The next manager

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Dave Sutton's barnet
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The next manager

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Fri Apr 12, 2019 6:00 pm

I know, I know - we've got bigger problems. And the resolution of the ownership problem will help clarify our future, not just off the field, but on it (if only, in this instance, right on the edge of it in a little painted box).

But I'd be intrigued to know who people would like, consider, suggest or contemplate as our next gaffer. Immediately, around 43% of forum readers will say "It's not my job to choose", which is fair enough. But, y'know, the end's a long time coming so we may as well chat.

It's not easy to look up potential managers because unlike on Football Manager there's no list of gaffers seeking gaffs, or at least no easily-read one. (I mean, there's this one but Conte? Mourinho? Wenger?) Buggering about on Transfermarkt earlier today I found a page which I'd never seen before and can't locate now - it's like a shit Stephen King, this - and noted that Simon Grayson had managed 284 games in League One, which is a handy hinterland. I've mentioned Grayson before and eyes have rolled, but he's taken Blackpool, Leeds, Huddersfield and Preston up and kept them up, which would seem to be the first two requirements here. OK, things didn't work out at Sunderland or Bradford but neither did they improve massively without him. It'd be daft not to consider him.

Here's interesting: per Transfermarkt, the manager with the highest third-tier PPG over the last 15 seasons (minimum 50 games) is Roberto Martinez, 1.97ppg. Second is Steve Cotterill, 1.95ppg, currently unemployed. He was one of the big two tips last time (with Nigel Adkins, now doing a decent job at Hull) and I didn't like the sound of him - surly long-baller - but I suppose you'd have to applaud the PPG. Worry is that AFAIK he's only managed one club in tier three. (FYI Grayson's PPG is 1.74 but over four times as many games.)

Also up there on the Tier Three PPG is Steve Evans, 1.70 (at Rotherham, whom he also kept up, and Posh, who sacked him within a year with the side in sixth place). But, y'know, Steve Evans.

Paul Hurst was the coming man this time last year, leading Shrewsbury (over just shy of two seasons) from bottom place in t3 to the playoffs. Ipswich was the wrong club at the wrong time but his Shrewsbury success followed dragging Grimsby back into the League, so it's not a one-off.

Chris Powell is available again, and he's a good bloke. Funnily enough he followed Phil Parkinson at Charlton, took them up from t3 and kept them up, although they were bottom the following season when bonkpot Duchatelet sacked him. Fourteen tier-2 months at Huddersfield didn't add up to much and, perhaps more notably, another 14-month spell at Southend in t3 was decidedly mixed: 32pts from the remaining 18 games in his first half-season, but only 42pts from 39 this term to leave them only above the drop zone on goal difference.

Building on Parky's Bradford legacy with attractive football, Stuart McCall did a reasonable job - until he didn't, and they lost in the play-off final. The following season they couldn't build on it but they were sixth when he was sacked. Scunthorpe was weird - won a few, zoomed upwards, lost a few, zoomed downwards, sacked.

And that's just unemployed folks. There's a fella managing Pune City in the Indian Super League who might be interested, even if it'd finally push Bruce Rioja into supporting Chorley instead. So, your turn...

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Re: The next manager

Post by Lost Leopard Spot » Fri Apr 12, 2019 6:48 pm

I've said in the past, and been lambasted for it, I don't know why we (at League One status in this country) don't tempt the manager of the third/fourth/fifth club in Norway/Finland/Switzerland/Exceteraland's Premier League.
That's what they pay headhunters/agents/scouts for. Isn't it?
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Re: The next manager

Post by Harry Genshaw » Fri Apr 12, 2019 7:46 pm

All reasonable suggestions if we're to go with experience. I'd not be unhappy at Grayson or Evans, who despite being universally disliked in the football world does produce good football.

I think I'd be happier giving Nolan or SKD a shot though.

The remits the same. 1 year deal for starters with an emphasis on youth and football
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Re: The next manager

Post by piesrus » Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:14 pm

Phil Brown? Mixu?

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Re: The next manager

Post by nelson66 » Fri Apr 12, 2019 10:49 pm

David Lee
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Re: The next manager

Post by TANGODANCER » Fri Apr 12, 2019 11:29 pm

Harry Genshaw wrote:
Fri Apr 12, 2019 7:46 pm

I think I'd be happier giving Nolan or SKD a shot though.The remits the same. 1 year deal for starters with an emphasis on youth and football
I'm sentimental enough to go with that, but do you really think either would be interested Harry? Even if we still have a club, would anybody want the job without a year's salary up front? Kev Nolan's temperament would inspire some fight into the players and I'd love him as manager for that reason. K.D I'm not sure about, love the blokes attitude as a player, but a manager...who knows? I'd chance it I think. As for the players, League 1 isn't exactly kick and rush stuff and the pay situation is enough to put any decent players off. Not even pretending I have an answer.
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Re: The next manager

Post by TonyDomingos » Fri Apr 12, 2019 11:50 pm

piesrus wrote:
Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:14 pm
Phil Brown? Mixu?

Feck me. A new poster. Just as the club's about to go under. :lol:
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Re: The next manager

Post by piesrus » Sat Apr 13, 2019 2:04 am

TonyDomingos wrote:
Fri Apr 12, 2019 11:50 pm
piesrus wrote:
Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:14 pm
Phil Brown? Mixu?

Feck me. A new poster. Just as the club's about to go under. :lol:
Timing is everything.

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Re: The next manager

Post by officer_dibble » Sat Apr 13, 2019 5:33 am

In the usual fashion managers fall into two categories - the old hat, been there and done it, and the up and coming.

Of the first I’d take Simon Grayson all day long. Not sure on Evans, can’t put my finger on why. Keith Hill would be another name for the debate I think but I suspect that ship has sailed. Hurst is also worthy of consideration as well.

Up and coming - the ex wanderer Nolan for sentimental reasons may work, ‘get the fans back on side’ etc... sorry to disappoint TD but Kevin Davies doesn’t do it for me - needs some experience (If he is even interested in management). Suspect there are some better names for this category that I haven’t heard of as well be looking at up and coming from the lower leagues. What about those lads at Lincoln?

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Re: The next manager

Post by Harry Genshaw » Sat Apr 13, 2019 7:41 am

TANGODANCER wrote:
Fri Apr 12, 2019 11:29 pm
Harry Genshaw wrote:
Fri Apr 12, 2019 7:46 pm

I think I'd be happier giving Nolan or SKD a shot though.The remits the same. 1 year deal for starters with an emphasis on youth and football
I'm sentimental enough to go with that, but do you really think either would be interested Harry?
If we're a League 1 side and skint yet stable, there'd be no shortage of candidates TD. Those two have been in management and I'd be surprised if at least 1 of them wasn't interested.

Nolans had the greater experience but what I read and heard about SKD in his brief time at Southport just gives me a hunch he'd be worth a shot.
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Re: The next manager

Post by TonyDomingos » Sat Apr 13, 2019 8:45 am

piesrus wrote:
Sat Apr 13, 2019 2:04 am
TonyDomingos wrote:
Fri Apr 12, 2019 11:50 pm
piesrus wrote:
Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:14 pm
Phil Brown? Mixu?

Feck me. A new poster. Just as the club's about to go under. :lol:
Timing is everything.

:D
Às armas, às armas!
Sobre a terra, sobre o mar,
Às armas, às armas!
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Contra os canhões marchar, marchar!

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Re: The next manager

Post by Jim_McDonuts » Sat Apr 13, 2019 12:23 pm

piesrus wrote:
Sat Apr 13, 2019 2:04 am
TonyDomingos wrote:
Fri Apr 12, 2019 11:50 pm
piesrus wrote:
Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:14 pm
Phil Brown? Mixu?

Feck me. A new poster. Just as the club's about to go under. :lol:
Timing is everything.
Indeed it is.
Welcome to the forum piesrus, good to have you here...

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Re: The next manager

Post by Branagan » Sat Apr 13, 2019 2:16 pm

I've always thought Kev Nolan would be good for us from a L1 starting again position - once the chairman situation is sorted obviously. If I recall, he didn't do too badly at other clubs and had his fair share of board room oddities didn't he? Combine his place in the club's history with his demand for passion and aggression and he could do something.

I'm also more inclined to go for someone young like him and take the unknown element rather than have one of the old guard that hasn't actually achieved more that mediocrity in the scheme of things (although wouldn't that be nice right now). I think if we don't got for a manager with a 10 year plan then we are going about it wrong (not saying the contract should be 10 years though obviously).

Having said that, SKD would be too inexperienced for me. Sounded like his approach at Southport was to sort out the very basics in discipline and organisation, which was probably needed there, but it'll take much more at Bolton and he's unknown in all other elements really.

Would like to see if David Lee can carry his youth philosophies (and some of the players) to the senior team. And as LLS says, I also think it'd be worth looking abroad if only to bring a new culture and approach.

Think we have to be adventurous whatever we do. May as well.

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Re: The next manager

Post by TANGODANCER » Sat Apr 13, 2019 3:00 pm

Branagan wrote:
Sat Apr 13, 2019 2:16 pm
, I also think it'd be worth looking abroad if only to bring a new culture and approach. Think we have to be adventurous whatever we do. May as well.
We could be the first club to import an eskimo (Inuit) manager.... :D
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Re: The next manager

Post by officer_dibble » Sat Apr 13, 2019 6:47 pm

To be fair to SKD he has done a masters in sports management or summer since his Southport spell. But then he has moved to that football hot bed Cornwall... I don’t think he wants to be a manager.

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Re: The next manager

Post by DJBlu » Sat Apr 13, 2019 8:38 pm

Harry Genshaw wrote:
Fri Apr 12, 2019 7:46 pm
All reasonable suggestions if we're to go with experience. I'd not be unhappy at Grayson or Evans, who despite being universally disliked in the football world does produce good football.

I think I'd be happier giving Nolan or SKD a shot though.

The remits the same. 1 year deal for starters with an emphasis on youth and football
Why not David Lee?

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Re: The next manager

Post by Harry Genshaw » Sat Apr 13, 2019 10:49 pm

DJBlu wrote:
Sat Apr 13, 2019 8:38 pm
Harry Genshaw wrote:
Fri Apr 12, 2019 7:46 pm
All reasonable suggestions if we're to go with experience. I'd not be unhappy at Grayson or Evans, who despite being universally disliked in the football world does produce good football.

I think I'd be happier giving Nolan or SKD a shot though.

The remits the same. 1 year deal for starters with an emphasis on youth and football
Why not David Lee?
Personally, having met him, I think he lacks presence. Something you need if you're going to command respect in a dressing room of adults. I'd not be unhappy at him being appointed though. He probably deserves his chance
"Get your feet off the furniture you Oxbridge tw*t. You're not on a feckin punt now you know"

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Re: The next manager

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Sun Apr 14, 2019 9:02 am

The best argument for appointing David Lee would be if we get a transfer embargo, so he’d know better than most which of our U23s are near enough to risk in the first team.

But it’s a massive gap. Remember that Hall was the hope, and when he played for us he looked well short of the standard.

I appreciate Didsy’s efforts and maybe in time he’ll become a mighty manager of men, but if we appointed anyone else’s development manager many people would rightly wonder if we’d lost our marbles. Same for anyone with Kevin Davies’s managerial CV. Nolan you could possibly make an argument for but again if you transplant his managerial experience to a name you’d never seen on the back of a Bolton shirt then many would be deeply unimpressed.

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Re: The next manager

Post by TANGODANCER » Sun Apr 14, 2019 9:32 am

Any single one of the choices can only be evaluated by results, not name or pre-reputation. Proof of pudding etc, and even the Jose Maurinhos' have to work to that dictum. Anything we get from now on is going to be hard won and nothing is guaranteed in football, so taking a gamble is the name of the game. Go for Nolan; at least it will be lively.
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Re: The next manager

Post by knobpolisher » Sun Apr 14, 2019 9:32 am

I suspect Joey Barton may soon be available. :whack:
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