Professor

Second best team on the park. Adkins starting line-up was entirely logical. Could have made changes earlier (Barnard for Guly and maybe Morgan for Punch) but don't think it would have changed the result. The manager did the best he could with what he's got but tis result must postpone any assumptions that Adkins can work miracles. Brighton are looking like a team that is head and shoulders above this division, which is what I expected our team to be.

Great performance by Brighton, 3-0 up away at Charlton. Thats what we expect of our team but looks like we are not at the same level..

The fact that people are still analysing the events to satisfy themselves, and to argue with others, that the sacking was for football reasons shows that the statement at the time was not adequate. And when it led to rumours about gross misconduct, the club did not, as far I'm aware, act to deny those rumours. It would not have taken many more words added to the statement to make it clear either that the decision was team performance and nothing else, or if it was down to other differences that could have been said. The timing was appalling and if Adkins proves to be a great appointment we will all be mopre then pleased, but there will have been an element of luck about it, as there was no guarantee who would get the job. I like what I've seen of Adkins and I like how he is trying to get the team to play, but its early days to get too excited yet. We are still struggling to score goals and a 2-0 home win against the bottom club who were playing a lot of kids in their team, isn't enough evidence yet. Win tomorrow and then the belief can start.

Although the reporter hasn't spelt it out in words of one syllable, he is clearly saying that Pardew has agreed how much he will accept to pay up his contract. The 'gross misconduct' rumours are completely unfounded and were always unbelievabel because the club could not sack three people on those grounds unless all had been compliant in the act. As usual with rumours, they were spread by people who claimed a 'reliable source' not by the source themselves and these 'sources' were giving different reasons to different people. So, we move on, Pardew must now be reasonably happy, otherwise he wouldn't have accepted the compensation, although he won't be fully satisfied until he has a new job. The fans are largely satisfied as Adkins looks an OK manager who should achieve at least what Pardew would have done. The main loser is Cortese, as his trustworthyness is damaged because he did not come clean over the reasons for the decisions, not just over Pardew but over Downes and Murdoch He gave a 'football' reason but did not justify it, leaving some of the fans with an element of doubt over his honesty.

The team that beat Bristol Rovers 4-0 away wasn't too bad. Best result of the season so far. As the Opening Post says, the turn around is Adkins over the Wilkins interlude, as we can't know how well the team would be doing if Pardew had remained in charge, but quite probably they'd be further up the table than they are now if the three defeats that followed the sacking, had not happened. So what has changed? Well, we haven't just had the manager sacked after an emphatic win, with no proper reason being given to either the players or the fans. That obviously had a major effect on morale that has taken the re-appointment of another capable manager to start repairing it. Adkins may well have strengths Pardew didn't have, but the opposite will also be true. Five games without defeat is great, but it doesn't make Pardew a bad manager and is no reflection on him at all. Scoring goals is still a problem and 2 goals at home against the bottom club playing mostly kids, is not conclusive. With the team having won 5-0 at Huddersfield under Pardew only 6 months ago, Saturday's game is a better test from which to judge them under Adkins and for me, they don't have to win big again, but they do need to win.

Chaplow is only on loan so I would only use him when necessary as cover for injuries or as a sub. If DH/MS are the future its best to play them together as much as possible.

Very pleased with the 3 points like every other fan but don't lets too over-confident yet. If we win at Huddersfield on Saturday, then things will look different, but as for Tranmere, the bottom team in the league, several players missing, several very young inexperienced players, with kids in the defence, so a two goal win is just about the least we should have expected. The chances were there for 3, 4 or 5 but not taken, so the problems in front of goal haven't gone away yet. But the boost from this result, the climb up the table, players recovering from injury still improving and another week's training could be enough to get the win next week. But it needs to be a win for fans to feel we are on our way. A draw would show we are OK, but the target for this year and next means we need to be better than just OK.

....for automatic promotion. Some rocks along the way, and the first one is Huddersfield, but an away win next week ............ Are we all optimistic again, or will we be dumped back into the gloom if we don't get three points every week for a while at least.

So people still want to rubbbish Pulis, despite most of them never having seen him play. He goes on loan and scores in his firstgame but even that has to be put down. Fact is that SFC had him on a 2-yr contract with an option for a 3rd year and have taken up the option. That suggests that the professionals who work for the club may know something that the average fan doesn't know. Good luck to him, and its time to get off his back.

Wouldn't get too worked up yet. This lad is a Reading reserve, not a first team player, which is why they are willing to send him out on loan. This is probably the best we can do, but its encouraging that they have brought somebody in, even if it is for a short period. There's no reason to think he will be anything special, but he is striker which suggests he may do better than one of our midfield players played out of position. He may well be behind Goble in the pecking order and how long he stays could depend on what happens to Barnard. If Barnard's future with the club depends on his assault case, a better long term option will be needed.

Agree very likely 11, almost picks itself. Possibly NA might swop Puncheon, Chamberlain and Lallana positionally at the start or during the game.

Agree with people saying we have attacking options and from that we must be expected to make some chances. The problem has been actually putting the ball in the goal, and there's no particular reason to think we will be any better at that this week than we have been recently, especially with three recognised strikers unavailable. The best hope is that NA knows the problem and will be working on it. He must have his side pencilled in by now, so lets hope they are having plenty of shooting and heading practice.

But can he play with a ball and chain on his ankle? And would Adkins want to play him?

This is evidence, and apparantly corroborated by more than one person, but the peple to give that evidence to are the police, not an internet message board. The police will test the validity and compare what they are told with what others say. Denzil should contact the police as a witness, if he hasn't already done so. That Lee Barnard is a saints' player is irrelevant to the investigation of a crime of violence. What is relevant to SFC, is how their players conduct themselves in public. Footballers get the pay they do because of the high public profile, and that carries responsibilities, one of which is to avoid late night drinking establishments and being on the street at 3am amongst groups of drunks when the potential for trouble is quite obvious.

I don't trust the Chairman, but I am pleased with Adkins. We still need to knock in a few goals from open play, but its the players who are in front of goal, not the manager and I think it will come. I like the preference for 4-4-2 as well as his selections and use of subs. The team will be even better when the injuries are resolved. Chaplow is a good addition in midfield, and I imagine he's had some advice since Saturday about dirty play. I'm not sure we need a striker on loan, as it looks as if Goble is adequate for cover and overall there are good reasons to be optimistic about climbing the table.

With Barnard in trouble, it would make sense to give him time on the pitch in the first team, even a start if Connolly is still not fit.

And there rests the case for the defence. In the meantime, someone is seriously injured in hospital with a worried family and friends. Just because a footballer is on Southampton's books doesn't mean he has any common sense, or even that he is particularly bright, so lets see what the facts reveal. If he is guilty, I hope the club sacks him. If not, then I hope he learns a lesson about being a public figure and the need to behave responsibly.

He said he was promised 18 months and that the chairman failed to keep to that. The implication of what he said about Cortese's comments last season and end of season suggested Cortese had wanted him out for some time. That makes the death of Markus the event that removed the obstacle. I don't believe we would have dropped all the 9 points that we did under Wilkins, if Cortese had not removed Pardew. For me, I have lost faith and trust in our chairman, maybe he will win that back and maybe not. As for Pardew, he had his strengths and his weaknesses and so will Adkins but they will be different ones. Adkins has made a good start and he has Pardew's team which is good enough to win this division. Only question is, can they make up those 9 points to get to the top, or will we have to settle for the play-off lottery.

My brother was listening to Solent and he said that the commentator and Dave Merrington were both immediately critical of Chaplow saying he deliberately left his foot in the tackle and that he could have been sent off. Just because he's in a Saints shirt doesn't make him a 'saint' but hopefully Adkins will give him a talking to.

I wasn't a Pardew fan, but I don't belive he deserved the sack on peformance grounds and I do think he could have got promotion.Cortese has losy my trust because I don't belive he was honest about the matter, and I suspect Cortese of being responsible in part for the inadequate strengthening of the squad in the close season as well as the dropped points following his handling of the Pardew affair. BUT. We do now have a manager who looks confident and capable. I like his playing style and his ambition for the club. I admire his frankness about team performance and his determination to get the players to perform to their ability. SO The bad taste over the Pardew affait will fade and it is time to move on.

This means we have got the same 9 points this season that we had last year at the same stage, but last year we had the excuse of players still coming into the side during Aug and Sept. It is true that if the team is transformed and begins to win games the picture will improve, but last October, with new players settling in, we won 5 league games and drew 1, with 15 goals for and 6 against. Does anyone expect us to do that on the basis of the current form of the current squad? The one bright spot is Adkins' criticism of the players in his post-match notes, and that he feels they are not playing to his instructions. Maybe some of them are not up to it, but at least he is telling them how it can be done.

There's really no point in trying to be optimistic, or looking for bright spots. This team is NOT good enough and it hasn't been since pre-season.

Not many predictions on the line up. Is that because Adkins is likely to be more consistent in his selection than Pardew was? If he is, personally, thats something I welcome. I'm not expecting any unforced changes in the team tonight, unless Fonte is back from injury, in which case he would come in for Jaidi. Seaborne probably has the other CB slot from Martin at the moment.

This is undoubtedly true, and if anyone doesn't want to know, or isn't interested, thats up to them. But all that Mo neeeds to do is pick up the phone and give a quick verbal report to someone who will key in the update. Not really a problem. As NickG has shown, there is an interest in having updates, and the OS does promise something that it doesn't deliver. Either take away, or amend, the promise, or keep it. Is that too much to ask?

is Puncheon good enough. I'd say he's one of the weak spots that needs improving but OK as a sub. If Chambo is to be used sparingly, isn't there still a need for a first choice at RMF?