It would be very strange to actually face a dark arts GA team, though it would be quite satisfying to disdainfully say "I would want to watch that every week."
Too easy for some of our most predictable fans, if we lose (or even conceed a goal ) then Blooms is a sentimental appointment and needs to go asap, if we win or score Ainsworths dark arts and style of play are yesterday's blunt instruments we've thankfully left behind.
Hopefully it would end 4-4 so people can flip back and forth as the game progresses. Maybe the BFP could write two stories in advance Boris style.
Very true - storylines always tend to be in the extremes. It seems inevitable we will face a GA team at some point, and I would like to get the first one out of the way. I do hope we see him on co-comms for the Charlton game first (cough cough @bluntphil).
To be fair to Stevenage fans (and I don't say that easily) they are taking it quite well on their forum, understanding the realities of football and generally thanking Evans for his service.
Can certainly see Ainsworth going to Stevenage. Small club punching above their weight. Fits his DNA. Unfortunately cannot see any club higher taking him. Style of football and disastrous time at QPR going against him.
QPR really was a horrible fit, and though I understand a confident man like GA betting on himself, I do think Dobbo saw the danger coming more than Gareth did. Mind you, with the payout, maybe it can all be filed under "better to die knowing."
Either way, the next job has to be a good fit for a reputation rebuild, you would think, and Stevenage does seem like just that. It will be interesting to see if the Stevenage owners draw the dots together in the same way.
I agree on it being the highest club he could hope for, and almost a perfect fit in some ways. Reading and Cambridge looked possible at one point, but Selles really kicked on in difficult circumstances, and Garry Monk looks like getting Cambridge over the line and is vastly experienced. I feel any other offer is more likely to come from L2.
Stevenage fans have decided that Ainsworth is crap and a better shout would be the Cowleys. Not to overly disrespect the brothers, but how can anyone think they are more accomplished than GA? You can argue that neither have done anything beyond one club, but GA got Wycombe from 4th to 2nd tier on small budget, whereas Cowleys went from 5th to 3rd.
I actually think they'll be okay. Evidently there have been a lot of good performances but too many draws instead of wins. Unfortunately, Colchester will probably be up there next season.
They were great at Lincoln. I wonder why they struggled to replicate that long term at Huddersfield and Portsmouth. Hopefully they’ll skip the good part at ColU.
They did well at Huddersfield considering the low ebb the club were at when they came in. I guess it's a case of fit like with all managers, though. Gaz could probably succeed at another Championship club - he just took completely the wrong job.
I spoke to Gareth at JJ's testimonial night, and he told me that he's turned down 4 League One job offers. He said he was enjoying his time off, but that his plan was to take on a new job this summer. So Stevenage seems a good bet for him
It's not League One but I know he turned down Bradford. He was offered it very soon after leaving QPR (and immediately before we played them in the FA Cup if I recall).
It's good GA was getting the offers, as he'll be able to get back in sooner or later. As a fan, I don't want it to be Stevenage, but it definitely looks a good fit from a squad perspective, though also with the jeopardy of having to follow a high watermark, which is never easy.
I actually think there may be fairly slim pickings in the summer in L1, as you have to eradicate basically the top half and the relegated teams, so you are left with the odd scuffler who are unhappy with their boss or teams who did so well that their boss moved on, like Stevenage. Besides them, Burton, Shrewsbury and Cambridge all made recent changes that would probably be kept for the start of next season if they stay up. The only club I can think of who may be exceptionally disappointed is Bristol Rovers, but they did not actually battle relegation, just went on a terrible run.
Even in L2, there does not seem to be a massive amount of candidates, partly because of how many teams have been in with a shout of the playoffs. That being said, even if GA did not get one in the summer, it sounds like he would be nailed on for more offers once the in-season sackings started around October - but then it would be at a struggling club.
I do wonder whether Barnsley may see their season as underwhelming and see some good old-fashioned pragmatism against the new silky skills of their close neighbours Rotherham as a possible benefit…
(Did I dream it or was GA to Barnsley a strong running rumour a couple of years or so back)
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😊
I'm thinking of chucking 50 quid on Bloomfield just to make him the favourite and see this place burst into flames.
It would be very strange to actually face a dark arts GA team, though it would be quite satisfying to disdainfully say "I would want to watch that every week."
Too easy for some of our most predictable fans, if we lose (or even conceed a goal ) then Blooms is a sentimental appointment and needs to go asap, if we win or score Ainsworths dark arts and style of play are yesterday's blunt instruments we've thankfully left behind.
Hopefully it would end 4-4 so people can flip back and forth as the game progresses. Maybe the BFP could write two stories in advance Boris style.
Perhaps it was Nick Freeman.
Very true - storylines always tend to be in the extremes. It seems inevitable we will face a GA team at some point, and I would like to get the first one out of the way. I do hope we see him on co-comms for the Charlton game first (cough cough @bluntphil).
To be fair to Stevenage fans (and I don't say that easily) they are taking it quite well on their forum, understanding the realities of football and generally thanking Evans for his service.
The BFP can’t even write 1 story these days
Can certainly see Ainsworth going to Stevenage. Small club punching above their weight. Fits his DNA. Unfortunately cannot see any club higher taking him. Style of football and disastrous time at QPR going against him.
QPR really was a horrible fit, and though I understand a confident man like GA betting on himself, I do think Dobbo saw the danger coming more than Gareth did. Mind you, with the payout, maybe it can all be filed under "better to die knowing."
Either way, the next job has to be a good fit for a reputation rebuild, you would think, and Stevenage does seem like just that. It will be interesting to see if the Stevenage owners draw the dots together in the same way.
I agree on it being the highest club he could hope for, and almost a perfect fit in some ways. Reading and Cambridge looked possible at one point, but Selles really kicked on in difficult circumstances, and Garry Monk looks like getting Cambridge over the line and is vastly experienced. I feel any other offer is more likely to come from L2.
Stevenage being the birthplace of Fields of the Nephilim might also entice him.
Stevenage fans have decided that Ainsworth is crap and a better shout would be the Cowleys. Not to overly disrespect the brothers, but how can anyone think they are more accomplished than GA? You can argue that neither have done anything beyond one club, but GA got Wycombe from 4th to 2nd tier on small budget, whereas Cowleys went from 5th to 3rd.
What sort of voodoo are the Cowley’s working on people?
The Cowleys have done well most places they've been. I don't know what's gone wrong for them at Col U.
I actually think they'll be okay. Evidently there have been a lot of good performances but too many draws instead of wins. Unfortunately, Colchester will probably be up there next season.
They were great at Lincoln. I wonder why they struggled to replicate that long term at Huddersfield and Portsmouth. Hopefully they’ll skip the good part at ColU.
They did well at Huddersfield considering the low ebb the club were at when they came in. I guess it's a case of fit like with all managers, though. Gaz could probably succeed at another Championship club - he just took completely the wrong job.
Sorry, just cannot see Ainsworth getting a job at Championship level.
Horrible person, that game was bad enough what angered me was the dismissive attitude towards the injured players in the press conference afterwards.
On a separate note has Disney killed the Star Wars franchise.
I spoke to Gareth at JJ's testimonial night, and he told me that he's turned down 4 League One job offers. He said he was enjoying his time off, but that his plan was to take on a new job this summer. So Stevenage seems a good bet for him
Time to speculate
Burton, Cambridge, Fleetwood, Shrewsbury
It's not League One but I know he turned down Bradford. He was offered it very soon after leaving QPR (and immediately before we played them in the FA Cup if I recall).
Saw a tweet from a Stevenage fan saying that he wouldn't want Gareth's style of play. No sense of irony at all.
Gaz's way of playing would be too idealistic for that lot.
It's good GA was getting the offers, as he'll be able to get back in sooner or later. As a fan, I don't want it to be Stevenage, but it definitely looks a good fit from a squad perspective, though also with the jeopardy of having to follow a high watermark, which is never easy.
He may well have thought around New Year that he and Dobbo would be asked back at Marlow Rd. Almost certainly would have been sounded out.
I actually think there may be fairly slim pickings in the summer in L1, as you have to eradicate basically the top half and the relegated teams, so you are left with the odd scuffler who are unhappy with their boss or teams who did so well that their boss moved on, like Stevenage. Besides them, Burton, Shrewsbury and Cambridge all made recent changes that would probably be kept for the start of next season if they stay up. The only club I can think of who may be exceptionally disappointed is Bristol Rovers, but they did not actually battle relegation, just went on a terrible run.
Even in L2, there does not seem to be a massive amount of candidates, partly because of how many teams have been in with a shout of the playoffs. That being said, even if GA did not get one in the summer, it sounds like he would be nailed on for more offers once the in-season sackings started around October - but then it would be at a struggling club.
Good point, and I'm glad it did not come to that!
I do wonder whether Barnsley may see their season as underwhelming and see some good old-fashioned pragmatism against the new silky skills of their close neighbours Rotherham as a possible benefit…
(Did I dream it or was GA to Barnsley a strong running rumour a couple of years or so back)
They offered him the job and he turned it down iirc