Big Match Review - Southampton 3 MK Dons 2

Southampton 3-2 Milton Keynes Dons

Saturday April 2, St Mary's, (Att: 22,377)

A second half brace from Jonathan Forte helped Southampton stage a remarkable recovery to defeat promotion rivals Milton Keynes Dons and move into third in League One.

The Dons took a first half lead courtesy of Gary MacKenzie's header from a corner just past the half hour mark.

And seven minutes into the second half they appeared set to return to Buckinghamshire with all three points when Sam Baldock skipped past two defenders before beating keeper Kelvin Davies at his near post for 2-0.

However, the Saints hit back with two goals from Forte in as many minutes midway through the second period.

First, he controlled a cross from the left before firing low into the net and then he was on hand to tap home when keeper David Martin could only push out a low centre by Dan Harding.

The comeback for Nigel Adkins's side was complete with 13 minutes remaining as sloppy defending saw Lee Barnard beat the offside drop to fire left footed past Martin.

The victory leaves the Hampshire side five points behind second-placed Huddersfield with three games in hand. For the Dons, a place in the play offs now looks like their best bet.

Big Match Preview - Southampton vs. MK Dons

Southampton vs. Milton Keynes Dons

Saturday April 2, 15:00, St Mary's

There's a crunch game in the race for promotion from League One at the weekend as Milton Keynes Dons make the trip to Hampshire to take on top six rivals Southampton.

The two sides currently sit level on 65 points in 4th and 5th respectively, although the South Coast team boast a vastly superior goal difference as well as having three games in hand on their opponents.

Indeed, the Saints have played fewer matches than all of their promotion rivals, and will hope they can take advantage in the closing weeks as they seek to gain automatic promotion back to the Championship.

Last term they only missed out on a place in the play offs because of a ten point deduction, but this season they will hope to avoid the end of season lottery for an altogether more positive reason.

Tipped for promotion in pre season, Southampton endured a slow start and were rocked by the early sacking of Alan Pardew. However, under the stewardship of his replacement, Nigel Adkins, they are beginning to show their potential.

They've suffered just one defeat in their last seven games, and have an imperious record on home soil under Adkins - winning 11 of his 15 league games at St Mary's and suffering just one defeat.

With just ten goals conceded at home all term, too, Saints have the best defensive record on their own patch in the third tier.

In the guise of 17-goal striker Rickie Lambert, Southampton also have one of the most lethal strikers in the division, and he is ably supported by Lee Barnard, who has 12 goals to his name too.

Nigel Adkins and Southampton are aiming for automatic promotion this term

Their opponents from Buckinghamshire come into the game in fine form themselves though, having only been beaten once in their last 14 league matches.

It's a run which has propelled the Dons firmly into the promotion mix - itself an achievement considering they cut their budget after last season's disappointing mid table campaign.

That saw Paul Ince resign from his position and be replaced by rookie Karl Robinson. The youngest manager in the Football League has risen to the occasion in spectacular fashion though.

Their challenge has largely been built on not drawing matches, with just eight in their 39 matches. Their away record is, naturally, erratic therefore, including seven wins and nine defeats.

However, Saints will need to be wary against a side that have suffered just one away defeat in 2011 and recently registered impressive wins against fellow promotion contenders Peterborough and runaway leaders Brighton.

Top scorer for Milton Keynes this term is homegrown talent Sam Baldock, with 11, and midfielder Peter Leven with eight goals is another key man for the Dons.

This could be a very entertaining spectacle between two sides who are in top form, like to play good football, and have everything to play for with the season reaching its climax.

It will be tight, but I'll go for home advantage to help Saints to just edge it on the day against a Dons side who have been League One's surprise success story of the season.

Nobes' Prediction: Southampton 1 Milton Keynes Dons 0

Big Match Analysis - Southampton 0 Brentford 2

Defending on the slide? We think so - which is why Turls keeps a close eye on how goals are being scored across the Football League. Here's his Big Match Analysis.

Southampton 0-2 Brentford

Saturday December 11, St Mary's, (Att: 19,641)

Bit of a shock result at St Mary's this weekend. Shame about that to be honest, but I couldn't give a monkey's. I'm here to look at the state of the defence and, I have to say, I was not impressed by what I saw.

Good goalkeeping from the Brentford net man early on kept the scores level but, at the other end, Kelvin Davies dropped a massive howler to give The Bees the lead.

Southampton 0 Brentford 1

You could argue that maybe the players on the edge of the box were given a little too much time, but you would not expect any keeper to make that type of mistake.

Not a lot the defence could do about it. Shoddy keeping, but every makes a mistake. Except me.

Southampton Defending

The lad Davies had a chance to redeem himself after a long ball up field was nodded down in the direction of Brentford's Charlie McDonald, who swivelled and got a shot away.

Davies got down low to make the save. Well done big man. However, how was C-Mac allowed to turn and shoot like that?

The defender was brushed aside and didn't look like putting much pressure on the striker at any point. No strength, and it almost resulted in a goal.

Southampton 0 Brentford 2

C-Mac got another chance later on and, this time, he didn't miss. Another long ball into the heart of the Saints defence was knocked down in the striker's direction.

What concerns me is how he came into so much space in the penalty area. Too many players were ball-watching and, when the ball was nodded through, C-Mac reacted quickest to make it 2-0.

Too many men under the ball and not enough people paying attention to the wandering feet of Brentford's strikers.

Brentford Defending

Brentford got a little lucky in the second half when a ball was crossed in from the left. After a fluffed clearance, the ball fell to the edge of the area where the Saints man was waiting in acres of room.

Fortunately for the Bees, his strike was abysmal. This was a case of too many people charging into the perceived danger area - the penalty area - to defend the cross, leaving nobody on the edge.

In truth, he had time to bring it down and then shoot - that's how much room he had.

Southampton Defending

Late on, Southampton survived a penalty appeal. Was it a pen? Not sure, but what I do know is that the defending was rubbish to allow him to get into the box in the first place.

The player was waltzing towards the byline under no pressure and was allowed to spin towards the box. The defender did nothing! He just watched him walk towards goal and then reacted. Shocking stuff from a team hoping for promotion.

Conclusion:

It wasn't all bad, as Brentford managed to block a few shots towards the end, so I'll give them a little bit of kudos for that. Southampton on the other hand should bow their heads in shame.

Big Match Review - Southampton 0 Brentford 2

Southampton 0-2 Brentford

Saturday December 11, St Mary's, (Att: 19,641)

Southampton suffered a first home defeat under Nigel Adkins as a fifth away win on the bounce for Brentford saw them move level on points with their opponents.

On a good run on home soil, the home side began strongly and were denied an early goal after Richard Lee produced a fine save to stop Guly Do Prado's header.

However, against the run of the play, it was the visitors who took the lead inside the opening 15 minutes.

Saints keeper Kelvin Davies made a complete mess of Gary Alexander's long range strike and allowed the ball to bounce over him and into the net.

The hosts responded, with Rickie Lambert forcing Lee into a save from a free kick. However, Adkins's side were the architects of their own downfall once again as the Bees doubled their lead with less than half an hour played.

This time their defence failed to deal with a high free kick punted forwards and Charlie McDonald was quickest to latch onto the ball and prod home past Davies.

Southampton battled hard to find a way past their stubborn opponents and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain went close with a shot that flashed past the post.

It was the Londoners who could have further extended their lead late on though, as substitute Nicky Forster spurned a good chance after another error in the Saints back line.

One final chance for the Hampshire outfit ended with a free kick striking the post as Andy Scott's men held on for a hugely impressive victory.

Big Match Preview

Southampton vs. Brentford

Saturday December 11, 15:00, St Mary's

Two of League One's improving sides face one another on the South Coast on Saturday as Southampton and Brentford return to action following postponements last weekend.

Both the Saints and their Capital City opponents were in the bottom four in the early weeks of the season, but now they both have an eye on a push for the top six in the second half of the campaign.

For the Hampshire club, that revival and optimism ahead of 2011 has coincided with the arrival of Nigel Adkins from Scunthorpe as their new manager following the surprise sacking of Alan Pardew.

Southampton were in the drop zone when the Liverpudlian took charge, but have collected 24 points from the last 12 games to elevate themselves to within a single point and two places off the top six.

That fine run includes an unbeaten seven matches at St Mary's under the new boss - with just two goals conceded. Promotion rivals Oldham and Bournemouth have both been beaten, and fancied Peterborough were recently seen off 4-1.

It's in stark contrast to the games played on home soil before Adkins arrived - with both Rochdale and Plymouth leaving with all three points and Leyton Orient taking home a share of the spoils.

The hosts will undoubtedly go into Saturday's game confident of extending their good recent form therefore - albeit it's form befitting the pre-season favourites in the third tier.

Key men for the Saints include League One goal machine Rickie Lambert and midfielder Adam Lallana - both with six goals to their name. Lee Barnard with five goals is another goal threat for Adkins's men.

Southampton are thinking about promotion under new boss Nigel Adkins

Visitors Brentford will know they're in for a stern examination of their recent revival on the trip down from London therefore.

Andy Scott's men were propping up the rest of the division as recently as the beginning of October with just nine points taken from their first 11 matches.

Since then, they've taken 16 points from a possible 21 to move to the safety of 13th - just four short of the play off positions.

That run has included four victories on the road - including winning at Plymouth, Tranmere, ending Exeter's long unbeaten home run, and beating high-flying Colchester.

Indeed, only the top two sides - Brighton and Charlton - have better away records than the Bees, meaning they'll be quietly confident of taking something away from their visit to the South Coast.

To do so, they'll be relying on front duo Gary Alexander and Charlie MacDonald who have both scored six goals so far this term. Striker Robbie Simpson, on loan from Huddersfield, has also bagged himself five.

Given Southampton's strength at home and Brentford's away record - allied with both teams being bang on form - this could be a highly competitive match.

It's difficult to look past Saints however, who - on their own ground - couple defensive solidity with a potent attacking threat. It should edge this game their way.

Nobes' Prediction: Southampton 2 Brentford 0

Return Of The Mick

With Mick Wadsworth confirmed as Hartlepool boss until the end of the season, Nobes looks at other managers who've made a return to the game after a long absence.

Mick Wadsworth was last in charge of a League club back in 2003

The longer you're gone, the harder it is to return. So goes the theory when it comes to football management.

Stay on the sidelines rather than the touchline, and you'll soon disappear altogether - doomed to some kind of coaching or scouting role or, even worse, a TV pundit.

However, seven years after leaving his last League manager's job at Huddersfield - albeit he had a brief spell in charge at Non League Chester - Mick Wadsworth is back in management at Hartlepool.

After a successful spell as caretaker following the resignation of Chris Turner, the 60-year-old has been handed the reins until the end of the season with the, long-overdue realistic, brief of keeping Pools in League One.

It's an unexpected opportunity for the Yorkshireman, who has never managed to follow up initial success at Carlisle in the '90s at the likes of Colchester, Oldham, and Scarborough.

However, he's not the only manager to make a return after time away. Here's my top-10 rundown of some of football's returnees - and how successful they were on their comeback.


10. Nigel Spackman

Spackman was fired from his job at Barnsley in 2001 with the Reds struggling towards the foot of the Championship.

He spent the next five years working as a TV pundit but, in 2006, was the surprise choice as new boss at Millwall.

The Lions had been relegated to League One and Spackman rebuilt the squad during the summer.

A slow start saw the 49-year-old sacked with the Londoners near the foot of the table.

Verdict: A long time out of the game was followed by a brief and hugely unsuccessful return to the dugout. Best to stick to the TV studio in the future.


9. Gary Peters

The Londoner led the renaissance of Preston North End when the Lancashire club had been toiling in the basement division.

However, he was exiled from management for five years after leaving Deepdale in 1998.

On his return he walked into the mess at Exeter City - fighting for survival in the Football League.

Despite an almost miraculous end of season run, he was unable to save the Grecians from the drop and departed weeks later.

Verdict: Did extremely well to almost save Exeter and then went on to guide Shrewsbury to within 90 minutes of League One in 2007 before being harshly sacked soon after. A proven lower league manager.


8. Bryan Hamilton

After ending a second spell in charge at Wigan in 1993, Hamilton took over as national team manager of Northern Ireland.

He spent four years in that role and was out of the game for another couple until gaining a surprise return at Norwich in 2000.

The Canaries were struggling in the Championship and Hamilton steadied the ship. However, before the end of the year he had resigned his position.

Verdict: Instantly forgettable return to club management following an undistinguished spell in the international game. Management days are well behind now, which is why he's working in the media.


7. Gary Johnson

Johnson earned his reputation leading Yeovil from the Conference to League One at the start of the last decade.

However, he had first sampled League management at Cambridge United before departing in 1995.

After a brief spell at Kettering he then moved abroad - taking charge of the Latvian national team and laying the foundations that saw them qualify for Euro 2004.

He returned to England at Yeovil in 2001, winning promotion with them in 2003 - and managing in the League again a full eight years after his last crack.

Verdict: The time away worked. He thrived on his return and after leaving Yeovil he subsequently guided Bristol City to promotion from League One and the Championship play off final. Now at Peterborough.


6. Kenny Jackett

First as a player and then later a coach, Jackett served under Graham Taylor at Watford before assuming the top job in 1996.

However, a poor League One campaign saw him relegated back to Taylor's assistant and he later had a spell as Ian Holloway's right hand man at QPR.

He returned to try his hand as the main man at Swansea in 2004 - and took the Welsh club to promotion in his first full season.

Twelve months later, he secured the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and only a penalty shoot out in the League One play off final prevented the Swans from making it successive promotions.

Verdict: Watching Millwall, it's not hard to see the influence of Taylor and Holloway on Jackett's style. However, he has proved successful in guiding both the Lions and Swansea to promotion as a manager. Deserves respect.


5. Brian Talbot

Talbot began the 1991/2 campaign as Aldershot boss - he was gone after a few months, and the club were as well not long after.

After time overseas in Malta he returned home to join the coaching staff at ambitious Rushden & Diamonds - eventually becoming manager in 1999.

Maybe it was those eight years away, or maybe it was the ridiculous money being spent, but he led Diamonds into the Football League in 2001 and two years later they were in the third tier.

Verdict: It was the money. Talbot's subsequent struggles at Oldham and Oxford were more illustrative of his managerial capabilities. In truth, he landed on his feet gaining the Rushden job when he did.


4. Nigel Pearson

Along with the help of one Jimmy Glass, Pearson helped rescue Carlisle from relegation to the Conference in 1999.

However, he didn't stay on at Brunton Park and instead spent the next nine years on the coaching staff at the likes of Stoke, West Brom, and Newcastle.

Once his next managerial role came along though - he once again found himself in a relegation scrap.

However, a final day escape act at Southampton in 2008 proved he hadn't lost his skills in brinkmanship.

Verdict: Left Saints that summer and then took Leicester to League One glory followed by the Championship play offs last season. Now at Hull, he seems to have benefited from learning his trade as an assistant.


3. John Barnes

Okay, I'll hold my hands up, Tranmere's appointment of Barnes last summer was not technically a Football League management return.

However, any chance to recount that hilarious decision - as well his legendary Soccer AM/MW status - must be taken.

Barnes was, of course, installed as part of a dream managerial ticket alongside Kenny Dalglish at Glasgow Celtic in 1999.

It turned into more of a nightmare, albeit a short-lived one. Much like his time at Prenton Park nine years later.

Verdict: First place in the 2008 Caribbean Championships as Jamaica coach will, you feel, always be the pinnacle of Barnes's managerial career. Tranmere's gamble was always doomed to fail - they were lucky it didn't cost them their League One spot.


2. Paul Hart

The proverbial London Bus boss, at one point Hart had to wait a full decade between managerial jobs but then got through three just last season.

Hart was fired from basement division Chesterfield in 1991 and reverted to youth team football at Leeds and then Nottingham Forest.

He got his chance at the top job at the City Ground in 2001 after the departure of David Platt and, after a slow start, guided Forest to the Championship play offs in 2003.

There, they lost to Sheffield United, and a dreadful sequence of results that left them fighting relegation the next season saw him dismissed.

Verdict: After Forest came Barnsley, then Rushden, then Portsmouth, QPR, and finally Crystal Palace. Hart has the dubious honour of being sacked from a club in each of the top five tiers. Best to stick to bringing through the youngsters.


1. Richard Money

When Richard Money left his job as Scunthorpe boss in 1994 he still had a full head of hair.

In-between then and his return to English football in 2006 at Walsall it had mostly gone.

Those 12 years away saw him work at Aston Villa and Coventry before moving abroad to Sweden and then Australia.

His appointment at the Saddlers was out of the blue - but, thanks to a resolute defence, he led the Black Country outfit to the League Two title in his first season.

Verdict: A stunning return to League management. More than a decade away, but Money instantly turned around Walsall's fortunes. Now at the helm of Conference side Luton, where he is once again plotting a promotion push.

Right Man for the Right Job

Southampton's appointment of Nigel Adkins as their new boss has Nobes suggesting it's all about finding the right man for the right occasion.

Nigel Adkins twice led Scunthorpe to promotion from League One

In a statement after the departure of Alan Pardew, Southampton claimed that the appointment of Pardew's replacement would show chairman Nicola Cortese "meant business."

They were right. In luring Nigel Adkins from Scunthorpe, the Saints have landed a manager who has shown that, when it comes to earning promotion into the Championship, he knows what it takes.

For all the talk of big names and former top flight coaches, the South Coast club have opted for a former physio turned manager from one of the game's least fashionable outposts.

However, Adkins, a genial Liverpudlian, has shown over recent years a capability for achieving results against the odds. He merits his opportunity, albeit in a lower division, at a club with genuine Premier League pedigree.

His managerial CV to date shows two promotions from League One with Scunthorpe, including as Champions in 2007. It was the first time the Iron had been in the second tier for over 40 years.

Unsurprisingly, it lasted just a year, but Scunny immediately bounced back into the Championship and, last term, Adkins worked miracles to keep them there for a second successive season.

During his time in Lincolnshire, he also developed an eye for recruiting strikers such as Martin Paterson and Gary Hooper before selling them on for a big profit. Everton's Jermaine Beckford first found his feet during a loan spell with the Iron under Adkins, too.

Of course, while selling stars was a case of needs-must to keep the Glanford Park club punching above their weight, he will find things completely different at St Mary's.

He must handle the huge raise in expectations and demands. Promotion from League One is the minimum requirement for Saints. It was merely a bonus at Scunthorpe.

His experience and know-how should serve him well though. Saints need it, too. Last weekend's defeat at Swindon left them in the bottom four in the embryonic standings.

He will be walking into a dressing room which, although low on morale, is still the envy of the rest of the division. His noted motivational skills will be required, but then he should be able to turn results around quickly.

It is that experience of success which should also serve to reassure Southampton supporters left bemused and anxious at the goings-on at their club over the past fortnight.

Indeed, a quick glance across the Football League is further proof that, as so often, there is very little substitute for experience.

The top two teams in the Championship, QPR and Cardiff, both have managers, in Neil Warnock and Dave Jones respectively, who have won promotion to the top flight before.

Early League One pacesetters Peterborough are in good hands under Gary Johnson - who took Bristol City into the Championship as runners-up to Adkins and Scunthorpe.

Two of the top three teams in League Two are managed by men with recent experience of promotion from that division, too. Shrewsbury boss Graham Turner was promoted with Hereford in 2008, and Port Vale's Micky Adams won the league with Brighton in 2001.

The experienced Gary Johnson is working his magic at Peterborough

All five, and Adkins as well, know what it takes to construct a promotion campaign. They know their respective divisions inside-out, they know the kind of players needed, and they know what's required of themselves.

Even dropping down into the Conference, it's no surprise to see AFC Wimbledon under the vastly experienced Terry Brown sitting top of the tree. Hotly in pursuit are big-spending Crawley and Steve Evans - who has experience of promotion from that level.

In each case, the respective chairmen of their clubs have hired managers with the intention of winning promotion from the division they currently find themselves in.

It sounds obvious, but if it were, we probably wouldn't see the huge managerial turnover we do. Simply put - a specialist job requires a certain type of manager suited to the task.

Over the years, it's become common to see struggling clubs make a late managerial switch in the hope of staving off the drop.

Ian Atkins, at both Bristol Rovers and then Torquay, helped keep both clubs in the Football League. Russell Slade has made a name as a managerial Houdini at first Brighton and then current club Leyton Orient last term.

In the case of Atkins, he failed to progress either Rovers or the Gulls much further than mid-table. Slade was fired at Brighton after a poor start last season and Orient currently reside in the bottom four of League One.

However, they achieved the initial goals they were brought in to do - namely beating the drop. The clubs too did their job - finding the right man for their brief. Too many don't.

Does anyone seriously believe that former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Dean Saunders is the man to lead Wrexham out of the Conference? What does he know about the Non Leagues? Being Welsh seemed to be the only reason he was appointed.

In the same division last season, Luton could have won the Conference had they sooner jettisoned Mick Harford - a man who never seemed to have a grip over what it took to be a manager.

Sentimentality to their former player saw them hold on too long and they paid the price.

Hereford's early strugglers under Simon Davey will fill Darlington fans with even more confidence that they are in much safer hands under experience Conference boss Mark Cooper than they ever would have been under Davey.

The same applies in the Football League. What, for instance, does Peter Reid know about League One? Plymouth's early struggles under the former Sunderland boss come as no surprise.

Clubs must learn to avoid the lure of the big name or the former player. Managerial appointments are all about suitability.

It's about the right man for the right club. The right man for the right scenario. The right man for the right division. The right man for the right job. Southampton have theirs.

Saints and Sinners

After Southampton's decision to fire boss Alan Pardew, Nobes looks at some of the other unwarranted managerial sackings that defied belief.

Pardew was given just three games at the start of the season at Saints

It's the kind of shocking sacking that, quite frankly, we shouldn't find so surprising.

Given the strength of their squad, Southampton's decision to sack Alan Pardew may not cost them promotion. It has certainly lost them much respect and raised questions about those running the club though.

The dismissal of the former West Ham boss just three games into the new season, and particularly after Saturday's 4-0 win at Bristol Rovers, seems incredibly harsh.

Whatever the reasons - results motivated or otherwise - it's hard to justify sacking a proven manager at that level.

Then again, it's not the first sacking, and certainly won't be the last, to bemuse onlookers. Here's my rundown of some of the worst Football League sackings of recent times.


10. Colin Lee - Walsall

You couldn't help but feel for Colin Lee when he was given the boot from the Saddlers in 2004.

After Plymouth expressed an interest in taking Lee to Home Park, Walsall gave him permission to talk to the Pilgrims.

However, after deciding to remain in the West Midlands, he was sacked by chairman Jeff Bonser for a lack of loyalty and creating 'uncertainty' around the club.

It was to prove costly for Walsall though. Up until then they had been winning their battle against relegation from the Championship.

After Lee's departure they lost three of their remaining four games and dropped into League One. They've never been back to the second tier since.


9. Eric Black - Coventry City

So angry were Coventry fans at the sacking of Eric Black in 2004 that they staged a 'Black Day' protest for replacement Peter Reid's first home game in charge.

The Scot had only been in charge of the Sky Blues for four months and had led them into the top half playing an attractive brand of football.

Despite picking up 29 points in his 18 games though, chairman Mike McGinnity said the team had been too 'inconsistent' and fired Black.

Replacement Reid failed to do anywhere near as well, and was sacked less than a year later after poor results and even worse football.


8. Peter Jackson - Huddersfield Town

Jackson had two spells in charge of the Terriers - whom he had played for during his career, too. It was his first departure which caused most angst, though.

He had taken over in 1997 with the Yorkshire outfit fighting relegation from the Championship.

After keeping them up he then took them to 10th the following campaign.

However, the popular manager was then sacked and replaced by 'big-name' Steve Bruce - who was sacked after a poor start to the 2000/1 season.

It ended with Town being relegated to the third, and later fourth, tier. Only on Jackson's return in 2003 did he immediately take Town back into League One and they only missed out on a return to the Championship in the play offs in 2006.


7. Gary Peters - Shrewsbury Town

The former Preston boss had turned around Salop's fortunes since joining them in 2004.

He kept Shrewsbury in the Football League and then set about building a team capable of challenging at the right end.

That culminated in the 2007 play off final where, despite taking the lead, they lost out to Bristol Rovers at Wembley.

Despite so much progress, a sticky spell in the following campaign - his first at the club - saw him promptly dismissed.

Successor Paul Simpson was granted huge funds to gain promotion but could only match Peters with a play off final defeat to Gillingham in 2009. Had Peters had similar money to spend, Town probably would have been promoted by now.


6. Gareth Southgate - Middlesbrough

Southgate had been at the helm as Boro crashed out of the Premier League after 11 seasons in the big time.

However, he had been given the opportunity to get them back at the first attempt - and seemed to be making a good fist of it.

A 2-0 win against Derby saw Boro lying 4th after 13 games - just a single point off top spot.

However, Southgate was then sacked and in came former Southampton manager Gordon Strachan.

The Teessiders' form dropped off remarkably and they ended the season in 11th - a full 40 points behind Champions Newcastle United.


5. Danny Wilson - Hartlepool United

After relegation to the basement division in 2006, Pools turned to the experienced Danny Wilson to help get them back up into League One.

He did so - and at the first time of asking.

United finished 2nd - missing out on the title by a single point - and then he helped re-establish them back in the third tier with a respectable finish of 15th.

A solid start to the next season saw Pools in the top half but, after successive draws saw them drop to 13th in December, he was sacked.

They finished that season in 19th - a single point above the drop zone, and last term only survived on goal difference. Slipping out of the top half suddenly doesn't seem so bad now.


4. Ian Atkins - Oxford United

When Oxford beat Cheltenham 1-0, they sat 4th in the League Two standings - a point off the automatic promotion places.

They had only been beaten once at home all season and, with nine games of the season remaining, looked a sure bet for at least a place in the play offs.

Despite that good form, manager Ian Atkins had not been offered a new deal.

With his current one due to expire in the summer, he signed a pre-contract agreement to take over at Bristol Rovers for the next season.

Chairman Firoz Kassam decided to fire Atkins and appointed Graham Rix in his stead.

However, Rix's attempt to get a direct team to play passing football failed spectacularly as one win in their last nine saw Oxford miss out on the top seven altogether.


3. Russell Slade - Yeovil Town

Most pundits predicted a struggle for Yeovil when Russell Slade was appointed in 2006.

However, the season ended with the Glovers at Wembley - where they only lost out to Blackpool in the play off final.

Slade had taken a club punching above their weight to stay in League One to within 90 minutes of the Championship.

On meagre resources, it was a fantastic achievement.

It saw him linked to other jobs, but Town rebuffed any approaches. Yeovil ended up 18th the next year and the following campaign was another battle against the drop - but four straight wins in the New Year saw them comfortably in mid table.

However, he was then jettisoned from Huish Park due to a 'breakdown' in his relationship with the board. Town won just three of their remaining 17 games and stayed up by just a couple of points.



2. Ronnie Moore - Tranmere Rovers

Moore had been a great striker for Rovers, and returned to the club as manager in 2006.

In his first two seasons in charge he guided the Wirral outfit to 9th and 11th in League One.

The next term saw Rovers once again mount a push for the top six and they finished 7th, only narrowly missing on the play offs out by a couple of points.

However, the board decided to axe Moore - blaming him for falling attendances - and appointed former Liverpool and England winger John Barnes as his replacement.

It was a disastrous decision. Barnes endured a torrid beginning to the 2009/10 campaign and Tranmere only escaped the drop on the final day of the season under his successor, Les Parry.


1. Alan Irvine - Preston North End

Alan Irvine had joined Preston with the club struggling at the foot of the Championship in 2007.

An improved second half of the season saw him guide North End to 15th and safety, though.

The next season they were fighting it out for a place in the play offs and four wins at the end of the season helped them edge out Cardiff for a place in the top six.

There they lost to Sheffield United, but a fine start to the 2009/10 once again had them in contention. Then a poor run - his first at the club - earned him a shock dismissal at the end of 2009.

Replacement Darren Ferguson oversaw a terrible run of results that saw them slide down the table - only narrowly securing another season of Championship football. They have continued to struggle at the start of the new season.

Getting The Breaks

Nobes looks at the managers in the Football League who Premier League clubs should consider if they are looking for a new boss.

Aidy Boothroyd's best hope of a top flight return is with promotion

There was a time when the departure of a top flight boss, as with Aston Villa's Martin O'Neill this week, would have seen movement in the managerial merry-go-round in the lower divisions.

The managerial 'food chain' would come into full flow, with each bigger club seeking to poach their new boss from a smaller team.

Someone who had impressed and was worth being given a shot in a bigger role would be sought.

Now, as in the transfer market, the focus appears to be overseas, with the big clubs looking to foreign, not home grown coaches, to fill their vacant managerial seats.

However, to do that is to overlook the genuine quality in the lower divisions with managers who have proven their ability and could be worth giving a chance to.

Of the 72 managers outside the Premier League, 17 have managed in the top flight before.

In the second tier that includes Steve Coppell, Neil Warnock, George Burley, and Gordon Strachan. All of these managers have just begun projects at ambitious clubs though, so would be unlikely to jump ship now.

Roy Keane at Ipswich has a combustible nature that might put off potential suitors, and there are question marks over the style of play used by Coventry's Aidy Boothroyd.

The most recent to gain Premier League experience was Brian Laws - a surprise appointment by Burnley last season. He endured a miserable run as he oversaw the Clarets's demotion last May though.

Outside the Championship, four bosses in League One have tasted top flight management - Peter Reid, Danny Wilson, Chris Hutchings, and Alan Pardew.

The former is someone whose career is now on a downward spiral and Wilson, once a promising star of the managerial game, has never recovered from a poor time at Sheffield Wednesday.

Hutchings failed at both Bradford and Wigan and is unlikely to ever get another opportunity. Only Pardew has any chance of ever making it back into the top flight.

In League Two, Bradford's Peter Taylor had a miserable spell at Leicester in the early Noughties, and Paul Sturrock lasted just a few months at Southampton.

Micky Adams took Leicester into the top flight in 2003 but they were promptly relegated a year later, and the experienced Graham Turner managed Aston Villa in the top flight during the '80s.

At 62, he's unlikely to want to manage at the top again, but there are young, hungry managers waiting to get their first break - or another - in the Premier League.

Here are some of the managers who top flight clubs could do a lot worse than choosing to fill their vacancy:


Sean O'Driscoll (Doncaster Rovers)

Was believed to be frontrunner for the Burnley job but when the Clarets couldn't agree compensation with current employers Doncaster, they opted for Brian Laws instead.

The softly-spoken 53-year-old has earned a reputation for producing teams who play pure passing football and are easy on the eye.

He has established Doncaster in the second tier and won promotion in the lower leagues with Bournemouth, too.

Used to working on a budget and getting teams to punch above their weight, O'Driscoll is quickly becoming a man in demand.

Likely top flight destination: Born and raised in the Black Country, O'Driscoll is a lifelong Wolverhampton Wanderers fan. If the Molineux job was to become free, he would find it difficult to turn down.

Why he wouldn't be picked: Not a big name, he spent the vast majority of his playing career in the lower divisions. Would he be respected by top players?

Would his purist footballing views also be counted against him when pragmatism is sometimes called for?


Billy Davies (Nottingham Forest)

A fiery Scot who has built a reputation as the best manager outside the top flight over the last few years.

Twice took Preston to the play offs, before being turned down for the vacant top flight job at Charlton.

He was then promoted to the Premier League with Derby in 2007 before being harshly sacked as the Rams struggled in the top flight.

Next turned up at rivals Nottingham Forest who he, again, led into the play offs last season.

A meticulous planner, he has the ability to produce sides pleasing on the eye as well as miserly at the back.


Likely top flight destination: Unlikely to be given a big job, a smaller club in trouble - the likes of Wigan - might be tempted on giving him another break in the top flight.

Why he wouldn't be picked: His torrid time at Derby will put out any potential top flight club. He also a reputation for falling out with his employers.


Dave Jones (Cardiff City)

Jones has twice managed in the top flight. Firstly, he managed to keep Southampton in the top flight before being replaced by Glenn Hoddle when having to fight a court case.

He bounced back to lead Wolves into the Premier League for the first time in their history in 2004.

He was unable to keep the club up and they were relegated in last place after just a season.

Built his reputation in the Football League with Stockport, and in his six years at Cardiff has taken them to the FA Cup final and last year's Championship play off final.


Likely top flight destination: Jones was linked with Fulham this summer and in the past was previously rumoured to, despite his Wolves connections, have attracted the interest of West Brom.

His experience and knowledge of relegation battles would be attractive to such a club.

Why he wouldn't be picked: Hard to say why. Being relegated with a newly promoted club is no disgrace and his record at Cardiff and Southampton demands respect. Is he already, at 53, seen as too old?


Nigel Pearson (Hull City)

Only newly appointed at the KC Stadium, but Pearson's track record suggests a man who doesn't bed down roots at a club and happily moves about frequently.

He enjoyed great success with Leicester over the last two years.

First guiding them to the 2009 League One title before taking them into last season's Championship play offs only to fall at the semi final stage.

Has worked at the likes of Newcastle and West Brom as a coach in the top flight before.


Likely top flight destination: Newcastle's Chris Hughton is the bookies' favourite to be the first manager sacked this season, and Pearson's connections with St James' Park could see him in contention for the role.

Why he wouldn't be picked: Still a relative managerial novice whose only real success has come with a big club in a small pond. It would be a big gamble.


Paul Lambert (Norwich City)

A year ago he was managing Colchester hoping for a top six place in the third tier.

Lambert's stock has been in meteoric rise since taking over at Norwich and storming to the League One title.

The impressive fashion with which the Canaries won the division scoring hatfuls of goals with an attacking brand of football also earned him plaudits.

After a distinguished playing career he started out coaching Livingston in the SPL before making the move to basement tier Wycombe - whom he guided into the League Two play offs in 2008.

Likely top flight destination: Lambert was linked with the Celtic job over the summer - proof that he is in vogue. Any bottom half Premier League team looking for a new manager are sure to consider the Norwich boss if he continues to impress.

Why he wouldn't be picked: Is he really ready? This is his first season in the Championship and he is completely untested in the higher divisions. One for the future, maybe, but not for the present.


Simon Grayson (Leeds United)

With two promotions - both gained by playing attractive football - on his managerial CV already, the 40-year-old is one of the hottest managerial prospects.

He took Blackpool to promotion to the Championship in his first full season before establishing them in the second tier.

When the call came from boyhood club Leeds though, he left the Seasiders and last season took the Elland Road outfit back into the Championship - again in his first full campaign.





Likely top flight destination: Arguably he's most likely to become a top flight manager by taking Leeds there. Refuted interest from ex-club Leicester in the summer to stay at the club he has always supported.

Why he wouldn't be picked: Like Lambert, he is still very young - although he has proven his ability to work within a budget and get results in the Championship.

Whether a club would be willing to pay the hefty compensation Leeds would ask for their man might be a large stumbling block though.


Alan Pardew (Southampton)

Despite currently being in League One, Pardew and the Saints are heavily tipped to be back on the way up to at least the Championship.

Pardew made his name at Reading - taking the Royals into the second tier before leaving for West Ham. He took the East Londoners back into the top flight and subsequently guided them to the 2006 FA Cup final.

He was dismissed a few months later after a poor start to the following campaign and then endured a disappointing reign at Charlton.



Likely top flight destination: Pardew is rebuilding his career on the South Coast and is unlikely to be tapped up or want to leave yet himself.

However, if he can resurrect the fortunes of Southampton then, either with the Saints or at another club, the 49-year-old can still bring his brand of good football to the Premier League.

Why he wouldn't be picked: His time at Charlton has probably laid the seeds of doubt in chairmen's minds. He failed to turn around a sinking ship at The Valley and, although he wasn't fully to blame, it will have put some clubs off.

JPT Week

The countdown is well and truly on to this weekend's showpiece final as Carlisle United and Southampton go head to head in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final.

It's the most prestigious piece of silverware in the lower leagues and all this week on Soccer AM/MW we'll be building up to the big day.

For the two League One sides there's no place in Europe or mega prize money granted to the winner.

Instead, they'll be able to console themselves with knowing that they are the Football League's kings of knockout football.

It could be a momentous day for Carlisle, who are making their fifth appearance in the Final and looking for their second trophy win.

Former Premier League side Southampton have reached the showpiece occasion in their JPT debut and will start as favourites on Sunday.

Over the next few days we'll be offering a comprehensive guide to the final.

That includes a look back at classic finals of days gone by, an in-depth look at both teams, a full match preview, and our Fan Files turns the spotlight on Carlisle.

Soccer AM/MW - the place for all your JPT needs.

Here's everything from the Week:

Monday: Saints to go marching on?
Tuesday: Cumbrians aim for upset
Wednesday: Carlisle United vs. Southampton - Wembley History
Thursday: Classic JPT Finals
Friday: JPT Final: Preview | Review