Southampton manager Nigel Adkins is not worried his job is in jeopardy

Nigel Adkins: Southampton manager is not worrying about his job and is happy with his relationship with Nicola Cortese

Southampton manager Nigel Adkins has shrugged off reports suggesting his job could be in jeopardy.

Saints have lost their opening four matches since winning promotion back to the Premier League and that has prompted talk that chairman Nicola Cortese may be preparing to bring in a new boss at St Mary's.

Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez and ex-Southampton and Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp have been mentioned as potential candidates, but Adkins believes he will be at the club for the foreseeable future.

"It doesn't affect me," he said. "I don't read the newspapers. I've got a great working relationship with the chairman here at Southampton and we share a common goal.

"We've had a great couple of seasons and there is stability here at Southampton so we don't even think about things like that.

"I have got my own desire to keep winning games of football because we have that winning mentality here at Southampton. There is a desire that we keep being strong and improving.

"I think if you're looking over your shoulder thinking 'Well, if I don't win this one' your mind is going to be affected in different ways so I don't even think about that.

"At some stage in the future, like in every job, there will be a parting of ways a long way down the line. All we are doing [right now] is concentrating on what we're doing."

Adkins, whose side face Aston Villa this weekend, insists that the bond of trust with Cortese is so strong that he has not even spoken to him about the reports about his future.

"We don't need to talk about it," he said. "We have a really good dialogue, contrary to what many people believe.

"We have an excellent working relationship and we share the same common goal; we want Southampton Football Club to do well.

"We know there needs to be stability, we know there needs to be support. We drive each other on. There is nothing wrong with that."