No. He'd have the same squad. Window shut. Nigel has proven throughout his career that he can get the best out of the players he has.
For me, we're past the stage now to be talking about replacing Adkins. So even if we did only get four points from our next eight matches, or even less than four, I would happily keep hold of Adkins. If we get relegated, then he's the guy I want in charge to take us back up. Why ditch him with only 10 or 12 games left, on the off chance that his replacement might be able to do something in those finals games to keep us up? And besides, you only need to go back three months to see proof that we can turn things around after a poor run of results. These next eight games are basically on the same level of difficulty as our first eight games - although this time we do have that PL experience that we've quickly gained - and yet ultimately, by our fingernails, we've just managed to come through this first half of the season with survival currently intact. I've said it since the day the fixtures were released. If we find ourselves right in amongst the relegation battle come 1 April, then we have the fixtures to survive. Of those seven games in April and May, only Spurs away looks like a bit of a right off. The other six are all potentially winnable. So between now and then, it's not about winning games all over the place and pulling away from the drop zone, it's simply about not losing touch with 17th place.
This run of games is no harder than any others in this league - there are are a few games amongst these that Saints are well capable of winning on a good day. Why should we be defeatest about playing Man City at SMS for instance - we scared them at their ground and they have just been beaten by Sunderland. I feel confident about playing Arsenal here on Tuesday too. I would definitely stick by Nigel Adkins no matter what happens this season. Stability is far better than chop & change - for us anyway.
What you have to understand mate is that for a long time we suffered under a useless chairman dragging the club downwards in his own interests, and a carousel of rubbish managers, I don't know the exact number but we've had something like 15 managers since 2000. The average win percentage of managers from 2000 until Liebherr bought the club was 26%, Adkins' is 61% (Ferguson's career percentage is 59%, obviously an entirely different level but still), the highest we've had since Alfred McMinn in 1897 in the Southern Prem. After a conveyor belt of incompetents we've finally got a manager we love and a manager we believe in. Players come and go and Leagues can change, but what I really want is a solidly built club from boardroom down to the club masseuse and everything in between. Adkins and Cortese (And sadly not Liebherr) have brought us from the depths up to the promised land quicker and more enjoyably than we could possibly have dreamt and for that we owe them a lot of thanks and a lot of faith. Cortese has his reputation and has his prickly side, and Adkins might not save us from the drop, but personally, and I think I'm not alone here, I want them to be driving our bus for the next 20 years. Obviously a lot of fans just want us in the Premier League and if Nigel can't keep us here this year then he has to go, and I understand that and clearly as an outsider that is how you see it is as well, but for a lot of us the last 7/8 years have been a reality check and have helped us learn to prioritise what we really want and care about for our club. Besides, despite all that, who could we bring in to a struggling relegation battling team that wouldn't just be a desperate out of work manager recently fired from another job? Would that really be an improvement?
Fair play. I accept that you are grateful and that you feel like you owe him a lot. However, I think it would be a bad decision if you declined the opportunity to appoint a manager who may give you a greater chance of survival and who could take you that next step. Just supposing you are 3 points adrift after that eight game run. It would be far from over. The players confidence would be shot and they would be in real need of the kind of lift a new manager can bring. Who knows what managers might be available by then? If Adkins left, it wouldn't have to be on bad terms. He would still be a part of your history and you could still say he played a part in your future. Should you be relegated, there seems to be a feeling amongst you that it will be the same as last time and that Adkins will bring you straight back. There are no guarantees and it looks like a league that is getting tougher and tougher to get out of. I know some of you say that the Premier League isn't everything but it is where every club strives to be and it is a shame for any club to give up their top flight status. Yes the championship can be fun for a season or two, but if you don't get out quick and a few players leave, you can be down there a long time. I am trying to see it from your point of view. If we were struggling along with a manager that we really loved, Di Canio for instance, would I want him replaced with a dozen games to go if it gave us a better chance of staying up? I think I would have to say yes. I would follow West Ham if we were playing in the conference, but I am much happier when we are a premier league side. Having said all that, I agree, it would only be worth doing if an exceptional manager became available so the whole point I am making may be irrelevant.
We've heard it all before Trixie. When we got promoted to the Championship (only 18 months ago, though it seems like ages) there were West Ham and Leeds and Millwall fans saying "this is a tough league to get out of, you'll struggle for years here". And look what happened! With the greatest respect, we don't need you to tell us what we need. We know when we're well off thanks, and it's with Cortese and Adkins, who are the best thing to happen to Southampton FC since the days of Lawrie McMenemy.
Loving the positivity in this post! We all support Nige 100% and lets be clear I think we would all (nige and the players included) expect more than 4 points from the run of games coming up. I think more like 8-10 which would put us in a decent position with a relatively easy run in. One thing I will say though is that while as fans we all support Nige even if we do go down im not sure the same can be said for Nicola. This is the chairman that said "no team will ever get relegated with me in charge". I think its fair to say that if at any point we look certs to go down and the team seems to loose confidence Adkins will be sacked. If we go down I think he will almost certainly go. Realistically. Having said that I dont think any of that will happen! We should be looking up rather than down. Still confident of my 14th prediction at the start of the season!
