Nigel Adkins - Future England Manager?

That's the question I have kept on asking myself over the last few years, and I've always come to the conclusion of why not? For those who don't know Nigel Adkins he is currently manager of newly promoted Premier League club Southampton. I suspect come the end of this forthcoming season you'll all be made aware of the man's managerial abilities. But I do firmly believe this man could manage England within 5 years, not that I think Hodgson is bad, its that Adkins is that good. He is always full of confidence and is a tactical mastermind I'm surprised it took him so long to get picked up by another club from Scunthorpe.

Adkins got his first taste of football management in the Welsh top flight with Bangor City, steering them to 2 league titles in 3 years. So some of his managerial credentials were already being shown.But before he knew it he was in a physiotherapist position at Scunthorpe United. Scunthorpe have never been the biggest of clubs, one of those teams that get halted by financial standing of the club. So when Adkins got handed the temporary job of Scunthorpe after a Brian Laws sacking some were thinking he was well out of his depth, especially coming from a physio position. However a month later he was putting pen to paper on a permanent deal after a series of good results. These good results led to greater things and by the end of the season Scunthorpe United were celebrating promotion to the Championship where he was to face his hardest challenge.

When in the Championship, Scunthorpe were one of the smallest clubs in the league and were expected to go down every season they were in there. However, year by year this physio was managing to keep them up on literally pennies and it was going seemingly unnoticed by other clubs in the footballing World.

On the other side of the fence, Southampton were a struggling side in League 1 after spending £3million in one season and still failing to get promoted. But Alan Pardew (current manager at the time) was being given the time due to the known capabilities of the man. But after a WIN, yes win, over Bristol Rovers Alan Pardew was sacked and lots of people were questioning the sacking. There were even some rumors flying around that he slept with Jose Fonté's wife, to this day I'm not sure of the actual reason behind the sacking, maybe a Southampton fan could enlighten me. But this proved to be one of, if not the best decisions Southampton made in a long, long time.

After an extensive search Nigel Adkins was announced manager of Southampton FC. My initial reaction was 'That's them promoted then'. I even said Nigel Adkins would take them to the Premier League as I had so much faith in the mans ability. However the feeling wasn't mutual between the Southampton support, some were sceptical thinking he may not be able to do it with a big club due to his background, whereas others - like me - were highly confident in his abilities. Fortunately for Southampton - and my ego - the latter proved to be the case and Adkins and Southampton got on like a house on fire. Under Adkins Saints broke their own clean sheet record of 19 games, which was standing from when Peter Shilton was at the club. Plus they managed to secure promotion and get a Johnstones Paint Trophy along the way.

That wasn't the only record the Adkins era of Southampton has managed to break, he broke a 12 year winless streak on the opening day of each season and sent them on 7 consecutive league wins for the first time in the clubs history. All of this just off the back of a promotion. It was looking more and more likely that Southampton were heading in one direction, and that direction was up.

Southampton finally got back into the Premier League on the final day of the Championship, winning the league by edging out West Ham after being ahead for the majority of the season. Southampton hadn't left the top two of the league all season, and were dubbed the surprise package of the league. But this wasn't no surprise to me, nor was it to quite a few people. They had a fantastic manager and had some great players in their arsenal which steered them back where they arguably belong.

Since the promotion to the Premier League Adkins has been busy in the transfer market acquiring such players as Jay Rodriguez and Steven Davis to help their Premier League campaign. I've seen and heard people write Southampton off already, and suggest their destiny lies in the Championship again. But for as long as Nigel Adkins is at the helm of that club then I can't see any regression being made at all.

The Rise Of The MLS - And Others!

If you said to me 10 years ago that America would have built themselves an established professional football division with lots of big name players I would of seen it implausible. I believe I'm speaking for many when I say that initial response. However it's starting to look like it's a league that should be taken with the upmost respect. The first bigish name I can think of going over there to start with was Juan Pablo Angel dating back to 2007 and that is 14 years after the original formation of the league. After that lots of players followed suit and now you can see names such as Thiery Henry, Robbie Keane and David Beckham. Granted you do get lesser known/weaker players out there as well, but you still get some very talented players.


The thing is with the MLS is it isn't just a league that has had tons of money pumped into it with little interest from American citizens. Seattle Sounders average over 35,000 every week - better than lots of Premier League teams - and lots of teams are seeing a increase in average attendances year by year. Last year the MLS even passed the NBA on attendances. Some teams have seen 20% or more increase in attendances from the 2011 season.


 One thing that is abnormal about the MLS is they have no relegation/promotion system, this is due to the little amount of professional clubs in America and they want the league to run smoothly so you must have a good financial background, stadium and fan base before being able to be inducted into the MLS. Some may see this as a very silly addition to the league, however I quite like the idea especially while they're trying to get the standard of football in America higher and then move onto a recognised system (Just not Argentina's.)


 The standard of the football is rising significantly out there, one that really should be looked at more. It's no longer weird for teams across Europe to loan in players from the MLS during their off-season as the MLS season isn't parallel with most European leagues. If anybody reading this had watched the MLS they will know the standard of football really isn't bad, I'd like to stick my neck out and say some of the better teams could cope in the Premier League but I do think that's a tad ambitious. However I do feel the bigger teams such as Houston, LA, Seattle etc are way to good for the Championship and it's a league that is only going to improve. 

Lots of teams tend to go on a pre-season tour of America putting themselves up against some of the American sides and being given a stern test. Chelsea and PSG are out there currently and Man Utd visited there the year before as did Newcastle before that. Also as a Promotion game you get a 'MLS All-star' team matched up against one of the big clubs of World football - last year was Man Utd - which provides a great spectacle and great for publicity.

It's only a matter of time before the MLS is seen as one of the better leagues in the World, not quite Premier League standard, don't get me wrong. However I do think it won't be that long before it's knocking on the door of the top five divisions as it's a very attractive prospect playing in America with the money, weather and lifestyle you can get out there.

 The MLS isn't the only league that is on a fast rise, Brazilian football is getting more respectful by the minute and the surprise rise is the Cypriot league, lots of ex-Football League players are moving out there or being linked with moves out there.

Back with a bang

I've decided to revitalize this blog after a dismal show of posts and simply not bothering with it in the past. Why? I don't really know, I need somewhere to air my views about football, what I watch and the beautiful game itself - which really is beautiful. I'm sat here at this moment in time watching football videos on Youtube and having a real nostalgia session. Some of the players I've witnessed in my time of watching football and the matches, Zidane, Bergkamp and Gascoigne to name a few that just dazzle me in their own respectful ways. Not to mention the fantastic matches I've witnessed across the Globe in my living room or out in the wilderness that is a football ground on a matchday. Why describe the ground as a wilderness? Well mainly because it shares so many traits with the wild, both teams are predators for one another and the amount of different characters within one place. All of which is brought together by one thing, football. What this sport does for the World is amazing, I can't give it enough justice with my current vocabulary. Not only does it offer the fantastic chances for people but the rollercoaster of emotions you witness as a devout to the sport. The pain of penalties to a last minute winner, I wouldn't swap it for anything. Even if you support a smaller and less successful team like myself you will still get your share of ecstasy, because when you do win, my God it is oh so sweeter. I'll never forget a night in Southampton when we won 3-2, best day of my life to date and I know that football will bring me more. That's the thing with football, some may dislike the way the modern game is run and how lots of people with loyalty get chucked a side for multi million pound transfers to the anger of many, you still know that you'll get something out of it. Those 90 minutes on a saturday when you can't forget about the stress as to what life is offering at the moment are priceless, from your wife, job, school or just anything. Those 90 minutes give everybody in that ground a sense of freedom to shout, scream, cry and celebrate to their heart's extent. That is why Football is the best thing to ever happen to me and why I make some utterly stupid decisions to get my footbal fix.

If I don't tie this up soon I'll be going all night, so that's all I'm writing. I don't mind if 2, 20 or 222 people read this post because I and every other football supporter knows everything I have listed above is 100% true and I think I'm speaking for everyone here when I say roll on the new season.

Giant Killing? With Budweiser

Well it's that time of the year again, my personal favourite time of the football calendar. The FA cup, the great competition that it is, providing upset after upset and home to some of the best matches known to man. But we were hoping not to be one of them, with the visiting team being Blue Square North side Corby Town. Home town of current Bristol Rovers legend Stuart Campbell.

With Corby rumouring to be bringing a lot this game had all the ingredients for a good cup tie. Buckle needing a win because a raising number of Gasheads calling for his head, there was grave importance on this game.

I for one, was actually quite optimistic, whereas most seemed very pessimistic and was thinking 'typical' rovers would fluff it up. Well, the game started brightly with what seemed to be a team looking to prove the doubters wrong. Zebsroksi was back in the XI for the game, which I wasn't best pleased about, but now he was playing at his level, I guess. Mustapha Carayol started off brightly, and in the 26th minute he was brought down in the box to win a penalty. Which McGleish converted calmly down to the keepers left. The rest of the half was all Rovers, and really should of been two up before the break but Corby were to thank for some great saves from their keeper. But nonethless rovers went into the half time break with a 1-0 lead.

Second half and Rovers came out with the intention to get a cushion. But being the FA cup these things don't happen, if anybody looked like scoring, it was going to be Corby. This proved the case with their first shot on target forcing a great reaction save from Bevan. Only for it to be followed up by a 2 yard tap in. The Corby support were ecstatic, and although I was gutted my team just conceded. Just watching them celebrate how wildly they did just reminded me why I love the FA cup. Soon after the Gas fans were on their teams backs, screaming Buckle out until Mustapha Carayol picked up the ball from our half skipped past one and nailed a 25 yarder into the bottom corner to shut the Rovers fans up. 

After that Rovers dominance showed and players were queuing up, Craig Stanley hitting the post and Zebroksi putting home a Stanley free kick to make the score 3-1 Bristol Rovers.

The game was over, Rovers were handed a away draw to AFC Totton in the second round, but all I have is praise for Corby. Their fans were brilliant, best at the Mem all season. Also defended really well in the first half, great advert for Blue Square North football. Well done Corby, all the best.

Liam Ridgewell

These back to back wins, not so easy to come by as Bristol Rovers are proving. Rovers once again fall short because of a defeat to Accrington Stanley, Buckle must go is that call from a increasing number of Rovers fans. I myself am not a huge Buckle fan, but I'm not calling for his head just yet, we just need a Mark Robins moment, Man Utd fans will know what I mean.

Anyway, Rovers aren't at the forefront of this blog post, Birmingham City are. Yes, you read that right Birmingham City. Why? Well there isn't a huge reason as I have no sort of affiliation with them. The only reason is because I went to the Madejski to watch Reading v Birmingham to tick the ground off the 92 as Rovers won't be going there any time soon.

So we got to the ground around 1:30/2 ish only to notice that the price brackets were really kind, only £12 to watch what I was suspecting to be a decent Championship game? Result. Had something to eat after nearly falling over a mud slide we made it into the ground, just.

I was in the Birmingham end, and to be fair to the Brummies they didn't shut up all game, granted not the loudest bunch, but good nonetheless. Couple were chanting "Judas" when McGleish come up on SkySports only to be followed by "The ginger is yours, the gingers is yours, we got Chris Hughton, the ginger is yours." Which to be fair, had me laughing.

Anyway the game was going on and it's fair to say Birmingham didn't come out of the blocks very well, some goal mouth scrambles and great commanding from Boaz Myhill kept Reading at bay. Birmingham never really looked like much of a threat, but a snapshot from Chris Wood half way through the first half which forced a good save from Federici kept Reading on their toes.

The second half came and both teams were hoping for the breakthrough but it didn't look like coming. Because Steven Cadwell seemed wider than than the Great wall of China every time a Reading player tried to dance around him. But unfortunately Birmingham kept on resulting to lump ball at times, which wasn't proving successful. There wasn't one huge clear cut chance throughout the whole game until Liam Ridgwell lost the ball in a stupid position that sent what I think was Robson-Kanu through on goal only for Brum to be thankful of a great save by Myhill.

Soon after Reading bolstered their attacking options by bringing on Noel Hunt, and with his first touch of the ball 1-0 Reading. Hard to see the goal as it was a front post run, but once again Ridgewell was at fault for the chance even arising. After Birmingham never really looked like doing anything, and the Paul Trollope affect was rubbing off by not knowing when to make a substitute, they finally came in the 80th minute. Zigic on for the not so great Marlon King and hyped about Nathan Redmond on for Wade Elliott. Birmingahm were pressing but nothing really came of it. But in the 90th minute the opportunity arises for Redmond to thread either Wood or Zigic through only to fire the shot at the Reading defender. To be fair to the kid he's only young, and will learn, he does seem a good asset and I myself will be shocked not to see him in the Prem in a few years.

Overall it was a good game, but none that either side deserved to win, the difference really was Liam Ridgewell.