S-Clarke

They don't half drag their feet on official announcements don't they. Looks a good player to be fair, but it does make you wonder who actually signed him.

He didn't say that though did he? It was usual candid manager speak after listening back to it. I heard from a third-party that he said that, but actually if you listen back...he didn't. Just keeping his cards close to his chest. One of the reasons why NA's future was often speculated about was his failure to ''lure'' top European names here (which is a load of **** IMO). Well, let's see what this guy can do in the remaining few weeks.

It's hard to have a balanced view today to be honest. Just feel we've gone about everything the wrong way.

Pardew was an odd one, he didn't have a huge fan base if I'm honest. He got mixed results here, and really should have got us playoff football that season. But he laid solid foundations, and for that we were able to progress forward. The appointment of NA felt right though, I liked him. He was young, enthusiastic, massively positive about the opportunity and was so honest. He also had success at his previous club for years. This fella is an unknown, complete non-entity to English fans. He was sacked because he wasn't getting results. Why are we sacking Adkins to go for a sacked/failed manager? I can understand if we go for a new manager who is high profile, will shock football etc, but why dispense of a hugely popular and successful manager for a complete non-English speaking unknown? It's also been done at an even worse time, because we're in a tricky position, mid-way through the season. It would have been bad enough in the summer, or this coming summer - but at least we'd have had a bit more leeway in terms of prep. He's been thrown into the lions den here. It just has to work immediately, there's no room for failure in this move.

Come on mate, jump off the fence on this one. He has shown he is a prized ****, but has got results. He's today shown that he is once again, a prize ****. The jury is still out as to weather this is the right call. It needs to work straight away.

What I meant was dragged back into the bottom 3, adrift etc.

This is exactly how it was going to be seen. It will be a shot in the arm for all our rivals. The managers will use that in their team talks against us. Brilliant. I'm kind of lost for words, still.

It's mental that this should even be a question we're having to ask. Unbelievable.

I'm not afraid to stand up and admit that I've stuck up for Cortese, because he's always got results for us - and he was the one in control of this football at the time. This decision has made me fuming though, it just makes no sense what so ever. I tell you what, this new fella really needs to hit the ground running, because if he doesn't and we end up being dragged right back into the mire then he can get roundly booed as far as I'm concerned.

I think protests are slightly over the top, there's no real need for that. I think we need to find a way to just support the club and push this club forward, because these players will need us more than ever now. They probably haven't got a clue who is coaching them now. I'm struggling to make a comment on the new bloke as I haven't got the foggiest who the hell he is. All I can find is that he was sacked by Espanyol after a poor run of results, and has been out of work for months. Excellent. He's already got a massive job on here, so let's not make it impossibly hard for him. The club has made the horrific decision to do what it's done, it can't be changed. It's still Southampton, it's still our club, so let's make sure we still make the best of it.

Lost interest in this as well. Probably a good player, but who cares now?

Apparently we won't be signing any new players apart from Forren. That's it.

Nothing but praise for the fella. The guy is a modern-day managerial legend for what he's achieved. I loved his positive enthusiasm over everything. He was very bright, was a very quick learner and quite obviously a very good manager. Whoever gets him next will have a gem, and we will be worse off for it. He didn't deserve to go in this way, he really didn't. If we wanted to really change then we should have done it in the summer, or waited a year. He's grown into this premier league, and so has our squad. I've easily had the most enjoyable 3 years in my football supporting life-time under this guy.

I've been at work today, so have had a chance to really digest this - found myself in a foul mood though, when everyone else was pretty chirpy because of the snow etc. After a good few hours thinking over this, I am still in shock, bemusement and I'm so angry. I never wanted Adkins gone from this club, even during our sticky spell I hoped we'd stick with him as I felt we'd have had more chance of success with him, rather than changing everything. After we got over that start and begun picking up points I was positive. I was proud that my club didn't knee jerk when so many others have, I was proud that we still stuck with the manager that provided us with this opportunity. How ****ing wrong was I. I'm embarrassed to be a fan of this club right now, down right embarrassed. No one deserves to be treated how Adkins has been treated, it's a complete disgrace. I will stand up and say that I have been vocally sticking up for Cortese, but I've always thought the guy is a ruthless dictator - but he was getting results, and he stuck with our manager and showed patience. But I was wrong, he's got a lot to answer for if this doesn't provide INSTANT results. In one foul swoop he has ruined a recently built-up feel good factor around this football club. There are now talks of protests and the like, when really we should be going into Monday excited on the back of an excellent performance at Chelsea. But alas we go forward with an unknown johnny foreigner, who doesn't speak English, so will probably fit in well as it'll allow Cortese to control even more. The ambition we have is completely off tangent with the size of club we are, and quite clearly by this move Cortese didn't expect us to be struggling this year. He's gone right down in my estimations. After saying the other night how I felt the 2nd half of the season would be exciting, I'm now dreading it. It has echo's of Wotte and co. It's destined to fail, and I bet you every single neutral in the land will be hoping it does fail. Well done Cortese, well done.

it gets even better.

I bet you Lambert will be dropped from the 11 now, and Guly will start - or one of NC's expensive new Italian signings. I'm starting to believe the rumours after this decision at this time.

Couldn't give a ****. Lost my balanced head, nothing about this is balanced.

This is just mental. I could have kind of understood back in November, but now? On a 6 match unbeaten run? Just as we're getting to grips with it all? This new bloke doesn't even speak a word of English, I've never heard of him and he's unlikely to inspire the players. They're probably as ****ed off as the rest of us. This will derail our season.

Did he really? He was shipped out of there pretty sharpish.

It's right to get a bit excited abotu this result. We've just come back from 2-0 down against the European champions, in their own back yard. I'd say that's enough to get carried away with.

He did have a touch, but I'm not too sure if it was an intentional flick, or a mis-control in the box that flicked into the pass of Puncheon. If it was an intentional flick, then take a bow son.

That was proven to be absolute tosh, about....4 years ago.

He then also said... ''Ask the people who'd know''