They were right to sack him ... Now we have a world class boss
Southampton star Lallana admits old manager Adkins is not missed
WHATEVER happens on June 14, 2014, it is sure to be a momentous day for Adam Lallana and his fiancé Emily. If, as seems probable, the twice-capped England midfielder is named in Roy Hodgson’s World Cup squad, he will be involved in the opening Group D fixture against Italy at the Arena Amazonia in Manaus.
If not, Lallana will marry Emily – his girlfriend of seven years – after asking for her hand in 2012 around the time she became pregnant with their son Arthur, who is now one.
The couple set June 14 as the date for their big day long before Lallana’s outstanding Premier League form saw him called up by Hodgson and making an impressive international debut against Chile, which has given him a very real chance of featuring in Brazil next summer.
Little did they know England’s opening tournament fixture against the Azzurri would fall on precisely the same day.
Few couples would be prepared to tolerate such uncertainty around their big day but with the alternative prize so great, Adam and Emily are taking things in their stride following an ‘amazing’ year for the inform Southampton captain.
‘It’s all ifs and buts at the moment and I won’t know until the squad is announced but it’s a nice problem to have,’ Lallana said.
‘That’s the way that me and Emily are looking at it. Not many people can say they have played in the World Cup, so it’s a no brainer (to postpone the wedding) really for anyone.
‘I am sure it’s happened to people in the past and I’m sure it will happen to people again. Of course Emily and I have spoken about it. She is very laid back and I am very laid back with it all.
‘On the whole it’s been an amazing year personally and for the team. We have kicked on this season and I feel that we have reached different levels.’
Lallana added that he has never been more content in the 13 years he has spent at Southampton after moving from his home town St Albans as a youngster.
His temperament, allied to his undoubted footballing ability, have impressed Hodgson this season and the England manager singled him out for special praise following his team’s otherwise uninspiring international recent friendly showings against Chile and Germany in November.
Last week Newcastle United manager – and former Saints boss –Alan Pardew added to those calling for the 25-year-old to be included in Hodgson’s squad after seeing him come off the bench to help earn Southampton a draw i n their Barclay’s Premier League clash.
Lallana is too level-headed to think too far ahead but, after a ‘surreal’ week training with the full England squad alongside his Southampton team-mates Rickie Lambert and Jay Rodriguez, he is desperate for another chance to prove himself at the highest level after having a brief taste of international football.
‘It is quite surreal being involved with England and it does take a while to sink in,’ said Lallana at a Puma evoSPEED 1.2 football boot shoot. ‘It was like a whirlwind, the two games happened so quickly. Training with the likes of Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney; it is what you dream about as a kid. It is something I want to keep happening because I really enjoyed it. It is where you want to be as a professional.
‘You really notice the difference in tempo and the quality goes up quite a few notches. It is great to be learning off the likes of them. I picked up so much.’ Many international newcomers find meal times especially awkward as the realisation dawns that heroes have now become teammates.
BEING with Ricky (Lambert) and J-Rod (Jay Rodriguez), I sat next to them most of the time but the longer you are there the easier it i s, ’ Lallana added. ‘You getting chatting and are playing against them week in and week out. They made me feel really welcome and I am really grateful for that.
‘It was a short week so it was hard to build strong relationships. But even without having in-depth (conversations) you pick up things, you are so aware, just watching them train. Just the way they go about their business and deal with the pressure of playing for their country which is the highest level.’
Today Lallana is expected to line up at St Mary’s Stadium alongside Lambert and Rodriguez, whose seventh goal of the season last week secured a draw against Newcastle, against a Tottenham Hotspur side still coming to terms with chairman Daniel Levy’s decision to sack manager Andre Villas-Boas following last Sunday’s humiliating 5-0 home defeat to Liverpool.
Levy’s call to remove a manager he’d installed just more than a year ago – and allowed to spend more
than £100million in the summer following Gareth Bale’s departure to Real Madrid – came as less of a shock than Saints chairman Nicola Cortese sacking Nigel Adkins almost a year ago.
Cortese was heavily criticised for replacing Adkins with Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino but, almost 12 months down the line and with Saints just a point behind champions Manchester United in ninth, the decision has been vindicated. ‘It was working well last year and there were obviously eyebrows raised when he (Adkins) got the sack,’ Lallana said. ‘It was a bold decision and the right decision I think from Nicola Cortese. Obviously hindsight is a wonderful thing but we can see that it was a good decision.
‘We have got a manager now who I think is world-class. The style he plays doesn’t just benefit the team, it’s the way I want to play my football. It’s no coincidence that we had a really good start to the season and picked up some good results and surprised a few people.’ Last Sunday’s White Hart Lane capitulation to Brendan Rodgers’ men proved the final straw for Levy, who has installed Tim Sherwood as Villas-Boas’ temporary replacement.
WEDNESDAY night’s 2-1 Capital One Cup defeat at home to West Ham did not suggest Villas-Boas’ departure has immediately improved Tottenham’s nose-diving confidence but Lallana believes it is a matter of time before the quality in their squad tells. ‘Playing in the Premier League is a tough league and it has got tough demands; chairmen nowadays tend to make decisions quicker.
‘It was a bit of a shock to see AVB sacked but you could definitely say the same for Steve Clarke (at West Brom).
‘Tottenham have have got some top, top players. They have got a bit of everything in their team. ‘Maybe they might be a little bit more up for it now and will want to prove people wrong.’
Adam Lallana wears the ultra-light PUMA evoSPEED 1.2 football boot, available from ProDirectSoccer.com. See PUMA Football Club. com to get closer than ever to PUMA players