Southampton manager Nigel Adkins is lost for words as his side are promoted to the Premier League That, clearly, will be much easier to achieve with the added revenue of the Premier League. With £15 million being ploughed into new training facilities, the longer-term vision of chairman Nicola Cortese is a club whose academy will provide the foundation for Premier League football. Adkins believes that he does have the core of the squad which can compete next season but, inevitably, some difficult decisions await. "The next step is the evolution of the squad," he said. "The Premier League will require a certain calibre of players," he said. We know what type of player we're looking for and we've been out there working very diligently to try to find players that are better than we've got. We're not going to disturb the squad we've got or the team ethic we've got. We'll take the momentum forward with this squad but we will be looking to improve and that's the natural evolution. One player who already looks equipped for the Premier League is Adam Lallana, who scored Southampton's fourth on Saturday, and also played a part in the first with a volley, deflected in by Billy Sharp. The two centre-backs, Jos Hooiveld and Jose Fonte, scored Saturday's other goals and are ready for the step up. Rickie Lambert, the Championship top scorer, and Kelvin Davis, the club captain, will also be a firm part of Adkins plans. The belief that a promoted team can flourish at top level while staying true to their passing philosophy has certainly been enhanced this season by Norwich and Swansea. "If we keep things going next year we are going to do well, not just survive," said Lallana. Norwich have, Swansea have so why can't we? Adkins, as ever, was determined to spread the praise but this was also the greatest achievement yet in an extraordinary managerial career. As a player, Adkins was on Liverpool's books and became youngest goalkeeper in Tranmere's history but, from the age of 18, he also managed a local parks side. And it was this experience - driving their minibus to away games, occasionally clearing dog-mess off the pitch, producing a programme for each match, while also overseeing five promotions - which provided the foundation for his career. Since then, he has also guided Bangor to two Welsh League titles and overseen two promotions in four seasons at Scunthorpe. After beginning his career in the fifth division of the Birkenhead Sunday League, he was entitled to be speechless. Southampton (4-4-2): Davis; Butterfield, Fonte, Hooiveld, Fox; Do Prado, Schneiderlin, Hammond (Cork 37), Lallana (Puncheon 82); Sharp (De Ridder 76), Lambert. Subs: Bialkowsi, Harding. Coventry (4-2-3-1): Murphy; Clarke, Willis (Henderson 72), Cranie, Hussey; Norwood, Bigirama (Jeffers 46); Baker, Thomas, McSheffrey (Roberts 34); McDonald. Subs: Dunn, Platt. Referee: A Taylor (Manchester). Ups and downs Championship Champions: Reading. Promoted: Southampton. Play-offs: West Ham, Birmingham, Blackpool, Cardiff. Relegated: Portsmouth, Coventry, Doncaster. Play-off dates: Semi-final first leg, Thursday: Cardiff v West Ham. Friday: Blackpool v Birmingham. Second leg, May 7: West Ham v Cardiff. May 9: Birmingham v Blackpool. Final: May 19, Wembley. Champions: Charlton. Promoted: Two from Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield Utd, MK Dons, Huddersfield, Stevenage, Notts County. Relegated: Exeter, Rochdale, Chesterfield, Wycombe. Champions: Swindon. Promoted: Shrewsbury and two from Crawley, Torquay, Southend, Cheltenham, Crewe, Oxford. Relegated: Macclesfield and one from Hereford, Barnet. Blue Square Champions: Fleetwood and one from Wrexham, Mansfield, York, Luton.