IAN Holloway has delivered a damning assessment of the way Nigel Adkins was treated by Southampton in his exclusive Croydon Advertiser column tomorrow.
Adkins was sacked by the Saints and replaced by Mauricio Pochettino last week, despite a recent run of form that had seen them rise to 15th in the Premier League, but Holloway was saddened by the whole affair.
"Southampton were actually hitting the best peak of form they've had under Nigel - six games undefeated," he told Advertiser Sport.
"The team looked confident, and the hardest part when losing a few is regaining and keeping your confidence.
"Nigel had been superb at that club - it's just the madness of football.
"It's very sad because they've got a bloke who doesn't speak English there and now making gestures on the line."
The contents of this article must not be reproduced without the permission of the Croydon Advertiser.
Do not miss the rest of Holloway's exclusive column tomorrow where he talks more about the managerial decision on the south coast.
Meanwhile, the boss reveals his plans for loan star Jacob Butterfield and gives a lowdown on what he likes doing away from football.
Follow me on Twitter for the latest Palace news, exclusives and live match updates @AdvertiserSport
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Watch our exclusive away videos following Palace around the country on our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/AdvertiserSport
Adkins was sacked by the Saints and replaced by Mauricio Pochettino last week, despite a recent run of form that had seen them rise to 15th in the Premier League, but Holloway was saddened by the whole affair.
"Southampton were actually hitting the best peak of form they've had under Nigel - six games undefeated," he told Advertiser Sport.
"The team looked confident, and the hardest part when losing a few is regaining and keeping your confidence.
"Nigel had been superb at that club - it's just the madness of football.
"It's very sad because they've got a bloke who doesn't speak English there and now making gestures on the line."
The contents of this article must not be reproduced without the permission of the Croydon Advertiser.
Do not miss the rest of Holloway's exclusive column tomorrow where he talks more about the managerial decision on the south coast.
Meanwhile, the boss reveals his plans for loan star Jacob Butterfield and gives a lowdown on what he likes doing away from football.
Follow me on Twitter for the latest Palace news, exclusives and live match updates @AdvertiserSport
If you're on Facebook, please 'Like' our page at www.facebook.com/AdvertiserSport
Watch our exclusive away videos following Palace around the country on our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/AdvertiserSport