Foxstone

God it sounds worse than what we had to shell out for Tango man !

A very warm welcome Nigel ! A very big task awaits you when you commence training tomorrow, but I am sure you have all the right qualities to get our season on track.

I agree with the first part of your post - Adkins does indeed come across as a forward thinking and capable manager,who could do very well with us. But I totally disagree with your assessment that we ( and indeed Nicola) have behaved badly. It appears we (he) has offered Scunny the compensation they deserve, except Scunny want more compensation than they deserve!

Cracking post once again Frankie Boy ! Could not agree more.

Adkins is proven He got Scunny out of this division and kept them up last term.

And that is a story more far fetched than most of the papers own headlines ! A tabloid sports editor spending 3 hours of his time ( on an international day with the Rooney story running) with a 3rd tier club ! mental some people !

And what if he did enquire after those 2 and they both declined ? "Cheated again" !!! What drama queens we have as fans ! Good luck Adkins - Perhaps he will come with a galvanising attitude much the same as Pearson did.

But we as fans must get real here too ! We are a 3rd tier club - A big club granted but nonetheless currently knocking around the lower leagues! It would be an absolute coup of unprecedented magnitude for somebody of M O'N's standing to drop down 2 levels of capability to manage us! It is far more likely that we must accept a candidate befitting our current level and status, but perhaps with the capability to drive us towards the well published objective of Prem football.

Take your point but in all honesty I cannot beleive that O'Neill would have seriously considered coming here anyway. He is after all one of the most highly regarded and sought after managers in the country which would not only put teams in higher divisions than us on alert, but he has his own reputation to consider too. It also does appear that Scunny have only just given Adkins permission to talk to us which rather dispels this scenario that was suggested by the poster anyway. Cortese we know likes to keep his powder dry and as another poster has mentioned, his interest in the club has magnified somewhat in that he is responsible for his dearly departed friend and mentors vision and legacy - Therefore he will put the interest of the football club first - Unlike Uncle Rupert! As uninspiring as Adkins is, it might turn out to be a masterstroke!

Fair choice if true. Proven promotion achiever at this level, plays football the right way and appears to have a very "esprit de corps" management style. His appointment might be underwhelming to many Saints fans, but so was the likes of Strachan and Pearson, who soon won the fans round. As for all this "marquee signing" of the likes of O'Neill I think we are forgetting how far down the list of wines and spirits we currently sit - And it was never on the cards! If it is Adkins then we should all get behind him, welcome him and support him.

Yes - Lets not lose the opportunity to have another bash at Cortese shall we ?? Your story is too far fetched to be given any credibility at all - perhaps in future you will keep your petty vendettas to yourself

This.....

I just cannot see MO'N becoming our manager - A big club on the rise we may be but we are still too far down the leagues for somebody of his calibre.. Zola/Poyet/Adkins are far more likely.

I far prefer Nick speaking as the "voice of the fans" than Macmillan or O'Callghan

He does'nt tick any boxes as far as I'm concerned !

Mowbray was always my preferred choice, yet he has seldom figured in the rumour mill over the past week. He is available and one would think that his brand of football fits in with NC's vision of "The Southampton Way"! Wonder whether he might yet come out of left field !

For christs sake don't talk it up !

I simply don't buy this as a planned decision by Cortese. While I don't have your insight as to the machinations at the end of last season which may have left AP as "dead man walking", but then if that was the case why did'nt Pards walk. If that was me in my role I certainly would regardless of anything else. If Cortese was after his blood, then it seems highly unlikely that he would fire him for perfoamnce/results reasons so soon after a 4-0 away win - To me, it would seem much more realistic to fire him after a lacklustre opening day home defeat to Plymouth if he was going to. Also why fire Downes and Murdoch too ? No there is more to this than meets the eye IMO, and I still think that certainly in part, Pardew was the architect of his own sacking and Cortese made a tough but correct decision!

I would take flopsy the cloth eared bunny as long as he gets us promoted ! Failing that Mowbray is very much the most capable of those available. Would not want anybody who has been here before.

Good post Frank My sentiments too and may I also congratulate your spelling !

If ( and it is a big if) this is true then that would explain the haste in the departure ! And if ( note "if") this is his second warning, it might explain the reports of Markus wanting him gone too. And finally "if" this all is true then Cortese acted absolutely correctly in getting him out pronto !

The longer I think about it, the more I would love to see Tony Mowbray installed as our next manager. As has been mentioned before in many circles, his philosophy surrounding man management and playing style seems to fit with the philosophy of our chairman, and he has good experience of success and contacts within the game.. Rumours about him are all rather quiet at the moment and he is of course currently without a post. Perhaps, maybe....

I feel no more flat now than I did after the Plymouth and Orient matches.. I can't help but think that Pardews leaving might turn out to be a good thing and promotion is still our primary aim - But the next appointment is key!

Safe to say all we be revealed in time. But generally people do not get marched out so quickly for poor performances - And the fact he was fired in 10 minutes so soon after a 4-0 victory indicates to me that it was for misconduct.

Speculate by all means - I am too ! But until such a time a communication can be ( Note "Can be" as there might be legal reasons he can't), then I am tending to speculate that Pardew was the architect of his own sacking.