2 months would take us to the end of March - in that timeframe we play 11 league games (inc. Barnsley, Birmingham, Huddersfield and Wrexham) along with an FA Cup 4th and potentially 5th round.
It would be a huge risk to take to wait that long to make an equally risky appointment...
If we can't wrap up Bertelson now, I'd expect Rice + co to move on elsewhere.
I would be very uncomfortable with Sam Grace for two months, least of all he’s a reluctant first team manager. I think if they have their heart set on Bertelsen, they appoint a proper interim manager - either for two months or until end of season.
if we need a short-term option would the club think about getting in an expert at short-term success, perhaps a Cricket Coach who is used to bonding a team for an overseas tour? Thinking outside the box could be the key to Promotion
Surely in this situation you'd keep Sam Grace in position for the remainder of the season?
No reason to believe he can't do a good job. He will have a good relationship with most players I imagine and a decent sense of the tactics, training etc employed by his predecessor. It feels like an entirely reasonable mid season continuity plan to me.
It also comes with lots of of fringe benefits. A chance for SG to demonstrate his credentials as a first team coach, which may be useful in the future in a similar situation where we lose a manager mid season. We might even consider priming him to take the role permanently at some point.
It also creates opportunities for other coaches and staff to gain similar experience by taking an expanded role within the development squad on a temporary basis. Again, potentially useful for the progression and succession planning within the development side/academy.
The new permanent manager would then join in the summer with a proper pre-season to prepare etc. And they wouldn't come in with the immediate pressure of taking over a team in the top 2, which I'd argue is a difficult job in some of ways. Miss the automatics and supporters feel you've under delivered, get promoted and you get little credit as people assume the groundwork was already set out for you.
As long as the squad keep performing as they did at Mansfield I see no problem with Grace seeing it through to March. If the performances start to drop off then obviously think again.
The squad clearly like Grace and respect Vokes. Another interim could totally derail the season.
Having said that, I wouldn’t mind a couple of months of St Martin!!!
There's no evidence that the squad clearly like Sam Grace, nor that he even knew many of the players well before he got asked to take on his current responsibilities. Matt took the first team coaches with him to Luton. Sam was able to slot in using what I imagine was Matt's game plan for last Saturday, probably even down to the substitutions.
Now, he may prove to be a completely competent interim head coach and he's undoubtedly a talented youth coach with the benefits of being a nice man. But so was Neil Smillie. We can't just gamble on that - plus the fact he is a Wycombe fan - to be enough when scrapping with Huddersfield and Wrexham for 2nd place. Too much is at stake.
If we can't get our favoured coach over here for a couple of months I think it's worth bringing in an experienced coach on a six month contract and making it clear he's here to get us promotion before heading off. One last hurrah for Neil Warnock?
Comments
Hiring the manager that beat them at Wembley. Good call.
I think it was Andy Warhol who said "in the future, everyone will be favourite for the Wycombe job for 15 minutes"
If Grace and Co keep winning we won't need to appointment anyone.
Rasmus moves to 4/1 as the bookies rankings turns into a bunch of random names and numbers
Hope that’s tongue in cheek. I’m sure you know in your heart of hearts that that is not going to happen.
Ian Evatt 10/1 👀
Conclusive proof that the odds are a load of cack
He might fit the data!
That's annoying, but if we've only got to wait 2 months for the right guy then worth it imo
2 months would take us to the end of March - in that timeframe we play 11 league games (inc. Barnsley, Birmingham, Huddersfield and Wrexham) along with an FA Cup 4th and potentially 5th round.
It would be a huge risk to take to wait that long to make an equally risky appointment...
If we can't wrap up Bertelson now, I'd expect Rice + co to move on elsewhere.
I suppose it depends how serious they are about promotion this season
I would be very uncomfortable with Sam Grace for two months, least of all he’s a reluctant first team manager. I think if they have their heart set on Bertelsen, they appoint a proper interim manager - either for two months or until end of season.
Good shout, hadn't considered the possibility of a proper interim. A bit of a rarity these days.
Martin O'Neill for a 5-month cameo?
Send @glasshalffull to the Gents.
Let’s do it!
Sold!
if we need a short-term option would the club think about getting in an expert at short-term success, perhaps a Cricket Coach who is used to bonding a team for an overseas tour? Thinking outside the box could be the key to Promotion
MON overseeing things and them going well would be the stuff of absolute dreams.
Not going well...well, doesn't bear thinking about.
But like flymo said, if this guy is 100% who we want, and we have to wait 2months so be it.
Will make any promotion an absolute amazing feat beyond the levels it already would with this sort of upheaval though!
Gracey will see us through, but fairly comfortable for a game or 2 with no expectations.
To try and manage our near 30 player squad to keep everyone near the pitch happy will be tough!
Mick Harford did it at Luton, got them over the line in league one.
Mick Harford had quite a lot of previous managerial experience
So does Martin ;)
Surely in this situation you'd keep Sam Grace in position for the remainder of the season?
No reason to believe he can't do a good job. He will have a good relationship with most players I imagine and a decent sense of the tactics, training etc employed by his predecessor. It feels like an entirely reasonable mid season continuity plan to me.
It also comes with lots of of fringe benefits. A chance for SG to demonstrate his credentials as a first team coach, which may be useful in the future in a similar situation where we lose a manager mid season. We might even consider priming him to take the role permanently at some point.
It also creates opportunities for other coaches and staff to gain similar experience by taking an expanded role within the development squad on a temporary basis. Again, potentially useful for the progression and succession planning within the development side/academy.
The new permanent manager would then join in the summer with a proper pre-season to prepare etc. And they wouldn't come in with the immediate pressure of taking over a team in the top 2, which I'd argue is a difficult job in some of ways. Miss the automatics and supporters feel you've under delivered, get promoted and you get little credit as people assume the groundwork was already set out for you.
Turn it in now fella.
As long as the squad keep performing as they did at Mansfield I see no problem with Grace seeing it through to March. If the performances start to drop off then obviously think again.
The squad clearly like Grace and respect Vokes. Another interim could totally derail the season.
Having said that, I wouldn’t mind a couple of months of St Martin!!!
http://www.chairboys.co.uk/sounds/index.htm
Minor tweak to the lyrics...
"We've got Dan Rice for chairman (interim), we've got Martin and Grimms..."
...and we're ready to fly again!
There's no evidence that the squad clearly like Sam Grace, nor that he even knew many of the players well before he got asked to take on his current responsibilities. Matt took the first team coaches with him to Luton. Sam was able to slot in using what I imagine was Matt's game plan for last Saturday, probably even down to the substitutions.
Now, he may prove to be a completely competent interim head coach and he's undoubtedly a talented youth coach with the benefits of being a nice man. But so was Neil Smillie. We can't just gamble on that - plus the fact he is a Wycombe fan - to be enough when scrapping with Huddersfield and Wrexham for 2nd place. Too much is at stake.
If we can't get our favoured coach over here for a couple of months I think it's worth bringing in an experienced coach on a six month contract and making it clear he's here to get us promotion before heading off. One last hurrah for Neil Warnock?
Project: Silly little Dream.
Of course he knows the players well. He's been on the training ground with them day in day out for the last few years...
Also, judging by the scenes after the Mansfield game, I think it's a fair assumption to make that the players respect Sam Grace.