Colinjb

No. He has done a superb job at Blackpool with limited resources, created a team which is defensively organised and capable of tearing teams a new one going forward. Defensively at premier league level my point may fall a little but when you have a wage-cap of 10k a week in the top flight and take survival to the last day you are doing well. He has had to work with Karl Oyston, an exceptionally difficult chairman who I read as being a slightly similar character to Nicola Cortese (but with a little more dubious legality in the background.... allegedly) and has done an outstanding job managing his own boss. He has earned a chance at a bigger club..... and although we have had our differences (premier league, you're having a laugh.... he took that far too seriously) I see him as the only person out there who could fit into our current structure.

Dalek to the main board please, Dalek to the main board. As crazy as it may sound there is only one man who I could see rising to our challenge if Adkins goes. Needs to be able to work with a controversial driven chairman, work to bring through youth in a set system into an attacking side and be able to tighten up the defence. #Braces himself# His name is Ian Holloway.

The chaffing, was, erm...... nether. I've bought a tub of vaseline to combat this on the day. I wear some jogging shorts with an inner skin tight lining, the very nether 'creases' where a little unprotected though. Also picked up a sore patch on the inner part of my left arm just by the bicep, rubbing on the running vest. Glad I did the ten miles to see if I would be having these issues, so delighted with my Brooks running shoes though, no blisters. Outstanding. I know I won't gain any more pace now but without the exercise I actually struggling sleeping. I'm in the habit of doing it now so i'll do a bit but not so much as to risk injury. I appreciate the advice though.

Number received. 12157. Spent last week recovering from the ten miler on the sunday. The chaffing was annoying, had to let it heal when I could have been out doing more running. Will be avoiding anything to strenuous until sunday, maybe a 2-3 miles run every night until the race apart from the Saturday. Two days off after the event so I can go for it without worrying about being destroyed for work the next day. Feeling confident, aiming to go sub 1hr 35 minutes.

Now i've calmed down, is there an option to change how I voted?

A good post. And considering how far we have come so quickly it is not a surprise that something would eventually go wrong. Our style of play is so good to watch when in full flow yet our attack cannot compensate for our defence any more. For that first half against West Ham it actually looked as though we had cracked it, Jos was marking Carroll out of the game and we looked genuinely well drilled in our defensive cover and work rate. 2 second half minutes soon tore that to tatters. I've mellowed since the weekend, Nigel Adkins should be stuck with, he is setting the team up fundamentally well but a lack of quality/strength in depth at the back is the difference currently. Have mistakes been made? Yes. Do I think the club are simply just going to sit back and do nothing? No. I just hope we are not too far adrift come January, we need to be an attractive proposition for the kind of players we need. And if relegation happens? It's not the end of the world, there will still be an ambitious club to support.

Bingo.

The drones are simply a sign of things to come. Get on board or get left behind.

I will. The worst that can happen by then is that we end up back where we started!

No, the joy last April was completely worth it.

Derby's Put point taken.

Exactly this.

We must all pray and hope that the spoon is found. In times like this when morale is being questioned and so many in authority are under fire it is seemingly 'small' incidents like this that can underpin a complete collapse of team spirit and togetherness. Until the spoon is found things will never be the same again. Oh spoon where art thou!!?

I bet if we were linked with Messi the focus would be on a perceived lack of defensive work rate....

Spoon inflation. Is this something you learnt from your '50 Shades' research?

As things stand, no. The mistakes at the back have become too consistent, there is always a spell in every game where we suffer brain fade and gift the opposition a golden chance, at this level that leaves only one outcome. Substitutions notwithstanding Adkins isn't doing anything wrong, our set up is fundamentally ok but our defenders are not good enough/sharp enough to do what's needed for 90 minutes. Championship here we come.

That can surely only mean one thing. So, who is the new guy then?

Playing devil's advocate. One season of struggle but with the stability of the same manager, the manager who knows how to take us out of the second tier, a manager who has his squad, his team supplemented with a greater budget due to parachute payments and better squad thanks to players signed in the top flight. Taking the short term pain of a difficult and chastening first season back in the top flight for the sake of a longer term vision may pay off.

As far as the Skates are concerned their natural level is in the Premier League. Statistical reality puts them somewhere between Preston North End and Bradford City. The cycle of living beyond their means/administration is bound to continue forever while they remain so deluded. It truly is a disease down there.

Of course we would like him, whether he would like us is another matter entirely....

According to Wikipedia he has signed with a club in the Indian Second Division.... Although he will not start playing for them until January. http://www.chrispd.de/wordpress/2012/10/21/mikael-silvestre-india-is-a-big-adventure/

It would be a no brainer. Wouldn't worry about him losing out with a pay cut. -30% of 0 = ?

Can't disagree.

This time yesterday I was convinced he would be gone by now. Yet here we are; I now think he will be given more time for the following reasons: 1) As indicated, the club operates a youth to seniors tactical plan. The pro's/con's of this are not the crucial thing here, the fact Nigel Adkins is sticking with this is. 2) The lack of ideal alternatives. Curbishley? Twitchy? Bloody Hoddle? No. 3) A greater sense of perspective. Back to back promotions and parachute payments next year if the worst happens. People mock when you say 'consider where we were three years ago.....' forgive me if I keep doing so. 4) A history of achieving when the odds are against him. Look at S****horpe now...... how the hell did he take them to the championship twice. If we go yoyo I know he'll do well for us.