DAVID HOLDSWORTH: Managers who wait to swoop in are nothing but vultures

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Friday, January 25, 2013
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Lincolnshire Echo

When Nigel Adkins was sacked at Southampton there were several things that I was disgusted about.

The first was that he was even given the boot in the first place.

  1. David Holdsworth 6

    Lincoln City manager David Holdsworth

The man had delivered back-to-back promotions, he had steadied the ship in recent weeks and all was looking good.

But that was not the worst of it all.

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What appalled me the most was when his replacement, Mauricio Pochettino, came out and said that he had been watching the team before he was appointed.

That is just wrong. That is acting like a vulture and the worst thing is that this is sadly becoming more and more common.

There was talk that prospective new managers were in the stands at Nottingham Forest during Sean O'Driscoll's final games as well. You have to ask where the morals are?

I know to some people there are not many morals in football these days, but to me it is just plain wrong to be trying to sniff out a job while someone is still in it.

I would never do that, it is not something that is in my nature at all.

It is a competitive game and a very competitive workplace to be involved in. There are plenty of playing positions out there, but only a limited number of managerial jobs.

But how you go about getting a new job needs to be considerate. You have to show respect for your fellow managers and not trample over them.

I have a lot of time for Nigel Adkins. He has come out of this with his head held high and certainly a very impressive CV.

He will be back in management soon, but I still cannot for the life of me understand the decision to get rid of him in the first place.

Southampton talked about ambition and plans, but had Adkins failed to deliver on that?

He, if anything, had put them far ahead of any plan they might have had.

Back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League is an immense feat and to not even let him get on with the next stage is a shame.

This whole episode has left a bad taste in the mouth. I only hope that Nigel Adkins will get the chance to manage again.

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