Steve_R

2 hours ago, Lee Sinnott said:

I'd be disappointed if Thompson got it. Would be a very unambitious move. I'd be happy for him to stay on as assistant, but we need fresh ideas from outside the club. Tell Redfearn "thanks, but no thanks..."

Agree with this. Seems a sound bloke and I’m right behind him if he does but he hasn’t really inspired me and I’d rather us show some ambition and go out and get someone on the up. 
I suppose it may come down to how much is left in the pot after paying Unsworth and Ebrell off though

42 minutes ago, PeteG said:

That's not what we were told on the pod after they did interviews. @lookersstandandy clearly pointed out that it was a collective decision on transfers.

I don’t think they know as much as they think they do

37 minutes ago, mcfluff1985 said:

He's not. Every team needs a Sheron

Every team needs a better version of Sheron than Sheron 

1 hour ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

 

Is it possible it takes more than ten months to bring in a virtually new team and new mentality?

Can be done though. Stevenage were battling with us to stay in the league two season ago. Now they’re fifth in the third division while we’re mid table two divisions below.

Gillingham were rock bottom of the football league when their new owners came in, having scored 7 goals in 24 games. Now they’re third in the league.

Transformations don’t have last for ever, and we need to get a bloody move on.

2 hours ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

 

Which players have been an outright failure that he's brought in? No head of recruitment is going to have a 100% hit record. I'd suggest Hobson, Raglan, Lundstram, Reid and Dickenson were all decent signings and likely to have the ST approval since they all arrived after he came. Players like Willoughby, Nuttall and Shelton still have potential. When you compare that to the likes of Francis-Angol, Lois Maynard, Charlie Cooper etc. then it's clear to me he's had a positive effect. If there are players lacking the mentality that he's rightly called out we need (and I suspect a few he's talking about are still here as pre ST signings) he needs to be backed by the board in bringing those in.

 

For me the calibre of player dramatically improved since he came in.

When you’re able to throw a lot more money at it the quality of players should improve. What we’re not seeing is significant improvements on the pitch. The football is still awful and clubs with a fraction of our support and money available are giving us the runaround 

2 minutes ago, Punce said:

 

 

Yes, and no doubt the manager might ask for available players to be scouted for specific positions, sound them out negotiate with agents on fees, wages etc.   I think some people are making out that ST had the role of Head of Football or Deputy Manager.  Any road up...

 

Thompson's record so far cannot be beaten by any manager since the war, probably the Great War.   I reckon that this season may be fallow anyway so little lost if ST gets his chance.   By late spring we will know which way the wind is blowing.

 

.

I know it’s not Thompson’s doing how the fixtures fell, but he couldn’t have had a much easier set for his audition. We’ve played four of the bottom five, the highest placed opposition we’ve played are 15th, and four of the six games have been at home. Overall the points total and performances have been disappointing if anything

3 minutes ago, IanMarshall's Mullet said:

I don’t think it’s the head of recruitments job to tell the team manager what type of player the team needs. Surely it would have been DU saying I need this type of player so go and find me one? I’m not bothered what anyone says I think DU would have or if not should have seen the potential signings first.

I don’t think anyone really knows how the recruitment really works here. The podcast boys reckon they knew and were telling us everything was hunky dory, but it hasn’t turned out that way and all seems a bit of a mess to me.

1 hour ago, JoeP said:

 

The Latics link separates him from your run-of-the-mill backroom staff member, granted - but he was actually half decent here (something which Unsworth never was...) last time.  Had us on the edge of the play-offs even with The Brothers Dumb in charge... 

I remember plenty wanting shut of him early doors, and was at Hampton and Richmond when everyone to a man was saying he had to go until two late goals saved his skin. A month or so later, when Abdallah did get rid, everyone was up in arms.

He’d never managed before and hasn’t since, and although I’d be 100% behind him I think we should be looking elsewhere 

Their no 7 was head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch. No idea who he is or where he’s from, but why can’t we sign a player like that?

Personally I’d rather we went for someone on their way up, such as Williamson or Parkinson at Alty. Someone who’s improving his current team all the time and plays good football. I’d even be tempted to enquire about the guy at Wealdstone, as they play lovely football so imagine what he could do with a full time squad. I guess location would be a problem, so Williamson is my favourite 

1 hour ago, wiseowl said:

That's a fair point you make yarddog. I have observed over recent years a tendency for any negative (realistic?) comments to be drowned out by the "we are always positive" types. It's yet another american import and most companies have sent their employees on "positive mental attitude" etc. courses over the years. Most employees sit there like nodding dogs and accept it all without question. I remember being on a mind-numbing 3 day course once and the course facilitator (on about 5 grand a day - no wonder he was always ferkin positive!) had apparently convinced everyone in the room (including the MD) bar me that if the company just followed his mantra, they would be number 1 and have competitive advantage over their dozen or so competitors. It was his way which made the difference; there was no other.

 

I simply queried in response, "So if our dozen or so competitors all come on this same course, ignoring the fact that you'll be coining it in, who has the competitive advantage then? Who becomes number one?"

 

He didn't have an answer of course because there are many other factors involved than just "being positive". Often, constantly "being positive" can be a major failing because people don't see the blindingly obvious in front of their eyes. We saw this regarding the "Unsworth effect" - it was like the emperor's new clothes at times. 

 

Dualism is the key; where there is dark there is light.

For every summer, there's winter.

There's immense good and terrible evil.

There's positive... and there's negative.

It's always been that way and it always will.

 

So, keep up your observations because they are valid. The "constantly positive" types are just as imbalanced as the constantly negative ones (and you aren't one of those because I have seen positive posts from you too).

 

Long-winded I know and I`ll get slaughtered by the usual people - but just wanted to give you a little backing 

 

Every silver lining has a cloud

25 minutes ago, GlossopLatic said:

 

Anything less than top 7 is failure not top 2. But apart from that I agree with your overall point.

If we finish 6th or 7th and bomb out in the playoffs that’s definitely a failure.

I can see where you’re coming from but he’s only on a contract till January and has a really poor record playing time wise over the last few years. Seems strange to give someone a short term deal like that then give him a chunk of time off, as I can’t remember the last time he played.

I just hope everything was ok with the birth and that’s not the reason for his extended absence

1 hour ago, TheBigDog said:

Prior to Unsworth leaving, he mentioned moving one or two out in order to bring one or two in - that might still be the plan but let’s not forget that we have Ward and Lundstram to bolster the midfield.

I agree that if we can move one or two on (McGahey and Tollitt possibly) then a couple could come in but I don’t think it is going to happen until the managers position is sorted.

We’ve also got to pay Unsworth and Ebrell off so that may be where the money for new signings goes to

2 minutes ago, GlossopLatic said:

 

We've seen this before a new manager/caretaker comes in gets some results we all think he has the answers then a couple of weeks/months later we hit a brick wall. I can see the same happening again.

That’s my worry. I hear people saying ‘give it him to the end of the season’ but he may have a longer contract than that in his ‘old’ job. 
I don’t think we should scrap the whole recruitment strategy we’ve set up just because Unsworth at the head of it all proved to be a dud, so Thompson’s job will still need doing, as we should be scouting potential targets all the time.

That said he is growing on me, but if he gets the job and results tail off, the same old ‘why has no one else ever offered him a managerial job’ will be a regular criticism.

Now he’s thrown his hat in and says he definitely wants it I’d be surprised if they don’t give it him.

Personally I’d like to go for someone with managerial experience, with Williamson at Gateshead my choice if there was any chance of getting him.

Thompson seems popular, and things look a lot better than a week ago, so if he gets the gig let’s hope the wins keep on coming, but I have a nagging doubt and I’m not so sure.

1 hour ago, Bobledgersheart said:

I think the "get it forward" shouts were because we'd taken our feet off the gas and were dropping too deep.

Probably "look forward" would have been a better shout.

 

Regarding Shelton.... some aren't happy unless they've found a boo-boy.

They aren’t happy unless they’re unhappy 

1 hour ago, tGWB said:

Our supporters who 'Howl at the Moon' will be out in full force soon

 

2 Home Wins and 6pts against a bottom end of the table York City and Oxford City a recent addition to the National League 

 

Our next 3 games are against the current bottom 3 teams in the Form Table Kidderminster (A) Wealdstone (A)  Maidenhead (H), all winnable you would think

 

Steve Thompson has done a good job of stopping the rot and looks to be getting a tune out of the squad and the addition of Neil Redfearn should help keep the momentum going

 

For me, Frank and the Board need to complete the search for a new manager and not be taken in by what will be a noisy section of support to appoint Steve and / or Neil if we win the next three games

 

If after due process Steve Thompson / Neil Redfearn is the standout candidate then so be it 

The thing about caretaker managers is that opinions flip from game to game. At the moment Thompson is doing no wrong so many are tipping him for the job. Lose or draw on Tuesday with a poor performance and that will change, a good win next Saturday and it’ll flip back again.

16 minutes ago, redlion said:

Shelton has been very badly coached for the last year. Seemingly, he was well regarded at his previous club in a higher league. Also, Thommo judges him good enough to be included. Give the lad a chance in the "new improved" approach. I also think that all subs coming on should get applause.

I think that’s the key. There’s always been the feeling that the right manager and coach could get so much more from this squad, simply by doing the right things and the right preparation on the training pitch.Hopefully that’s what we’ll see from now on. No one seemed to improve under Unsworth, only regress, so with proper coaching we should shoot up the table, because there’s not much to beat.

Overall a comfortable win with some cracking goals, against admittedly poor opposition, but who can argue with a 4-0 win?

First half we played well and could have had more, with Green in his element.

Tailed off second half and fell quite flat, and in truth I thought the two late goals gave the score line a flattering look. Rhinoball still creeping in by letting them having too much of the ball, but we’ll eradicate that eventually.

The calls for Thompson to get the job seem to inevitably getting louder, but I think we need a new manager and leave everything behind the scenes as it is. Hopefully good results in the meantime means we don’t have to rush and can make the right decision.

I don’t mind Sheron (does my head in when they call him Shez though), but I think he should be a squad player, playing 15/20 games a season at most, covering for injuries and suspensions.

For those who remember him, I think of him as a Gary Hoolickin type player. Never a regular, but a great attitude and ended up playing a good few games over the years, and never let us down.

To go up I think we need an upgrade on Sheron, but no problem with his contract as you need players like that around the squad and he’ll always do a job when needed.

7 hours ago, sjk2008 said:

Which 5 don’t? The top 5?

I can imagine the reaction on here if this was announced last week with Unsworth singing his praises.

1 hour ago, trickyrickyholden said:

Absolutely, all well that ends well, but I'd put that st a 50% chance of ending very badly, and 0.05% at ending like it did.

The opposition were absolute spectators.

Their approach has seem them score 24 times this season. I wouldn’t mind watching some of that.

If Thompson has any say in the new boss given his head of recruitment role, I wouldn’t be surprised if Simon Grayson’s name gets mentioned , as he worked with him several times over the years.

Im not sure his stock is that high nowadays though, and I’ve no idea what he’s up to now.

33 minutes ago, jsslatic said:

I cba to research - what's Darrell Clarke achieved? I know Vale won promotion from L2 on his watch but didn't he miss most of that season with long Covid?

 

I may have completely misremembered. 

 

Williamson for me anyway.

Wasn’t covid. He had a spell out on compassionate leave because his daughter passed away.