I am enthusiastic until I'm not. I like the idea of a 'blank slate' coach myself rather than the usual been round the block a few times suspects, but the proof will be in the pudding.
If MD fails to get us up from this position with these players, I would worry but for now he has my full support.
Which I am sure is a great relief to him.
FA Cup Final would be nice but not a deal breaker.
It does shed more light on Bloomfield probably not having the right ‘coaching credentials & experience’ for the new regime, even if he was a club legend. MB did well to jump when he did (even if it was Luton) with a lot of credit in the bank from us.
You are very lucky to have landed such great job with a great club who have in recent times treated players, management and staff with the utmost respect by our two previous managers and owners. What I read of your recent years you are from the same mold and well respected.
You take us on when we are having our greatest ever season and in second place in League One, if we finish second or third it will be our second highest League finish since 1887.
I hope the new owners give you time to implement your coaching ideas next season and you hit the ground running, we have the squad and first 11 to finish this season in 1st or 2nd place if things do not change to drastically.
Your first job will be to get Morley to sign or another significant player at his level who can play games immediately and in the same role as Morley.
Best of luck and I hope you get given time and support from fans and Dan Rice alike.
MO'N's only previous managerial experience was with Shepshed Charterhouse and Grantham Town before he joined us. John Gregory had previously had a dire run at Portsmouth and a short caretaker stint at Plymouth. Lawrie Sanchez lost as many as he won at Sligo Rovers. John Gorman's only previous permanent role was a legendarily awful one at Swindon. Gareth Ainsworth had won 3 out 11 matches in two caretaker spells at QPR. Matt Bloomfield won 9 out of 28 at Colchester.
The only managers we have ever appointed since joining the league with a record of success elsewhere prior to joining us were Alan Smith, Peter Taylor and Gary Waddock.
Dodds is “Just a puppet” then. Cool. There is no healing on the gasroom just yet then.
I wish the new man with limited experience as the first teams top dog the same good luck as I did the last two top dogs that took over the first team with limited expirence.
So you think players will sign with the club without even speaking with the manager or head coach. I would have to disagree with that, a player will want to have communication with the guy who's coaching him and picking the team before he signs on the dotted line.
At Brentford who have a Head Coach they even speak to the Assistant First Team Coach before they sign.
I am very excitied to see where MD can take us . The club have taken their time with this appointment and I believe Rice is far more informed and skilled in the matter of recruitment than people give him credit for . Recruitmrnt of head coaches probably included . Rice was a youth scout for Fulham , Everton and Aresenal and Chief youth scout for Southampton . He has been doing this since 2009 and been involved in the workings of some very large football clubs . With his history I would suggest it is doing him a diservice suggesting he just runs some software and it spits out a player for him to persue .
Understandably a few people probably feel a little uneasy because this is new territory for WWFC . The vision the owners have for the future of the academy,this football club . and the methods they use may well seem a little alien at times but football is changing , it is driven by huge finances and these guys understand this world .
I share the view that I have heard a few people express , which is that I would rather have someone like MD take the position than a journeyman manager . Football is evolving and someone like MD has come from a successful modern environment which will mean he understands how it works and where it is going .
The data model has been successful in a lot of clubs and allowed them to punch well above their weight . Bournmouth are a good example of this and who knows where we could be in 10 years . Before anyone says we don't have a big enough support , don't try and tell me we would not fill a 15000 seated stadium some where in south bucks , if we did end up copying Bournmouth and found ourselfves competing in the Premiership . Big ask for sure but if you told a Bournmouth fan 20 years ago where they would be they would have thought you were nuts .
Much as I loved Morley - the position he played in and subsequent formation was a surprise to most of us and isn't the only way we can play. (Yes plenty of you were shouting for Josh to go back deeper)
Presumably Dodds has been speaking to the board for a good few days at least, will have watched the last couple of games and will have his own ideas on weaknesses, Morley signing tomorrow would be lovely but a full back or winger or two that can really cross the ball well would be welcome. Wouldn't mind nicking someone like Cambridge's right back who was whipping vicious crosses in yesterday like they were on sale.
Recruitment has been very good. So regardless of who is in charge of that element I think the incoming coach has a good platform.
My areas of focus would be set pieces. Not sure we are at our best and Leahy is not firing on all cylinders in that department. Secondly trying to figure out formations or strategies for breaking down teams. We are still losing confidence and resorting to long balls. As per yesterday. Simply by passing the midfield. It wasn’t working yesterday but plan B wasn’t there. This is no slight on Sam Grace, we were the same with Bloomfield and to a lesser extent Ainsworth (but Ainsworth didn’t have the technical talent arguably).
I’m excited. We have a wonderful squad. With a bit of guidance we are good to go.
You’d have thought so. Especially as you have to assume that for someone to have got that reference they probably watched Saturday night tv in the 90’s and therefore be old and grown up enough to not quite be so childish.
But hey ho, more downvotes for me for calling out that BS. Unfortunately for them, yaks have a relatively thick skin.
@TheAndyGrahamFanClub agreed we look so much better when our midfield asserts itself & we pass the ball around the press.
We do not seem to use our wide players wide enough to stretch the opposition to create central spaces for the likes of Humphreys & Scowen or even Kone to exploit, perhaps Barry will give us that immediately, with MD working to get more of that into Freds game especially.
There is nothing wrong with long balls if we are good enough to get them to one of our players 90%+ of the time, sadly too often what we actually resort to is hit & hope...which just means the ball comes straight back at us.
This is a brilliant post. I’m old enough to remember dinosaurs roaming the earth but sensible enough to realise that football evolves and change is inevitable. Gone are the days when clubs were owned by the local butcher, baker or candlestick maker, players trained by doing a few laps around the pitch and the chairman was told what to do by the manager. I can’t pretend that I like every aspect of the modern game but you either embrace it or you don’t and I for one am excited to see what the future holds. As James correctly points out, who would have thought not many years ago that clubs like Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton would even reach the PL, let alone more than hold their own at that level? There’s nothing wrong with dreaming.
Comments
Put me in the whelmed category. He’s got more credentials than the last two guys and they worked out ok.
I am enthusiastic until I'm not. I like the idea of a 'blank slate' coach myself rather than the usual been round the block a few times suspects, but the proof will be in the pudding.
If MD fails to get us up from this position with these players, I would worry but for now he has my full support.
Which I am sure is a great relief to him.
FA Cup Final would be nice but not a deal breaker.
It does shed more light on Bloomfield probably not having the right ‘coaching credentials & experience’ for the new regime, even if he was a club legend. MB did well to jump when he did (even if it was Luton) with a lot of credit in the bank from us.
I am excited to see what he does, he clearly is well respected by players he has worked with which is a great start.
I am sure the club will provide him with the support he needs in terms of coaches as well as performance analysts over the next weeks.
Let's all get behind him & the team on Saturday
Some Russian millionaires did invest in a small club called Bournemouth, they are not doing too badly at the moment.
Billionaire Tony Bloom did well at Brighton as well.
Welcome to the club Mike.
You are very lucky to have landed such great job with a great club who have in recent times treated players, management and staff with the utmost respect by our two previous managers and owners. What I read of your recent years you are from the same mold and well respected.
You take us on when we are having our greatest ever season and in second place in League One, if we finish second or third it will be our second highest League finish since 1887.
I hope the new owners give you time to implement your coaching ideas next season and you hit the ground running, we have the squad and first 11 to finish this season in 1st or 2nd place if things do not change to drastically.
Your first job will be to get Morley to sign or another significant player at his level who can play games immediately and in the same role as Morley.
Best of luck and I hope you get given time and support from fans and Dan Rice alike.
MO'N's only previous managerial experience was with Shepshed Charterhouse and Grantham Town before he joined us. John Gregory had previously had a dire run at Portsmouth and a short caretaker stint at Plymouth. Lawrie Sanchez lost as many as he won at Sligo Rovers. John Gorman's only previous permanent role was a legendarily awful one at Swindon. Gareth Ainsworth had won 3 out 11 matches in two caretaker spells at QPR. Matt Bloomfield won 9 out of 28 at Colchester.
The only managers we have ever appointed since joining the league with a record of success elsewhere prior to joining us were Alan Smith, Peter Taylor and Gary Waddock.
His job won't be getting anyone to sign! He's not the manager.
That's a great post.
Oh, I get it….
Dodds is “Just a puppet” then. Cool. There is no healing on the gasroom just yet then.
I wish the new man with limited experience as the first teams top dog the same good luck as I did the last two top dogs that took over the first team with limited expirence.
They did alright.
Can you explain the reference please? Who's the ginger fella?
So you think players will sign with the club without even speaking with the manager or head coach. I would have to disagree with that, a player will want to have communication with the guy who's coaching him and picking the team before he signs on the dotted line.
At Brentford who have a Head Coach they even speak to the Assistant First Team Coach before they sign.
The ginger fella is a character from 90’s Saturday night comedy “juggernaut” Brian Conley.
He would hit the squirrel thing with a bat and then shout “it’s a puppet”’when people showed sympathy for it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdX4WForCHY
I'm sure they'll have some communication, but the decision ultimately rests with the recruitment team.
I am very excitied to see where MD can take us . The club have taken their time with this appointment and I believe Rice is far more informed and skilled in the matter of recruitment than people give him credit for . Recruitmrnt of head coaches probably included . Rice was a youth scout for Fulham , Everton and Aresenal and Chief youth scout for Southampton . He has been doing this since 2009 and been involved in the workings of some very large football clubs . With his history I would suggest it is doing him a diservice suggesting he just runs some software and it spits out a player for him to persue .
Understandably a few people probably feel a little uneasy because this is new territory for WWFC . The vision the owners have for the future of the academy,this football club . and the methods they use may well seem a little alien at times but football is changing , it is driven by huge finances and these guys understand this world .
I share the view that I have heard a few people express , which is that I would rather have someone like MD take the position than a journeyman manager . Football is evolving and someone like MD has come from a successful modern environment which will mean he understands how it works and where it is going .
The data model has been successful in a lot of clubs and allowed them to punch well above their weight . Bournmouth are a good example of this and who knows where we could be in 10 years . Before anyone says we don't have a big enough support , don't try and tell me we would not fill a 15000 seated stadium some where in south bucks , if we did end up copying Bournmouth and found ourselfves competing in the Premiership . Big ask for sure but if you told a Bournmouth fan 20 years ago where they would be they would have thought you were nuts .
So its "Sam and Mike's Barmy Army" for Preston and "Mike and Sam's Barmy Army" for Crawley. Excellent and hopefully two wins on the road.
I hope Sam finds and keeps a useful place in the organisation.
He'll be in charge for Preston, won't he?
joke appointment wont go up now better off with ken dodd .
Welcome back trevor, youve been missed!
Much as I loved Morley - the position he played in and subsequent formation was a surprise to most of us and isn't the only way we can play. (Yes plenty of you were shouting for Josh to go back deeper)
Presumably Dodds has been speaking to the board for a good few days at least, will have watched the last couple of games and will have his own ideas on weaknesses, Morley signing tomorrow would be lovely but a full back or winger or two that can really cross the ball well would be welcome. Wouldn't mind nicking someone like Cambridge's right back who was whipping vicious crosses in yesterday like they were on sale.
I see - and here I was thinking we'd finally got past all that nonsense!
Yes plenty of you were shouting for Josh to go back deeper
But not for long
🤣🤣
Recruitment has been very good. So regardless of who is in charge of that element I think the incoming coach has a good platform.
My areas of focus would be set pieces. Not sure we are at our best and Leahy is not firing on all cylinders in that department. Secondly trying to figure out formations or strategies for breaking down teams. We are still losing confidence and resorting to long balls. As per yesterday. Simply by passing the midfield. It wasn’t working yesterday but plan B wasn’t there. This is no slight on Sam Grace, we were the same with Bloomfield and to a lesser extent Ainsworth (but Ainsworth didn’t have the technical talent arguably).
I’m excited. We have a wonderful squad. With a bit of guidance we are good to go.
With his history I would suggest it is doing him a diservice suggesting he just runs some software and it spits out a player for him to persue .
10 GIVE Kone another contract
20 GOTO 10
You’d have thought so. Especially as you have to assume that for someone to have got that reference they probably watched Saturday night tv in the 90’s and therefore be old and grown up enough to not quite be so childish.
But hey ho, more downvotes for me for calling out that BS. Unfortunately for them, yaks have a relatively thick skin.
@TheAndyGrahamFanClub agreed we look so much better when our midfield asserts itself & we pass the ball around the press.
We do not seem to use our wide players wide enough to stretch the opposition to create central spaces for the likes of Humphreys & Scowen or even Kone to exploit, perhaps Barry will give us that immediately, with MD working to get more of that into Freds game especially.
There is nothing wrong with long balls if we are good enough to get them to one of our players 90%+ of the time, sadly too often what we actually resort to is hit & hope...which just means the ball comes straight back at us.
Well done Trev, way to completely undermine the new head coach. How will he ever recover now...
This is a brilliant post. I’m old enough to remember dinosaurs roaming the earth but sensible enough to realise that football evolves and change is inevitable. Gone are the days when clubs were owned by the local butcher, baker or candlestick maker, players trained by doing a few laps around the pitch and the chairman was told what to do by the manager. I can’t pretend that I like every aspect of the modern game but you either embrace it or you don’t and I for one am excited to see what the future holds. As James correctly points out, who would have thought not many years ago that clubs like Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton would even reach the PL, let alone more than hold their own at that level? There’s nothing wrong with dreaming.