I reckon 6/10 is probably fair. It's his first attempt at a new level in his managerial career and he's not as yet let us down in terms of falling way short of our expectations. He's obviously a very good motivational manager to have, particularly with such a young squad, but you can also see some inexperience regards both tactics and signings at this level. Hopefully the latter two improve relatively quickly, and he doesn't stumble first time at a new level like he did with Scunthorpe in the Championship 2007-08 season going straight back down. He should have the funds/resources he needs to have a good go of it (if he's having a reasonable say in our transfers), so there should be no excuses if we don't get another term. The only danger is that our signings look way too far into the future rather than addressing what we need right here and now. Hope any signings this window (CB and winger please) are closer to their mid twenties and ready to play, than their teens with the majority of their potential still to be unlocked. Lat
True. Makes no real difference to what I was saying though. I don't really bame the other players. The people most responsible for Ramirez's performances are Ramirez and Adkins. However, players do not and cannot train for every situation and every possible arrangement of players. For me, particularly when play is congested around the edge of the box, Ramirez sees small spaces and potential passes/runs that other players could (and possibly should) be making and he sees them very quickly. He then (sometimes) plays the pass early expecting his team-mate to run onto it. Often they don't because they haven't seen the opening. Who is to blame for that I'm not entirely sure. There's no doubt that sometimes Ramirez tries something too clever or too ambitious and so far he hasn't lived up to his price tag but Lallana is NOT twice the player Ramirez is. He certainly performs better in the Southampton side at the moment but I think a lot of that is because he's more familiar with his team-mates than Ramirez is. If Adkins had been appointed in September or even in the summer then I might give him some leeway on the basis of the "he has to work with the squad he's got" argument but he's been at the club long enough that he has a large share of responsibility for the squad we have. He's not solely responsible of course but he's been manager for 2 years so "the players he has aren't good enough" isn't a defence. Before people bring up our back-to-back promotions, Norwich did the same thing under a manager with even less experience and they were mid-table this time last year. I agree that Guly is a good player and Mayuka hasn't shown much since he signed. Errm, as I recall we lost that game so it didn't really make THAT much difference did it? I do remember the second game of the season. Puncheon, Lambert and Lallana (probably our 3 best performers) off - initiative, goal threat and possession conceded. Sit back. Goal Man Utd! Goal Man Utd! 3 points become none. You're claiming a change of full backs was responsible for 4 goals? Haha, that's a bit of a stretch but okay. Even allowing that it's one game out of 19. Too often Adkins makes changes too late in the game for them to have any positive impact. The team also have a tendency (demonstrated against Stoke earlier) to sit back when they're ahead and invite pressure onto themselves. We've conceded a lot of late goals this season. Sorry but no. Adkins hasn't come into a group of unfamiliar players and been forced to get through til the transfer window, he's been in charge at Southampton for over 2 years. You're essentially giving him a higher rating because you don't think the squad he's built is good enough to compete!
People slagging of Mayuka yet again, how much game time has he had?I would say roughly 80 mins?.He has to learn to play in a new team in a new league , yet some people can't even give him a chance.It's ****ing stupid, then people say about how people that slag of Guly(I have never booed him at a game) yet like Mayuka are idiots. Isn't this a kinda ****ed up logic?, you are slagging a player off that has hardly played yet moan at people slagging of another player. Give the guy a ****ing break and time which he will need before judging him.
What I am trying to say r.e. Lallana is that he too sees small spaces BUT (and it is a very important but) he doesn't continually pass to no-one. Ramirez is good. He will be better than Lallana but he isn't at the moment, not just underperforming, Lallana has got much more in his locker (and yes much better vision at present) that Ramirez will probably develop. I expect Ramirez to be awesome in the not too distant future but he is not on a par with Lallana at the moment. As for the tactics someone suggested that they can't remember a tactical decision that Adkins made that had a positive effect. Yes we lost to Man City but the 2 goals were positive effects. Against Vila IT WAS the change of ful back that meant we suddenly had Lambert, Clyne and Lallana linking very well down the left, that then gave Ramirez room in the centre. All the goals scored if I remember rightly (apart from the penalty) cam from the left in that second half. The Man U ones are debatable. Scholes came on, we got pushed back a change was needed. Differing opinions on whether he should have kept on 3 attackers that were tiring and had hardly touched the ball since Scholes came on. but I'll conceded that can be seen both ways. And I'm not slating Mayuka. I'm just questioning the constant 'why wasn't Mayuka brought on' every match when there are always the 'Why was Guly brought on' comments to go with it. Both are Saints players. One we know can bring a lot to the game and one we have yet to see it. Can't understand the love in when as you admit, we haven't seen enough of him yet to assess. that also means we haven't seen enough to say he 'should' be brought on. Anyways I'm off to ignore this forum for another month. It's been great and I don't know why I came back on again after reading the last 10 pages of moaning on the Stoke thread.
Adkins is still learning in the PL and not every decision by other managers work either. And sometimes the decision may be right or worth a go but the team let him down. How do we know how he would do in charge of a top ten side with better players? The team is doing better now and if we continue to get results against middle and bottom sides we will be fine, then we can see how Adkins does in a second season.
We have a young squad and also a young manager. It seems to me that there is a parallel between the two. Saints have a vision and that doesn't include signing old Pros at the end of their career to "do a job" for a short while. We are signing/developing young talent with real potential and bringing them on, with the expectation of them really making the grade. NC brought Nigel in, not just as a quick fix to get us out of L1, but because he saw the potential. He is still learning, some of the substitutions haven't worked out, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Marks out of ten? I can only look at the whole project and give him a 9. Seems to improving all the time and we are playing entertaining football which I want to watch. We will get there, I have no doubt Now, where did I put those sandals?
There is not much that I can add to those renditions. How ever I do think he needs experience in the middle of the park who has both experience and leadership. Just to guide and steady the ship. In my opinion Cork is proving to be such a person may be time to think about making him the skippper and get him to steady the boat. Now, where did I put those sandals? Where you left them for me to trip over!!
Alex Fergusson took a bit of time to learn but he did ok. I sometimes wonder why Adkins leaves his substitutions too late, but I do think he gives the players the mental fortitude required to survive: look at yesterday as a well won point not two thrown away which would not be a positive thing to do with Arsenal close on the horizon.
Adkins is criticized for making substitutions too late or too early or even at all. It is a judgement call which may or may not work...remember he doesn't have Giggs or a Tevez sitting on the bench. One of our strengths is team spirit and confidence...the players worked their socks off and partially prevailed...one point is better than none, especially for team belief. We probably will still be in bottom three after Tuesday, but then move onto Villa.
Agree with this, and my rating of Adkins will take this into account. This approach could so easily have gone pear shaped and left the club floundering at the very bottom of the table and struggling for a clear vision of how to improve. Instead, I see the team as gelling together, always capable of scoring and sometimes dominating the opposition. We gained 4 points from the first 10 games, and over three times this in the next 9. Quality of the opposition aside, this is an improvement that if it continues will deliver enough points to keep us up. If rating Adkins was just about the teams final position, and 1-2 means certain relegation, 3-4 is hovering just above the danger zone, and 5-6 is safe but bottom half of the table I would give Adkins 6/10 based on where I think we will end up. However, taking into consideration Adkins is doing this the hard way with a young team that's got to raise my score to 7/10
If we stay up he gets a 9, if we go down he'll get a 6.5 from me, based on the second half of the season being similar to the first half.
IMO yesterday WAS a well won point, the team didnt throw anything away, they were holding out against an experienced blitzkrieg attack until undone right at the end by a wonder goal. The OP asks for managers rating for first half of season, hmm - 6+ and rising.
I'll give him 6.5. Not happy with some of his decisions early in the season but he has learned from his mistakes which is the important thing. He got his tactics in the first half at Stoke spot on as well and very nearly won at one of the most difficult grounds in the PL.
This is true but sometimes you feel that we are drifting towards a narrow defeat and our side is not threatening. Ok sometimes early subs don't work, such as against Sunderland but at least you see why they were made.
Adkins has us playing the right way. On the floor, pass and move with young flair players. For his philosophy of attacking football alone he earns a 7/10 from me. I can handle relegation, I can handle saints scoring a few, and conceding a few more (enough to not win a game), but what I wouldn't be able to handle as a fan of Saints is watching boring hoofball football. This is what I witnessed from Villa at the Wigan game yesterday, and I came away from that so happy at being a saints fan. I see lack of fight at QPR, lack of talent at Reading and lack of either from Villa, which is why I think these will be the teams to go down. We have a long way to go, a lot of the players in our squad aren't good enough, but on our day we can outplay any team in this division. Being able to say that after coming straight up through two leagues is a hell of an achievement. For me Adkins is, and will be, the man for the job even if we go down. He is a truly special manager, and he is the right man for saints long term.
Agreed.... Adkins is the only man who I want to do the job on all honesty. The squad lacks in certain areas, this will be sorted given time. Adkins lacks occasionally in tactical situations, but these will be sorted with experience of one of the hardest and least forgiving leagues in the world. In terms of character, attitude, personality, poetry, man management, dealing with the press and brightening up the slightly murky world of football.... I'll give Adkins an 8.........
