Saint Fan CaM

I like it.

As you say, the options are not great. I don't think Mills or Dickson have got the necessary speed. I understand what you're saying about Lallana and Puncheon and while this appears to be our best options (other than Alex O-C), I'm not convinced they've shown the speed and skill to do the job (although I concede that they might have been following Managers instructions to cut inside to match other competencies?). My opinion on our general play is that we take the ball out the wings TOO MUCH - we're SO predictable. There is not enough variability in our play and in particular there are very few driving runs through the centre of the opposition penalty area. We play out to the wings and then always cut back in, with the result being that we take 10 more passes than necessary to get into a position to score (or the ball has been lost on the way). We need to get to the byline to cross OR start making more direct central runs into the box - scare the big immobile CB's in this league into making some mistakes.

I only knew The Dell in the early 70's from going to reserve team matches because that's all I could afford. Wind on umpteen years and being able to afford to go to SMS was when the team was probably just starting the decline. So for me I think I would have to say I am enjoying this period in Saints history immensely because we are on the rise - the struggle back to the top - and that is really exciting having seen the previous decline. I have a great ST seat and I've not enjoyed going to footie more than now, especially when I get to go with my Sons. I'm going to be a Grandad in November for the first time and as it's a boy I am extremely excited about the prospect of taking him along to SMS too! I suppose it's all about perspective.

That would suggest it's no longer going to happen...dare I say it? Source?

I find it quite interesting that in the dark days of Lowe, many fans would complain bitterly about how much limelight Lowe would take up and when you think back, the OS had as much propaganda from Lowe as information about the Manager and his team. IMO this has been reversed with NC - it's all about results and the people that make things tick at SMS and I applaude this. I think it's forgotten that we're just one year-ish into NC being here and as he puts it, the club was a wreck which will take 5 years to properly re-build as a true force. I am thoroughly encouraged by the information provided in the link from the dinner meeting (wish it was me!) and even more than before, I completely believe if anyone can get the club back to the Prem, NC is the man to do that. This is also true of the managerial appointment - if he think NA is the man to do this, then I believe him frankly.

I think he'd be a good England manager and I wouldn't care one iota if it were the case and we won the World Cup again (or some other title worth having). All hail England...blah blah.

I'm on my way to help sort her out. Can you tell her to move well away from the sick though?

Err, have you met him? Sincere question, however if the answer is no, how can you defend such a statement?

Mmm, I have got to say after reading the transcript of his interview Adkins has gone up considerably in my estimation of him. He seems to be a likeable, intelligent and principled bloke who clearly has got a huge desire to manage Saints. For that and the fact that it looks pretty odds-on certain he'll be joining us, he's gonna get my full and unconditional support from this point on. Unless it's MoN...then all bet's are off. (;

FFS, I for one am completely relieved that he 'turned us down'. Let him go back to being a big fish in a very small pond. Full of pond life. We need a bigger man of a manager - not a boy just cutting his milk-teeth in management. Am I the only one who will be SO glad to be out of this division so Pimpley and Boremouth can then squabble over who's the bigger club in L1?

False economy = ?

BBC Humberside just reported that it's still likely to happen. Negotiating compo. Wharton said it was a small amount, so I expect it will still go through which is a shame, as now it looks like NA and his Chairman are bit desperate for a change.

Given the objectives set by the club - Prem football in 5 years - I would be employing the person best qualified to succeed in the job by achieving that task, regardless of any other attributes. An incidental to this would be some consistency and stability which history tells us is a pre-requisite to continued improvement and success. Simple eh?! If this cost even substantially more money (e.g. to get MoN) then I would say spend it, as the primary objective shoud always take precedence.

Don't be thick - that's exactly what it tells us if the negotiations are on-going. If Adkins felt NC had been unreasonable or unprofessional then he could have said "no thanks". The fact he still wants the deal to go through says everything we need to know about who has been professional in all this and they don't come from Scunny.

So basically Adkins has not dismissed Saints then and still wants to join? And that tells us that he wants us more than we want him perhaps and that NC is the white man in the negotiations - the Scunny Chairman is looking a bit unprofessional frankly.

Absolutely on the money FC - can't believe the girly twerps on here.

This. Delighted that Cortese has a pair and operates in a proper professional manner, even though this runs against the grain of the old-school croakers in the UK game.

So, you've not heard of the standard business practice of short-listing? And then short-listing again? Nothing to do with brinkmanship FFS - it's just normal practice to whittle the field down until you get the most suitable candidate. If NC feels he's being taken for a ride then he has every right to pull any offer, provisional or otherwise.

Next one will be thinking, ah yes I'm now 2nd best to Adkins FFS!

Oh. Results will tell all. Hope he's still with us come 1st Jan. 2011.

Got to say I feel the same way about Shearer, but would like a good assistant alongside him.

OK - so in terms of the "much more width" thing, who do you think in the current squad will be able to deliver that for Adkins? Lallana - a bit injured and not really a winger as such. Alex O-C - best possibility maybe. Puncheon - can he reach the byline or indeed find another Saints player? Holmes - not fast enough now and cannot get into 1st team. Running out of options now....

Excellent post. Too many posters are thinking - we're better or Scunny are better in terms of Adkins management. It's more about SUITABILITY at a given point in time.

True - but that was then and this is now. Purely based on results, right now I would have Pearson over Adkins no question. However, clearly if Pearson was not able to work with the present set-up then he would not be right for the club.

Thanks for saving me the trouble looking up the stats - you're absolutely right. And not only did he turn the team around, he gave the supporters someone to believe in - for the first time in a decade, pretty much the whole of SMS was right behind the Manager and when he was kicked out by Lowe most fans were appauled.