Is Adkins the right choice?

[kitkat]

We will go down and Adkins will have one season to get us back up, but if Anton won't spend the money, we won't be going anywhere.


KK

[Ouroboros]

not when others were doing it for much less

We can't appoint those guys though.

[Woodcote Royal]

The only reason Adkins is here is because another set of blinkered owners sacked him from his previous position (but, at least they had the good sense to line up a replacement before pulling the plug ) Without this other act of folly, Adkins would have been as indifferent regarding this vacancy as anyone else we would have deemed half way competent to take the club forward.

Our owner should count himself extremely fortunate to have got out of jail here and I hope Adkins refused to sign on the dotted until he'd secured a blinding severance package plus assurances that truck loads of Russian Roubles would be placed in the transfer budget ............................treat Adkins like you treated McDermott and you can have my seat back.

Whilst I believe someone like Gus Poyet might have brought a little more style to proceedings, it's hard to think of a better choice to plan our next assault on the summit from the 2nd tier.

A very warm welcome, Nigel.....................thank God you're here

[kieranwise95]

No.
Get a hoof manager.

[kieranwise95]

naaaaaa fam, should have gone 4 da best manager ennit, chris wilder 2k13

[maffff]

In my view; yes.

- style of play is generally attacking and passing
- has managed 4? promotions in 10? seasons as a manager at various levels
- built teams at a lower level capable of survival (or making a concerted effort at it) at higher levels, and bouncing back.
- signings have generally paid off, so appears to have decent scouting networks or ideas of how to exploit them
- has worked with varied budgets
- but has also seen players develop from the academy into the first team
- managed to make Marcus Williams look like a footballer, albeit briefly.

Although it feels a little like 'Reading' style manager, and he isn't a name, so it's a little underwhelming. But everything indicates he's the safe, sensible option and we have no reason to expect that he'll be anything but successful for us, particularly with the right backing.

[winchester_royal]

Well I think it's a fantastic appointment. We have a guy who likes his football fast with wingers and with the ball kept on the floor far more than we had under McDermott. We have a guy who has proved successful in every one of his jobs, and we have a guy who players naturally warm to.

The fact that any of you are 'underwhelmed' by a guy who has achieved 4 promotions in 6 seasons says an awful lot about the quality of minds on this board.

Do you genuinely think that playing 'fast football with wingers' is materially different to what brought us all our success in the Champo? We did that so often that the opposition would start doubling up on Jimmy etc, and then everyone moaned when we didn't have an alternative.

I don't disagree, but there are differing ways of playing fast football with wingers. The good thing with Adkins is that his style isn't a million miles from how we've been playing previously, therefore we shouldn't have to go through a 'Rodgers revolution' which the fans don't have the patience for...more like a 'Nigel's evolution'

Bring it on. This season has been miserable enough already. Time to look forward.

[Ian Royal]

Adkins seems to play a style closer, albeit not identical, to Coppell than McDermott. Certainly closer to that than Rodgers at Swansea, which many seem to think is the only way to play better, more passing football. McDermott had us playing even more one dimensionally and predictably than Coppell. And was much more based around spoiling on the opposition and capitilising on their mistakes.

[RoyalinBracknell]

Don't understand this whole 'sideways step' thing. We've swapped a guy with 1 promotion for a guy with 4 (and 2 league titles in Wales).

Not really sure that's a fair point to make McDermott look inferior. Realistically he oculd probably only have achieved 1 promotion with us in his time here. I guesss you could say McDermott could have been appointed earlier in his life if he was rated but I don't think it proves it's a step up. That said, it's clearly a positive statistic for Adkins and I think he's a very good manager.

[winchester_royal]

Don't understand this whole 'sideways step' thing. We've swapped a guy with 1 promotion for a guy with 4 (and 2 league titles in Wales).

Not really sure that's a fair point to make McDermott look inferior. Realistically he oculd probably only have achieved 1 promotion with us in his time here. I guesss you could say McDermott could have been appointed earlier in his life if he was rated but I don't think it proves it's a step up. That said, it's clearly a positive statistic for Adkins and I think he's a very good manager.

He could have achieved promotion with Woking or Slough..

In 4 of his last 5 full seasons Adkins achieved promotion. I agree that doesn't 'prove' he's a step up, he can only prove that by what he does over the next 3 years here. It does however show that he has an excellent CV and is (on paper) a very good appointment.

[Silver Fox]

When everyone keeps saying how skillz Adkins is becasue he's got 4 promotions on his CV why do they never mention his relegation?

[Libertine]

I don't know if he is "the right" choice, but imho he is a good choice. His CV shows multiple promotions in a short space of time. I guess the only questions are can he walk on water and save our season (which I wouldn't hold against him if he can't) and if he doesn't which players will he keep on.

Not the bold move I wanted for our next manager but I think he will do a very good job for us...not unhappy with his being named manager in the slightest.

[Extended-Phenotype]

He'd built a side that looked a lot more comfortable in the division from the games I've seen. McDermott unfortunately looked out of his depth and unable to build a Premier League team from the resources he had available and unable to get the best from his players in this league.

That's perhaps harsh on McDermott but once we've decided to let him go owing to his own personal failings Adkins looks like a good replacement. Perhaps not the leap forward some were hoping for but we're not going to be able to attract the best around are we?

Translate looking 'a lot more comfortable' into 8 more points (costing £33m) and I'm not sure that really rings true.

And I'm not really buying the notion we couldn't have attracted better - well structured club with financial backing, good location with ambition to become a premier league contender. Sounds a decent job to me. As it stands we've ditched Greenhorn#1 and replaced him with Greenhorn#2. What was the point?

[Platypuss]

He'd built a side that looked a lot more comfortable in the division from the games I've seen. McDermott unfortunately looked out of his depth and unable to build a Premier League team from the resources he had available and unable to get the best from his players in this league.

That's perhaps harsh on McDermott but once we've decided to let him go owing to his own personal failings Adkins looks like a good replacement. Perhaps not the leap forward some were hoping for but we're not going to be able to attract the best around are we?

Translate looking 'a lot more comfortable' into 8 more points (costing £33m) and I'm not sure that really rings true.

Let's compare some apples and apples here - what's our comparable outlay?

[Extended-Phenotype]

He'd built a side that looked a lot more comfortable in the division from the games I've seen. McDermott unfortunately looked out of his depth and unable to build a Premier League team from the resources he had available and unable to get the best from his players in this league.

That's perhaps harsh on McDermott but once we've decided to let him go owing to his own personal failings Adkins looks like a good replacement. Perhaps not the leap forward some were hoping for but we're not going to be able to attract the best around are we?

Translate looking 'a lot more comfortable' into 8 more points (costing £33m) and I'm not sure that really rings true.

Let's compare some apples and apples here - what's our comparable outlay?

Dunno. Tenner in petrol money for the minibus drive to the homeless shelter?

[TheSaintlee]

A saints Fan here

here my view (if you even care)

When adkins came in to the club there was many who were asking.'WHO..?"
quickly, he brought us a nice brand of football mixed with the ability to go direct.
any comparison with rogers is just wrong, you lot must have seen us lob it back stick to lambert.
we stormed to 2nd place in League 1 after an utterly dreadful start. This was aided by probably the most expensive league 1 squad in history.
when we signed lambert, he cost more than the next 3 big league 1 transfers that season. One of which was another saints player and the other Grant Holt.
(cant remember the 3rd). But we still finished 2nd. A team with Fonte, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana, Lambert, Puncheon (who did a walkies) Hammond, Schneiderlin.

We then got promoted to the NPC and im sure you got to see our results more closely as the season went on.
Again, with some biggish signings and the retention of some fantastic players, we stayed in the top 2 all season, BUT beaten by your good selves and nearly threw it away.

we were infact, flat track bullies. We had players better than most in the NPC, Lallana, Lambert, Fonte, Shneiderlin, Cork. Who are all doing well in the prem. So that was no an accident.
we played some fantastic football and in the early part of the season, blew most teams away. and at times in style. BUT against the better teams, Adkins was found wanting to a degree. it was a mixed bag against the top 8 but excellent against the rest and this worried me for promotion to the prem.
as much as your style of soaking up pressure against the better teams an winning by taking the few chances you created. and look what happened to both managers

Adkins mannerisms started to really grate with me. Its great when you are winning and he does a press conference without actually saying anything...there will be loads of guff about 'being on the bus'...'drawing a blue line under it'....'how brilliant you are as fans'.....'together as one'...etc

but lets be honest, you know it, saints fans know it, only our utter respect and love for him in general stops us from saying it.
he was found out to be well and truely out of his depth in the prem. Some of our earlier games were an embarrassment. We were/are the 7th highest spenders in Europe. When we went to Anfield earlier in the season. The game was lost before it started as Adkins kept going on about how amazing liverpool were/are. Under our new manager, we took them apart....he did start to turn it around but too many times we dropped point from winning positions. 3-1 against stoke and they had 10 men. yep, finished 3-3.....He was clueless with what to do with the keeper situation. His loyalty to Kelvin Davis was alarming and then his refusal to play Boruc (who has been immense) is disturbing and his attention being turned to a 20 year old with a handful of league 2 games (gazzaniga) was quite frankly bizzare. It took someone from the club to buy boruc over his head and thank god they did
it started to really annoy many saints fans that he kept dropping Lambert/taking him off...at times, taking him off and we lose points as he is as good at defending set pieces as he is scoring them (if you get me)

in short, should you go down, us lot will be watching with interest to see how he rebuilds you.. With saints, he had a core of excellent players who are drawing attention in the prem. he only lost Oxlade-chamberlain and RETAINED everyone else and added the likes of Jack Cork etc

will he get that luxury at yours? will he deal with the expectation of immediate promotion, who knows, but say he does..unless he learns from utterly bizzare mistakes, then you will be back in the same situation in 2 years time

good luck and enjoy his baffling cliches....we did

[TBM]

Yeah ^^ thats cheered me up

[Wuzzy87]

I don't understand all the negativity about Adkins being a 'step sideways'

Brian was a fantastic manager for this club. He will always be remembered for steadying a sinking ship after the reign of Rodgers, along with taking us to two FA cup finals, one playoff final trip to wembley and winning the Championship.

Adkins boasts a similar set of impressive accolades. two promotions with Southampton, one with Scunny and up to the time of his sacking, was sitting a few points above the relegation zone (Which, like us, is what Soton would of been hoping for at the start of the season)

McDermott has had over half the season and for a number of reasons it just hasn't worked. Guthrie's 'injury', Pearce's contract situation, lack of investment, lack of experienced premiership signings in January. I could go on.

We need a change. Adkins may not be a bigger name than McDermott. but he will breathe fresh air into the club. We will hopefully try to pass and keep the ball more and encourage attacking and creative football under the new boss. Then come the end of the season he can bring hios own players in and move the club forward. Regardless of what division we are in.

[winchester_royal]

Kind of ignores the success at Scunny though...and the fact you had to ask 'who?' When he was appointed doesn't give me a huge amount of faith in your footballing knowledge tbh.

Time will tell.

[madstadblues]

Don’t see the point of this appointment at all.

We need a manager.....

We need the right manager. I don't think he's it. He finished below us last season, and was the seventh biggest spender in Europe prior to this one, amassing a paltry three places above us.

Not sure what improvement he is on Brian with those credentials.

Those 3 place are currenty worth about 70 million quid!