Furthermore, Sun Jihai- leaking the team news is poor form. If it's for a bit of recognition then congratulations, you seem to have got it. But we're all blades fans on this forum, we pay a lot of money following the club and when you do what you do it's potentially detrimental to our chances of winning a game. As a paying customer I don't appreciate that. However, given your track record, I have no reason to doubt what you say this time on Adkins.
On the matter of Adkins to go "by mutual consent" - for once I don't think there'll be any "twisting of the truth" in that statement. I suspect he realises we're worse than he ever imagined, has requested more money than the board are happy to dish out and has expressed his disdain.
Equally the board have probably reviewed his performance, explained he is largely to blame for the reluctance to inject significant finances (he hasn't inspired much confidence) and an honest discussion has ensued. The outcome of neither party being satisfied with one another... leave by mutual consent.
Nigel Adkins hasn't done anything this season for me to be significantly bothered about his departure. I haven't enjoyed his interviews, his nature, his tactics, his signings, his style of football or his results. It does concern me that someone with his track record in this division can't progress us, but I must say, he never for one second has felt like a proper Sheffield United manager to me. We're historically (in my opinion) a bit of a gritty club. Our fan base is made up, predominantly, of working class Yorkshiremen who seem to like straight talking, honest managers who also have "a bit of fight in them" (it's also how most fans like their players too). Nigel Clough was very Sheffield United in this sense, it was just a shame his football was so negative in that second season.
I no longer see any point in guessing what the answer is to our current woes. We've got it so badly wrong so many times now that it's obvious that the problem lies with the board. While ever that board is in place I think we'll wallow.