Lucky Jim counts his blessings
HOW different things might have been if Southampton had snared moneybags Marcus Evans instead of Ipswich Town.Evans had sent his envoy to check out a number of clubs, including the Saints, before deciding on the Blues and the difference has been highlighted the varying fortunes of the clubs.
Derek Davis
HOW different things might have been if Southampton had snared moneybags Marcus Evans instead of Ipswich Town.
Evans had sent his envoy to check out a number of clubs, including the Saints, before deciding on the Blues and the difference has been highlighted the varying fortunes of the clubs.
While Town boss Jim Magilton was able to go and spend nearly £4m on three players and are serious promotion contenders, Southampton has struggled all season and now sit sixth in the table more concerned about getting sucked into a relegation battle.
Magilton appreciates how things might have turned out but knows new man Nigel Pearson will be firing up the south coast side.
He said: “We feel very lucky to have Marcus Evans and are counting our blessings.
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“Nigel has a good record against us, got a big win for West Brom when he was caretaker manager and will want to win this one very much just as we do.
“Nigel has learnt from some very good managers and he will be looking forward to being the number one at Southampton and will do a very good job.
“He gives me the impression that he is ready for the jump and he has joined a fantastic club who will hopefully give him a bit of time.
“He is going to need the rest of this and possibly next season to bed in.
“Nigel will lift the team and want to put in his own ideas of how he wants things done.
“What is crying out at Southampton is a bit of solidarity. It needs some continuity and a bit of calmness around the place to allow someone to establish the club again.
“It is a club that should be at the least pushing for automatic promotion.”
A failure to win in seven games plus a shock FA Cup exit, has left Pearson with plenty to do but Magilton warned that the Saints have the personnel to hurt Town.
He said: “They have been on a bad run, knocked out of the cup by Bristol Rovers so are low on confidence but look at the players they have and they have a very good squad.
“We got a good result against them last year but were perhaps a bit fortunate and you look at them and think they should be real title contenders.
“They have more or less the same squad who are capable of winning against anyone.”
