Southampton midfielder Jack Cork says manager Nigel Adkins must be kept on.

Adkins is feeling the heat after seeing his Saints sink into the Premier League relegation zone with just one win all season.

Cork said: "To be fair, the gaffer was having to face speculation about his future after just a few weeks of the season because results hadn't been that great.

"But to suggest things like that is just silly in my opinion. He's done a fantastic, remarkable job at Southampton and just doesn't become a bad manager in such a short space of time.

"It's a shame. He's done so well here and the fixtures haven't been kind either. It's far too soon to judge him because the Premier League is so much harder than the Championship."