The 5 best quotes from Micky Adams 2008-09
Micky Adams had been a quotable manager throughout his first spell in charge of Brighton. Some of his phrases stick in the memory over 20 years since he first arrived in the dugout at Priestfield Stadium in April 1999.
“Keep the faith” is used by Albion fans to this day and even lent itself to the name of a fanzine. “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail” underpinned everything that Adams did between 1999 and 2001 as he took Brighton from struggling near the bottom of the fourth tier to challenging for promotion to the second.
Adams’ first spell in charge though was nothing compared to his second. In his seven years away, he seemed to have developed a penchant for speaking complete and utter nonsense.
Don’t believe me? Here are five of the best quotes from the Micky Adams Era of 2008-09. Here he is…
“I am determined, I am drawing on all my experience at the moment and getting all the wagons around me, like the cowboys used to.”
When Brighton met Luton Town in the Johnstone’s Paint Pot Southern Section final, it was meant to be an easy route to Wembley. The Hatters were rock bottom of League Two and already doomed to relegation to the Conference thanks to a 30 point deduction.
The Albion were in relegation trouble of their own in League One. All that appeared to be keeping Adams in a job was the fact he was on the cusp of becoming only the third manager after Jimmy Melia and Barry Lloyd to lead Brighton to Wembley.
When the Seagulls failed to beat Luton in the first leg at Withdean, the home crowd began to turn. How did Adams respond to the booing at full time and the calls for him to resign? Why, by comparing himself to a cowboy, obviously.
“You don’t look bad for an old girlfriend.”
The Albion Fans Forum has always been one of the best evenings of the Brighton supporting year. Housewives giving the manager tactical advice, bus drivers asking why the stadium has no forks for chips, suggestions of new centre forwards to sign.
All the nonsense tends to come from Brighton supporters but in the summer of 2008, Micky Adams took it upon himself to upstage even the most insane of fans.
One female supporter asked Adams what it was like being back at the Albion nearly seven years after he departed. Adams responded by saying that the club had a more professional setup than it had in 2001, before ending with the line “You don’t look bad for an old girlfriend.”
Adams was presumably referring to the fact that Brighton were in good shape as he and the club rekindled their relationship. However, it led to the woman who had asked the initial question going bright red.
Host Andrew Hawes had to subsequently offer a quick disclaimer that Adams was speaking metaphorically and that the Brighton boss and the female fan had not been in a past relationship.
“The players are giving their absolute maximum at the moment and some of them need a cuddle.”
One of the better rumours from Adams’ first spell in charge of the Albion was that the players used to call him ‘Hitler’ because he was so tough on them. His Division Three champions could play football, but they were also a thoroughly disciplined and drilled outfit.
It seems unlikely that Hitler would have ever said that somebody needed a cuddle. Adams had obviously mellowed considerably during his time away from Sussex, as that was his response 1-0 home defeat to Huddersfield Town on Saturday 22nd November.
One place above the League One relegation zone. Four wins all season. Out the FA Cup. And Adams wanted to offer his rather expensively assembled squad a hug.
If he did give them a cuddle in training on Monday after the Huddersfield loss, then that didn’t work either. Brighton won just two of their next 15 matches over and Micky Adams paid for that run with his job.
“No disrespect to Hereford, but we were playing The Leeds United today.”
Brighton’s relegation woes deepened on Saturday 17th January 2009 after a 2-0 home defeat to Leeds United. This was the afternoon when Fabian Delph scored one of the best goals Withdean ever saw, running 70 yards up the pitch with the ball before bending a shot past John Sullivan from outside the area.
Micky Adams was asked for his take on the loss afterwards, which he tried to explain by saying that Brighton were playing “The Leeds United.”
The way he spoke was as if a Leeds outfit who would go onto finish the season by losing in the League One playoffs were prime Barcelona, a team so good that the Albion had no chance against them.
As for not wanting to disrespect Hereford? Well, that was the best part. Three months earlier and Adams had failed to mastermind a win over Hereford, who left the Theatre of Trees with a 0-0 draw. No disrespect.
“Here he is, Jonesy. I’ve just seen it mate. I thought you were bigger than that mate. You go down clutching your face, he’s not even touched your face. He’s not even touched your face man. So there you go.”
The greatest post-match interview of any Brighton manager ever and one that will surely never be beaten. The Albion had just been held 1-1 at Yeovil Town with debutant Joe Anyinsah sent off after a coming together with former Brighton man Nathan Jones.
Jones had made a bit of a meal out of the collision and Adams was not afraid to let him know. When he spotted Jones walking past, Adams stopped mid interview to confront his one-time player, finishing his rant with “So there you go” before walking off.
To this day, I still greet most people at football by saying “Here he is”. Call it a long lasting ode to Micky Adams.
