. And those fans saying he should get till Christmas that will only happen if results change. How are results going to change when 1. We can't buy any players and 2. We've actually not been playing that bad and are still not getting results.
I think people are being a bit too harsh on SK. Obviously it's a bit premature and not in good nature but he doesn't have bad intentions. I once got slated before for asking if Adkins was sacked then who would be a good enough to fill in, even though I didn't want him sacked I just wanted to know who we would want in if the sacking was to happen.
