Following the Hird

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Evatt (BN):

We've really narrowed down the shortlist and in the final stages of the process now. It has been a long and thorough search and we have had lots of quality candidates put their name forward. We've set tasks, I've talked to people personally, and we're almost there.

We've nailed it down to the last couple, really, and obviously Matt (Craddock) has been a big part of that as well. He's done an incredible job since stepping up. I've seen first-hand how he's worked with the players and how they've improved under his guidance – I'e been really impressed with him.

At the moment we’re not putting a date on when an announcement will be made but we've really got some good learnings from the whole process.

More:
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... ch-search/

[TANGODANCER]

Just an opinion:, Club's interest, Cradock gets the job, no salary hassle chasing top enders. Might stay like that as long as we keep winning. Keeps I.E. in big favour withy Sharron and the board. Que sera as ever.

[BWFC_Insane]

Just an opinion:, Club's interest, Cradock gets the job, no salary hassle chasing top enders. Might stay like that as long as we keep winning. Keeps I.E. in big favour withy Sharron and the board. Que sera as ever.

Presumably though Craddock gets a raise and his B team role needs replacing. Not sure it’s cost saving. But certainly seems to be working so suspect he gets it.

[TANGODANCER]

Just an opinion:, Club's interest, Cradock gets the job, no salary hassle chasing top enders. Might stay like that as long as we keep winning. Keeps I.E. in big favour withy Sharron and the board. Que sera as ever.

Presumably though Craddock gets a raise and his B team role needs replacing. Not sure it’s cost saving. But certainly seems to be working so suspect he gets it.

Minus of course the Hird salary and the need for agents and new contracts which promotion from within would save.? All this against a top end replacement, which was my point.

[BWFC_Insane]

Just an opinion:, Club's interest, Cradock gets the job, no salary hassle chasing top enders. Might stay like that as long as we keep winning. Keeps I.E. in big favour withy Sharron and the board. Que sera as ever.

Presumably though Craddock gets a raise and his B team role needs replacing. Not sure it’s cost saving. But certainly seems to be working so suspect he gets it.

Minus of course the Hird salary and the need for agents and new contracts which promotion from within would save.? All this against a top end replacement, which was my point.

Yeah but the difference in Craddocks salary plus his replacement probably makes it the same as paying Hird. Maybe even more. I’m just saying it’s not necessarily cost saving to appoint from within. Sometimes it actually works out more expensive overall.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Coaches earn bog-all compared to a player, even a player at this level. We’ll have wasted far more money on an underachieving forward than we could throw at a coach.

I’d like the best man for the job. Cost/benefit analysis.

[Mar]

Coaches earn bog-all compared to a player, even a player at this level. We’ll have wasted far more money on an underachieving forward than we could throw at a coach.

I’d like the best man for the job. Cost/benefit analysis.

I'd agree with this. It'd probably yield far greater rewards to get a cutting edge forward thinking coach than someone who rehashes what Evatt espouses. Ideally i'd like to see a coach come in, look at what Evatt has achieved and help Evatt with things that may not be immediately evident from Evatt's viewpoint.

Hird may well have provided a fresh set of ideas but I suspect it would've been more mates rates than actually showing different thought processes. I'm not even advocating for someone who would suggest a different style, but more someone who can bring some ideas to the table for Evatt to consider, rather than necessarily being a yes man.

I remember Browny mentioning something similar in one of his recent interviews. He was talking about the massive staff meetings they had and one member of staff not speaking up, until it was flagged and then they were pushed to speak up, only for them to come out with a huge document full of fresh ideas to push the club on.

[BWFC_Insane]

Evatt would benefit most from experience. He has a lot of ideas. What we need is a coach who has been round the block ideally as the counterfoil to that.

[jmjhb]

Evatt would benefit most from experience. He has a lot of ideas. What we need is a coach who has been round the block ideally as the counterfoil to that.

Only thing is I get Dougie Freedman/Lennie Lawrence vibes from that suggestion.

[BWFC_Insane]

Evatt would benefit most from experience. He has a lot of ideas. What we need is a coach who has been round the block ideally as the counterfoil to that.

Only thing is I get Dougie Freedman/Lennie Lawrence vibes from that suggestion.

Yeah but Evatt is established here. Freedman was by all accounts, here and at Palace brilliant at everything bar man management which he was dreadful at and that’s the thing a coach can’t really do for you.

Evatt for me would benefit from an experienced coach who has been round the block but has no designs on management tapping him on the shoulder every now and again to challenge stuff.

[Mar]

Evatt would benefit most from experience. He has a lot of ideas. What we need is a coach who has been round the block ideally as the counterfoil to that.

Only thing is I get Dougie Freedman/Lennie Lawrence vibes from that suggestion.

Yeah but Evatt is established here. Freedman was by all accounts, here and at Palace brilliant at everything bar man management which he was dreadful at and that’s the thing a coach can’t really do for you.

Evatt for me would benefit from an experienced coach who has been round the block but has no designs on management tapping him on the shoulder every now and again to challenge stuff.

It's interesting you've got a different view of it. I can see the appeal but I would doubt how effective that person would be later in Evatts tenure. Evatt would've massively benefitted from someone who could've told him the likes of Crellin or Dixon wouldn't be able to make the step up.

Thankfully Gilks managed to cover that role but had we had an experienced head back then they mightve called for signing a safe pair of hands rather than a questionable but potential youth player.

I think we're past the point of Evatts naivety. I think now were onto how do we maximise what we've got and that can only really come from a master tactician rather than someone who can tell Evatt when he's making a mistake.

Then again perhaps you're right. Signing Nlundulu was questionable, our injury record is questionable, perhaps steady head might have a better view of it that can avoid further injuries.

Personally I think we can selectively borrow steady heads to help the cause but a long term man should be someone who can help progress and not fight against what Evatt is trying to do.

[TANGODANCER]

I don’t think it will be a fast process. We want to take our time and make sure we are thorough with our diligence on appointing the right one.

[/quote]

This..^

If we keep managing and winning without any rushed decision it may result in permanence and not changing for changing's sake. I cant' actually remember any bed-sheet and pitchfork actions involving trainers; it's usually the manager who cops the flack.

[BWFC_Insane]

Evatt would benefit most from experience. He has a lot of ideas. What we need is a coach who has been round the block ideally as the counterfoil to that.

Only thing is I get Dougie Freedman/Lennie Lawrence vibes from that suggestion.

Yeah but Evatt is established here. Freedman was by all accounts, here and at Palace brilliant at everything bar man management which he was dreadful at and that’s the thing a coach can’t really do for you.

Evatt for me would benefit from an experienced coach who has been round the block but has no designs on management tapping him on the shoulder every now and again to challenge stuff.

It's interesting you've got a different view of it. I can see the appeal but I would doubt how effective that person would be later in Evatts tenure. Evatt would've massively benefitted from someone who could've told him the likes of Crellin or Dixon wouldn't be able to make the step up.

Thankfully Gilks managed to cover that role but had we had an experienced head back then they mightve called for signing a safe pair of hands rather than a questionable but potential youth player.

I think we're past the point of Evatts naivety. I think now were onto how do we maximise what we've got and that can only really come from a master tactician rather than someone who can tell Evatt when he's making a mistake.

Then again perhaps you're right. Signing Nlundulu was questionable, our injury record is questionable, perhaps steady head might have a better view of it that can avoid further injuries.

Personally I think we can selectively borrow steady heads to help the cause but a long term man should be someone who can help progress and not fight against what Evatt is trying to do.

I don’t think a coach can be telling the manager who to sign or not.

But certainly can offer insight in games as to tactically how we might change things. And offer coaching insight etc….

[Mar]

I don’t think a coach can be telling the manager who to sign or not.

I disagree. I would imagine there are a fair few coaches that could weigh in on the decision making, but ultimately its the decision of the manager.

Coaches have experience working with players and if they've had experience working with youth players that struggled, surely they can give a good appraisal of whether or not players can fulfil expectations.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Although these things are often brains trusts, I wouldn't expect the head coach (balls, bibs and cones) to have as much sway as the assistant manager (usually sticks a lot closer to the gaffer). It might tip the balance, though, if 'Pete' disagrees with the manager and the coach agrees with Pete.

Should be noted too that different managers (and assistant managers) fulfil different roles. Some managers will be very hands-on and lead all training sessions; others will start them then hand over, or watch from the sides and occasionally stop to make a point; still others (although fewer) might stay in an office, overlooking the training ground, so the players never quite know when he's looking... I suspect Evatt is at the second of those three stages, which is fine – players need to hear a new voice after a while.

Different managers also take different levels of advice from their assistants. Freedman/Lawrence was an archetype of the "young gaffer, elder-statesman assistant" - and just because that one didn't work needn't mean it never will. But Evatt's not shopping for an assistant, he wants a head coach, so I think we'll be looking at a younger man who will be out in boots among the players, putting the (manager-led, possibly group-decided) tactical plans into practice.

A good manager will take advice from lots of places and filter it. Peak Liverpool prospered via the Boot Room discussion chamber. Ferguson was more of a martinet but he sucked up advice from plenty of places, above (Busby, Stein) and below. He went without an assistant for a year after McClaren left, but he was so impressed with Carlos Queiroz that he more or less handed over the training sessions to the Portuguese.

[Worthy4England]

Agree mate, there's a difference between who takes the decision and who might input into what the decision is. Whilst the coach might not be the one to say "my pick, we're having this one," I think it would be strange if they never said "have you considered X"

[KeyserSoze]

Craddock keeps the job

https://x.com/OfficialBWFC/status/17230 ... 10238?s=20

[Mar]

https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/craddock-se ... -team-role

Craddock confirmed as first team coach. Looks like we've got a position to fill in the B team now.

Congratulations to Craddock. Who needs to look for a reason when, in Hird's absence, we've gone on an amazing run while he's stepped up.

[TANGODANCER]

If we keep managing and winning without any rushed decision it may result in permanence and not changing for changing's sake. I cant' actually remember any bed-sheet and pitchfork actions involving trainers; it's usually the manager who cops the flack.
[/quote

Ahem... ]