CB Fry

What are you talking about now? Oh yes, the usual Wes Tender trick of making stuff up. I am completely aware of the Alex Ferguson story, better than most on here. Where have I ever said he didn't struggle during his time there? Do tell. Wes Tender. Pathetically wrong, as ever, as always.

Not like you to be pathetically wrong. Oh, actually, it is.

Between 1994 and 2004 we essentially went through a manager a year, yet still sustained top flight status, often with very healthy mid table finishes. This forum is going to implode if we do stick with Nige and still go down. ...but...but..but...this cannot be....we stuck by him...he should have turned into Alex Ferguson..... although, of course, the Lawrie Mac story will get wheeled out....

Seriously, how many more are going to come out with this rubbish? We did not get promoted a year early. Cortese expected us to be promoted last season. Not "hoped", expected.

Cherie Lunghi.

If it is THE Simon Blackwell then he's one of the main writers on the magnificent The Thick Of It. Failing that, might just be a bloke called Simon.

It's only on the Sunday because of Spurs in the Europa, it is not a TV game so it will not be on TV. It will be on the online streams though so I will be watching it.

You should have been here (well, its old school equivalent) seven or eight years ago when I first started. Back then it was full of people saying the forum had gone to the dogs and it is not surprising that the good posters don't post on it any more. Completely changed now of course.

Delldays isn't talking about replacing Adkins though. His pretty obvious point you miss is that Adkins hasn't proved anything yet, as a top flight manager. You can list out what you like but Adkins is just one of a hatful of managers who have taken teams up from the second tier. Mowbray, Coyle, whoever. You say you wouldn't swap Adkins but quite frankly if he was someone elses manager you'd look down on him just like you look down on all those other managers. Tony Mowbray plays attacking football, scores loads of goals and actually won the Championship title, something Nige couldn't manage. Adkins hasn't invented attacking football you know. Adkins might turn into the next David Moyes but he is just as likely to be the next Owen Coyle.

When did Alex Ferguson get back to back promotions with Man United?

Who cares about the forty thousandth retread of the Alex Ferguson routine? It's been wheeled out on webforums for every single manager we've ever had. Cortese should never have sacked Wotte on this horsesh it logic.

....and? If comparisons to Guardiola aren't relevant, why are you comparing Adkins with Ferguson from 25 odd years ago? Why not compare him to, say, Jozef Venglos?

First full season. Read what I wrote you utter moron.

Do you mean Ferguson's first season in the Premier League, when Man U won the title? Or do you mean Ferguson's first full season in the English top flight, when they finished in second place? If that is "poor" I think you have unreasonable expectations.

You could also see him going to somewhere like Ipswich, do okay for a bit, lose in the play off semis then struggle the next season, get sacked, then end up at Burnley, or Preston or Watford. Ady Boothroyd was the future once. Paul Jewell was the future once. Phil Brown was the future once. Owen Coyle was the future once. Tony Mowbray was the future once. Paul Lambert was the future last season. Danny Wilson. Ian Holloway. Peter Taylor. Iain Dowie. Until he has actually done something at this level I don't buy into the idea that Adkins is some wonder manager. He's basically achieved what many before him have....and if he wasn't Saints manager very few would be conparing him to the Barcelona boss or a future England manager. He aint Pep frigging Guardiola.

I think you'll find this entire thread is speculation. Read the question in the OP.

Pardew would have got us out of L1 easily. Whether we'd got back to back promotions is hard to say - not because Pardew is any worse than Adkins, he clearly isn't - just that back to backs are so rare and difficult. Once in the Prem Pardew would have done better than Adkins. Simple know how. Pardew has done it in this division at not one but two clubs bigger than Saints. Adkins has yet to prove he is anything more than yet another Phil Brown/Owen Coyle/Ian Holloway/Billy Davies/Ady Boothroyd/Peter Tayor/Danny Wilson/etc etc. Lets hope he can be but he has a job on.

Quite. At this point in time he's done no more than Ian Holloway. Less, really.

He's bound to magically turn into the next Alex Ferguson soon....after all he's had loads of time and that's all you need according to forum wisdom.

I simply cannot see it being Redknapp - not a great fit with Cortese and definitely not a great fit with the fans (which I know Cortese won't give two sh ags about but it does contribute to my feeling that it just isn't going to be him). I'd also question whether HR actually wants to manage another club. He might be enjoying the media work and just hanging about just in case Hodgson blows it. My current call is either a) some young foreign manager I haven't heard of - a lower grade AVB type or b) Alan Curbishley. Curbs is steady, efficient and organised enough to secure us in the division for next season, he has been waiting for the right job and I think this could be it. Personally I'd go for Curbs because in a team with scant Premier League experience, I think we need a manager who has some. Not the most exciting appointment but then neither was Gordon Strachan.

Did Nigel claim Jos was a top target? Honestly can't remember him saying that at the time. Either way it felt, and was, a last minute signing.

We could have worn white shirts/red shorts on Saturday. We didn't. You seriously think we're not going to wear yellow again after barely being out of it thus far?

No one else was trying to get Ramirez this summer. We were the only game in town.

Absolutely this. Ridiculous to make out we were anything other than one of the strongest teams in the division.

Interesting WHU are already in "the solid six" - didn't we finish above them? And didn't we outspend most of Europe?