colehillsaint

I will tell you after QPR visit St Mary's later this season.

Yep.

Why do you think the appointment of an out of work spanish speaking manager from the bottom end of La Liga is an expression of ambition? I mean he might be brilliant, but he might not. If we had nicked away a manager from a club of twice our size that would be an obvious expression of ambition. I think like so many other posters on this forum you are just expressing what you hope rather than what is staring you in the face.

I will stay sceptical. If yesterdays gamble goes tits up, we won't go bust because the Leibherr's have capital, but as soon as the decline begins, they won't be up for pumping it in to turn a juggernaut around. NC will be "ruthless" and sell to any joker, no matter what leverage they have used to raise the cash. I don't think anyone should underestimate the luck, and the lasts managers achievement in getting us up two leagues and stabilised in the short time that has elapsed. You won't believe how fast it will turn to rat **** if NC judgement has been poor.

You don't know what our financial position is at all though really do you? Our spending could very easily have been financed by our large attendances in the lower leagues and now TV money. Better for the fan base to stay sceptical or would you sooner we ended up looking like the mugs down the road?

I don't think we should full stop. A chant for Nigel before kick-off as a mark of respect. Surely Nigel will want us to get behind lads. It is not as though his record needs us to now get relegated to vindicate him, as perceived wisdom in football seemed to recognise he was going to keep us up. Monday is a pivotal moment and if most of the common sense on here is correct, MP and the squad are going to need every last ounce of support and luck they can get.

No. Because he saved us, he will definitely be right about everything for ever. It works that way. His luck will never ever run out.

Lets drink to that!

Well the change on this occasion makes very little rational sense. Saying that NC is not an idiot is not an answer is it? I am pointing out that football history is absolutely littered with intelligent men that have let their ego obscure their judgement, and fans that have stopped asking questions after a bit of success. I genuinely don't get that.

Why do people forget how often ego driven football chairmen completely loose the plot after some success? It's not even as though it hasn't happened to us. Can someone explain this to me please?

No. Stuff your ****ing thread up your arse. I went on the pitch, with my nipper, on the last day of the season two years running. Last summer I came home and we watched Nigel getting choked up with professional pride at what his team had achieved. We rewound it and watched it again seventeen times. It was inspiring. I was exited when we came back at Stamford Bridge the other night. I'm not going to boycott anything or protest, because I am not so one dimensional as to not be able to be sad, but still support the team, but why am I supposed to be exited about the replacement of a hero with a foreigner I've never heard of?

That would be my shout. Drop 1 level like he did for us. The fans would quickly unite around his infectious enthusiasm and his good football, and they wouldn't think he wasn't good enough for them either. He could do wonders there IMHO.

Thats interesting, about it being quite convenient for Nigel really. You have probably forgotten more about the club than I know, but that is how it seems to me. He has a great opportunity to move forward if he considers his next move carefully. I don't feel sorry for him. More for us. I think NC has gambled like he is backed with unlimited funds, and I don't see why that is the case. Why would the Liebherr's want to plough vast amounts in to us?

Thanks Nigel. You have been my favourite Saints manager. Take a few months off. Find a sleeping giant in the championship and give them the same medicine as you gave us. I doubt if they will let you go so stupidly when the top half of the prem comes calling.

Don't trust football chairman full stop. There are countless examples of them loosing the plot. Rather than Napoleon, chosen for the sheer size of his calamity, try Mr Rupert Lowe who looked anything but stupid circa 2004. Within a couple of years he had completely lost it. It can't have even stacked up for him on a personal financial level in the end, but he couldn't let it go, and listen to good counsel. Football just does that to a certain type of man. I hope I'm wrong but this just looks like history repeating itself, and what harm am I doing speculating about it on a fans forum.

Don't be so gullible. It's not about being ****ing stupid. Napoleon wasn't stupid, but he stomped around Europe kicking asses until he thought he was infallible, and could conquer Russia in the winter. Even the second bloke to try it wasn't stupid. It's about over confidence, arrogance and not listening to good counsel. This may well be Nicola's "Russian front" Steve Wigley moment. I hope not, but it bloody looks like it.

Not a case of this then? A man from outside football takes up a new role as a football chairman. He's been very successful in business. Probably in an area where a bit of arse kicking works wonders. Say financial services. He has a bit of money to spend given the level that the club is at when he starts. He has a bit of luck and picks the right people. Things go well for a few years. This football game is easy. He can do no wrong. He becomes complacent and overconfident. No need to listen to wider perceived wisdom. Better to appoint someone from left field that completely buys into his vision. Great opportunity to ditch the first bloke with his annoying old-fashioned ideas. After all up until now he can do no wrong. The new managers first few results don't go well. The fans all start to turn but what do they know. They are all smucks. Ungrateful rabble. Unfortunately the new manager doesn't have the knowledge or experience to turn it around quickly enough. The players are upset by the bad atmosphere at games, and widespread criticism in the media. Sadly the team get relegated. The better players want out, and they don't really care much what the club get out of it. Suddenly it seems to take much more money to turn the club around, than it took to maintain the upward trajectory. Umm. Keep your fingers crossed on Monday night. Mine will be in the Chapel, when I've sung one song for Nigel.

Brilliant summary of what I think Phil

My point is more about when people talk about "steel and ambition". I would have had enough steel to sack Nigel Adkins. You just call him into your office and say "Nigel you are sacked". It doesn't take much really. If you believe it is a good decision take a straw poll of everyone in and around football this morning. You are betting with one businessman, against the vast majority of the football world. You're right in that we don't know for sure yet, but I know where my bet would be. Mugs think life is all about being hard. Shrewd operators understand that the true art is to look hard, with a careful eye on taking people with you. NC today = massive fail

I've managed people for 20 years and with my own money for the last 6 and I'll tell you this for nothing. You can have all the steel you want but if your decisions are **** it won't help you.

He will wait and be given a much better opportunity than that.

Not that I post very often but my view is consistently that never ever should fans trust a football chairman. In all my years of supporting Saints I think that is the single most disheartening decision I can recall. The wider public will wish us great misfortune for this, and tbh who can blame them.

Brilliant, brilliant result. I honestly thought we would be struggling without Lallana, and then Fonte, but the manager and squad seem to have really adapted to this league over the last month.

Back from our week at La Rosiere last night. We had a brilliant time. Reflections, based on comparison with my only other skiing experience, at Morzine, as follows; - compared to the complication of the Telecabine at Morzine, access to the pistes at LR is quick and easy. - I think I am right in saying that at 1850m La Rosiere is quite high as a resort. I would imagine this makes the snow very reliable. - one of the nippers had a bout of altitude sickness after a chair ride up to the Le Roc Noir on the first morning. He seemed to acclimatise though! - also it is a bigger challenge to drive to. I did something really stupid! I followed the BMW sat nav. It accounts for traffic info and flickered between Lyon and Geneva routes as we drove down. It settled on Geneva, and I assumed we would be turning right from the road up to Chamonix. I have always been a good navigator but the Sat nav has made me lazy. We suddenly arrived at the Mont blanc tunnel with the satnav indicating we should go through. I questioned it for a minute but then followed the satnav. Half way through the tunnel the satnav realised that the pass between Thule and La Ros is closed for the winter. That is €80 and about four hours that I will never see again! - The place is very French and dominated by French skiers unlike Morzine which is far more English and Dutch in flavour. That was fine with me. - As per the advice I was given on here the skiing is plentiful and varied to the level that you want to ski at. We had a great time and I would definitely go back to explore further with my family more independent on their skis now!

Exactly my opinion too, (although I would have still pitched up for home games). Harry probably wouldn't have got to do things his way anyway, but the way we are heading will lead to a better stronger club in the long run.