Rafa benitez

[positivepete]

 

Didn't even read the rest of your thread because your opening paragraph told me that the rest of it was drivel. If you read most people don't want or even think Adkins will be sacked, however IF he was Benitez would be a quality replacement.

 

Actually the rest of the post was very good!

[tajjuk]

 

100% behind Adkins however.

 

As am I, edited my post a bit after you quoted and see my post further up. Can't rule out the possibility though.

[The Cat]

Saw this half an hour ago:

 

Michael Vaughan ‏@MichaelVaughan Roger the rum man tells me Rafa could be on his way to Southampton soon......

 

Whoever this 'Roger the rum man' is I do not know, however most of the stuff he's said that Vaughan tweets does happen. He was way ahead of anyone with Van Persie going to United and the same with a bunch of info about the England cricket team.

 

Just adds a bit more intrigue to the situation.

[Pilchards]

Saw this half an hour ago:

 

Michael Vaughan ‏@MichaelVaughan Roger the rum man tells me Rafa could be on his way to Southampton soon......

 

Whoever this 'Roger the rum man' is I do not know, however most of the stuff he's said that Vaughan tweets does happen. He was way ahead of anyone with Van Persie going to United and the same with a bunch of info about the England cricket team.

 

Just adds a bit more intrigue to the situation.

 

Indeed the rum man does know some info..... Been following Vaughan for a long while now.

 

A rumour that is starting to gain some pace is Adkins has lost the comfidence from some of the players in the training ground, I expect something is going on behind the scenes.

 

I hope Adkins turns it around but I see Rafa in by Weds.

[Thedelldays]

Indeed the rum man does know some info..... Been following Vaughan for a long while now.

 

A rumour that is starting to gain some pace is Adkins has lost the comfidence from some of the players in the training ground, I expect something is going on behind the scenes.

 

I hope Adkins turns it around but I see Rafa in by Weds.

 

Where did you hear the from about the players?

[SuperSAINT]

Adam Blackmore ‏@bigadamsport

@simonyoung68 I was told by someone at #saintsfc last week that Nigel Adkin's job is not under threat and club are building for long-term

[AussieDog]

What a fickle lot we are.....and from what's being said here, it sounds as if the players are too. Personally I don't believe that at all. You don't have 2 great seasons and then lose the players' confidence in 4 games. Even though some of you lot do.

[Suomi Saint]

Why on earth would we want Benitez? A flukey Champion's League win aside, he started the decline at Liverpool.....he's lost it. Which is why no other club has employed him. Huge wages, huge ego to boot. Cut Nigel some slack - as soon as the new Le Tiss gets going (Ramirez) we will be okay. I was angry when he blew the Man U game with his daft substitutions, but he is learning the PL ropes like the rest of us. It's not as if we've been dross in defeat - we haven't. Even at Arsenal we played some lovely stuff in the second half. Keep the faith I say. I hope we (Ramirez) tear Villa to shreds so that this silly talk stops.

[Leslie Charteris]

Adam Blackmore ‏@bigadamsport

@simonyoung68 I was told by someone at #saintsfc last week that Nigel Adkin's job is not under threat and club are building for long-term

 

Now do I find this more credible because it is more credible or because I want it to be true?

 

I would like to think that Saints are looking to long term solutions, I know it's a cliché, but SAF, Wenger and Moyes were all given time. I hope NC resists a knee-jerk reaction just to satisfy some people's need for instant gratification.

[Saint Garrett]

As much as we all want him to succeed, and what point do you draw the line and say we've got to take it in another direction. If Adkins still has no points after Villa/Everton, is that it? Does he deserve more time to turn it around risking doing poorly in our 'easier' games. Do we give him time to turn it around and get results inthe easier games and see where we are at Christmas? It's tough to decide at what point enough is enough IMO. Ideally Adkins will keep us up this year, and be our manager for a long time, but it will certainly test Cortese if we lose on Saturday.

[Patrick Bateman]

I honestly think Adkins will be going nowhere for the next few matches - I think he'll have until mid/end October personally. It's FAR too early to be discussing this considering the teams we've faced - the top 3 teams in the country AND they are three of the top teams in Europe!!!!

 

Had we opened with Norwich, Reading, Villa, Fulham (for example) and we had 0 points from those then yes, it *might* be a different story. But I don't see Reading with their mighty 1 point panicking, or, are they??

 

Football is weird. Let's enjoy the ride - if we go down, we go down - we'll come up again soon enough. That's football - someone has to go down. Personally I still don't think we will, especially once the new guys have adapted, but I suppose the real test is this weekend. A whole week of the whole team training together, a week of decent tactical analysis, a week of the new guys bedding in, a week for injuries/aches to repair, a week of confidence building. So we'll see.

[SaintRichmond]

As am I, edited my post a bit after you quoted and see my post further up. Can't rule out the possibility though.

 

 

I honestly think that it would fit in with Nicola's "High Profile" image building of Southampton Football Club

 

I also think that a large reason why SFC found it hard to "attract" QUALITY signings was because, from an outsider looking in. we DON'T have a High Profile Manager.

 

WE know we have a decent Manager who got us back to back promotions, but to players coming from abroad, to a Team just promoted to the Top Flight, Adkins is an "unknown"

 

Harsh as it may seem, I reckon Cortese is seriously considering opting for a BIG name Manager

 

I'm not saying it's right, and I'm not saying it's fair. I'm saying it's High Level Big Business, and you can hardly argue with Rafa's pedigree can you ??

 

Cortese has not shelled out £30 Million, to see it all go T1ts Up

[miserableoldgit]

Now do I find this more credible because it is more credible or because I want it to be true?

 

I would like to think that Saints are looking to long term solutions, I know it's a cliché, but SAF, Wenger and Moyes were all given time. I hope NC resists a knee-jerk reaction just to satisfy some people's need for instant gratification.

You have to be very careful what you say. When I posted something similar I was accused of saying that NA was as good as SAF.

[tajjuk]

http://www.thesackrace.com/teams/southampton

 

Same odds as Capello! Who is making these bets?!

 

Didn't look at this list before but some horrible names on there that I wouldn't want within 100 miles of the club

 

Redknapp

Shearer

Curbishley

Hoddle

Coyle

Dowie!!!!

Mackay

Holloway (doesn't he hate us?)

Ray Wilkins

Roy Keane

Dave Jones

Wise!

Worthington

[SaintRichmond]

Why on earth would we want Benitez? A flukey Champion's League win aside, he started the decline at Liverpool.....he's lost it. Which is why no other club has employed him. Huge wages, huge ego to boot. Cut Nigel some slack - as soon as the new Le Tiss gets going (Ramirez) we will be okay. I was angry when he blew the Man U game with his daft substitutions, but he is learning the PL ropes like the rest of us. It's not as if we've been dross in defeat - we haven't. Even at Arsenal we played some lovely stuff in the second half. Keep the faith I say. I hope we (Ramirez) tear Villa to shreds so that this silly talk stops.

 

 

Ah, but is he ??? Do you KNOW he realises he goofed v Man U, do you KNOw he thinks he made mistakes

 

30000 of may have thought so, but who's to say NA shares OUR view ?

 

HE is the Manager, we are merely Supporters

 

There are many unanswered Questions re our build up to the season's start

 

It was obvious to most that the Defence + GK needed strengthening. Now, based on how Cortese handles things (ruthless perfection), does it not seem somewhat strange that certain xfers either stalled, fell through, did not materialise etc etc. Completely out of character as to what Cortese's normal Business Acumen is, don't you think ??

 

I'm convinced something very major has/is going on behind the scenes at St Mary's, and 4 defeats out of 4 will not have gone down well with Nicola at all

[Toomer]

Cortese is a ruthless man, if things are not going the way he wants them to go he will weild the axe, he won't care if you are the tea lady or any positions upwards if things are not going his way, your out!

[hypochondriac]

If we lose to Villa then I can't see Nigel being here for Everton. Just an opinion but we have to draw the line somewhere. I think the mess we made with defensive acquisitions will cost him dear.

[Aura]

Cortese is a ruthless man, if things are not going the way he wants them to go he will weild the axe, he won't care if you are the tea lady or any positions upwards if things are not going his way, your out!

 

This is the absolute truth and some people wont have a bar of it.

[The9]

Adam Blackmore ‏@bigadamsport

@simonyoung68 I was told by someone at #saintsfc last week that Nigel Adkin's job is not under threat and club are building for long-term

 

As I don't know who Nigel Adkin is, should I be worried about this ?

[The Kraken]

If we lose to Villa then I can't see Nigel being here for Everton. Just an opinion but we have to draw the line somewhere. I think the mess we made with defensive acquisitions will cost him dear.

 

Sadly I think this is exactly what will happen.

[hypochondriac]

Sadly I think this is exactly what will happen.

 

The saddest thing is I don't actually think it his fault. Yes he cost us the points against united but other than that, I suspect that this formation may have been imposed upon him (a theory from Adam Blackmore I believe who knows a lot more about the inner workings of sfc than me) and he is not to blame for our failure to strengthen properly at the back as he recognised that that was an area of weakness. If he gets the chop I will feel very sorry for him and should we get relegated I think we will live to regret the decision as no doubt he will get a decent NPC job and probably face up against us.

[trousers]

Benitez is in London this week.....purely coincidence I'm sure.....

 

http://www.rafabenitez.com/web/index.php?act=mostrarContenidos&idioma=in&co=1836

[hypochondriac]

Benitez is in London this week.....purely coincidence I'm sure.....

 

http://www.rafabenitez.com/web/index.php?act=mostrarContenidos&idioma=in&co=1836

 

Ugh. They mention that magical night in Istanbul.

[Frank's cousin]

^this for me

And to all those that think NC won't get rid of Adkins after letting him 'spunk' £30m on transfers.....well you don't actually believe that those signings were done by Adkins do you?

I would guess that Rodriguez and possibly Davis were his choice,the rest were decided by NC.

Sharp's departure was also NC (see my other thread)

IMO NC will not tolerate failure and to secure his plan for the club he will make swift and possibly unpopular decisions,do you think he is worried about what the press/media think or that he will upset a few fans?.....of course not,his job is to do the best he can for the owners of the club,he doesn't give a monkeys that he's upset a few people on a small football forum,or the editor from the echo.

He has shown in past that he doesn't care about sentiment....the spat with letiss,lawrie mac and benali being a good indicator,he also has previous when it comes to making scathing decisions like getting rid of pardew,so why do you think Adkins will get any special treatment?....yes Adkins has done us proud until now but the reality is he will be sacked if he can't handle the premiership,you might think its harsh but I can guarantee it will happen regardless of what anyone on here thinks.

 

I think you are probably correct - We did not get form bottom of L1 to the prem in 3 yeras by being sentimental or not being affraid of harsh and unpopular decsions. And you could add that for a club of our size to ever stand a chnace of the kind of success that has been hinted at, it will probably take something we have not considered and is also likely to be unpopular... however, NC will also be aware that the an element of success is due to continuity - here in the UK we say that comes form the manager and point to Wenger and Fergie and their success achieved over a long period of time... I think too much emphasis is placed on that - as budget and being large enough in the first place to attract and keep players is just as important - stick tehm both a Crewe and Eastleigh with the budgets they have, and that continuity would not bring them Championsleague football inside 5 years....

 

Also on the continent, the do vaue continuity - but its in the style and methods - form U8 -to first team - the coaching ans style adopted is consistently applied and not at the whims of each new 'manager' - the 'manager' comes in and is told to get on with it with the reosurces and style of the club - and you cant say it does not work. Afterall, is it really a good thing that if a manager goes the entire backroom tend to go as well, including reserve and junior coaches? Nothing against it, but it only works if the manager has the same mind set and is happy working that environment.

 

I Think ideally NC wants a EU style set up - the continuity of coaching form U8 to senior, but also would like someone like NA to be here for a long time - as he buys into what the club is trying to - I think they get on, have an honest a nd frank relationshoip and respect each other, BUT in some sense Adkins may be a victim of his own success, in that having got here early, I cant see NC wanting a set back, and so Adkins may go if he is unable to learn fast enough. Without dobt with the experience he will be a top top manager, but at the moment, being ahead of the plan, could count against him....

[Frank's cousin]

That magical night when the Champions League was forever undermined by the worst team to ever win it and perhaps the furthest from actually winning their domestic league?!

 

At least they played attacking football in that infamous second half though... unlike the current champions and tehir almost anti-football against Barcelona and Bayern?

[Toomer]

At least they played attacking football in that infamous second half though... unlike the current champions and tehir almost anti-football against Barcelona and Bayern?

 

Ain't that the truth, but IMO Roman and Nicola are two peas from the same pod, ruthless, its my way or the highway.

[Horley CTFC Saint]

I honestly think that it would fit in with Nicola's "High Profile" image building of Southampton Football Club

 

I also think that a large reason why SFC found it hard to "attract" QUALITY signings was because, from an outsider looking in. we DON'T have a High Profile Manager.

 

WE know we have a decent Manager who got us back to back promotions, but to players coming from abroad, to a Team just promoted to the Top Flight, Adkins is an "unknown"

 

Harsh as it may seem, I reckon Cortese is seriously considering opting for a BIG name Manager

 

I'm not saying it's right, and I'm not saying it's fair. I'm saying it's High Level Big Business, and you can hardly argue with Rafa's pedigree can you ??

 

Cortese has not shelled out £30 Million, to see it all go T1ts Up

 

No - its more about being new to the Premier League and not being in Europe

[Thedelldays]

Take yer blinkers off adrian

 

Getting to the final was very impressive for a team that had kewell, baros and smicer in it

 

Finishing 2nd in this league is equally brilliant

[corky morris]

Cortese is rutheless. If we lose against Villa I can see him sacking Adkins. I have said since he sacked Pardew that he will do what HE wants not what anyone else thinks. He will always back his own judgment.

FWIW, honestly, not sure what I want, but think Adkins does not look as energised as he did last season. No point in moaning about players being on International duty either. You bought them, deal with it.

In fairness Benitez's CV does look better than Adkins.

[up and away]

If we lose to Villa then I can't see Nigel being here for Everton. Just an opinion but we have to draw the line somewhere. I think the mess we made with defensive acquisitions will cost him dear.

 

As long as Adkins is doing the right things in training, getting the tactics and the play right on the day, I would expect Cortese to give him 10 games. Adkins has got to show he is addressing the problems even without the points. We have been clueless against the big 3 but that's not far from the expected.

 

If you look at all the faffing about Benetiz did at Liverpool I doubt that would work, but if you look at what he did at Valencia there is no one better. Personally I would not mind someone like Joe Jordan coming in to help Adkins.

[SaintRichmond]

As long as Adkins is doing the right things in training, getting the tactics and the play right on the day, I would expect Cortese to give him 10 games. Adkins has got to show he is addressing the problems even without the points. We have been clueless against the big 3 but that's not far from the expected.

 

If you look at all the faffing about Benetiz did at Liverpool I doubt that would work, but if you look at what he did at Valencia there is no one better. Personally I would not mind someone like Joe Jordan coming in to help Adkins.

 

You mean a Skate influence ??

[NickG]

meant it on this thread, but suppose it fits other one as well!!

 

 

Just two years ago we had just appointed a new manager.

 

The league table two years ago - 22nd in league 1. We had played 7, winning one game. We were lower in the country's football ladder than Tranmere, Harlepool, Brentford etc.

 

Two years later, after close defeats to the Manchester clubs - realistically although we gained no points we did better than most established premiership sides did in those fixtures last season.

 

A score away to Arsenal which matches Strachan's, who some think was great, performance with an established premiership side.

 

And a defeat to Wigan who finished last season like this

 

H Wolves Won 3-2

A Blackburn Won 0-1

H Newcastle Won 4-0

A Fulham Lost 2-1

A Arsenal Won 1-2

H Man Utd Won 1-0

A Chelsea Lost 2-1

H Stoke Won 2-0

A Liverpool Won 1-2

 

Time to look for a new manager? No.

[lordswoodsaints]

Tbh....and this is my personal view,I think Adkins was close to getting the boot at the end of the season,the results from January onwards didn't match the results for the first half of the season,basically his tactics got found out and although we ended up getting promoted,it wasn't convincingly and we nearly blew it........now you can butter it up as much as you like but that's the way it was.

I reckon that NC got a bit worried by this and had words with Adkins,with the outcome being NC possibly getting too involved in team affairs and transfers and this has carried on into the new season with the whole billy sharp thing and the signings we have made.i think rodriguez was NC's no.1 target in January and billy sharp was the striker Adkins wanted,Rodriguez for whatever.

reason wouldn't sign so Adkins got his man so shipping billy off to forest and signing Rodriguez is NC stamping his authority.

I also firmly believe that NC had something to do with the new lad coming on against Manu,there was no way in a million years the lad was ready for it,and the game itself didn't justify the change.

To me,something isn't right and either Adkins will get the hump and walk or he will get pushed,either way we will lose a decent manager.

This is all speculation on my part and I'm not bashing NC in anyway as he has done a fantastic job so far and tbh if this is the way he wants the club to go then I'm happy as long as it brings results and success,I just don't think things are as rosy in the garden as some of you think.

[Dig Dig]

Tbh....and this is my personal view,I think Adkins was close to getting the boot at the end of the season,the results from January onwards didn't match the results for the first half of the season,basically his tactics got found out and although we ended up getting promoted,it wasn't convincingly and we nearly blew it........now you can butter it up as much as you like but that's the way it was.

I reckon that NC got a bit worried by this and had words with Adkins,with the outcome being NC possibly getting too involved in team affairs and transfers and this has carried on into the new season with the whole billy sharp thing and the signings we have made.i think rodriguez was NC's no.1 target in January and billy sharp was the striker Adkins wanted,Rodriguez for whatever.

reason wouldn't sign so Adkins got his man so shipping billy off to forest and signing Rodriguez is NC stamping his authority.

I also firmly believe that NC had something to do with the new lad coming on against Manu,there was no way in a million years the lad was ready for it,and the game itself didn't justify the change.

To me,something isn't right and either Adkins will get the hump and walk or he will get pushed,either way we will lose a decent manager.

This is all speculation on my part and I'm not bashing NC in anyway as he has done a fantastic job so far and tbh if this is the way he wants the club to go then I'm happy as long as it brings results and success,I just don't think things are as rosy in the garden as some of you think.

 

You should write a book about it, everyone loves a good conspiricy.

[SaintRichmond]

Tbh....and this is my personal view,I think Adkins was close to getting the boot at the end of the season,the results from January onwards didn't match the results for the first half of the season,basically his tactics got found out and although we ended up getting promoted,it wasn't convincingly and we nearly blew it........now you can butter it up as much as you like but that's the way it was.

I reckon that NC got a bit worried by this and had words with Adkins,with the outcome being NC possibly getting too involved in team affairs and transfers and this has carried on into the new season with the whole billy sharp thing and the signings we have made.i think rodriguez was NC's no.1 target in January and billy sharp was the striker Adkins wanted,Rodriguez for whatever.

reason wouldn't sign so Adkins got his man so shipping billy off to forest and signing Rodriguez is NC stamping his authority.

I also firmly believe that NC had something to do with the new lad coming on against Manu,there was no way in a million years the lad was ready for it,and the game itself didn't justify the change.

To me,something isn't right and either Adkins will get the hump and walk or he will get pushed,either way we will lose a decent manager.

This is all speculation on my part and I'm not bashing NC in anyway as he has done a fantastic job so far and tbh if this is the way he wants the club to go then I'm happy as long as it brings results and success,I just don't think things are as rosy in the garden as some of you think.

 

Spot on

 

I've been more or less saying the same

 

Adkins more or less said we'd get some more (defensive) signings BEFORE transfer deadline day. We didn't get them.

 

Then, it was "before the start of the season" OK we got Yoshida, Ramirex and Mayuka, but I bet you they wern't the "signings" Adkins had in mind, the most obvious deficiency being a Top Rate Pre Keeper.

 

As the great Bard wrote .. "Something's rotten in the Stae of Denmark"

 

(Mind you, how he could have known all those years ago is a bit of a mystery )

[tajjuk]

Why is it drivel to not rate someone who has a good record in the past? I wouldn't want Capello in a million miles of the place, yet he has an excellent past record at club level in Italy.

 

Benitez might be good, he might not, but your positive view of him is just as over the top as the original posters negatives view of him. He's done a lot good and a lot bad, but there was a very good reason he was sacked at Liverpool. He only looks retrospectively better because they've done downhill since, primarily due to Dalgleish wasting huge funds.

 

I don't even understand why a manager doing well at massive clubs with big budgets etc should translate to a completely different environment and situation. You'd have thought being a great coach, improving players, tactics etc was the most vital thing right now. I'll be interested to see how Guardiola does in his next role. Obviously fans and chairman see the titles and assume he'd deliver huge success immediately. But how much of that was down to the club and players? How much was down to him knowing that club inside out and having time to develop that style of play? If Abramovich got him I could see it going very long, seems like a long-term manager if ever there was one. Obviously he wouldn't come here, I'm just saying even the extreme example of one of the world's top rated managers right now wouldn't guarantee anything. I've a feeling his replacement at Barca might be regarded as one of the top managers soon too.

 

 

It's not, I called it drivel because of what he actually said -

 

"So you all want a bloke who will need £100 m to spunk up a side of poor Spanish journeymen" - whilst every Rafa signing wasn't great, the Spanish players he signed were all pretty good -

 

Xabi Alonso, Álvaro Arbeloa, Daniel Sánchez Ayala. Luis García, Josemi, Fernando Morientes, Antonio Núñez, Daniel Pacheco, José Manuel Reina, Albert Riera, Fernando Torres.

 

All foreign managers will have a slight bias to buying players from their homeland as that's where their knowledge comes from. Liverpool's Spanish signings have been far better than their English ones! It's also not a bad policy to buy players from a nation that is currently World and European champions, or a country who's economy means most clubs aside from Barca and Real need to sell.

 

Only the likes of Josemi, Nunez, Pacheco, Ayala didn't do much but then they barely cost anything. Morientes, Riera and Luis Garcia weren't amazing but hardly failures

 

 

"and assume he'll be good because he was universally considered so at L'pool where, of course, he was used to fighting relegation, etc as many of you assume?" I merely pointed out that he did other things than at Liverpool, he won the league title twice with a team that wasn't Madrid or Barca. He also got two lower league Spanish teams promoted, meaning he hasn't just managed and had success with 'big' clubs.

 

 

"While I don't know any of y'all, it does become apparent that few of you have any real nous about football even if you've been watching it for aeons. That applies to the vast majority of threads I've read and isn't based on this one alone. Note Footy Manager does not = real footy. "

 

See my point above, he tells us off for not having any "football nous", yet apparently has no knowledge outside English football, Adkins was widely regarded here before he was appointed for getting S****horpe promoted, yet Benitez can only 'spunk' money giving no credit to him getting Extremadura and Tenerife promoted? Or the fact that is very tactically astute and took a very average Liverpool side to the Champions League final?

 

Your point is valid not every club and manager fit, Benitez could be a compete failure here, however I personally rate him as a good coach and tactician and not just a 'name'. I don't want Adkins sacked, but we can't rule it out, of the available replacements I think Rafa would be a good one. I also think he would he would buy into our project, unlike the likes of Redknapp or Capello.

[lordswoodsaints]

You should write a book about it, everyone loves a good conspiricy.

 

Jeez...that took me long enough to think that sh!t up I don't think I could handle writing another 300 pages of ******.

[SaintRichmond]

Jeez...that took me long enough to think that sh!t up I don't think I could handle writing another 300 pages of ******.

 

 

Oh go on .... don't belittle yourself

[Graffito]

Cortese is rutheless. If we lose against Villa I can see him sacking Adkins. I have said since he sacked Pardew that he will do what HE wants not what anyone else thinks. He will always back his own judgment.

FWIW, honestly, not sure what I want, but think Adkins does not look as energised as he did last season. No point in moaning about players being on International duty either. You bought them, deal with it.

In fairness Benitez's CV does look better than Adkins.

 

If he doesn't look as energised then it could be something to do with not having won a match.

 

Did he complain about players on international duty? I remember him saying how great it was that we now had these internationals but don't remember him complaining about them being away.

 

As for CVs, you can stuff those where the sun don't shine for all they're worth.

 

Benitez to Saints appeared in AS in Spain as a paragraph in an article about several unrelated matters. It was reported as rumour. His coming here doesn't fit as far as I'm concerned. He's turned down several jobs since 2010 because he's fussy apparently and wants a top job.

[Saint Charlie]

Adam Blackmore from Solent said he spoke to someone at Saints last week who said the club support Adkins and are building for the long term.

 

More credence to believe this rather than the Daily Star (who last weeks aid we are in talks with Redknapp which was/is also rubbish).

 

Of course things may change but Im sure the club wouldn't be thinking about replacing NA now - fair enough if we have 0 points from 8 games it might be different, but thats unlikely.

[tajjuk]

That was predictable.

 

There is nothing 'brilliant' about finishing 2nd in a league when you're talking about Champions League winners. The vast majority have done better than a best of 2nd in the last decade or more.

 

If you think Smicer, Kewell and Baros are that good then fine, but for that level I don't think they were. Gerrard, Hyypia and Alonso were, you'd have been better off going with them for your examples. You don't seem to like differing opinions, but I happen to believe the crazy concept that Finnan, Traore, Nunez, Biscan and plenty of that squad were amongst the poorest to ever win the Champions League. Christ knows what it has to do with 'blinkers'. The subsequent Liverpool team with Mascherano, Reina and Torres was far, far far better.

 

Compare to Milan's team that evening: Dida, Cafu, Maldini, Nesta, Stam, Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf, Kaka, Crespo, Shevchenko. Now that's a Champions League side.

 

Half your posts read as though you're hammered at the moment. Are you alright?

 

What?

 

He doesn't think Smicer, Kewell and Baros are 'good' they were average at best, he took an average liverpool team and somehow managed to get them to the Champions League final. Surely that is down to good coaching, tactics and management?

 

Also taking the 'poorest squad to win the champions league' as you put it and a team that finished 5th the year before to 2nd in the league the year after is good managment?

[Maggie May]

How can Adkins have lost the confidence of some of the players just four games into a Premier League season? Some of the tripe posted on here is farcical.

[RedAndWhite91]

For goodness sake. We are 4 games into a season. Some of the sh!te spouted on this forum is embarrassing.

 

If we beat Villa on Saturday and Liverpool lose to United, we'll overtake them in the table. That is how open it is, and how early on we are.

[capitalsaint]

Rodgers out!

[Pilchards]

How can Adkins have lost the confidence of some of the players just four games into a Premier League season? Some of the tripe posted on here is farcical.

 

They have been training now for 2 months, only speculating but if the gaffer was chopping the system and then putting players out of position plus leaving certain players on the bench then I can see quite easily how some get unsettled.

 

Heard that Adkins brought some strange things into training since the players have been back and not everyone likes it.

Only passing on the info....

[Pilchards]

For goodness sake. We are 4 games into a season. Some of the sh!te spouted on this forum is embarrassing.

 

If we beat Villa on Saturday and Liverpool lose to United, we'll overtake them in the table. That is how open it is, and how early on we are.

 

Liverpool must be ****...... ha ha

 

I hope RAMIREZ plays a blinder and we all live happily ever after.

[Wes Tender]

Spot on

 

I've been more or less saying the same

 

Adkins more or less said we'd get some more (defensive) signings BEFORE transfer deadline day. We didn't get them.

 

Then, it was "before the start of the season" OK we got Yoshida, Ramirex and Mayuka, but I bet you they wern't the "signings" Adkins had in mind, the most obvious deficiency being a Top Rate Pre Keeper.

 

As the great Bard wrote .. "Something's rotten in the Stae of Denmark"

 

(Mind you, how he could have known all those years ago is a bit of a mystery )

 

Spot on???? Lordswoodsaints admits that the entire post was based purely on his speculation and you dress it up as fact, presumably on the grounds that your thoughts echo his?

 

So pray tell us the background reasons why the pre-transfer window signings didn't materialise? We know that there were widely reported reasons for failing to sign Buttner, but it isn't even clear to anybody posting on here exactly what the fly in the ointment was, just speculation again. So what was the situation regarding the others? Chapter and verse please regarding who we were after and the reasons why they didn't sign. And you'd bet the shirt off your back that the signings we did make weren't the ones that Adkins wanted too? Based on what, exactly?

 

Others on here have posted their opinion as fact that Cortese is ruthless, that opinion being based on the sacking of Pardew for reasons that have never been made clear in the public domain. He might well be single-minded, focussed, ambitious, quite possibly he is ruthless, but I am yet to see anything that he has done which endorses that epithet being attached to him. If he were to sack Adkins at this early stage, then he could be deemed to be ruthless. But there is no evidence that that is his intention, so unless somebody can come up with a reasonable explanation for why they consider him ruthless, can we please stop making things up?

[Maggie May]

They have been training now for 2 months, only speculating but if the gaffer was chopping the system and then putting players out of position plus leaving certain players on the bench then I can see quite easily how some get unsettled.

 

Heard that Adkins brought some strange things into training since the players have been back and not everyone likes it.

Only passing on the info....

 

The majority of the team has been with the club since Adkins took over. He has taken these players up two divisions to the pinnacle of English football, something which, it could be argued, many thought they'd never taste as quickly as they have. Surely they'd be open to new tactics/suggestions? They are professional footballers not petulant children. And for the most part, we've played pretty well under the new system. It's just mistakes and lapses of concentration that has let us down.

[Wes Tender]

They have been training now for 2 months, only speculating but if the gaffer was chopping the system and then putting players out of position plus leaving certain players on the bench then I can see quite easily how some get unsettled.

 

Heard that Adkins brought some strange things into training since the players have been back and not everyone likes it.Only passing on the info....

 

This is a bit vague, isn't it? what sort of strange things? And stranger than the training methods employed by all the other managers?

 

Otherwise, there is bound to be some disgruntled players when there is a squad of 25 players and only 11 can play at any one time.

[This Charming Man]

Personally I'd love to see Benitez come in. A big time manager whose been there, done it and won it.

 

Adkins was brought in to get us promoted, he's done that and I reckon deep down he knew he wouldn't last too long into this season - hence why bar the £7m he wasted on J Rod, virtually all the signings would have been done by NC - sign a quick African on the off chance he's the new Cisse and sign a high profile Asian player so we can open a Japanese Twitter account and try and cash in.

 

A few bad results and the constant nonsense he talks in his interviews was always going to lead to the media start to apply a bit of pressure on him early doors, interesting to see if NC reacts. I think he will.