New manager Mauricio Pochettino says he will bring in players from La Liga to ensure that his "ambitious project" at Southampton has every chance of success.
Welcoming
Speaking in Spanish, Pochettino insisted that his inability to communicate in English would not limit his immediate impact at Southampton, saying "Sometimes the language of football is more gestural than vocal".
And he stressed that he does have the full support of everyone at the club despite the shock sacking of Adkins, who had guided Southampton to the Premier League via back-to-back promotions.
"I haven't had a lot of time to settle yet - what with the game yesterday and getting to know everybody, the players, the staff, the whole family here at Southampton. That's all I've been doing," he said.
"We've been working round the clock for three days. I'm very grateful for the attitude of the players and the people who work at the club, as well as the fans for being so welcoming."
Pochettino and Espanyol parted ways in November with the club bottom of La Liga after 13 games of the season, but despite that dire run the Argentine still left with a record of 49 wins from his 146 league games in charge.
When asked if he was sacked, Pochettino told
Revista: "I don't think it really makes a difference now. What the president of Espanyol, the board of directors and I know is that it was a mutual agreement to rescind my contract. We believed that the project had come to an end."
