Legod Third Coming

Say what you like about the approach, we scored a lot of goals. More than just about anyone in the league. In our last six games we have now scored two goals... "But Rickeeeee is off form..." Yes, but last year we also had goals from all over as well. Lallana, Barnard, Papa, Antonio, Hammond...

I think you could pick any manager and find bad games - Chelsea lost to Wigan after all. But over the course of the season we had good enough form to be promoted. From October we had good enough form to come 2nd, easily. The point is, Adkins has been set a target of promotion, and yet we are seeing no evidence that there has been any fundemental change. All the support he is receiving now is based on blind faith not evidence per se. That's fine. I support him too. But those people who supported Pardew's removal need to demonstrate (and quickly) how Adkins approach has increased our chances of promotion. At the moment too many are being selective and talking about Pardew as though results were irrelevant. They weren't. We won a lot of football matches. Had Pardew not beaten Yeovil he would have been slaughtered.

What??? There is nothing contradictory in those posts. It is too early to judge Adkins overall record - he doesn't have one. But after drawing away to one of the worst teams in the league, where is the evidence that so many seem to believe exists that Adkins is being more effective/successful than Pardew? That is the claim. In truth, it's nothing more than hope and faith.

The only camparison cannot be league games this season. Are you seriously suggesting that Pardew fluked 27 from 42 victories? What other manager in the league (any league) would not be given credit for that record?

True - it is not possible to create a direct comparison. But we know we scored with and without Rickie and Barnard. It is impossible to know how these players would be playing now if Pardew was here still but in our only away game under Pardew we hammered a far better team than Yeovil 4-0. What irks me is the claim that the current form is Pardew's doing - there is no evidence to support that - or that he somehow muddled a success rate of winning 64% of his games from the day he had the current squad in place (ie October). A number of posters claimed that Pardew wasn't getting the best out of our resources. Where are they now? Why has nothing improved under Adkins? When will we see improvement? I didn't go last night - guilty. I don't need to go to Stamford Bridge to know Chelsea should beat Blackpool do I? I did go to watch us versus Orient and Colchester and I can tell you the performances were very similar, the result exactly the same - 1 point. I, of course, will support Adkins at the ground - hell I support him here. But he's not getting any more of out of the players than Pardew did - yet... And he can't be judged when the season is over. He was employed to get us promoted. He said so himself. That is the pressure he is under - not my doing, his Chairman's and his own. So, three weeks and four games in, do we look like a team who will be promoted? And if the answer is no, what needs to change?

And those things didn't happen when Pardew was here, of course? And we didn't drop points against Colchester when we failed to beat them last week? What's changed? Oh and I'm sure the debate on an internet forum is really cripping Adkin's decision making - I guess he's never had fans question his methods, tactics or ability before.

That was precisely my point thank you. What is required for this team to win? Why does it need more time? What will be achieved in that time? Why are the current players not good enough to beat Yeovil but were good enough to beat Bristol Rovers 4-0 - how is that moving forwards and not backwards? All of these are genuine questions that blind faith and optimism are preventing some normally seasoned and critical posters from asking. I no more want Adkins to fail than do I want Portsmouth to gain promotion. BUT, if we are not winning last night, and posters believe that this is symptomatic of Pardew's regime (a regime I remind you where he won 27 of 42 games from October to May) then NOTHING has changed by changing manager. And I believe with our current squad and investment, that is nothing short of criminal. So what is the optimism based on? Because on current form we have little chance of promotion without some serious turnaround. Where is that turnaround coming from and why? These are all genuine questions which a football board should be about debating - not the pointless drivel spouted about sex and travel from the children at the back of the class...

Don't let facts get in the way of an opportunity to prove that Pardew couldn't cut it in these fixtures... Which was not even my point. This is a poor result, very very poor.

Credible argument - nice use of anatomical phraseology. Are you the team doctor?

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?25465-The-reason-this-board-has-gone-downhill&p=860226#post860226 I know humour is wasted on some of our posters...

Other people's failings should not be used to mask our own...

And people wonder why this country lost its Empire...

Hang on. I thought we had every chance of promotion. The reason I didn't cut loose on Pardew was that only one team in history has ever been deducted points and gone on to achieve promotion. Without the deduction we would have finished second/third (arguably we lost a couple of games when our chance had gone that we might otherwise have won). We had automatic promotion form from October. On all available evidence, impartial observers would tell you Pardew did a very good job. So why would I have had a go at him? I am not cutting Adkins slack because this team/squad is too good for tonight's result. Am I calling for him to be sacked? No. Am I questioning tonight's result? Of course. When does tonight's result become unacceptable under a new manager?

Yes, I exected us to win. Do you follow this league? Wednesday are in the mother of all slumps!

I agree - they looked the better left side by far...

Hang on be fair. Did you see him against Colchester? Why would you not pick him in the following game over Puncheon who looks woefully low on confidence? Or are we no longer allowed to ask any tactical questions of our manager?

Exactly, that's how bad this result is!!!!

You can't argue with not playing Holmes, a man who almost single-handedly turned the game around against Colchester... While you're waiting for results, we're destined to be here for another year. When do we start to demand results Nick? What needs to change? What will time do that could not be done in the past three weeks?

This is a false argument. Pardew got a better result but somehow it's less acceptable than today's result? Seriously. I have nothing against Adkins, I hope he succeeds and will support him in every game I attend. I won't accept that with our expensively assembled squad tonight's result is good enough. This is my point - it wasn't accceptable under Pardew, it's even less acceptable now that we have a superb squad. It is not. Adkins must understand it is not. This is not S****horpe surviving on a shoe string. This is the REAL MADRID of League One having been held by Cagliari... watching the league disappear beyond reach. Poor, very very poor. To say otherwise is just making excuses. Sure, if we win the next two games this doesn't look so bad. And if Brighton win both of their next two games, we've achieved nothing.

I did not deny Pardew had some poor results - we lost 7 games and drew 8 (albeit that includes Portsmouth). When Pardew lost or drew these games people crucified him. But Adkins is above reproach? Seriously, where is the criticism - positive or kneee jerk? We're going to sit back and think this is it are we? With our million pound forward and centre back? This is as good as it gets?

You're making excuses for a bad result. If... If we had won tonight we would have drastically improved our chances of winning on Saturday. Wednesday are in a slump. Tonight's result is not good enough. Why does no one have the balls to say so any more?

He has the same players all of whom have been given a 'clean slate'. Holmes played brilliantly against Colchester. Where was he tonight? Why is Adkins above criticism but Pardew was the devil incarnate?? It makes NO SENSE.

Not remotely. If I was paying the salaries of these players in this league, I would be asking serious questions tonight.

But 1-1 at Yeovil is acceptable? Double standards.

Who's talking about sacking him? I'm talking about setting CHELSEA standards. Do you know how much Yeovil's team cost? Less than the laptop I'm using to type this... Why do you accept defeat and failure so readily? Do you think Cortese does????