to sack NA or not

[PeteBlade]

No one is belittling his achievements but I'm happy to accept Southampton's judgement that they'd seen enough to realise it was time to move him on. He struggled at Reading and has continued showing all the hallmarks of a manager who doesn't have the answers. Time for him to go.

In your opinion. In mine, many others, and hopefully the boards, it's time to back him and give a manager a bit longer than 9 months to make an impact.

 

[blade too long]

He had an absolutely fantastic record at Southampton, .

As did Bryan Robson at Middlesborough , wonder what happened to him

but west brom fans warned us about Robson

but to be fair so did Readings fans about Adkins

 

[chipsncake]

In your opinion. In mine, many others, and hopefully the boards, it's time to back him and give a manager a bit longer than 9 months to make an impact.

Yep, it's all about opinions. But just for the record tell me what he's done whilst at our club to convince you he's worth more time.

 

[blade too long]

Yep, it's all about opinions. But just for the record tell me what he's done whilst at our club to convince you he's worth more time.

I asked that a week ago , still waiting

 

[PeteBlade]

As did Bryan Robson at Middlesborough , wonder what happened to him

but west brom fans warned us about Robson

but to be fair so did Readings fans about Adkins

Did he achieve back to back promotions at Middlesborough?

Anyway, until you learn to stop making things up, I'm not going to engage you.

 

[PeteBlade]

I asked that a week ago , still waiting

You have multiple answers from multiple people in response to the shit you make up.

 

[finlaytheblade]

and if he is your welcome to watch his turgid brand of shite football and listen to his dull bullshit press conferences while we slowly descend to the 4th division but I wont be renewing if hes still here

Just what have you got against Adkins I would like to share it cus if it is so big I would like to share it and maybe I would agree with you.ime baffled why you and a few others ( Barney) are so sure we have got the wrong man.Having spent so long in the wilderness another damp squib is the last thing we want. Ime listening! Give me good reason and I and many others would get behind your call to sack him. as I said another failure is the last thing we want. All I and many others want is to get out of this division so come out with it share it with us and you will get backing. I support all our managers but if they get it wrong like you I want him out.Unlike you I will support the club whatever cus I know in the end we will get it right,be it Adkins or someone else.

 

[PeteBlade]

Yep, it's all about opinions. But just for the record tell me what he's done whilst at our club to convince you he's worth more time.

I think I've highlighted my opinion on this multiple times on this site so won't bore everyone again with long detail, however...

My opinion isn't particularly that Adkins has done great here this season, he clearly hasn't.

It's more that I think he's been hugely hampered from behind the scenes, so much so that I think it would have been very difficult for anyone to have been successful this season.

He's been stuck with the largely poor squad of Clough's, he's had to ship a load of nobheads out on loan, had his best player sold with the promise of replacement that never materialised and then promised reinforcements in January and not given the opportunity to bring anyone in. And all the time we've had a largely incompetent board banging on about how we should be getting promotion.

So for me, it's not that I'm passionately defending Adkins, or even that I'm trying to pretend he's been fantastic since coming here, it's more that I don't think we've been allowed to see what he *could* achieve here because of forces out of his control and that at some point we need to stop this short sighted attitude of hampering our managers and then lumping all the blame on them and sacking them.

 

[Harry's Game]

I think I've highlighted my opinion on this multiple times on this site so won't bore everyone again with long detail, however...

My opinion isn't particularly that Adkins has done great here this season, he clearly hasn't.

It's more that I think he's been hugely hampered from behind the scenes, so much so that I think it would have been very difficult for anyone to have been successful this season.

He's been stuck with the largely poor squad of Clough's, he's had to ship a load of nobheads out on loan, had his best player sold with the promise of replacement that never materialised and then promised reinforcements in January and not given the opportunity to bring anyone in. And all the time we've had a largely incompetent board banging on about how we should be getting promotion.

So for me, it's not that I'm passionately defending Adkins, or even that I'm trying to pretend he's been fantastic since coming here, it's more that I don't think we've been allowed to see what he *could* achieve here because of forces out of his control and that at some point we need to stop this short sighted attitude of hampering our managers and then lumping all the blame on them and sacking them.

If we do stick with ( and I think we should ) we have to a avoid the attitude of "stick with him but if we aren't top two by November or Xmas or some other random date then get rid". It's something I am hearing a lot... We have to get into our heads that, unless there is a reversal of policy in the board room and serious funds are made available, no manager is going to get us competing for top two next season or probably even the one after that.

The club is in such a mess playing wise and at board level it's going to be a long slow slog from here. That's why I would stick with Adkins but it's got to be the real long term two maybe three seasons to build a side capable of competing to win promotion.

It's a disgrace we are in such a position.. But we are and we have to deal with it.

 

[Hodgyman]

I must confess that I was all in favour of Adkins appointment but I admit that I got that wrong. I will not be going back to BDTBL for the foreseeable future, even though I have a season ticket. It is too depressing and frustrating for me & my grandson.

Good luck

 

[super_pig]

I understand that it's tough to remain enthusiastic, but things will surely get better. Just remember the geese.

If, for example, one goose is flying low, has an injured wing or something, all the rest of the geese will slow down to the injured goose's level and 'carry" the injured goose. For injured geese, read Collins, Baxter, Coutts etc.

Eventually the injured goose will drop out the sky. If you like, you can see Baxter and Collins as injured geese who have already gone splat. After that the flock will pick up the pace again. Until another goose gets injured.

the thing is that we only have one decent goose out of a whole flock. it would have been two but the other one seems to have got an injury

 

[sothall blade]

I must confess that I was all in favour of Adkins appointment but I admit that I got that wrong. I will not be going back to BDTBL for the foreseeable future, even though I have a season ticket. It is too depressing and frustrating for me & my grandson.

Good luck

I am of the same thoughts HM, my thoughts are though if the club sack NA, the next manager whoever he maybe will still be stuck with the same set of spineless twats that clough signed, and no matter what the owners say (because i dont believe a word KM says anymore) they are not backing the manager, the only thing he is getting is all the flack

 

[Woodwardfan]

If we do stick with ( and I think we should ) we have to a avoid the attitude of "stick with him but if we aren't top two by November or Xmas or some other random date then get rid". It's something I am hearing a lot... We have to get into our heads that, unless there is a reversal of policy in the board room and serious funds are made available, no manager is going to get us competing for top two next season or probably even the one after that.

The club is in such a mess playing wise and at board level it's going to be a long slow slog from here. That's why I would stick with Adkins but it's got to be the real long term two maybe three seasons to build a side capable of competing to win promotion.

It's a disgrace we are in such a position.. But we are and we have to deal with it.

I'd love to agree but come November after the expense of a squad rebuild over the summer and we are still showing no particular formation or method of playing and changing 3/4 players every game, languishing mid-table.... what then, cause that's how we are now. Surely we have to show some material improvement if Adkins is to be kept on for a third year....not just 'for the sake of continuity'?!

 

[Fiery Blade]

Unfortunately, Mr Adkins is being given leeway because:

• We have sacked so many managers in the past few years 'he should be given time to sort it out'
• He has a proven track record at this level

My counter argument is:

• His performance this season as regards signings, tactics, motivation and PR has been woeful to say the least !
• His Southampton and Scunthorpe days are well past him and he has not given any indication that he can re-create his success here - his last job at reading ended in the sack

Given the above why would we want to waste another season in this god awful division by waiting until next Christmas to dispense with his services !

Last season we missed out on promotion by losing in the play offs - this year there is no chance of making the play offs despite adding Billy Sharp to our ranks !

 

[PeteBlade]

Unfortunately, Mr Adkins is being given leeway because:

• We have sacked so many managers in the past few years 'he should be given time to sort it out'
• He has a proven track record at this level

My counter argument is:

• His performance this season as regards signings, tactics, motivation and PR has been woeful to say the least !
• His Southampton and Scunthorpe days are well past him and he has not given any indication that he can re-create his success here - his last job at reading ended in the sack

Given the above why would we want to waste another season in this god awful division by waiting until next Christmas to dispense with his services !

Last season we missed out on promotion by losing in the play offs - this year there is no chance of making the play offs despite adding Billy Sharp to our ranks !

Is there any reason why you've ignored the *actual* main reason(s) me and quite a few others have given for allowing him "leeway"?

 

[longinthe toothblade]

The board are split according to MS on Twitter as to sack him or not.
Think we have to give him time. Can't just keep sacking managers

...and we can't keep hold of one, just because we've been rash in sacking those before.

If the evidence supports the facts that he's good enough, then keep him. If it doesn't, if he's has raised too many doubts and uncertainties then give him his P45 (and about £1m in terms of his settlement)

 

[Harry's Game]

I'd love to agree but come November after the expense of a squad rebuild over the summer and we are still showing no particular formation or method of playing and changing 3/4 players every game, languishing mid-table.... what then, cause that's how we are now. Surely we have to show some material improvement if Adkins is to be kept on for a third year....not just 'for the sake of continuity'?!

Spot the odd word out in that post, by that I mean the one won't happen... I'll give you a clue it starts with E ends in E and and has the letters XPENS in between.

We won't be spending the thin end of chuff all in the summer. If you are going to say you want things turning around by Novemebr you may as well get rid now because that won't be happening who ever is in charge.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Spot the odd word out in that post, by that I mean the one won't happen... I'll give you a clue it starts with E ends in E and and has the letters XPENS in between.

We won't be spending the thin end of chuff all in the summer. If you are going to say you want things turning around by Novemebr you may as well get rid now because that won't be happening who ever is in charge.

Believe me we will be spending money next summer, plenty of it. It might be mainly the proceeds of player sales or the spending of wages saved as a result of player departures but there will be turnover because it is essential. I deduce you are saying 'back Adkins and give him a load of cash to spend' but the Board are between a rock and a hard place because I would guess they have enough doubts about him by now not to trust him with a big extra budget.

That's the big dilemma occupying every fan's mind now -should we stick or twist. I agree 'stick' but by Xmas, frankly, if he is not showing a lot better than he is at present, cut our losses and start again. By Xmas 2018 we might not have a football club left.

I would not like to be the one who entrusts the whole future of SUFC to Adkins by backing him regardless of progress made by the time he has been with us 18 months. By then something has to be showing some green shoots, surely.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

At some point we have to trust someone to get it right I agree with Balham to change now is just continuing the same policy of change
for changers sake..
I watched a video of Adkins time at Southampton ,it's on there u tube..excited me watching it all unfold and Adkins showed the passion
we crave ,Reminded me very much of the Bassett time here.If you remember Bassett took us down before building a team full of the ingredients we are looking for.We accept Adkins inherited a squad not good enough to get us up and signings have not bridged the gap. Surely his previouse record affords him a bit of time to build his own team and if we don't do it this season (play offs ) have a real crack next season.. Can't say it will happen but Adkins like Bassett deserves the opportunity.Could be exciting times if soton are any thing to go by.Come on blades show a bit of bottle I do think Adkins will build a team to rival that Bassett one. That would be really exciting would it not fellow blades.

Good point . Remember the words of Harry Bassett when we got relegated . His statement to the chairman was . Your remit / instruction was for me to get you out of this division , and I have done . Rest is history so they say.

Adkins can be the main man . We just have to bite the bullet until next season .

UTB

 

[Harry's Game]

Believe me we will be spending money next summer, plenty of it. .

There's been no evidence for that statement at all, in fact quite the contrary has been coming out of the club, statements indicating they want 50% of the first team to come from the academy, three transfer windows to sort the playing side out, funds available IF we get to championship tells anyone except the blind optimist which direction it's going on the spending front.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Maybe our new manager should be a goose.

Maybe it's us who have been goosed.

UTB

 

[chipsncake]

I think I've highlighted my opinion on this multiple times on this site so won't bore everyone again with long detail, however...

My opinion isn't particularly that Adkins has done great here this season, he clearly hasn't.

It's more that I think he's been hugely hampered from behind the scenes, so much so that I think it would have been very difficult for anyone to have been successful this season.

He's been stuck with the largely poor squad of Clough's, he's had to ship a load of nobheads out on loan, had his best player sold with the promise of replacement that never materialised and then promised reinforcements in January and not given the opportunity to bring anyone in. And all the time we've had a largely incompetent board banging on about how we should be getting promotion.

So for me, it's not that I'm passionately defending Adkins, or even that I'm trying to pretend he's been fantastic since coming here, it's more that I don't think we've been allowed to see what he *could* achieve here because of forces out of his control and that at some point we need to stop this short sighted attitude of hampering our managers and then lumping all the blame on them and sacking them.

So in other words Pete, the answer to my question is nothing, absolutely nothing.

 

[Woodwardfan]

There's been no evidence for that statement at all, in fact quite the contrary has been coming out of the club, statements indicating they want 50% of the first team to come from the academy, three transfer windows to sort the playing side out, funds available IF we get to championship tells anyone except the blind optimist which direction it's going on the spending front.

Why only quote half the sentence?

Quote the other half then we can discuss sensibly.

 

[PeteBlade]

So in other words Pete, the answer to my question is nothing, absolutely nothing.

If you read the lengthy and honest response I've given to your direct question that spans several paragraphs and that's the only and best response you can muster, let's not bother debating with each other in future.

 

[ScoobBlade]

Sometimes I can't help but laugh at how fickle our fans ( everyone else's too ) are, is blades fans have had to put up with a lot of crap over the years but are we that stupid that we can't see that sacking manager after manager is getting us nowhere. I for one was disappointed when clough went but when I voiced this opinion I was shouted down by all those that declared him negative nige and we're pleased he had gone. 12 months on and many of those voices are saying sack Adkins, "just look at Nigel clough at burton, he's amazing". I think that long term Adkins will get it right and he needs this summer to clear the decks, after all if we sack him now I'll be writing the same post in 12 months time just replacing Adkins with the latest victims name. We need desperately to give him time, i genuinely believe this will get us out of this division sooner than sacking him.

Tin hat on !

 

[Harry's Game]

Why only quote half the sentence?

Quote the other half then we can discuss sensibly.

Well the next part of your paragraph went on to say..

"I deduce you are saying 'back Adkins and give him a load of cash to spend"

If you deduced that from the point I actually was making was we need to back Adkins because we won't have cash to splash and it's going to take lots of time you managed to deduce the polar opposite of the point I was making.

 

[chipsncake]

If you read the lengthy and honest response I've given to your direct question that spans several paragraphs and that's the only and best response you can muster, let's not bother debating with each other in future.

No, I' m stating a fact. You've Fannied around trying to justify your obsession with our keeping a manager who is quite clearly not up to the job in hand when all the signs are he hasn't a clue. In reality he may well take us to depths we haven,t sunk to since the 4th division days and you are unable to understand the concerns of those who see this as a distinct possibility. As you say let's not bother debating again, suits me fine.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Well the next part of your paragraph went on to say..

"I deduce you are saying 'back Adkins and give him a load of cash to spend"

If you deduced that from the point I actually was making was we need to back Adkins because we won't have cash to splash and it's going to take lots of time you managed to deduce the polar opposite of the point I was making.

Apologies Harry, I had misunderstood your previous post about " serious money to spend" . I now think you are saying that any manager would be unable to turn us around in a reasonable period on current budgets and that we have to accept this and just give the incumbent manager the benefit of time and patience.

I respect that view but what I am saying above is that the club has to be heading in the right direction with enough signs of progress come November this year. On reflection that is a bit too early considering how many changes have to be made to the squad this summer. The sheer number of new players to settle in and gel with each other is frightening. There is a certain amount of money to 'churn' from player sales and transfers away but we need so much new blood.

This is the value of debate. I now adjust my own timescale and will not judge Adkins before the end of the 2017 JTW. If the club is still struggling at that stage the Board will have to make plans for a further change at the end of the season or maybe late March/ April to give the new man time to settle in to the job. If Adkins had not been so erratic in his management I would be all for giving him longer to prove himself but it's all been a bit of a shambles this season.

There's a good thread on here about the club managing expectations. Perhaps the club should announce that next season is 'transitional' and take the pressure off the manager. I'm not volunteering to write the script or to field the reactions!

 

[PeteBlade]

No, I' m stating a fact. You've Fannied around trying to justify your obsession with our keeping a manager who is quite clearly not up to the job in hand when all the signs are he hasn't a clue. In reality he may well take us to depths we haven,t sunk to since the 4th division days and you are unable to understand the concerns of those who see this as a distinct possibility. As you say let's not bother debating again, suits me fine.

"Obsession with keeping a manager" is just pathetic and juvenile.

Unable to understand concerns? You clearly eithe have trouble reading or can't follow a simple post.

We're both in agreement, there's little point in us conversing again.

 

[chipsncake]

"Obsession with keeping a manager" is just pathetic and juvenile.

Unable to understand concerns? You clearly eithe have trouble reading or can't follow a simple post.

We're both in agreement, there's little point in us conversing again.

Pathetic and juvenile, oh the irony of someone using those words. Night night.