If he and presumably Dobbo go, then do we get compensation? Finances will surely figure in the Couhig’s appointment plans. Maybe in-house would help the books and it might work this season- team coming together to battle on as one. Not sure after that, it’s hard to do both jobs and hard to transition to being the Gaffer. Gaz learned a lot when he did it and pulled it off (thanks to the miracle at Torquay and the club having no money)
The way he was treated at Forest is a big part of why he hasn’t managed since, he has been quite clear on the type of owners he won’t even consider working for again, which to be honest rules him out of lots of clubs in the top two leagues.
I could definitely see him coming back as interim until the end of the season (potentially with Guppy / Gary Smith if their commitments in the US can allow it) and then us going in for Bloomfield in the summer.
Likewise, I can see someone going to QPR as an interim and then getting Gaz in the summer and us getting Bloomfield in the summer.
Whilst I understand that Bloomfield is only early in his managerial career, there is absolutely no guarantee he will survive and succeed in the long term and get an opportunity to come back to us, and no way will the setup be as straightforward for him ever to walk back into the club.
Hopefully though, Gaz just thinks that QPR are a shitshow and we carry on as usual!!
QPR can have Ainsworth but they can't have his hair. Whoever comes in to replace him will have it surgically attached and then it's business as usual. Ancient wisdom, Book of Judges, praise be.
Perhaps this is a masterstroke to sort our finances out. Agent Ainsworth compensation, followed by him buying three or four of the squad for a few million in the summer. Also signing Mehmeti for £10M from Brizzle then loaning him back to us.
He'll then ensure a terrible start to the season and is back with us by the last week in August, with money to spend, Mehmeti in.
There are so many unknowns here but what is a message board for if not baseless speculation…
If I were Gaz I can’t see many reasons not to accept an offer from QPR. They surely won’t go down, nor will they fire him before the start of next season (you’d hope not anyway). So this isn’t really a gamble in the same way as it would be taking a job at a club bottom of the league. And it is about as much stability as he is ever likely to get if/when he leaves.
Even if they start next season poorly and loses his job his stock isn’t damaged that badly. After all, nobody leaves the QPR job with much credit. And he now has a well-established record of getting teams into promotion-winning positions in League 1. That wasn’t necessarily the case a couple of years ago and he’d be leaving us with his CV in the strongest shape it has ever been.
The ramifications of making Dobbo a counter offer as WWFC manager are interesting. If Gaz agrees to join QPR and Dobbo then decides to stay and take the managers job here it puts the former in a difficult position whereby he may not really want to leave but also couldn’t really stay. Lots of hypotheticals there and Dobbo has (I think?) always said he doesn’t want a job as manager. But what you say and what you really think can be different in those situations.
If it comes to it I think I’d appoint one of the current ‘Generals’ as player-manager, or bring in a recent player as manager till the end of the season. Maybe Darius? We’re playing great stuff and have a real shot at going up so continuity must be the obvious answer, with a chance to then appraise the situation in the summer depending on which league we’re in. Admittedly, that would make negotiations very difficult with any out of contract players.
For comparison, didn’t Mick Harford take the reins at Luton a couple of times in similar circumstances when Nathan Jones left mid-season. That must have been a continuity play and seemed to work quite well. I think they went up from League 1 after he took over?
I will be amazed if he doesn’t go. Presumably he will take Dobbo and will he take anyone else from the back room staff, including the goalkeeper coach who has just come from QPR!!!! Big game Saturday, need someone to take the training.
"and Dobbo has (I think?) always said he doesn’t want a job as manager"
Not sure he's ever said that tbh, has certainly said the opposite in some interviews.
For me he's top choice if there's a vacancy in his own right and I'd also be tempted to let him run the whole football side as he sees fit in some kind of director of football role with a younger coach / manager if he preferred.
There are other views available. I know this is pretty emotional for everyone but it's not outside the realms of possibility that the Couhigs offer Dobbo the chance to stay. If I was Rob & Pete, I'd definitely be putting that option on the table.
Given how long Dobbo has been here and everything he has built up, perhaps, he may just want to stay?
The first question is easier, he might never get a chance to be a number one elsewhere, he'll have his own ideas, and he's been here a fair bit longer than Gaz.
The second is fairly easy too tbh, if Gaz does want to finally test himself higher, go back to a club he enjoys and massively increase his profile and salary he'd certainly think twice about going without Dobbo surely but will know and be able to attract and pay other coaches.
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Bayo won't ever go into coaching, but I can see the Netflix series now. Make it happen!
If he and presumably Dobbo go, then do we get compensation? Finances will surely figure in the Couhig’s appointment plans. Maybe in-house would help the books and it might work this season- team coming together to battle on as one. Not sure after that, it’s hard to do both jobs and hard to transition to being the Gaffer. Gaz learned a lot when he did it and pulled it off (thanks to the miracle at Torquay and the club having no money)
If it happens, and it has to be as likely as it ever has, keeping Dobbo has to be plan A, B and C.
The way he was treated at Forest is a big part of why he hasn’t managed since, he has been quite clear on the type of owners he won’t even consider working for again, which to be honest rules him out of lots of clubs in the top two leagues.
I could definitely see him coming back as interim until the end of the season (potentially with Guppy / Gary Smith if their commitments in the US can allow it) and then us going in for Bloomfield in the summer.
Likewise, I can see someone going to QPR as an interim and then getting Gaz in the summer and us getting Bloomfield in the summer.
Whilst I understand that Bloomfield is only early in his managerial career, there is absolutely no guarantee he will survive and succeed in the long term and get an opportunity to come back to us, and no way will the setup be as straightforward for him ever to walk back into the club.
Hopefully though, Gaz just thinks that QPR are a shitshow and we carry on as usual!!
Gaz without Dobbo is like a car without wheels
QPR can have Ainsworth but they can't have his hair. Whoever comes in to replace him will have it surgically attached and then it's business as usual. Ancient wisdom, Book of Judges, praise be.
You missed out his Leather jacket and Snake skinned shoes too!
Are we allowed to consider anyone with less than 100 club appearances? 😂
Is anyone else imagining the negotiations going something like this?
GA: "...and you promise you won't give me the sack if I keep you up?"
QPR: (one hand behind the back with fingers crossed). "Scouts honour."
Perhaps this is a masterstroke to sort our finances out. Agent Ainsworth compensation, followed by him buying three or four of the squad for a few million in the summer. Also signing Mehmeti for £10M from Brizzle then loaning him back to us.
He'll then ensure a terrible start to the season and is back with us by the last week in August, with money to spend, Mehmeti in.
It all seems so clear...
Can you imagine hearing ‘DEREK ADAMS’ BARMY ARMY’ roaring from the terrace? 😂
I wonder if all the people praying for Ainsworth not to go are the same ones that suggested his time was up at the start of the season?
I know a solution for both clubs, one which will save QPR a ton of money.
Les Ferdinand: "Chat GPT, manage us like Gareth Ainsworth."
Some of them were suggesting it as recently as November / December.
And would start again if we lost three on the spin.
The sad thing is, some fans will be angry with him if he goes, as that is the way of football.
There are so many unknowns here but what is a message board for if not baseless speculation…
If I were Gaz I can’t see many reasons not to accept an offer from QPR. They surely won’t go down, nor will they fire him before the start of next season (you’d hope not anyway). So this isn’t really a gamble in the same way as it would be taking a job at a club bottom of the league. And it is about as much stability as he is ever likely to get if/when he leaves.
Even if they start next season poorly and loses his job his stock isn’t damaged that badly. After all, nobody leaves the QPR job with much credit. And he now has a well-established record of getting teams into promotion-winning positions in League 1. That wasn’t necessarily the case a couple of years ago and he’d be leaving us with his CV in the strongest shape it has ever been.
The ramifications of making Dobbo a counter offer as WWFC manager are interesting. If Gaz agrees to join QPR and Dobbo then decides to stay and take the managers job here it puts the former in a difficult position whereby he may not really want to leave but also couldn’t really stay. Lots of hypotheticals there and Dobbo has (I think?) always said he doesn’t want a job as manager. But what you say and what you really think can be different in those situations.
If it comes to it I think I’d appoint one of the current ‘Generals’ as player-manager, or bring in a recent player as manager till the end of the season. Maybe Darius? We’re playing great stuff and have a real shot at going up so continuity must be the obvious answer, with a chance to then appraise the situation in the summer depending on which league we’re in. Admittedly, that would make negotiations very difficult with any out of contract players.
For comparison, didn’t Mick Harford take the reins at Luton a couple of times in similar circumstances when Nathan Jones left mid-season. That must have been a continuity play and seemed to work quite well. I think they went up from League 1 after he took over?
The thing is, with Blooms gone, who is our Mick Harford?
I will be amazed if he doesn’t go. Presumably he will take Dobbo and will he take anyone else from the back room staff, including the goalkeeper coach who has just come from QPR!!!! Big game Saturday, need someone to take the training.
I’d not be angry. Surprised and unbelievably sad because I literally live for Ainsworth’s Wycombe Wanderers.
And my lovely family of course!
I certainly wouldn’t blame him going if he feels it is progression. Good luck and no grudges at all and he would always be welcome back at Wycombe.
"and Dobbo has (I think?) always said he doesn’t want a job as manager"
Not sure he's ever said that tbh, has certainly said the opposite in some interviews.
For me he's top choice if there's a vacancy in his own right and I'd also be tempted to let him run the whole football side as he sees fit in some kind of director of football role with a younger coach / manager if he preferred.
Why on earth would Dobbo not go with Gaz? Why would Gaz go without Dobbo?
Josh Hart would probably also go in addition to Dobbo. It could really be the majority of our senior non-player staff.
https://twitter.com/talkSPORT/status/1627684506810327040?t=RJLkcVZAu7fbLKEXW9iRtw&s=08
I think that’s right, I can’t see Gaz going unless Dobbo is happy to go too. Who’d do the coaching?
Therefore, oddly, it’s potentially more Richard Dobson’s decision that matters than Gareth’s.
There are other views available. I know this is pretty emotional for everyone but it's not outside the realms of possibility that the Couhigs offer Dobbo the chance to stay. If I was Rob & Pete, I'd definitely be putting that option on the table.
Given how long Dobbo has been here and everything he has built up, perhaps, he may just want to stay?
Either that’s an incredible coincidence of a booking or MoN has a killer agent
The first question is easier, he might never get a chance to be a number one elsewhere, he'll have his own ideas, and he's been here a fair bit longer than Gaz.
The second is fairly easy too tbh, if Gaz does want to finally test himself higher, go back to a club he enjoys and massively increase his profile and salary he'd certainly think twice about going without Dobbo surely but will know and be able to attract and pay other coaches.
Only joking here guys but maybe Rob will put Pete in charge of the team