Back to back promotions and just two defeats in twelve Premier League games. Yet Southampton have taken the extraordinary decision to sack Nigel Adkins and just as bizarrely appoint the unproven Mauricio Pochettino.
Chairman Nicola Corteze said that Southampton needed to change manager in order to achieve their long-term ambitions. I wonder if he realises that staying in the Premier League would be a good place to start. All the indications were that Southampton could achieve that. After some difficult early season fixtures their form has been pretty good and stand at 15th in the Premier League table. Just two days ago they had battled back from two goals down to secure a fantastic draw away at Chelsea. But for some unfathomable reason Adkins has lost his job, in a move which will surely jeopardise their Premier League status.
This is just the latest move by club owners which seems to fly in the face of all reason and logic. Last year we saw Wolves sack Mick McCarthy after a sticky patch. They dropped like a stone. We have seen countless managers unfairly treated by Roman Abramovich at Chelsea and now it seems like Southampton are the new club with officials lacking any brains at all.
Perhaps Nigel Adkins is not fashionable enough for Nicola Corteze. Maybe he has appointed Pochettino because he wears nice Gucci jackets or maybe he will look better in club posters. Certainly for football reasons there can be no reasonable explanation. Pochettino managed Espanyol from 2009-2012 but was sacked in November with them adrift at the bottom of the table. Impressive CV.
Adkins has guided Southampton back to the Premier League from League 1 in just two years. That was surely ahead of schedule. The majority of clubs in League 1 would have built his a statue by now if he achieved that. Instead he is packing his bags. Where is the respect? Where is the gratitude? We all like to imagine owning a football club. We all dream up our line ups and our choice of manager. Sadly most sensibly, football-loving individuals never get the opportunity to do it for real. Just as sadly is the fact that so many clueless idiots, the likes of Corteze do get the chance.
St.Mary’s will be an interesting place on Monday night. The fans respected Adkins at were delighted with the job he has done. Nobody will be surprised to see a backlash against the clubs chairman and new manager. Over recent weeks Stamford Bridge has turned into a toxic atmosphere as fans turn on unwanted manager Rafa Benitez and the same may occur at Southampton. If that happens then they will be favourites for the drop. And nobody will be sorry for Mr.Corteze if that happens.
