Forren seals Southampton move

Forren, 24, has signed a three-and-a-half year deal with the Saints.

Capped five times by Norway, Forren was named player of the year in Tippeligaen in November.

Forren, who was at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to watch Southampton's 2-2 draw with Chelsea, could make his debut against Everton.

Liverpool showed an interest in the defender, inviting him over to England for a trial, but Forren was excited by what the future could hold for Southampton.

"It's a dream come true for me. Southampton is a big club in the Premier League, which is where I have always wanted to come and play football," Forren said.

"When I was told of the interest from Southampton, straight away I wanted to come and talk to the chairman. We had a chat and I was very impressed - there was no doubt that this is where I wanted to be.

"The plan the chairman has for this club is fantastic. There is a good, young squad here and the way they play fits me well, s o I hope I can join the team and get some good results."

Forren officially joins Southampton on the day the club sacked Nigel Adkins and replaced him as manager with the former Argentina international Mauricio Pochettino.

Time is tight for Pochettino

The former Argentina international will take his first training session on Saturday after being recruited in controversial circumstances.

Nigel Adkins was sacked by the Saints on Friday, despite leading Southampton from League One to 15th in the Barclays Premier League with back-to-back promotions.

Southampton's decision promoted a furious reaction from supporters and former captain Matt Le Tissier said the club had become a "laughing stock".

Adkins retained his dignity and he left a message of encouragement to the squad which read: "Keep smiling. Have faith and belief that you are doing the right thing. Keep looking to improve."

Adkins' last game in charge was a 2-2 draw with European champions Chelsea which extended Southampton's unbeaten run in the Premier League to five matches.

Pochettino's immediate task is to maintain that momentum, a task which could be harder given he hardly speaks any English, but he is excited by the chal lenge.

"I'm an aggressive manager, in the positive sense, and I like to play dynamic, pressure football with an attacking nature that the fans can be proud of watching their team," he said.

"The biggest challenge is to win all the games that are ahead of us.

"That is the mentality that we need to have going into the games as a team.

"In the background there is a project and we'll keep on growing together as a club with one of the best academies in the country."

Adkins was such a favourite at St Mary's that Pochettino is well aware he will have to win over the angry supporters.

"I hope I can convince them with hard work, honesty and that they enjoy the way the club plays and they feel honoured and proud how the team is playing," he said.

Pochettino could have defender Vegard Forren available on Monday after the Norwegian international joined the club from Molde.

"When I was told of the interest from Southampton, straight away I wanted to come and talk to the chairman," said Forren, the Norwegian player of the year.

"There is a good, young squad here and the way they play fits me well, so I hope I can join the team and get some good results."

Southampton fans urged to wave white handkerchiefs as a protest over sacking

Adkins was removed from the manager's seat at St Mary's despite a successful 27 months in charge that has witnessed back-to-back promotions.

Under Adkins, the Saints won twice as many games as they lost and rose more than 40 positions in the league.

They currently stand 15th in the Premier League, following a run of just two defeats in their last 12 matches.

Adkins has now been replaced by Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino, with Southampton's executive chairman Nicola Cortese explaining the decision as being made "with the long-term ambitions of the football club in mind."

And Perry McMillan, of the Southampton Independent Supporters Association, is the latest person to criticise the sacking of Adkins.

McMillan wants the club's fans to wave handkerchiefs at St Mary's on Monday when Everton arrive on the south coast for a Premier League match

He told the Daily Echo: "As Spanish supporters wave white hankies as a form of protest it seems an appropriate way to protest at Nicola Cortese's ruthless treatment of Nigel Adkins.

"It's important we send out this message and as this match is live on TV and will be seen throughout Europe, it's a great opportunity to show how we feel.

"When you think about how hard he (Adkins) worked to get us into the Premier League, this leaves a bitter taste."

McMenemy shocked by Adkins sacking

McMenemy, who managed the Saints from 1973-85, including an FA Cup win over Manchester United in 1976, also questioned whether Mauricio Pochettino had been lined up to take over ahead of the announcement of Adkins' dismissal on Friday.

In his column in the Southern Daily Echo, McMenemy wrote: "Speaking as a manager with more than a little experience - in fact well over 1,000 games at every level from fourth division to internationals - I never get too surprised. But I have to admit that the dismissal of Nigel Adkins and the way it was conducted knocked me back.

"Sir Alex (Ferguson), and you'll get nobody more respected in the world of football, called it 'crazy'.

"Other leading figures have used words like shameful and unforgivable."

Pochettini revealed at Friday's press conference that he had been researching Southampton's squad ahead of the announcement that Adkins was leaving.

"At his first press conference the new manager tried to evade the question about when he was first approached for the job but did admit he had been researching the team over the past weeks," wrote McMenemy.

"It will be helpful to him, and believe me he will need as much as he can get, but it really does look bad as those comments seem to suggest that Nigel Adkins was what I can only describe as a dead man walking."

Former Southampton player Matt Le Tissier was not surprised at Adkins' dismissal by executive chairman Nicola Cortese.

Le Tissier, who made over 400 appearances for the club, felt Adkins was not given a fair chance after taking the Saints from League One to the Premier League.

A pundit on Sky Sports, Le Tissier told the Soccer Saturday show: "What he has done for the football club in the last couple of seasons meant for me he deserved a fair crack of the whip but he hasn't got it.

"The team has picked up and there was a real feelgood factor and it just seemed a real crazy time to d o it.

"I am not surprised. The rumours have been around at the football club since the summer that Nicola Cortese didn't want Nigel Adkins in that position.

"Nigel has just been a sitting duck and that is just incredibly disrespectful to Nigel Adkins after the job that he has done."

Pochettino took his first training session with the Southampton players this morning ahead of the Barclays Premier League clash with Everton at St Mary's Park on Monday evening.

Pochettino could draft new signing Vegard Forren straight into his squad to face Everton after the Norwegian centre-back signed from Molde for an undisclosed fee.

The 24-year-old signed a three-and-a-half year deal with the Saints in a deal announced on the day Pochettino took over from Adkins.

Capped five times by Norway, Forren said: "The plan the chairman has for this club is fantastic. There is a good, young squad here and the way they play fits me well, so I hope I can join t he team and get some good results."

Everton boss David Moyes, who has become used to seeing Premier League managers given the chop, admitted yesterday's sacking of Adkins caught him by surprise.

Moyes said: "I'm very surprised. I was talking to my staff during the week and complimenting how well Nigel Adkins had done.

"It was always going to be difficult after two promotions. Anybody who does that coming up, it's a long way up.

"He'd just got himself out of the bottom three and moved up and I don't think there would have been many people looking at Nigel Adkins to be sacked in that position."

Lambert hopes to win recall for Southampton; Everton won't risk Mirallas

Lambert came off the bench to head his 10th Premier League goal of the season in Wednesday's 2-2 draw at Chelsea.

Pochettino, taking charge of his first game since replacing Nigel Adkins, will monitor the fitness of Adam Lallana who has returned to light training after a knee injury.

Kevin Mirallas is not expected to be risked for Everton after virtually two months out with a hamstring injury.

The Belgian is reported to be back in training but, after attempting to come back last month and breaking down again, manager David Moyes will not want to rush him.

Defender Johnny Heitinga could return after missing the last two games with a knock but full-back Tony Hibbert (calf) and midfielder Darron Gibson (thigh) remain on the sidelines.

Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier claims club in danger of becoming laughing stock

Adkins - who guided the club to back-to-back promotions - has been replaced by former Argentina international Mauricio Pochettino, who left his coaching role at Espanyol in November.

Soccer Saturday pundit Le Tissier told Sky Sports News: "It doesn't surprise me.

"It's a strange time of the season, they've lost two of the last 12 games and came from 2-0 down to draw at Chelsea.

"But it seems to be the way the club's being run under the chairman. Nothing's surprising and it's a bit of a laughing stock.

"I'm shocked at the timing, it's very strange and it's an odd thing to come to terms with today.

"I think he had a bit of pressure early on this season, people thought it might happen then; maybe they couldn't get the man they wanted then. It's all very strange.

"I think everyone is taken aback by it all. They have come to terms with life in the Premier League, had a tough start and have turned things round pretty well."

Pochettino will be in charge for the home match against Everton on Monday night, which will be shown live and exclusively on Sky Sports 1HD.

Adkins hails Shaw contribution

Shaw, who does not turn 18 until July, left Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta in his wake as he charged 50-metres run down the left wing before crossing for Jason Puncheon to volley the equaliser.

Puncheon took the immediate plaudits for a brilliant finish as Southampton proved how quickly they have adapted to the demands of the Barclays Premier League.

But once the dust had settled at Stamford Bridge, Adkins reflected on the giant strides Shaw has taken this campaign.

"You talk about maturity and he demonstrated it (against Chelsea). It was a great surging run. We keep encouraging him," Adkins said.

"We want players to pass the football and we want our full-backs to bomb on and in Luke Shaw and Nathaniel Clyne, two Englishmen, we are very pleased.

"They have a long, long way to go in their careers. Luke Shaw is 17 years of age. He has come through our system. We are endeavouring to get as many as we can through."

Southampto n's draw at Stamford Bridge came less than a fortnight after they had been beaten 5-1 by Chelsea in the FA Cup - two games which Adkins views as a microcosm of Saints' season.

Having taken time to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League, the Southampton head to Everton on Monday three points clear of the relegation zone and looking up not down.

"In our first 10 games we only picked up four points but we have improved, the players have grown in confidence and we have found ways to pick up points," Adkins said.

"There is a continual growing belief, a maturity about the players. They are accustomed to playing in this division now and we are in a position where we are looking to pick points up.

"We were beaten 5-1 by Chelsea but we have demonstrated we can learn quickly."

For Chelsea, the draw represented a wasted opportunity both for the team and for interim manager Rafael Benitez just hours after Pep Guardiola revealed he was taking charge of Bayern Munich.

Chelsea have now drawn one and lost two of their last three home matches and the dissent towards Benitez was audible on the final whistle.