derry

Only if Adkins was prepared to resign, which he wasn't.

We don't need lectures from PCFC supporters on the ethics of doing things properly. After paying massively over the odds while defrauding the treasury then defaulting on approximately £100m is hardly the best place to start from when making knowall statements on here.

Adkins' contract had a finite compensation liability if Cortese didn't want to pay more than that one way of resolving an impasse was for Adkin to resign and force the issue. Clearly after 14 years at S****horpe he wasn't prepared to do this. Losing his manager wasn't attractive to their chairman so he put a value on him that wasn't acceptable to SFC. Where this whole matter became unsavoury was the willingness of S****horpe to talk to the press whilst negotiations were ongoing. To his credit Cortese never ever comments, so we know this debacle didn't come from us. Time to move on.

His contract has a finite liability value as far as paying it off is concerned. If that value was exceeded by the figure demanded, resigning and paying off the liability would be one way to resolve the compensation issue. If Adkins wasn't prepared to resign, that's fine. If Cortese isn't prepared to exceed the contract value that's fine. We know the leaks came from their end and we know Cortese doesn't ever comment until the business is complete, so nothing should have come out until the deal was complete or not. That is the way Cortese works so for me in this case the criticism should be levelled at the real culprits.

What a load of crap is being spouted by supporters, press and especially the loose mouthed S****horpe chairman. What do we really know about Nicola Cortese? not a lot is the answer. Yet a lot of people are casting judgement. One thing we do know about him is that he allows no publicity, leaks etc and NOTHING is put out until every i and t is dotted and crossed. Whatever has come out about the candidates, has come from them or their associates certainly not from SFC. The statement on the OS is professional and rebutts every accusation simply. If the ante was being raised over compensation it wouldn't be the first time, if it was an attempt by his chairman to manipulate the situation to keep him it will backfire in the fullness of time. SFC know he is under contract and that there is a liability for compensation. If Adkins breaks his contract he is liable, if his employer agrees compensation and SFC pay it the contract is terminated by agreement. Clearly Adkins isn't going to breach his contract but it could be that the value of the contract is less than the compensation being demanded. Clearly if SFC are prepared to settle the contract default figure, but are facing a demand that is greater than the contract value, it would not be unreasonable to expect Adkin to resign and then settle the outstanding contract liability. If he was not prepared to do this it would also be reasonable to look elsewhere. In the light of his publicity I would be surprised if it was Brown. For me it could bring the likes of Sean O'Driscoll, Eddie Howe, Lee Clarke or Paul Tisdale into the equation. I like Adkins and am disappointed by the unprofessional premature ejaculations from their end, but if it's it not going to be him, it's time to move on. One thing I feel certain of, is that Cortese doesn't do business in public and has no part in this.

The Shearer remark was just a throwaway. In any event how could anybody in their right mind reject Nigel Adkins and then endorse a celebrity with a failed cameo as a manager. Shearer has never done anything unless the word million is involved he isn't going to change. Cortese couldn't be that stupid.

Brilliant, you must be feeling better.

S****horpe are a damn good club that punch above their weight, average crowds a little over 6000 against us with average crowds approaching 21000 with the potential to fill the stadium given a successful run. Owned by billionaires with an ambitious plan it would be a step forward. If the man wants to take the next step on the management ladder it wouldn't be to stay where he is, alternatively if he is happy and decides that he wants his stable lifestyle to continue whilst trying to stay in the NPC then fair play to him.

Wasn't Brown Allerdyce's assistant at the unattractive route one Bolton? Didn't he have a short unsuccessful reign at Derby? He did win an unlikely promotion at Hull but then signed very expensive overpaid underachievers pretty much bankrupting the club, survived the one season then it all fell apart and was relieved of his duties and replaced by Dowie halfway through last season. No Thanks.

I see no reason why the club would change their plans or reduce their support for the manager. The Liebherr family and Cortese have said that they will see through Markus's plans for the club. If Nigel Adkins is brought in, it's not to turn Saints into S****horpe Mk2, it's because he is considered the best man to take us forward and see through the owners wish for a more compelling and attractive brand of football, something that Pardew clearly had no time for, preferring what he considered safety first pragmatism. The only shame is that it is Adkins or somebody in that mould that should have been employed from the outset. There is no doubt in my mind that faced with getting the sack in May, Pardew agreed to the owners wishes regarding the introduction of a new playing style, otherwise he wouldn't have survived. He has now paid the price for a wasted pre-season and the failure to start to make the agreed changes in line with the statement issued at the time. Adkins clearly plays the sort of football the owners want to see.

Adkins teams play good pass and move football much easier on the eye than our often hoof it up to Lambert default.

His team plays decent football, if he carries that on with us it will be a big improvement.

10 years as the physio, but then so was Bob Paisley and Bertie Mee and look what they achieved at the highest levels.

definitely.

Adkins - Sports psychology diploma, business and finance degree, UEFA coaching badges, taken the applied management in professional football course at Warwick Business School, A qualified physiotherapist. Took Bangor to qualifying stages of the Champions League, two promotions and kept S****horpe in the hampionship on an average gate of 6383, 14559 less than we had never mind all our other financial assets. He sounds like an outstanding manager and he's 45 not a young manager like Eddie Howe and has shown his loyalty by staying 14 years at S****horpe to date.

Imo there are only three standout candidates around our level that tick the attractive football box, Adkins, O'Driscoll and Howe.

I've been told there was an interview in Nth Hants this am and Cortese is now back at SMS. The thought is that things are moving. After getting permission to speak to Adkins last night it could possibly have been him. If reports of the press hanging around at SMS are true they may have a lead.

You may well be right Saints were given permission to talk to Adkins last night as he didn't apply for the job. S****horpe Telegraph/newsnow/Southampton/S****horpe

Also on Echo/Newsnow Phil Brown was interviewed on monday. Brown quoted.

The S****horpe Telegraph reports that last night Saints were given permission to speak to Nigel Adkins. They are running a poll and 67% think he will go. Look on newsnow Southampton/s****horpe iron.

Anybody who dispenses with the dross we have to put up with from Pardew. Adkin. O'Driscoll. Howe for example.

Or back him against a manager who when given two world class international players tried to get them to play his way rather than build the team around them then dropped them. Furthermore was sacked from his last two jobs and now achieved his hat trick.

Pardew was a member of that committee as was the scouting manager David Burke plus Reed and Cortese. If Pardew was so incensed about alleged interference why didn't he do the honourable thing and resign. Pardew instructed that all the club's teams played the same way as the first team. Apart from the fact that the way the first team played was one dimensional, narrow, restricted and has been worked out by the teams playing at SMS to our detriment. This was nowhere near the compelling, attractive style that Markus and Cortese agreed with Pardew at the end of last season when it looked like he would be sacked, that the club would work towards playing what would become in time the Southampton style. No wonder the development side didn't like it. No wonder Cortese came down on their side.

A current first team player that likes the technology available. also critical of the lack of rehearsing set pieces.

I know Nick and in this case we have to look closer at the motive behind this. Last week I heard Nick on Radio Solent talking about protests, in the Echo it was announced that SISA and the Saints trust had called a meeting for last night to co-ordinate protests, interestingly cancelled at the weekend. It's a case of if it's not Pardew and Cortese is choosing they are against it. They need to get over it and move on.