Rafa benitez

[saintdaz]

are we seriously looking at him or is this a lazy bit of journalism?
see:
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/...-Rafa-Benitez/

[Saint Charlie]

are we seriously looking at him or is this a lazy bit of journalism?
see:
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/...-Rafa-Benitez/

Clue is in the publiation name.

[saintdaz]

i did think that i must admit

[VectisSaint]

Sounds like lazy "journalism" to me, but would be more sensible than the moronic suggestions of Dino Redknapp (just).

[adriansfc]

All I saw was is this lazy journalism and a link to the star. Hmmmm.

I'm sure it's nonsense. But is it better to have a replacement lined up for someone, or to show people the respect of not doing so while they're in the job? I'm not sure. But that's generally, I have no desire to see Adkins leave and while Benitez is good enough for us, he had many faults and his reputation has grown post-Liverpool largely because they've been so utterly sh1te. Same way injured players become world-beaters in fans eyes when they don't play for ages.

I think Cortese will stick with Adkins, and ultimately think he wants the managers job to not be such a big deal, in the sense that Barca aim for continuity and someone within the club taking over. I'm not convinced new managers coming in and changing the club from top to bottom every season or 2 gets clubs very far at all.

[MOSaint]

To be fair to the star, while it is a comic, they are only repeating something that was reported in AS, a popular spanish sports newspaper.

http://translate.google.co.uk/transl...sdasftb_44/Tes

Southampton Benitez is considering the alternative: Bad start of the Premier by the Southampton have already encountered caused the first rumors about a change on the bench. The name that is shuffled more strongly in the offices of the club itself is that of Benitez. His work in Liverpool has not forgotten and it seems that neither the Spanish coach dislikes the option to return to English football team which is well identified.

[Le Goddard]

Can he play in defence?

[Tokyo-Saint]

I prefer the Sun .

[mulletsaint]

are we seriously looking at him or is this a lazy bit of journalism?
see:
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/...-Rafa-Benitez/

Just a smokescreen for our real target, Guardiola?

Seriously though, I hope we stick with Adkins and think that Adriansfc makes some good points. Think Benitez would be a better fit than Redknapp as others have said but still not 100% sure as I feel he's not completely free of blame for the situation Liverpool have found themselves in.

[jam]

Benitez - like Martinez - believes the manager should be the main man at a football club. I can't see him wanting to fit into our structure.

[Thedelldays]

Benitez - like Martinez - believes the manager should be the main man at a football club. I can't see him wanting to fit into our structure.

You what...... And our structure is........

[Tokyo-Saint]

You what...... And our structure is........

Les Reed will definitely be involved and have some say in signings.

[Jack]

You what...... And our structure is........

Cortese masterminding tactics and buying his own players, not the ones the manager wants, according to some.

FWIW, I don't believe all of that.

[Dibden Purlieu Saint]

I mentioned this name the other day in a thread on here. You want someone who can manage a 4-5-1 formation then Benitez is your guy.

[tajjuk]

It's a far more realistic link than Harry Redknapp that's for sure.

[Tom28]

Don't want Benitez, Redknapp, Strachan or anyone else. I like Nigel Adkins; he's young, hungry, wants to learn, will learn, he's innovative...he embodies everything about what our club wants to be. We've lost four games in a row, and his win percentage for us is still 59%. We'll be fine, and better than that, I think we'll prosper in the Premier League over the next few years.






That said, if Pep Guardiola was available and willing...







No. No, I want Adkins.

[tajjuk]

Don't want Benitez, Redknapp, Strachan or anyone else. I like Nigel Adkins; he's young, hungry, wants to learn, will learn, he's innovative...he embodies everything about what our club wants to be. We've lost four games in a row, and his win percentage for us is still 59%. We'll be fine, and better than that, I think we'll prosper in the Premier League over the next few years.






That said, if Pep Guardiola was available and willing...







No. No, I want Adkins.

100% Agree, Adkins could be our Ferguson, plus I doubt he would universally hated.

However, there is a possibility Adkins will be sacked, I don't agree with it, and hopefully it won;t happen but you can't completely rule it out. Benitez is a far better replacement than Redknapp.

One side thought, maybe they aren't speaking to him to replace NA, but instead to help him? Some sort of consultancy role?

[Bearsy]

Paddy Power was saying on the radio they've had a big rush of bets on.... Alan Curbishley.

Les Reed connection innit

[Graffito]

Seems this was reported in AS in Spain as a rumour emanating from the club. Doubt there's anything in it. Stick with Nige.

[Big_Bald_Si]

Think the question you've got to ask is why would Nicola sack Adkins 4 games in when he's just let him spank £30m during the transfer window?

I genuinely think, no matter how badly we do this season, he won't sack him

[Colinjb]

Think the question you've got to ask is why would Nicola sack Adkins 4 games in when he's just let him spank £30m during the transfer window?

I genuinely think, no matter how badly we do this season, he won't sack him

That's the thing...... If he has spent £30 million without 'success,' then that is a stick to beat him with.

Quite what Cortese would consider as success i'm not sure, but survival will probably be as aspect of it.

Adkins should be given the season as far as i'm concerned, but then again, I wouldn't have sacked Pardew.

[paris]

We have a good manager already ..........

[SuperSAINT]

Adkins should be given the season as far as i'm concerned, but then again, I wouldn't have sacked Pardew.

My sentiments entirely...

[Aura]

Think the question you've got to ask is why would Nicola sack Adkins 4 games in when he's just let him spank £30m during the transfer window?

I genuinely think, no matter how badly we do this season, he won't sack him

i think you ought to get your head out of the sand.

anyone that thinks we wont sack NA no matter how bad the season going is naive.

[del boy]

"....

-is likely to have left chairman Nicola Cortese concerned about the Saints' ability to compete this season"

Sounds like fairly concrete evidence to me

[Lord Duckhunter]

Adkins decided Deano and Billy Sharpe aren't good enough for the Premiership, perhaps NC feels the same about him. I think Nigel has done a fantastic job and would love to see him stay and carry it on. BUT, I feel we have more chance of staying up under Benitez. That's not to say I'm sure Nigel will take us down.

At the end of the day staying up is the be all and end all.

[View From The Top]

There is no sentiment in football. It's all about results.

[Big_Bald_Si]

i think you ought to get your head out of the sand.

anyone that thinks we wont sack NA no matter how bad the season going is naive.

You may have a point, but allowing him to spend £30m states that he's firmly behind his manager. If we did go go down, Adkins is the best man to take us back up again.

Too many papers seem to think Cortese is a loon and he'll swing his axe how he pleases, largely as he's not the most "media friendly" chairman there's ever been (stemming from the banning of the press malarkey not so long ago, and his general refusal to speak to them whenever they come calling).

Adkins will be our manager come the end of the season.

[shurlock]

Think the question you've got to ask is why would Nicola sack Adkins 4 games in when he's just let him spank £30m during the transfer window?

I genuinely think, no matter how badly we do this season, he won't sack him

But that's why transfers are done by committee - to ensure that signings aren't simply tied to the preferences, playing style or personality of the incumbent manager but that they are 'owned' by the club.

[Thedelldays]

But that's why transfers are done by committee - to ensure that signings aren't simply tied to the preferences, playing style or personality of the incumbent manager but that they are 'owned' by the club.

These are becoming more and more apparent. Outside of the super managers like fergie ad wenger

[Aura]

You may have a point, but allowing him to spend £30m states that he's firmly behind his manager. If we did go go down, Adkins is the best man to take us back up again.

Too many papers seem to think Cortese is a loon and he'll swing his axe how he pleases, largely as he's not the most "media friendly" chairman there's ever been (stemming from the banning of the press malarkey not so long ago, and his general refusal to speak to them whenever they come calling).

Adkins will be our manager come the end of the season.

Even if we are in the relegation zone? i can surely and safely say if we are in relegation territory for a while NA will be giving his marching orders.

[Thedelldays]

Even if we are in the relegation zone? i can surely and safely say if we are in relegation territory for a while NA will be giving his marching orders.

People will change their tune if we were losing nearly every week and rooted miserably to the bottom of the table with players looking terrible

[Pilchards]

We don't know what is really going on behind the scenes?, Cortese knows better than most of us as he works with the staff and players 24/7.
IMHO he got rid of Pardew as he lost the changing rooms, Cortese never hung around to let him fix it so he acted quickly in getting Adkins in. Perhaps the reason why the players are struggling now is because Adkins is flapping his arms in training and can't step it up a division?

I know one thing for sure, I love Adkins to bits and I can't praise him enough for getting us to the Premiership, I so want him to succeed more than anyone but it's a massive ask to suddenly see us becoming a team to challenge for europe which is what Cortese wants.

Benitez knows how to get us to that level and IMHO it won't be a gamble either.

[Dangermouth]

*Sigh*

So you all want a bloke who will need £100 m to spunk up a side of poor Spanish journeymen and assume he'll be good because he was universally considered so at L'pool where, of course, he was used to fighting relegation, etc as many of you assume? While I don't know any of y'all, it does become apparent that few of you have any real nous about football even if you've been watching it for aeons. That applies to the vast majority of threads I've read and isn't based on this one alone. Note Footy Manager does not = real footy.

Let's take what little we know, posted elsewhere. Adkins/the coaching staff have set up their teams correctly in terms of how they should defend (both Fat Sam and GN have said so). The defence and mid make a lot of errors and aren't used to the pace of the game, particularly mentally, although possession needs to be improved - no hoofball - so that we aren't the team that runs more than any other and as a result are knackered after 75% of the game. We would have been 'expected' to have lost 3 of the 4 games we played although of course NC and NA and the team would have wanted 12 points so in real terms we are only 3 points down from where that expectation was.

We have received plaudits for our offensive displays, on the whole, albeit as Phil Thompson said we didn't really have one at Arse because they pressed so well. Note, they did not have a clogger in there to kick the crap out of us and they did not let us come on to them: they pressed and made it hard for us to play our game - i.e. they defended as we were meant to have and have done previously and they actually impressed someone who's not an ex-player/fan so maybe they did something right there.

I do think the goalie is too nervous and this translates forwards to his defence, however. It always does because as a defender if you know you have to keep the ball as far away from the keeper/goal as you can if you are under pressure you tend to revert more to the 'kick it anywhere/possible miskick' as Fonte did against ManU than you do when you know you have a keeper who will clean out anything that comes near him/his 6 yard area/the box. Again, that's a mental thing which seems to be a recurring theme currently.

Suggestions of adding to the coaching staff are not necessarily a bad idea but someone has said that this indicates the current lot aren't good enough. I see no difference between coaching and playing staff in that if you can upgrade, do so. As for whether NA could/should/will stay the question is moot and there is no point discussing it other than to say I hope he does and that he is actually a good manager and far better than nearly all other potential candidates were he to no longer be at the helm. Again, this is not football manager, but surely some of you must have noticed that just by replacing one person and a few others does not equate to a magic wand e.g. BR at L'pool and that there is perhaps more to running a football club/team than just putting names on a piece of paper in a certain order and assuming that 'that is that'? AVB was presented as the 'next big thing'. Is he, isn't he? How would Guardiola do if he had to manage the lot down the road with their current set-up? And, of course, would he be able to do it in the 24 hours he would be 'allowed' to do so?

[CB Fry]

*Sigh*

So you all want a bloke who will need £100 m to spunk up a side of poor Spanish journeymen and assume he'll be good because he was universally considered so at L'pool where, of course, he was used to fighting relegation, etc as many of you assume? While I don't know any of y'all, it does become apparent that few of you have any real nous about football even if you've been watching it for aeons. That applies to the vast majority of threads I've read and isn't based on this one alone. Note Footy Manager does not = real footy.

Does winning the Champions League not count as "real footy"?

[Dalek2003]

Simple. Judge NA after 10 games not 4.

[capitalsaint]

http://www.thesackrace.com/teams/southampton

Same odds as Capello! Who is making these bets?!

[SaintRobbie]

Can he play in defence?

LOL! A clear nomination for Golden Post of the day!!!

[Dazza82]

I think if we lose to Villa that may be it for Adkins, Im not saying it should just what i think might happen.

[Badger]

Paddy Power was saying on the radio they've had a big rush of bets on.... Alan Curbishley.

Les Reed connection innit

Curbishley is a f'kin little creep, only marginally above 'arry in the evolutionary chain in my view.

Really hope NA gets the win on Saturday, so we can put some of these names back under their stones for a bit longer.

[Crab Lungs]

I don't want Adkins to go but I certainly don't want Curbishley. Or Benitez. Utter rot.

[Turkish]

Raneri? Italian, good manager nice guy and a bit of a yes man. Seems to tick all the boxes.

[Crab Lungs]

Raneri? Italian, good manager nice guy and a bit of a yes man. Seems to tick all the boxes.

Looks like a Thunderbirds character. It's a yes from me in that case. Maybe Cortese can attach some strings to his hands and mouth and direct the game from the Itchen?

[shirleysfc]

Raneri? Italian, good manager nice guy and a bit of a yes man. Seems to tick all the boxes.

Some guy on the tube after Arsenal reckoned the tinker man was come in as manager.

[lordswoodsaints]

We don't know what is really going on behind the scenes?, Cortese knows better than most of us as he works with the staff and players 24/7.
IMHO he got rid of Pardew as he lost the changing rooms, Cortese never hung around to let him fix it so he acted quickly in getting Adkins in. Perhaps the reason why the players are struggling now is because Adkins is flapping his arms in training and can't step it up a division?

I know one thing for sure, I love Adkins to bits and I can't praise him enough for getting us to the Premiership, I so want him to succeed more than anyone but it's a massive ask to suddenly see us becoming a team to challenge for europe which is what Cortese wants.

Benitez knows how to get us to that level and IMHO it won't be a gamble either.

^this for me
And to all those that think NC won't get rid of Adkins after letting him 'spunk' £30m on transfers.....well you don't actually believe that those signings were done by Adkins do you?
I would guess that Rodriguez and possibly Davis were his choice,the rest were decided by NC.
Sharp's departure was also NC (see my other thread)
IMO NC will not tolerate failure and to secure his plan for the club he will make swift and possibly unpopular decisions,do you think he is worried about what the press/media think or that he will upset a few fans?.....of course not,his job is to do the best he can for the owners of the club,he doesn't give a monkeys that he's upset a few people on a small football forum,or the editor from the echo.
He has shown in past that he doesn't care about sentiment....the spat with letiss,lawrie mac and benali being a good indicator,he also has previous when it comes to making scathing decisions like getting rid of pardew,so why do you think Adkins will get any special treatment?....yes Adkins has done us proud until now but the reality is he will be sacked if he can't handle the premiership,you might think its harsh but I can guarantee it will happen regardless of what anyone on here thinks.

[sammysaint]

Rafa would come here but only if there was more money to spend, so NC must be ready and willing to spend another 12-15mill to sign 2/3 players in Jan, hopefully he allows NA to do this, i feel we will stay up if we add a decent LB and another CB, then next season we wont need to spend as much and will have a squad good enough to compete for mid table.

I respect and can only thank NA for what he has done but if he loses saturday i am afraid he deserves to be sacked, i know we have played 3 tough teams but you need to get at least a point at home and win most from teams outside of the top 6/7 to have a chance to stay up, i really want us to win as fan but also for nigel he deserves 10 games to get us to at least 10 points.

[capitalsaint]

Rafa would come here but only if there was more money to spend, so NC must be ready and willing to spend another 12-15mill to sign 2/3 players in Jan, hopefully he allows NA to do this, i feel we will stay up if we add a decent LB and another CB, then next season we wont need to spend as much and will have a squad good enough to compete for mid table.

I respect and can only thank NA for what he has done but if he loses saturday i am afraid he deserves to be sacked, i know we have played 3 tough teams but you need to get at least a point at home and win most from teams outside of the top 6/7 to have a chance to stay up, i really want us to win as fan but also for nigel he deserves 10 games to get us to at least 10 points.

A win at home from the other 13 teams would give us 39 points. You can't really judge NA when we've only played one team outside the top 4.

[trousers]

@BBCSport: Rafa Benitez in at Southampton, Heskey off to Oz, Barca want Newcastle's Krul. It's gossip: http://t.co/V3xARylQ

[yateleysaint]

So people wouldn't have sacked Pardew?

What if you found out he was in discussions for the Newcastle job while still at Saints?

[tajjuk]

*Sigh*

So you all want a bloke who will need £100 m to spunk up a side of poor Spanish journeymen and assume he'll be good because he was universally considered so at L'pool where, of course, he was used to fighting relegation, etc as many of you assume? While I don't know any of y'all, it does become apparent that few of you have any real nous about football even if you've been watching it for aeons. That applies to the vast majority of threads I've read and isn't based on this one alone. Note Footy Manager does not = real footy.

*Sigh*

2 Promotions to the Spanish first division.

2 La Liga titles with a club that isnt Real Madrid and Barcelona.

1 UEFA cup

1 Champions league

1 FA Cup

Think Rafa knows a lot more about football than you

Spanish 'Journeymen' - Fernando Torres? Xabi Alonso? Pepe Reina? Luis Garcia?

Didn't even read the rest of your thread because your opening paragraph told me that the rest of it was drivel. If you read most people don't want or even think Adkins will be sacked, however IF he was Benitez would be a quality replacement.