St Bangkok runs the rule over the magical powers of Saints boss Nigel Adkins in the latest of his missives from Thailand on the fortunes of Southampton Football Club
This last gritty win and some of the single match winning performances by some of our players has left me wondering how it is that some players can languish in the lower leagues for so long, whilst in fact harbouring some real premier league class talents.
I have concluded through the use of logic that this must be because they have not met and played for Nigel Adkins. Arrogance? Deluded? Getting ahead of myself? I think not ladles and jelly-spoons for in fact Sir Rickie Lambert was himself up to around 3 years ago pretty much thought of as basically the best lower league striker. Indeed furthermore we were also told by many not least those chirpy soccer ball experts from the east M27 that this overweight lower league journeyman would get found at in the NPC and never make the grade. Ah OK then.
But seriously, how is it that this guy was left to languish I the lower two leagues for so long? How was it he was never found and nurtured to a higher level before? How was it that so many, if not all others felt that he had found his level and that was why he was still there when we signed him as he moved towards his late 20’s. Now some 3 years later after being brought in by Pards (credit to him for that) he has been built up, trained, nurtured and improved into a truly first class Championship striker who, most pundits now believe will do for us what Grant Holt has done for Norwich both in this league and onwards in the Premier League.
Now think about that for one minute. Aged 26 – 27 he was thought of as a very good League One striker and that was about it. Now 3 years on, he is magically a Premier League Striker who some fancy to get 10-15 goals next season (assuming we do indeed get promotion). Sorry, I am 43 years old and have seen enough to know that magic does not exist, so I can indeed only conclude that this is all down to Mr. Nigel Adkins and some ability he has within man management, football management, coaching and so on.
If this man can turn Rickie Lambert into a Premier League Striker, then consider this, what would he do with someone like Theo Walcott, or indeed another promising and average Premier League player. The mind boggles, but certainly it perhaps explains why he was hired by Mr. Cortese. Clearly this man has something about him in this game and is set to go to the stars if he wishes. Another case in point would be Kelvin Davis, match winner at Leeds Saturday and on numerous occasions this season we have seen much better all-round competent GK shows from the veteran.
What a shame that like Rickie and Kelvin are coming towards the twilight years of their careers. If they were both just a few years younger they would have some seriously good PL years to look
forward to. I am not suggesting they are ready for the retirement heap just yet, but I think you know what I mean. Jos Hooiveld would be another example, although in his case perhaps too early to say for certain. Let us not forget Lee Barnard also as on his arrival many said he was beneath our level, but he struck up a superb partnership with Lambert last season and weighed in with some vital goals and performances.
All in all, I think there are enough examples to suggest that under Nigel Adkins we have a very bright future to look forward to. If Cortese keeps backing him and providing him with those promising and average players (at PL Level next season hopefully), then I am confident they will turn in to someone and something that perhaps they never would have been had they not met Nigel Adkins.