Following the Hird

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

So, farewell then, Sam. Bolton's hitherto first-team coach is to leave for a job at the PFA, and it leaves a bigger hole than many might have imagined.

When he was appointed in July 2021, following our promotion from the Fourth, I sadly said it felt a lot like "jobs for the boys" as he linked up with his former Chesterfield team-mate and Barrow manager Evatt. But I'm always happy to be proved wrong in a way that improves the Wanderers, so I'll tip tabasco on the trilby in salute to the outgoing coach.

In the first season, defence was not the team's strong point. Well I say "team" singular – for that initial campaign, Hird combined first-team coaching with managing the nascent B team, and Wanderers flourished more through relentless attacking than tight defending.

But in summer 2022, with Matt Craddock taking over the Bs, Hird was more free to focus on the first team – and they showed vast improvement, tightening from 57 concessions to just 36. Now, clearly some of that was down to the excellent James Trafford; but for much of last season there was a palpable collective organisation in the backline, no matter who was in it. The Jones-Santos-Johnston trio was first choice but its members were at different times replaced by players as various as Iredale, Aimson, Toal, Mbete and MJ WIlliams without losing their organisation: sure, the odd dolly goal was lost, but usually through individual error rather than systemic fragility.

Then there was the set-play thing. Back in the Fourth we were far more likely to concede from a set-piece than to score from one. In Hird's first year we got less leaky, in his second we got more dangerous to others, and this season started quickly with a set-piece goal Evatt proudly admitted we'd been working on. There's still a way to go but we're on the right track. Thanks, Sam.

But who's next? The obvious answer might be Cameron Jerome, but it feels like a big leap for a first job, and it might be interesting to note Evatt's quote that "we will do our best to replace him and bring someone in who will be additive to the staff."

It's always hard to know with assistant managers and first-team coaches who's happy to hang around in the background and who burns with desire to be the top man. Sounds an outside chance but I wonder if Dean Holden wants to come home – literally: last I heard he had a house in Worsley. He was very well regarded as a coach, and management wasn't kind to him at Bristol City (continuity candidate following Lee Johnson, sacked in mid-table after seven months) or Charlton (allowed several signings in summer but became the season's first casualty after six games). Course, it's possible he still wants to be a gaffer, or at least his No.2 - but it might be worth a conversation.

Same might go for Leam Richardson, a fellow ex-Wanderer still unemployed after being turfed by Wigan. It might sound unambitious to revert to No.2, but that's precisely what he did in 2013, leaving the top job at Accy after six months to go back under his old boss Paul Cook at Chesterfield. And they promptly signed, and made captain, a certain I. Evatt....

I dunno. Could be anyone. Just hope we do a decent search for the right candidate - accepting that October is a far from perfect time to do so...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Evatt saying the right things;

“In terms of a new recruit, it will be a process. We want the best candidate.

“We know what we want, what it needs to look like. We need someone who will be additive to the staffing group and there are lots of CVs which have already been placed in.

“We have to get the best possible candidate to take us forward.”

[Worthy4England]

Seems like a strange one, to happen in October...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Seems like a strange one, to happen in October...

The BN report quotes more of Evatt and mentions family (he can now "watch his son play football" etc) so I suspect it's a domestic thing. Hope all is well, because as you say, decisions like this tend to be made near the end of seasons.

Football is an odd profession, wrenching people away from their families for long and unsocial periods. Being the family of an active footballer is one thing, but when he then goes into coaching and the kids are growing up... I can imagine for some people it becomes too much.

As I said in the OP, different people have different drives. A lot of players now have absolutely no intention of going into coaching - remember Baptiste's flat refusal? Others might try it but hop off the carousel. Some want to stick around The Lads but don't want the pressure of the spotlight, and become career sidekicks. Still others see a pathway - coach the kids, coach the first team, No.2, strike out alone, maybe one day I'll manage in the Prem... different strokes for different folks. And as you age, you might make hard decisions more easily than when you're a kid on the conveyor belt.

[Worthy4England]

Get Arthur in. He can walk it into work

I think some jobs, you just have to factor in, there's a fair old chance it isn't on your doorstep Obvs Hird couldn't make a decision before he got the other job, but 1st team coach feels pretty pivotal, especially in this model of retaining the consistency in the back room...

I'm guessing that he had a son, didn't come as a surprise to him.

[BWFC_Insane]

Get Arthur in. He can walk it into work

I think some jobs, you just have to factor in, there's a fair old chance it isn't on your doorstep Obvs Hird couldn't make a decision before he got the other job, but 1st team coach feels pretty pivotal, especially in this model of retaining the consistency in the back room...

I'm guessing that he had a son, didn't come as a surprise to him.

People leave jobs for a multitude of reasons in the non footballing world, so not sure this would be so different. Perhaps Hird was happy here but another opportunity arose and it fitted his home life better?

Maybe his home life has changed since he arrived here.

But I don’t think he had to sign up for life here.

[Worthy4England]

Sure folks move around. No prob with that. You usually want to make sure, for key personnel, they don't in the equivalent of the "mid-season" or after notice periods etc.

[officer_dibble]

Be his Mrs then. Bloody women!

I’m sure we will be recruiting from a better pool than when we brought him in - so let’s see. He’s definitely done a good job with the defense and set piece work so we need someone to continue that as a minimum.

[BWFC_Insane]

Sure folks move around. No prob with that. You usually want to make sure, for key personnel, they don't in the equivalent of the "mid-season" or after notice periods etc.

Yeah. I think that’s pretty hard for coaches at this level who are effectively paid ‘a normal salary’ and that is not a football normal either a real world normal.

[Worthy4England]

Nowt to do with salary...we have most folks on "normal" salaries with three months notice periods...gives you time to juggle the deckchairs.

[Mar]

It's hard to gauge the impact of coaches. Sure we saw a significant difference in the number of goals we conceded, but we also saw a drop off in goals and last minute goals. Add to that our set pieces weren't delivering (until this season at least), then you'd have to look at it and think what role do they have in this. Is it good recruitment, good coaching, etc.?

What I think should be noted is that he's been part of something that has progressed (winning the FLT, higher league positions), so I think that should be acknowledged. Anything else is probably easier to monitor in-house.

[BWFC_Insane]

Nowt to do with salary...we have most folks on "normal" salaries with three months notice periods...gives you time to juggle the deckchairs.

Yeah we don’t know when he handed his notice in though nor when it expires.

[Worthy4England]

Nowt to do with salary...we have most folks on "normal" salaries with three months notice periods...gives you time to juggle the deckchairs.

Yeah we don’t know when he handed his notice in though nor when it expires.

True, but Evatt's comments don't read like we knew 3 months back...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I doubt this is something we've sat on. Feels like either something outside football has happened, or as the new season has settled down he's just realised he doesn't want to do it any more. (God knows we all have days at work like that.)

[boltonboris]

He might still be coaching. PFA offers Pro's and Ex Pro's coaching courses and tuition for FA Level 3 and above, then onto EUFA/FIFA Modules.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Matt Craddock has been promoted to replace Sam Hird - temporarily, while we appoint a full-timer very carefully. Evatt:

They have to fit into our culture and the way we do things. The way we are, the way we act as a football club is, I believe, unique. It is a special opportunity and a special role for someone to step into. We have had a lot of CVs being put forward already, a lot of phone calls going in to all members of staff, including myself. But I have to make it very clear, this is a process. This can’t just be about me picking someone I know, I need the best person for the job and the best person for the club, moving forwards. It also has to be the best person for the players and finding that might take some time.

In the meantime, Matt Craddock will step up. He has shadowed Sam and looked at his role, then we will go through the process of finding what we think will be the best replacement. Matt is included in that as well. 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.

(I've taken a breather from the match thread as I suspected it might be more heat than light)

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Almost certainly mere co-inkydink, but Steve Thompson has left Oldham. He'd been part of the interim management team there with Neil Redfearn - another midfield graduate from Wanderers' 80s youth system, albeit one considerably less kindly disposed to us - but has been released as part of the new takeover.

I mention him here because he has a good coaching pedigree. He was Holloway's assistant in the Blackpool glory days Evatt liked so much; he's also been No2 at Huddersfield and Leeds, moving to Preston to rejoin Simon Grayson and staying on under Alex Neil. He left Deepdale in January 2022 once Ryan Lowe got his feet under the table.

Now, I dunno whether his footballing worldview concurs with Evatt's, or whether (at 59 next month) he's a bit "old school" – I know age is no barrier to learning, but y'know. I do know he spent most of 15 years between 2007 and 2022 coaching or assistant-managing second-tier teams, so I dzresay he knows a thing or two.

[sonicthewhite]

Dean Holden is still without a job. Would he be a good fit? Would he want to play second fiddle?

[The_Gun]

Dean Holden is still without a job. Would he be a good fit? Would he want to play second fiddle?

Probably not, and he'd likely be playing third fiddle, because Evatt already has an assistant manager.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I mentioned Holden in the OP. It's close to home (literally) but it would feel like a demotion.

Meanwhile, BN:

Evatt says the club is closer to finding a replacement for Sam Hird in his backroom after he left his role as first team coach to link up with the PFA last week. “We have had some progress and narrowed down the applicants,” he said. “We have had a look at all of them and tried to form a bit of a shortlist. It will take time, and it is a process, but we are very happy with what Matt Craddock has done so far, he has really stepped up really well.”