Saints have put up a wall of silence over questions regarding the future of manager Nigel Adkins.

The under fire boss admitted after Saturday’s defeat at West Ham that he was unsure as to how long he would be given to revive Saints’ fortunes after six defeats in eight games back in the Premier League.

Bookies have cut the odds on him to go while talk has been rife among worried fans that Adkins could end up being the fall guy for a start that has seen Saints ship more goals in their first eight games than any other side since the Premier League started.

Saints have refused the chance to clarify Adkins’ future.

Instead they are remaining silent on that point, which is leading to further speculation that he might not even be in charge for the visit of Tottenham on Sunday, despite having led the club to back-to-back promotions.

Adkins has become a popular figure amongst the club’s supporters after delivering such fantastic success but football is rarely a place for much sentiment, especially when there is so much cash involved in staying in the top flight.

Most reasonable fans will hope that he is given more time to try and turn things around, but whether Saints chairman Nicola Cortese will agree remains to be seen.

  • See today's Southern Daily Echo for more on Nigel Adkins future as Saints boss