Adkins Interview

[SwissBlade]

I'm happy he's criticising the performance and players for once. This is the first interview where he's actually seemed genuine without the usual spin throughout. Much better interview.

He probably should have done interviews like that more often this season. He has protected the players far too often and have they rewarded him in return? have they fuck.

Last season the manager would've been slated for this.

I agree, he has to be honest with the media. Its ok to protect players, but as you say, he has to do this occasionally.

Perhaps Adkins now realises that his job is at stake and despite what they do in training, certain players or a particular player isn't doing it in the game.

So can we assume he'll drop one player from the squad next game...

There has been a bit of a change in the last few weeks and he's developing a harder exterior. Not Sure what Sun Tsu would make of his new approach, but perhaps the players will react...

 

[alcoblade]

It's been said already, but I'll say it again, what fucking plan Adkins?

You changed the fucking formation constantly throughout the game, you switched players positions constantly, no wonder they are struggling to stick to it since you change the fucking plan every few minutes.

He tried playing the same way for quite some time - it was the same result. Then people criticise that you are doing the same thing that is failing.

There is no way to keep losing matches where people say that you are doing the right things.

The common theme, for me, is a bunch of vastly overpaid mid range third division players. Until we cull them, this will continue.

Unfortunately, I think we'll be rotating another manager and starting all over again, before this penny drops in the places that matter.

UTB

 

[Kev Gee]

He now realises his neck is on the line.

Hard to see how he will make it to the end of the season if things continue.

Regarding u21s. If he puts them all in and we get thrashed? Also during a 'supposed' play off push?

 

[Cutbush City Limits]

Genuine question, what exactly has Adkins done whist at our club that makes people think he is the man to get us out of this God awful pub league?

 

[Sprite]

Honestly I think even Warnock would have transfer listed most of this squad apart from maybe Billy.

You must have been watching a different Billy

 

[SwissBlade]

Genuine question, what exactly has Adkins done whist at our club that makes people think he is the man to get us out of this God awful pub league?

I would say nothing consistently

Tactically - Sometimes it works, but he clearly tries to use one formation to beat many teams, when it fails, he tries another, which works until we lose. What he needs is to set up to beat the opposition in front of him
Fitness - This was an area he highlighted when he arrived, i am to be convinced that he's got us fitter.
Recruitment - Sharp has scored goals, Edgar has been decent. That's it really. I'd even argue that Sharp was not the right striker for what we wanted although he has proved successful, its at the expense of not having a proper target man.
Team Spirit - He talks it up, but they don't look a group of players that are 'together'

4/10 for this season

 

[Woodwardfan]

Honestly I think even Warnock would have transfer listed most of this squad apart from maybe Billy.

Warnock got rid of Sharp.

 

[Woodwardfan]

I reckon the player who didn't play to plan was Done but if so why wasn't he subbed?

Maybe it was the abject Coutts.

Missing Baxter!!

Missing Doyle more!!

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

You have to feel sorry for him if players are out there to do a job and, whether they like it or not, are not doing that job which then affects the shape of the team and everything you've been working on. It's clear he's big on consistency in team selection, just look at Burton, but for various reasons he can't get any and is now just desperately trying to find a winning formula just for the short term.

I think it's also clear that some players are going through the motions, whether they know they won't feature next season or not, this is where the ego thing comes in, they should be busting a gut to either show they have a future here or to try and get a move somewhere else.

You can hear from the interview that he struggled to keep it in last night, as others have said, I think he realises now that he may not make the summer if this lot keep under-performing and he can't get some wins on the board. I'm still leaning towards it being the players fault more than his lack of motivation / ability but it's going to be a long couple of months and another potentially embarrassing day on Saturday

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Not my opinions but Adkins mate. I didn't go tonight so can't say

Ah sorry!

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Spin it all you want Nigel, change formations etc etc, you will never get this set of "footballers" to ever turn it round. We now have to try and limp home for the rest of the term and hope that he can change things round for next season. I would have a look at your coaches as well Nigel, in the close season. What to they do during training, mime the instructions ?

 

[Treeton Blade]

What f'kin plan?

Got a sneaky look at the `tactics board` before the game

 

[Mancblade1889]

Baptiste looked assured?

The guy who kept kicking the ball straight up in the air?

Reminded me of bombscare.

He looked shit to me. He will fit in well

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

View attachment 16306

Got a sneaky look at the `tactics board` before the game

Just playing Devil's advocate but Nigel C used to get accused of not having a Plan B.Last night seems to be stretching the point somewhat given the seemingly bizarre positions and changes but wouldn't we rather we have a manager who was capable of changing things if they weren't working ?

 

[Treeton Blade]

Just playing Devil's advocate but Nigel C used to get accused of not having a Plan B.Last night seems to be stretching the point somewhat given the seemingly bizarre positions and changes but wouldn't we rather we have a manager who was capable of changing things if they weren't working ?

I agree, but it appeared last night that the players didn`t know their roles when Adkins switched things.

Adams, and Coutts were taking instuctions from the bench, and a piece of paper was passed to McEveley.
To switch 3 times, and still end up lumping it is poor, we looked as disjointed as its possible to be last night.

It looked like the formations hadn`t been worked on against a team who have played together for 2 seasons, and know their roles inside out.

Adkins says, football is a simple game.
Keep it simple then.

 

[alcoblade]

Genuine question, what exactly has Adkins done whist at our club that makes people think he is the man to get us out of this God awful pub league?

Do you judge a man over one recent unsuccessful season, or a longer term successful career?

For me, who believes he was handed a bloated, expensive and shit squad, I'd go with the latter. I wholly blame Clough for this, though I don't respect the job Adkins has done to mitigate the mess.

Clough's supporters (those who think he was onto something) tend to go for the former, on the whole.

UTB

 

[alcoblade]

Adkins says, football is a simple game.
Keep it simple then.

There's no doubt it's simple. If your players are shit, you simply lose a lot.

UTB

 

[ShorehamRevolution]

Can we get a sense of perspective please

 

[Deleted member 875]

Unpopular opinion time.

Adkins inherited an expensively assembled, well paid menagerie of journeymen that had been left for him by Nigel Clough, and his hands were tied by most of them being tied down to needlessly long contracts, and as a parting gift he was left with Connor Sammon for a season with an expensive Connor Sammon sized hole in the transfer budget.

It was a massive ask for him to turn it round with that particular squad of players and I think he was on a hiding to nothing right from the start.

 

[Iceybabey]

Unpopular opinion time.

Adkins inherited an expensively assembled, well paid menagerie of journeymen that had been left for him by Nigel Clough, and his hands were tied by most of them being tied down to needlessly long contracts, and as a parting gift he was left with Connor Sammon for a season with an expensive Connor Sammon sized hole in the transfer budget.

It was a massive ask for him to turn it round with that particular squad of players and I think he was on a hiding to nothing right from the start.

Signing Woolford and Hammond showed he also could not be trusted to bring in the the right players.

 

[Eddiecolquhounsleg]

Signing Woolford and Hammond showed he also could not be trusted to bring in the the right players.

Well, apart from Billy that is.

 

[Torrix1889]

Signing Woolford and Hammond showed he also could not be trusted to bring in the the right players.

Yeah, and that sack o shite Billy Sharp...

 

[Iceybabey]

Yeah, and that sack o shite Billy Sharp...

Let's be realistic, Billy Sharp is still Billy Sharp and is a proven goal scorer who any league one team would still snap your hand off for.

But Woolford, Hammond and McKev as captain? Say no more.

 

[diode_blade]

Think you might bery busy Satdi Roy whatever happens, so best Quill, Ink bottle and blotting paper at the ready....if the view from aint done by 7.15pm on satdi, forum will just implode.......little tip keep off the sauce......h'mm hang a mo...sod it just get sloshed and let the forum wait..esp if it turns out good, in that case a 24hr reprieve backstop will come into effect.

 

[BladeInIreland]

I find it mad how football fans (not just ours) seem to think a manager or player is outright terrible just by how they do for them. There’s a lot of luck involved in being a success at a club.
Oxford fans didn’t rate Wilder, possibly our best manager ever.
I remember lots of people wanting woolford and not many predicting Hammond would be as bad a signing as he was.

 

[s4-blade]

Mark Duffy gets a passing mention in the interview, quite ironic

 

[true99blade]

I'd sooner blame the chairmen for sacking Clough when it wasn't really 100% warranted than blaming Clough himself. Made a mess of the squad but I had trust that he'd sort it out, albeit slowly.

Adkins on the other hand was completely out of his depth at United and should've never taken the job if the task was too much to handle. Billy aside, his signings set the club back even further. Even so, we had players like Coutts, Freeman, Sharp, Basham who got us out of that league yet getting the best out of them was his weakest attribute. The way he set up Hull the other day has made me think more of him however.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

But Billy was the only player he paid a fee for. He tried to sign burn and Marriott who would have been good acwuisacquis in league 1. His terrible signings were freebies and loans. With a bit of backing and not being hampered by 50,000 contracted players signed up by FLN, he would have surely done much better. His record elsewhere suggests as much.

 

[Tezza1889]

Adkins, To think I wanted to give him another season, because he was a decent bloke, in hindsight I’m so glad the lap of dis-honour tipped him out of the boat.

The Hammond deal was pathetic, a clueless billy big timer going through the motions because he knew he had a deal all sewn up for next season, “unseen” dean will go down in history here as a useless parasite, the current team will be remembered as heroes.. we’ve come a long way.

 

[bladesadviser]

I don't think I have had my hopes dashed so much in 90 minutes of football than Adkin's first game in charge at Gillingham. Sun was shining, new manager with a good track record in League 1, Billy back, great away following, so much confidence right up to the moment they took to the field and got hammered by a very average Gillingham side