It was almost as if he had never been away.

Micky Adams breezed back into Withdean today, surrounded by familiar faces.

He was flanked at the top table by chairman Dick Knight and other long-serving members of the Board.

The only newcomer to Adams in that respect is managing director Ken Brown The local media pack facing him has not changed much either.

"It's like meeting an old girlfriend again," Adams joked.

The backroom staff remains more or less untouched. Adams ruled out a return for either of his former assistants, Alan Cork or Bob Booker - "The chairman has already said we've got an established coaching set-up at the club and I don't see that changing."

And so Dean White, brought by Adams to the club as chief scout during his first spell, stays as No. 2.

Everything is in place, with one glaring exception, one obvious omission. Will the man he has replaced buy into Team Adams?

We will find out next week whether Dean Wilkins is prepared to accept demotion to the role of senior first team coach, a post he held briefly two summers ago before succeeding Mark McGhee.

Knight admitted: "Dean was clearly surprised and upset by the news. That is totally understandable. We have not asked Dean to make any decisions instantly.

"He has gone away for a few days to think it over but he has already told us that he is very happy to talk to Micky when he comes back and Micky has made it clear to me and the rest of the Board that he is looking forward to working with Dean."

They know each other well, of course. When Adams was appointed nine years ago, Wilkins was already at the club as youth team coach.

Adams was so impressed by the job Wilkins did in tandem with Martin Hinshelwood that, later down the line when he had been sent to Coventry via Leicester, he tried to make him Academy chief at the Ricoh Arena "I have got total respect for Dean as a coach, he knows that," Adams said. "I tried to nick him a couple of times.

"There's no problem, I am sure myself and Dean will be talking in the not too distant future."

Much depends on whether Wilkins wants another crack at management and whether a seventh-placed finish in his first full season has attracted attention elsewhere.

If the answer to both of those questions is no, is he prepared to work again under Adams? Both the timing and circumstances of his return are unusual. New managers normally inherit a failing team and appointments are rare a few days after the end of a season.

"I think it's an advantage from my point of view," Adams said. "The season is over and from afar it looks a very good season, just missing out on the play-offs.

"It enables me to formulate a squad. If I had come into the job four weeks down the line maybe players we could compete for might have gone elsewhere.

"I've got a few ideas and I'll be talking to Dick about them."

In the seven years that he has been away, Adams has been relegated and promoted with Leicester, had a difficult stint in the Championship with troubled Coventry and then as No. 2 earlier this season at Colchester.

Apart from being "greyer and fatter", his words not mine, how has he changed? "I've had some good times and bad times," he said. "My experiences have stood me in good stead.

"I've been out of the game for a short while but I wanted to do that. I had opportunities to manage various clubs but didn't want to rush in.

"I wanted to sit back, consider my options and make sure it was right for me and my family. I see this as that perfect opportunity.

"I think I am wiser and more experienced now. Last time I was here I wanted everything done today and I couldn't see the longer term project but I do now and I'm looking forward to it."