Before any of you jump on me, I am not a WUM. I am merely posting something which I have found rather interesting. Alex Davison is a close friends of Lallanas who I follow on twitter. Looking at his previous tweets some what alarmed me https://twitter.com/alexdav1988 - Love this @Cornsy69 great memories. So many visions of Crosby with his shorts on with his fat calfs. #bestyears pic.twitter.com/KOWl1hvH Maybe im reading between the lines too much here, but no mention of Adkins just Crosby - Hearing new gaffer is an absolute #boss exactly what we needed at Southampton! Nigel been ledge but this man is real deal! #goodtimesahead x - Oddschanger ‏@Oddschanger BREAKING: Nigel Adkins has been sacked as manager of Southampton (via @wayneveysey). #SaintsFC Retweeted by Alex Davison - Alex Goring Crook ‏@alex_crook I understand Nigel Adkins is to be replaced as #saintsfc manager by Mauricio Pochettino. Could be announced as early as today. Retweeted by Alex Davison - @lloydrees800 this is the man I was talking about the other day http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/southampton-eye-mauricio-pochettino-ex-coach-1542392 ⦠#comeonnicolasackthegaffer already telling his mate about MP before any rumours came about online - Also on the 29th December: Adkins got to go now #simples calling for adkins head after our 3-3 away to stoke Now I could be barking up the wrong tree completely here, but as a close friend of Adams (there is pictures of them out together on his account and them driving up to the games together) surely Adams heaps of praise and love for Nigel would influence this kids opinion of our beloved Adkins. If Lallana never had a bad word to say about him, this Alex kid would be under the impression that Nigel is the man. Or is he merely the best friend of our best player who thinks he knows everything about football just because of his best friend?
Good observation. I'm sure they liked him but it's certainly true that they see a side to him that we don't and I'd be amazed if they love him as unconditionally as the fans seem to.
Wait so your reasoning behind him is that because a friend of Lallana doesn't like him that MUST mean that Lallana and in turn other members of the squad didn't like him also. I don't like many of my friends friends but it doesn't mean they hate them as well.
I don't think that's what he meant! But if Lallana was raving about Adkins like the fans do his mate's opinion of him might be higher.
Now go back and read my post again. I said I may be barking up the wrong tree completely. I never said MUST. I could well be putting 2 and 2 together and getting 20408403 or I could be getting 4. Imagine your down the pub with your mate, and he is banging on about how amazing his boss is. Your impression of this man who you have no relationship with is pretty good. Put that in the Lallana sitauation and you could imagine where Im coming from.
It's a good observation. I doubt he'd feel so strongly about it if Lallana was completely full of praise. Not that it means the players hated Nigel, I'm certain they didn't, but still.
What Im trying to say is. This Alex kid and Lallana must have spoke on many occasions about Nigel. Say Alex says to Lallana 'Nigel needs to go'. If Lallana responded with 'no he is the best manager iv worked under, we all love him' surely this would change his opinion even in the slighest, but for this kid to want Adkins to go despite having more of an inside view than many of us, to me says something. But I COULD be wrong
this is exactly what Im trying to get at. Im not saying Nigel was hated, but maybe everything wasnt so hunky dorey like we like to think. Nigel had to be liked for us to achieve what we achieved, but I feel the fans loved Nigel more than the players
I do see your point but I just don't agree. You can tell me whatever you want about whomever you want and I'd still rather go on my own impression than on someone else's influence. I think this is true for most people and is why I don't see Lallana having any influence on what this bloke thought of Adkins. Not to mention that Lallana was made captain under Adkins and they both consistently praised each other in interviews. In fact if I remember correctly when Adkins joined the club or a few weeks after he gave an interview that singled out Lallana as a massive player which he very rarely did due to his whole team ethos.
I'm sure the players liked Adkins the way we do and his positivity must make life better, but that does not mean they all respect him as a top manager. Perhaps a few thought he was doing things wrongly or he had run out of ideas...this happens in all work places. It was noticeable that Clyne said he was excited to meet the new manager. They will be nervous about how good this man is and if they will fit in his plans, but some may feel (like Cortese) that we need a new manager. Others will not, I hasten to add.
Its all if's, buts and maybe's but not everyone is going to agree or see eye to eye with him. I don't think Billy Sharp will be too sad to see him gone. After all Nigel signed him and shipped him off to Forest after 7 months. He's moved South and then he has to uproot his then pregnant Mrs again. Without getting the opportunity to play in the Prem. That seems just as harsh as Nigel's sacking. Then you have Chaplow who barely gets a sniff and only signed a season or two back among others. Chapllow, Sharp, Lallana were all good mates and were out non stop after promotion and went on holidays together. So with one of his mates loaned out and another frozen out Lallana probably has a bit of an axe to grind with Nigel. Captaincy to smooth it over? So there is one clique from the squad who may not get on with him through pure speculation on my part. But... if you tie it in with the original post, was Lallana's mate who wrote the tweets part of this little clique as well? Like I said all ifs buts and maybes but one thing is for sure every player will be busting a gut to impress the new guy.
It's an interesting observation but of course it can only be hypothesis. When the players spoke about Nigel it was always that media persona of positivity & great communication. The team would meet & watch the video of every game and work out improvements as a group which as a manager myself would help create a healthy atmosphere. The flip side to this could be perceived lack of ideas and firm leadership. It's possible players saw Nigel as a facilitator of ideas rather than a great football thinker & tactician. But this is all conjecture and it doesn't matter how NA and his team were successful. What MP will inherit is a team willing to learn in a good environment.
Those decisions are made in the mame of football. Chaplow and Sharp won't hold it against Adkins for filling their places with better players. If they did, it would say more about them as professionals than it would about Adkns. This Alex lad is probably just bitter about this.
It depends on what they were told when they signed. Sharp in particular. If he was told that he would be a part of it if we were promoted and not get a chance then this is wrong and I would hold a grudge. Football wise it probably was the correct decision and does have parralles with what has happened with Nigel. I don't even know if this Alex guy know's anyone other than Lallana, so it may not be that at all.
Players are professionals and as in any workplace some will like some will put up with and some will dislike the manager. That's life! You have to get on and do your job.
Think it's important the players respect the manager rather than love him, after all how many have loved Ferguson at Manure over the years ? It's different for us supporters and can come into play whan the saying "the manager has lost the dressing room" is used, like when Hughes and QPR parted company. To give NA his due, it was obvious the players bought into his philosophy and were playing for him. Think you're slightly barking up the wrong tree but interesting stuff COYR
I think its a given that the players don't like Adkins as much as we do. Just think about. I genuinely deep down like my boss but I still complain about him a lot. I disagree with him on things and because he's the boss he wins. Plus, I would rather come to work and listen to the radio and play Football Manager all day but he won't let me. Even though he's right and I am wrong, it's just human nature to be mad and complain when you lose arguments or do things you'd rather not do. My boss is also pretty well-respected by outsiders, as he should be. People ask for things and he gets them done on time and done well. So they are quite happy with that. Of course when someone asks for something in a tight time frame and the pressure is on, I'm often the one who actually does the work and of course I feel like I don't get enough credit and should be paid more, and it's too much pressure, etc. I'm sure the players just want to play. They don't like all the running, or when Adkins sits them, or when he tells them to run here and they feel like they should run there. It is doubtful they feel the same way about Southampton as we do as fans. Football is their passion, playing for Saints--while they may really like the club-- is their profession. For us, Saints is our passion and our job is something else entirely. So them complaining about Adkins at times in completely expected. I think they will miss him. At the same time, they've got a new boss now, and they want things to stay happy as much as we do and the best way to do that is to work hard and give the new guy a chance. And I'm sure many of them are looking on the bright side and thinking maybe now they will get a chance to do some of the things they couldn't do under Adkins. There's probably some cautious optimism mixed with an underlying worry of "Hey, maybe the new guy is a jerk. Does Cortese know what he is doing? etc." That's natural as well. I will say this though, if you are going to switch managers, I think it is better to do it when things are going well than when things are going badly and player morale is low and everyone has punched out. I have been in working situations like that where almost no matter how good the boss is, he or she doesn't really have a chance.
