Next Manager

[teblin]

6 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

What experience did Nigel Pearson have when he came to us 1st time around? We also cannot be relying on just the manager and his staff to completely rebuild us as it requires more above them to align and support the process.

 

The likelihood of thst all happening remains to be seen but the biggest priority from our next manager is having the bravery to bring through and use our academy players. Cleverley therefore is not the worst shout in the world.

As much as big Sam gets a lot of stick now.

 

I think the fact that nige worked under him and learnt meant he brought in a lot of the structure and sport scientists.

 

So like with Enzo, he learnt from more senior managers. Not sure about cleverly don’t know too much, but some one with experience of a good set up and willing to try and implement is something we should look for.

[demon_dog]

We need a manager who will say sod the director of football. One who decides who we sign, what we pay for them and how much we'll pay them.

Pretty much like the old style managers used to.

[Finnegan]

Just now, demon_dog said:

We need a manager who will say sod the director of football. One who decides who we sign, what we pay for them and how much we'll pay them.

Pretty much like the old style managers used to.

 

So what you're saying is, we need more of exactly what has ruined the club? 

 

Cool. Great. Yeah. 

 

[Super_horns]

5 hours ago, fox_favourite said:

@Super_horns what are your thoughts on the Cleverley situation?

A great shame as he was popular with fans due to his long term connection with the club .

 

A lot of players have spoken out in support of Tom which says a lot about about how they respected and liked him too.

But we had only gained 20 points since Christmas so guess the writing was on the wall .

 

Many will say we lacked depth in the squad and he was dealt a tough hand but the Pozzos seem to think the players are talented and should have done better.

 

 

 

 

Edited 7 May 2025 by Super_horns

[ClaphamFox]

3 minutes ago, demon_dog said:

We need a manager who will say sod the director of football. One who decides who we sign, what we pay for them and how much we'll pay them.

Pretty much like the old style managers used to.

And if he's sacked 12 games into the season and replaced with a manager with a completely different approach who doesn't rate the squad, what then?

[AKCJ]

2 minutes ago, demon_dog said:

We need a manager who will say sod the director of football. One who decides who we sign, what we pay for them and how much we'll pay them.

Pretty much like the old style managers used to.

Yeah but that's not going to happen is it. 

 

It's the Director of Football who decides who we sign and what we pay. Managers haven't had that responsibility for decades now.

 

We need a new DoF that recruits a manager that shares his ideology. The past few years have been a joke because Rudkin has no set ideology and each manager has been totally different to the next and there's been no continual trend of the types of players we are signing.

 

 

[winteriscoming]

13 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

Yeah but that's not going to happen is it. 

 

It's the Director of Football who decides who we sign and what we pay. Managers haven't had that responsibility for decades now.

 

We need a new DoF that recruits a manager that shares his ideology. The past few years have been a joke because Rudkin has no set ideology and each manager has been totally different to the next and there's been no continual trend of the types of players we are signing.

 

 

There’s no way we sign Ayew, Skipp and Bdr if Enzo was still in charge. Manager’s have some input. 

[Wink84]

12 hours ago, kingfox said:

What Watford’s ceo said about Cleverley two months ago, now they’ve stabbed him in the back. 

 

The type of guy who wouldn’t be afraid to give the likes of Nelson, Alves, Monga and Evans a chance. 

That's enough for me. We've achieved everything we possibly could do. Let's build a club that have amazing youth academy and gives them opportunities. It makes sense PSR wise, fans will love it. Let's get him in.

 

[kingfox]

2 hours ago, LFEFox23 said:

Surely people aren't being serious about Cleverley because he got Watford playing ' some nice stuff'...

 

This club needs a total reset from top to bottom (literally)... All playing staff, all coaching staff, the board

 

We need the right person for sure, not some in experience apprentice!

The realism of that second line is unfortunately unlikely, especially when it comes to the board. 
 

Cleverley’s coaching team at Watford mainly consisted of people he’s worked with in the past. If some of those followed him to Leicester, it wouldn’t be so bad would it. 
 

Cleverley showed bravery last season by using numerous young players, most of which he improved considerably, especially Kwadwo Baah who was an absolute menace for Watford until his injury in February. Cleverley is a guy who was brave enough to start two 21 year old centre-backs together. He was brave enough to start a 19 year old striker, take him off for an 18 year old striker, while leaving their more senior striker on the bench. 
 

His reign at Watford was far from perfect, they had spells of conceding early, some poor away form, while their form took a massive dip post Christmas. 
 

But if Kwadwo Baah hadn’t got injured, and if they actually had a competent striker who could score regularly at Championship level, I reckon they would’ve finished top 10. 
 

Some managers mentioned don’t hold that much experience, what experienced managers available would be realistic? Dyche? Hasenhuttl? 

 

No thanks. 

[AKCJ]

1 hour ago, winteriscoming said:

There’s no way we sign Ayew, Skipp and Bdr if Enzo was still in charge. Manager’s have some input. 

Oh yeah and that's all worked out perfectly hasn't it.

 

This all stems from a Director of Football not directing the football. The operation of a successful club (long term) is one where if the manager leaves, the club keeps moving forward.

 

Yes, you can get lucky and keep your successful manager for a long time (Brendan here, Howe at Newcastle, Frank at Brentford etc) but clubs our size are always subject to one of two scenarios. 1, continued success leads to people leaving and 2, things turn sour).

 

We need to rebuild the club starting off the pitch as opposed to continually building on sand. Putting Vestergaard on a 3 year contract because Enzo liked him, signing Ayew/BDCR becuase they're 'proven' in the Premier League, replacing Kasper with Ward because Brendan was happy with him etc. Nothing lines up properly and it's why we continually find ourselves in the shit.

 

The only way things improve is when we get a proper DoF in that knows what he's doing, has a clear way of running the club and has an ideology that is compatible with the fans (using the academy, playing a direct/hardworking style of play and buying low/selling high). 

 

Letting managers dictate the club despite the fact their way of playing is totally different from the last manager that was here 10 minutes ago is what is killing us. We gave Brendan Rodgers far too much room to work in and we haven't filled anything that he's left behind. We desperately need to realign 1st team manager, academy and scouting and the only way that happens is with Rudkin being replaced.

[Super_horns]

Seems to be a typical modern day manager who likes a possession based game and I think tries to be fairly solid using quick players on the break .

i think he wants to give young players a chance but likes experience pros too - Sissoko was his captain for example.

[HankMarvin]

1 hour ago, winteriscoming said:

There’s no way we sign Ayew, Skipp and Bdr if Enzo was still in charge. Manager’s have some input. 

Just checked 

Cooper came up against BCR 3 times 

Fulham 2-3 A LM 1 assist 

Fulham 2-0 H RW

Fulham 5-0 H RW

Makes sense why he would target him 

 

[BKLFox]

3 hours ago, pmcla26 said:

I couldn’t disagree more. Manning seems like to me a manager that’s very good for mid table Championship clubs (like we see at Bristol City) where he gets the most out of his resources without developing an ideology or style of play to build upon. 
 

People take the piss out of Russell Martin but he genuinely has the potential to be a real top manager when you look at the way he develops players and teams. It’s just whether or not he can change the mentality of some of his sides and get them to become more rounded. 

Liam Manning is in the same mould of Russell & Enzo & adapts to the same playing style resource dependant.

Here is a list of Mannings preferred player profiles & possessional set up, then think of what we had in the Champsionship with Enzo
 

Manning looks for technically assured, tactically intelligent players who can operate within a structured game model:

• Centre-backs comfortable stepping out with the ball
• Inverted full-backs or those able to rotate intelligently
• Midfielders with composure under pressure and excellent body orientation
• Wingers who can isolate full-backs or drift inside to combine
• Strikers with strong link play and good movement between the lines

He prizes decision-makers over athletes, particularly in the central channel.
 

Manning’s teams often adopt a 2-3-5 or 3-2-5 shape in sustained possession, depending on the opponent’s pressing structure. The centre-backs split, with a pivot dropping in to create a back three when building from deep. Full-backs are key, they either provide width or invert into central areas depending on the phase of play.

• Build-Up: Controlled and deliberate. Play is built from the back with numerical superiority sought in the first and second phases.
• Progression: Use of third-man runs, rotations in the half-spaces, and central midfielders who can receive under pressure.
• Final Third: Focus on wide rotations and cutbacks rather than hopeful crosses.

 

You can see why his name fits the profile of where we were heading.

[Jazzy_Jeff]

Rumours Carrick is being let go by Boro.

 

Ive been impressed whenever I’ve seen them and their problem to me looks to be squad depth.

 

Thoughts if he’s available? 

[UniFox21]

5 minutes ago, Jazzy_Jeff said:

Rumours Carrick is being let go by Boro.

 

Ive been impressed whenever I’ve seen them and their problem to me looks to be squad depth.

 

Thoughts if he’s available? 

No way, he has spent big money at Boro and always fall short.

[HankMarvin]

3 minutes ago, Jazzy_Jeff said:

Rumours Carrick is being let go by Boro.

 

Ive been impressed whenever I’ve seen them and their problem to me looks to be squad depth.

 

Thoughts if he’s available? 

Overhyped because of playing career 

 

136

63

24

49

220:177

 

4th

8th 

10th

Fans feel they are going backwards 

[OntarioFox]

I like what I've heard about Cleverley so far, would get him in on that basis, not least because we lack realistic options. Rosenior sounds like he's going to be courted by a club in a better position, for example.

 

That said, the main reason I think he's going to be a likely target is that he played for us once upon a time. Not because I think that matters or that he has any affinity to us after a one-season loan spell that didn't even last the full campaign, but more because "urg burg ex-lestah" is the depth of research morons like Rudkin go to in order to choose our managers these days.

 

He sounds promising, and I get the feeling it will be a "happy accident" that results in us having a good season if he is brought in. He certainly has a promising raft of young players to work with.

[Happy Fox]

@Super_horns what’s Cleverley’s coaching staff like?

[Finnegan]

Not sure why people keep bringing up Cleverley. 

 

I'll be absolutely amazed if Top agrees to go for anyone that's just been sacked by a Championship club perceived to be "small" to us. 

 

This is the man that's just hired a completely unqualified Ruud Van Nistelrooy because he's a famous name from Top's youth as a watching fan. 

[Master Fox]

21 hours ago, Happy Fox said:

Tom Cleverley I would take him tbh.

No!!! Are you crazy?? 

[Sankey93]

God people actually think Tom Cleverly would be a good option 😂

[Chrysalis]

On 30/04/2025 at 10:21, Muzzy_no7 said:

At lot of people don’t understand the story of Brenzo being appointed. 
 

The board were pushing for Cooper and Co.

 

Enzo took Top on a date and sold him the world. 
 

The board who didn’t want Enzo are still here….

Enzo was actually a poor appointment, as more than half of the squad isnt suited for that type of football and we cant afford to build a team for the EPL to play that type of football.  More than half of the games I watched in the championship season our players clearly looked uncomfortable playing that way.

This meant the team wasnt coached to play the way needed to survive in the EPL.

 

It has also led to a new problem, the fans wont accept a manager who isnt like Enzo.

Edited 7 May 2025 by Chrysalis

[Mark_w]

5 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

What experience did Nigel Pearson have when he came to us 1st time around? We also cannot be relying on just the manager and his staff to completely rebuild us as it requires more above them to align and support the process.

 

The likelihood of thst all happening remains to be seen but the biggest priority from our next manager is having the bravery to bring through and use our academy players. Cleverley therefore is not the worst shout in the world.

The biggest priority for our new manager is identifying and removing the players who aren’t interested in or capable of contributing effectively to a football team aspiring to compete in the Premier League. Who really cares how many of our academy players are in that team? Schlupp and King were the only academy players who properly featured in our title win and I’m pretty sure none of us cared.

[iancognito]

2 hours ago, Jazzy_Jeff said:

Rumours Carrick is being let go by Boro.

 

Ive been impressed whenever I’ve seen them and their problem to me looks to be squad depth.

 

Thoughts if he’s available? 

No.

 

Amazed he's been given as long as he has there with little sign of improvement. Fans have been saying the same about him, no progression, too inconsistent, too many inexplicable dips in form.

 

Manning and Rohl are interesting ideas but it's a moot point if this DoF stays in position. He's yesterday's man clinging to a job that outgrew him years ago.

[Libertine]

32 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

Not sure why people keep bringing up Cleverley. 

 

I'll be absolutely amazed if Top agrees to go for anyone that's just been sacked by a Championship club perceived to be "small" to us. 

 

This is the man that's just hired a completely unqualified Ruud Van Nistelrooy because he's a famous name from Top's youth as a watching fan. 

This is literally it. 

 

Terrifying really. An excitable overgrown child.