Bloomin' Lawro

[The Kraken]

He's only gone and tipped us to win again tomorrow. Pretty much the only time he's been wrong about us this season has been when he's put us down for victory.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20228221

 

I feel sorry for Southampton manager Nigel Adkins because every single day he must be facing questions over his future.

 

I hate to say this, because it is only the start of November, but he probably needs to pick up at least four points from this game and Saints' trip to play QPR next week if he is going to keep his job.

 

If he cannot get the results against these two teams then, if you are the Southampton chairman or chief executive, you are thinking it is time for a change.

 

Looking on the bright side for Adkins, if they decide to let him go, he will get his next managers' job in no time.

 

Adkins has done a fantastic job and if he was at a lot of other clubs he would not be under any pressure - compare his situation with Brian McDermott at Reading for example. The board are more likely to help McDermott in the January transfer window than do anything else.

 

I cannot see that happening at Southampton and, because of the make-up of the boardroom at St Mary's, I think Adkins is under massive pressure now.

 

For now, Adkins just has to keep battling on but his big problem during games is that his side cannot buy themselves any time to try to win them.

 

For all their attacking talent, across the middle and at the back they are still a Championship team.

 

If we do with Saints what I do above with Reading then, yes, some teams would take people like Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Gaston Ramirez and Jay Rodriguez. From their defence? Nobody.

 

Usually, teams who come up make themselves very difficult to beat but struggle to score goals. Finding the net is not Saints' problem but they are so poor and so porous at the back.

 

Adkins will not change his approach, though, and I think they might just edge what could be a very open game.

 

Under Michael Laudrup, Swansea are more of an attacking side than they were under Brendan Rodgers, and they definitely have more of a cutting edge.

 

The Swans scored 44 goals in 38 league games last season, and they have scored 15 in their first 10 matches of this campaign.

 

Under Rodgers, although they played very, very good passing football, they did not score a lot of goals.

 

Laudrup has improved that, although they might lose more games this season. I still think that, if they get into a relegation scrap, they have enough goals in that team to get out of trouble.

Prediction: 2-1

[Turkish]

He hates us. Im going to complain about this to the BbC the *****r

[jam]

Adkins has done a fantastic job and if he was at a lot of other clubs he would not be under any pressure - compare his situation with Brian McDermott at Reading for example. The board are more likely to help McDermott in the January transfer window than do anything else.

 

I cannot see that happening at Southampton and, because of the make-up of the boardroom at St Mary's, I think Adkins is under massive pressure now.

 

This - for me - sums up why the way the media and the rest of the football world view NC, the board and the club in general is actually rather important.

[Turkish]

This - for me - sums up why the way the media and the rest of the football world view NC, the board and the club in general is actually rather important.

 

No No No!! We don't care what he says. He knows nothing and he hates us. Ignore him!!

[Dig Dig]

No No No!! We don't care what he says. He knows nothing and he hates us. Ignore him!!

 

To be fair, I saw plenty of interviews where McDermott was being asked about his position as much as Adkins has.

[Doctoroncall]

He hates us. Im going to complain about this to the BbC the *****r

 

Thats why he has us four places above what we are ;-)

[The Cat]

That would do nicely.

 

I hate to say this, because it is only the start of November, but he probably needs to pick up at least four points from this game

[Hamilton Saint]

That would do nicely.

 

Yeah, I read that on the first run through, but he actually wrote "he probably needs to pick up at least four points from this game and Saints' trip to play QPR next week". Both games.

[SNSUN]

"From their defence? Nobody." I'm pretty sure people would be after Clyne if he became available. And what of all those suitors for Shaw?

 

FWIW a win is within our grasp tomorrow, but I still think it'll be a draw, and poor old Nige may have one game to save his job.

[melmacian_saint]

Lawro speaks from a textbook perspective about any club outside the top 4.

 

If we had the best defensive record in the league, yet lost 0-1 in the game he had a look at, he would say our defense needed more signings, not giving a **** about how we played in the majority of games.

 

Living from the income his historical expert position provides. Nothing else.

[LostBoys]

No one cares what that t**t says but I wish he would not tip us to win - but them Ramirez would never sign for us. Did Mr L not apply to be manager under Lowe at some stage?