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Adkins interview today

saints_is_the_south

By saints_is_the_south,
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Spudders

Spudders

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Thanks for posting that, a good read! Here's what is says.............

 

Southampton manager Nigel Adkins insists he has no need to look over his shoulder despite reports suggesting his job could be in jeopardy.

 

Saints have lost their four first four matches back in the Premier League, leading to talk that chairman Nicola Cortese is getting an itchy trigger finger.

 

Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez and - rather surprisingly - former Southampton and Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp have been mentioned as potential candidates to replace Adkins.

 

However Adkins, who helped the club to back-to-back promotions from League One, insists such talk does not affect him and believes he will be at St Mary's for the foreseeable future.

 

"It doesn't affect me," he said. "I don't read the newspapers. I've got a great working relationship with the chairman here at Southampton and we share a common goal.

 

"We've had a great couple of seasons and there is stability here at Southampton so we don't even think about things like that.

 

"I have got my own desire to keep winning games of football because we have that winning mentality here at Southampton. There is a desire that we keep being strong and improving.

 

"I think if you're looking over your shoulder thinking 'Well, if I don't win this one' your mind is going to be affected in different ways so I don't even think about that.

 

"At some stage in the future, like in every job, there will be a parting of ways a long way down the line.

 

"All we are doing [right now] is concentrating on what we're doing. There is stability at Southampton, we're bringing the youth players through the system.

 

"We have just played Man United and Arsenal and they would have had difficult spells, but they kept stability and that is why they have been successful."

 

Adkins, whose side face Aston Villa this weekend, insists that the bond of trust with Cortese is so strong that he has not even spoken to him about the reports about his future.

 

"We don't need to talk about it," he said. "We have a really good dialogue, contrary to what many people believe.

 

"We have an excellent working relationship and we share the same common goal; we want Southampton Football Club to do well.

 

"We know there needs to be stability, we know there needs to be support. We drive each other on. There is nothing wrong with that."

 

Rather than fretting about his future, Adkins' message was one of positivity heading into Saturday's clash with Villa.

 

Saints have had a tough run of opening games, facing both Manchester sides before last weekend's 6-1 hiding at Arsenal.

 

A home defeat to Wigan was perhaps more concerning, but Adkins believes the side are well placed to get their first points on board when Paul Lambert's side come to town on Saturday.

 

"We have got to embrace the challenge of being in the Barclays Premier League," he said.

 

"This is where the best are and we have to go outside that comfort zone and feel that pain if you want to be the best.

 

"It has been a great week's training. There is a steely resolve about the players, there is a hunger.

 

"We have learned some good lessons already and there is a lot of belief about we've done."

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Miltonroader07

Miltonroader07

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NC should support NA, I dont think the problem we are in is down to NA, Benitez is not the answer and Harry is a huge no no in my book, if we are still bottom three at Xmas I think that will be the time with a new manager just before the transfer window. The new lads need time to gel and make the team tick as one. If we lose to Villa I dread what NC may do, IMO

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Bearsy

Bearsy

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I feel a bit better bout Adkins chances now. I mean, I know Adkins was never gonna say much different than what he did but I reckon he's gonna be given a fair chance to establish himself or whatever. I'd be surprised if he got the push now even if we do get beat by the Villa.

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Colinjb

Colinjb

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I feel a bit better bout Adkins chances now. I mean, I know Adkins was never gonna say much different than what he did but I reckon he's gonna be given a fair chance to establish himself or whatever. I'd be surprised if he got the push now even if we do get beat by the Villa.

 

But how beat would we need to get beat before Adkins got beat off?

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Turkish

Turkish

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Such cynicism, and in one so young...

 

I'm not being negative or cynical, just given the sort of person Adkins is and how we supposedly do our business, did anyone expect him to say he was worried? Its just the usual media trained, up beat stance he always take, not a fantastic positive interview which eases everyone concerns.

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up and away

up and away

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I'm not being negative or cynical, just given the sort of person Adkins is and how we supposedly do our business, did anyone expect him to say he was worried? Its just the usual media trained, up beat stance he always take, not a fantastic positive interview which eases everyone concerns.

 

I would say there is far more to that interview then a media trained response. I have never heard managers comment upon a chairmans support as such without there being substance to it. That went far further than any response I expected.

 

This does not mean I don't believe that Cortese will shirk from any difficult decisions but the logic of the situation is just not there yet. Adkins is in a hole at the present and has got to show forward progress. As long as we see that I expect Adkins to still be in a job. After 10 games and things are still looking bleak then I expect we will start looking for a replacement that is better than we already have. But just marginal improvements could make sense to extend that position. If we change managers it will only be the once and logic would dictate that time to be well before the window for any new manager to assess his current players and lay down what's needed for the window.

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lordswoodsaints

lordswoodsaints

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Either Adkins is telling the truth and everything is ok or he is bending the truth to try and diffuse a bad situation and make it a bit difficult for NC to give him the boot.

I'd be inclined to believe that they do have a decent relationship and they are both a bit ****ed off about the start we've made and this press release is an orchestrated attempt to keep the heat off of a bad situation and the rumours that follow it, but you can guarantee that if we lose badly against villa the heat will be turned up a few notches and the relationship will be A little more uncomfortable for both of them.

Edited by lordswoodsaints
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CB Fry

CB Fry

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Either Adkins is telling the truth and everything is ok or he is bending the truth to try and diffuse a bad situation and make it a bit difficult for NC to give him the boot.

I'd be inclined to believe that they do have a decent relationship and they are both a bit ****ed off about the start we've made and this press release is an orchestrated attempt to keep the heat off of a bad situation and the rumours that follow it, but you can guarantee that if we lose badly against villa the heat will be turned up a few notches and the relationship will be A little more uncomfortable for both of them.

 

I don't think it's a press release, it's an interview. Any journalist is going to ask Adkins about his future right now - we've lost four in a row, and like it or not he is favourite for the sack with the bookies, and there has been a little bit of speculation about it too.

 

Nigel's comments are fairly standard issue in my opinion. Nothing in that interview has radically changed my view about what might happen if we, say, lose two from the next three.

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Graffito

Graffito

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Just watched it. Fairly standard Adkins fare. Definitely not a press release or even pre-prepared answers to an expected line of questioning. Body language, I did think he looked slightly uncomfortable when questioned about his position, as you'd expect. I believe him when he says he doesn't read the papers but the pressure is bound to get through one way or another. Would be good for him to get a bit of support from the crowd on Saturday.

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rooney

rooney

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Just watched it. Fairly standard Adkins fare. Definitely not a press release or even pre-prepared answers to an expected line of questioning. Body language, I did think he looked slightly uncomfortable when questioned about his position, as you'd expect. I believe him when he says he doesn't read the papers but the pressure is bound to get through one way or another. Would be good for him to get a bit of support from the crowd on Saturday.

 

Yes agree completely. "There's only one Nigel Atkins" would give him a boost. He deserves it.

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GAS

GAS

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Yes agree completely. "There's only one Nigel Atkins" would give him a boost. He deserves it.
Yes, win or lose he deserves our support. The fans need to get behind the team now and not revert to being a bunch of cynical moaners who would like nothing better than to see us relegated to prove them right all along. COYR.
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Turkish

Turkish

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Yes agree completely. "There's only one Nigel Atkins" would give him a boost. He deserves it.

 

The song should not be sung as it is also factually incorrect. There is a Nigel ADKINS who is IT Supervisor at Asset Acceptance in Detroit. It would be a disgrace and an embarrassment if this was sung and would show our fans to be arrogant and ignorant to assume that there couldn't possibly be another Nigel Adkins outside of Southampton FC.

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