Should I(E) stay or should I(E) go?

[GhostoftheBok]

Agree with ICB that Sharon said a few times she was disappointed not to be in the Champo by now. (Not sure that extrapolates to a contemplated sacking.)

It would be mighty difficult to make a similar speech in 12 months and retain much/any credibility.

She did say that, but she didn't say anything that seemed to indicate this was a difficult decision or some kind of trial period until the New Year.

[Worthy4England]

Agree with ICB that Sharon said a few times she was disappointed not to be in the Champo by now. (Not sure that extrapolates to a contemplated sacking.)

It would be mighty difficult to make a similar speech in 12 months and retain much/any credibility.

She did say that, but she didn't say anything that seemed to indicate this was a difficult decision or some kind of trial period until the New Year.

I think that's pretty much what I said on the "now" part.

It only becomes a problem during the next season, should we be pretty obviously off the pace, bearing in mind a chunk of fans might have a somewhat less tolerant view than Shazza.

I think if he doesn't get us up, she doesn't really have anywhere much to go on it.

[sonicthewhite]

I reckon its a rallying call to the manager and fans BUT I do think they'll have told Evatt in no uncertain terms that this next season had better deliver.

[GhostoftheBok]

I reckon its a rallying call to the manager and fans BUT I do think they'll have told Evatt in no uncertain terms that this next season had better deliver.

I think this sentiment comes from expectation, rather than what's been communicated by Sharon.

She was clearly very unhappy with the performance at Wembley, as we all were. I don't think she's read Ian the riot act or told him his job is on the line. At least she's given zero indication of that and it doesn't fit with what's been said previously by any of them in terms of how they work.

She seems to have been very clear that Evatt is her first and only choice to lead us into next season, that she has total faith in him and Markham, and that the club will be totally geared towards what they need to do their jobs for next season.

Obviously if everything imploded then anyone could be sacked, but that's true of any manager in football at any time.

It doesn't seem like she views Evatt as any less capable this week than she did a month or a year ago. Unless we're assuming it's just a PR piece, rather than frankness.

[TANGODANCER]

Rather looking like the I.E waiting game which is more than a bit wearing on the nerves, either that or he actually believes a "tweak" is all we need with what we have (or maybe believe we have). Auctions usually clear the bargains early with scrapping for job-lots at the death. As ever, Que Sera...

[irie Cee Bee]

I reckon its a rallying call to the manager and fans BUT I do think they'll have told Evatt in no uncertain terms that this next season had better deliver.

I think this sentiment comes from expectation, rather than what's been communicated by Sharon.

She was clearly very unhappy with the performance at Wembley, as we all were. I don't think she's read Ian the riot act or told him his job is on the line. At least she's given zero indication of that and it doesn't fit with what's been said previously by any of them in terms of how they work.

She seems to have been very clear that Evatt is her first and only choice to lead us into next season, that she has total faith in him and Markham, and that the club will be totally geared towards what they need to do their jobs for next season.

Obviously if everything imploded then anyone could be sacked, but that's true of any manager in football at any time.

It doesn't seem like she views Evatt as any less capable this week than she did a month or a year ago. Unless we're assuming it's just a PR piece, rather than frankness.

Read between the lines Ghost:

"I met with Ian last week and, like me, he’d needed some time to process what happened." "“But I want the best people running this football club and I believe we have them.”
"The chairman has promised that the club will not simply look to “go again” this summer and will look into any realistic improvements it can make to the business to give Wanderers the best possible chance next season."
Almost isn’t good enough but we were nearly there with the fifth biggest budget in League One, and that is because of how smart they work.”

Read between the lines. She will not wait until next May if her beliefs are not being met.

[GhostoftheBok]

Read between the lines Ghost:

Did you watch the interview on Wanderers TV, or just "read between the lines"?

The support for Evatt seemed very clear in the 20 minute interview.

[Worthy4England]

That what I thought I heard, ICB. You could certainly interpret that if she thinks she has the best people running the Club, there'd be no point changing them and she's going to back him financially.

But she also pointed to the loss of Baxter/injuries as being the main reason we didn't go up, which is akin to believing the dog ate my homework (Maybe Ian didn't mention Pompey's hospital waiting list)...

He probably gets (in ground) my normal tut's this season, was marginally "go". He's getting pitchforks the one after, if we're still in L1 and he's still here. I would be in no doubt that was failure.

[BWFC_Insane]

That what I thought I heard, ICB. You could certainly interpret that if she thinks she has the best people running the Club, there'd be no point changing them and she's going to back him financially.

But she also pointed to the loss of Baxter/injuries as being the main reason we didn't go up, which is akin to believing the dog ate my homework (Maybe Ian didn't mention Pompey's hospital waiting list)...

He probably gets (in ground) my normal tut's this season, was marginally "go". He's getting pitchforks the one after, if we're still in L1 and he's still here. I would be in no doubt that was failure.

The one after next? God lord. I’ve keot my receipts anyway.

[Prufrock]

Read like a pretty resounding "he's the man for the job and that's that" to me, albeit with an undertone that that's unlikely to be the case this time next season if we haven't gone up.

[Worthy4England]

That what I thought I heard, ICB. You could certainly interpret that if she thinks she has the best people running the Club, there'd be no point changing them and she's going to back him financially.

But she also pointed to the loss of Baxter/injuries as being the main reason we didn't go up, which is akin to believing the dog ate my homework (Maybe Ian didn't mention Pompey's hospital waiting list)...

He probably gets (in ground) my normal tut's this season, was marginally "go". He's getting pitchforks the one after, if we're still in L1 and he's still here. I would be in no doubt that was failure.

The one after next? God lord. I’ve keot my receipts anyway.

Yeah, I hear you. My contention is he absolutely has to go if he doesn't get us up this season. No ifs, no buts.

Should the Board not see it that way, I think they'd be a majority fan bother. It's still pretty much 50/50 split on WW with over 200 votes (and I'm not surprised where we landed on here, coz it's a chunk less Bolshie but a much smaller total).

If 50/50 (or 60/40) is anything like representative at the start of the season, I still think it could turn pretty toxic with a slow start...5-7k fans could absolutely make a chunk of noise (I mean they did on occasion this season)

[Gary the Enfield]

I said quite early on in this discussion that, rather than a knee jerk reaction, Evatt should be given more time. This gives the club time to look for the next appointment if he doesn't succeed. Personally I hope we DO get promotion under Evatt.

[GhostoftheBok]

A huge amount will depend on what we do this summer in terms of recruitment. It's too early just yet to say what the feeling will be come kick-off 24/25.

[Prufrock]

Not really sure where this should go, but I see Sheehan will captain a "youthful" Wales team against Gibraltar tomorrow night. Buzzing for him.

[dave the minion]

But she also pointed to the loss of Baxter/injuries as being the main reason we didn't go up, which is akin to believing the dog ate my homework (Maybe Ian didn't mention Pompey's hospital waiting list)...

On the other hand, we missed automatic promotion by a 5 points. Regardless of what Portsmouth or Derby's patient list looked like and how they coped, iys not beyond the realms of possibility to think that missing your 1st choice keeper / 1st choice centre back / 1st choice forward (plus most of his mates) for big chunks of the season might have cost us a few points......

[BWFC_Insane]

But she also pointed to the loss of Baxter/injuries as being the main reason we didn't go up, which is akin to believing the dog ate my homework (Maybe Ian didn't mention Pompey's hospital waiting list)...

On the other hand, we missed automatic promotion by a 5 points. Regardless of what Portsmouth or Derby's patient list looked like and how they coped, iys not beyond the realms of possibility to think that missing your 1st choice keeper / 1st choice centre back / 1st choice forward (plus most of his mates) for big chunks of the season might have cost us a few points......

Any club can point to excuses. The ones who don’t do well.

It’s troubling that inspite of the fact that Derby and Portsmouth being struck with considerably longer injury lists than we were, at one point Pompey had their entire first choice defence out, we want to make that excuse.

The best managers find solutions and are resilient enough to deal with it. Thats why Portsmouth and Derby went up and we didn’t and again hiding behind excuses is reflective of the mentality that I worry is now through the club like a stick of rock that means we did not.

[Worthy4England]

But she also pointed to the loss of Baxter/injuries as being the main reason we didn't go up, which is akin to believing the dog ate my homework (Maybe Ian didn't mention Pompey's hospital waiting list)...

On the other hand, we missed automatic promotion by a 5 points. Regardless of what Portsmouth or Derby's patient list looked like and how they coped, iys not beyond the realms of possibility to think that missing your 1st choice keeper / 1st choice centre back / 1st choice forward (plus most of his mates) for big chunks of the season might have cost us a few points......

Course it isn't.

If I add back in Pompey's long term injury list of about 10, how many points do I add onto their final tally on the same principle?

You can't express our potential upside had we not had injuries, whilst accepting the opposition's downside when they had a bus-load. (Well you can and obviously have ) But it doesn't seem like a "balanced" equation to me...

[TANGODANCER]

The best managers find solutions and are resilient enough to deal with it. Thats why Portsmouth and Derby went up and we didn’t and again hiding behind excuses is reflective of the mentality that I worry is now through the club like a stick of rock that means we did not.

No. Going against the grain again I know, but at day's end it's human nature and chance that decides what happens in sport. Blaming the manager is a fan thing; an excuse to avoid the reality that almost everything that happens in any sport; chance, referees, injuries are the obvious ones, but end of day it's the players not the play that decides the outcome on every occasion. Is Man City's guy a failure because United won the F.A.Cup? If only one team was promoted, would that make Derby's manager a failure and not the hero the fans think, because basically, that' what you are saying. A manager is a cheer leader without the pom-poms, calling the moves, but not dancing them. (I E in a mini-skirt is a terrifying thought )

Despite being as disappointed as the rest, I've never really been a blamer. The only real failing is admitting defeat as a fact rather than a happening. In the transfer market, Who we sign or not is the same, not the fault of the manager, but the result of chance, finance and commerce, not football. Hero or villain depends on goal difference not reputations or popularity. Let's get behind Evatt and the Whites come what may and leave the pitch forks in the barn with the banjos and cows asses. As you were and Que Sera..

[BWFC_Insane]

If it was human nature and chance then there wouldn’t be top managers and not so good ones. Nobody would be chasing the top managers because it’s just chance.

Managers are successful not through chance but because they possess the skills, knowledge and experience that allows them to deliver success. That’s not to say it’s a guarantee. But you don’t assess on individual games. You look at patterns over seasons and beyond.

[Prufrock]

I mean, it's obviously both. The tricky bit is working out how much of each it is.

I'm not sure the number of injuries is a direct comparison. We took a calculated gamble in not putting a huge amount of resource into the second choice keeper in a way you can't really do with outfielders. There's a realistic chance your #2 might not play a minute in a way there isn't for other positions. That didn't pay off in the end. But I think you can argue we were worse off than Derby there, who started with a massive financial advantage too.

Can't really see it for Pompey, their injuries were horrendous. Pretty clear to me that Mousinho did a better job however you factor in chance.