Adkins' focus on relegation fight

Adkins' focus on relegation fight

Published Apr. 11, 2013 3:15 p.m. ET

Montpellier left-back Henri Bedimo insists he will make a decision regarding his future at the end of the season.

The ?5million-rated Cameroon star has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs, including Newcastle and West Ham.

However, PSG, Lyon and Marseille are also reportedly keen on signing the player in the summer.

And Bedimo, who enjoyed playing in the UEFA Champions League group stage with his club, says he wants more of the same.

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He said: "I have heard of the interest of clubs in the Premier League, but when you hear there is interest from a Champions League club in France then you have to think about it.

"Newcastle and West Ham are both good clubs in the best league in the world, but I will not decide my future until at the end of the season.

"I want to be playing in the Champions League as well."

Amine Linganzi could return to the Accrington line-up as Leam Richardson's side continue their push for league survival.

Linganzi played in Stanley's Easter fixtures as four valuable points were collected against Wycombe and Burton despite the tragic death of his brother back in France.

The former Blackburn midfielder returned home on compassionate leave last week and missed the last-gasp 1-1 draw with fellow strugglers York at Bootham Crescent.

Striker Francis Jeffers and defender Nicky Hunt are expected to be absent once more with hamstring injuries, although the latter has returned to light training.

Jeffers' fellow forward Padraig Amond was substituted at half time against the Minstermen but it was a tactical switch and the Irishman is fit having suffered no reaction to his abductor problem.

Nick Fenton remains Morecambe's only major doubt.

Former Manchester City and Rotherham defender Fenton has been sidelined in recent weeks with a calf problem and is set to miss out once more at the Store First Stadium.

Jordan Burrow is pressing for inclusion in attack after scoring four goals for the Shrimps' second string in a 5-2 midweek victory over Grimsby.

Morecambe are still looking for their first Football League win over Stanley after failing to win any of the previous 11 meetings between the two clubs.

Manager Jim Bentley told the Morecambe Visitor: "It is amazing to think that we still haven't beaten them in the Football League and it is a record I really want to put an end to, especially for our long-suffering supporters.

"We should have beaten them at the Globe earlier in the season because it was a game we dominated from start to finish."

Rickie Lambert has grabbed the majority of the headlines in the Saints' first season back in the Barclays Premier League and is the top English scorer in the division with 14.

But the recent form of summer signing Jay Rodriguez has seen his reputation soar and Pochettino, whose side take on West Ham on Saturday, believes the former Burnley man has enough quality to earn a call-up to Roy Hodgson's squad.

"I think Jay Rodriguez, in the two months I have been here, has developed a lot," he said.

"He has great potential and I think he has a lot more to go - his potential hasn't reached its peak yet and he has much more to give but it is clear to me that his football talent and football skills make him a Premier League player.

"To be able to play in a national team and do it well you need more than two months playing well - you need to develop your game over a long period of time and if he can do that, I see a future for him [with England].

"I have no doubts that if he keeps playing this well he will get his chance.

"From the tactical point of view, perhaps the way we are playing now is enabling him to develop his own brand of football and play even better."

There has already been suggestions Lambert could also do a job for England, leaving Pochettino with the mouth-watering prospect of having two fully-fledged England internationals leading his line.

With the likes of Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe and Danny Welbeck favoured by Hodgson it remains unlikely that he would find space for both Lambert and Rodriguez, but Pochettino reckons the Southampton duo could both make an impact.

"I don't think it would be something far-fetched," the Argentinian added.

"If they both play as well as they have done lately I can see that happening. Both players are really comfortable playing here and are happy with us.

"Hopefully their performances can just keep on getting better in the next few years, that would be great for Southampton."

The winners of the fixture with West Ham on Saturday would move onto 40 points for the season and could move into the top half of the Premier League table.

Pochettino feels hitting the 40-point target would be enough to secure a second successive top-flight campaign for the Saints, but also wants to push on for the duration of the season.

"It is a reality that we are facing and I agree [that 40 points would be enough]," he said.

"It is a really important game against West Ham. Getting a win would be our fourth successive win.

"But we need the help of everyone. We are aware of West Ham; fitness-wise and physically they are a very strong team and we saw the best of them earlier in the season. We are aware it is going to be a very difficult game."

Pochettino revealed Rodriguez is a slight doubt for the clash with the Hammers after succumbing to a virus, which has also affected defender Luke Shaw and winger Jason Puncheon over the course of the week with all three players now hoping to shake the illness in time for the visit of West Ham.

The Royals, who are eight points adrift of safety with six games remaining, host Liverpool on Saturday knowing an eighth successive loss in the competition would all but doom them to relegation.

Yet Adkins insists hope remains provided they can stage a late revival, drawing on last season's drive for promotion from the Championship as inspiration.

"We are where we are in the league, let's not hide away from that. We face an uphill task but all we can do is focus on one game at a time," he said.

"We have to have the mentality of playing winning football and keep looking to the future.

"The momentum has gone against us with the run of results we've had recently, so we need to see if we can establish some momentum.

"Last season this club showed in the Championship that if you get the right momentum you can go the other way as well.

"It's been a positive week on the back of a disappointing 2-0 defeat by Southampton.

"I've been here for a couple of weeks now and the players' attitude and application has been first rate. I'm really pleased about that."

Adkins has lost all three matches since becoming manager last month and Reading chairman Sir John Madejski on Wednesday revealed he would not have sacked his predecessor Brian McDermott.

Madejski also stated that some Royals fans prefer the Championship to the Premier League, which he described as "bit of a procession", but Adkins wants to spend another season in the top flight.

"I was as gobsmacked as anyone when Brian was relieved of his duties but that's football. And I speak from my own experience," the former Southampton boss said.

"This is my first season in the Premier League and I've loved every second of it. It's where I want to ply my trade.

"We have several games left and we'll see where we are at the end of the season, but my desire is to make sure Reading stay here.

"If we're not in the Premier league next season, we'll strive to get ourselves back in straightaway."

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