League One - Who manages us?

[Guy]

34 minutes ago, ClaphamFox said:

The fixation with the retained list is bizarre. All it will show is which players remain under contract, which we already know. It's mildly interesting to see which academy players have been let go, but apart from that it's always bit of a non-event—and in previous years has been regarded as such. It's weird how this year it's become such a big thing for some people.

 

Rowett was pitching hard for the job in the last few weeks of the season. If he'd been offered it, he'd have accepted it and we'd know by now. The reason the club hasn't announced that he's leaving is because they're clearly not 100% confident they'll get somebody better in and are keeping Rowett in the background as a back-up plan, which is worrying but not surprising.

 

This managerial appointment is absolutely massive for the club. Get it wrong and the consequences could be very serious. IF the delay is because they're working hard to bring in the best possible candidate, I'm ok with that. If we have to wait until July and it ends up being Russell Martin, I will be very much not ok with it.

 

As others have said on here already we need another fortuitous appointment like Nigel Pearson (and his awesome backroom staff!) in 2008 this time around for League One! I don't know what the general consensus was on Big Nige at the time 18 years ago when he was first appointed (having kept Saints up at our Championship expense of course) but I think many at the time were so beleaguered at being in the third tier for the first time in our history after the mess of a season that had gone before it that there wasn't all that much opinion/ at the time IIRC. We struck gold, looking back but the pessimist inside me says I doubt it will be second time lucky this time around with whoever else! The Challinor or Schumacher shouts are justified, given the logic but as others have also said, it all depends on the play offs outcome.

Edited 22 May by Guy

[CosbehFox]

41 minutes ago, ClaphamFox said:

The fixation with the retained list is bizarre. All it will show is which players remain under contract, which we already know. It's mildly interesting to see which academy players have been let go, but apart from that it's always bit of a non-event—and in previous years has been regarded as such. It's weird how this year it's become such a big thing for some people.

 

Rowett was pitching hard for the job in the last few weeks of the season. If he'd been offered it, he'd have accepted it and we'd know by now. The reason the club hasn't announced that he's leaving is because they're clearly not 100% confident they'll get somebody better in and are keeping Rowett in the background as a back-up plan, which is worrying but not surprising.

 

This managerial appointment is absolutely massive for the club. Get it wrong and the consequences could be very serious. IF the delay is because they're working hard to bring in the best possible candidate, I'm ok with that. If we have to wait until July and it ends up being Russell Martin, I will be very much not ok with it.

 

I wouldn’t say it’s a non event this year though. 
 

Ownership promised better communication and everyone else is doing it now. A very quick easy win to the fanbase is to tell everyone some rotten eggs have been released. This isn’t rocket science at all. People want to see some form of action and get a bit of hope. Yeah we’ve never been early with the announcement.  
 

The lack of managerial process is following the last two summers and that’s why people are struggling. Realistically we’ve had since Rowett’s appointment to draw up a list. Yet we are here now and it would very much appear we following the tactic of agent influenced choices put in front of the club rather than targeting individuals 

[dmayne7]

41 minutes ago, ClaphamFox said:

The fixation with the retained list is bizarre. All it will show is which players remain under contract, which we already know. It's mildly interesting to see which academy players have been let go, but apart from that it's always bit of a non-event—and in previous years has been regarded as such. It's weird how this year it's become such a big thing for some people.

 

Rowett was pitching hard for the job in the last few weeks of the season. If he'd been offered it, he'd have accepted it and we'd know by now. The reason the club hasn't announced that he's leaving is because they're clearly not 100% confident they'll get somebody better in and are keeping Rowett in the background as a back-up plan, which is worrying but not surprising.

 

This managerial appointment is absolutely massive for the club. Get it wrong and the consequences could be very serious. IF the delay is because they're working hard to bring in the best possible candidate, I'm ok with that. If we have to wait until July and it ends up being Russell Martin, I will be very much not ok with it.

 

Assuming the fixation thing was just a general comment and not aimed at me given I've just said there's no point in getting overly emotional about it. The whole point is that all the radio silence does, is create more uncertainty for fans, display that there is yet more inability to act decisively and arrogance that they don't need to communicate.

 

And to the point that we know which players are put of contract, I'm not sure we actually do. Winks for example, we believe had his contract extended but that was never confirmed officially. Even Ayew, there was an element of doubt as to whether it was 2 or 3 years depending on the option in the contract, so it's possible that's been triggered if taking into account the Winks deal.

 

With Rowett, it just reinforces the above point. They don't know what they're doing (which we all know). He's managed the club for enough time so you either know whether you want him or not. Keeping him as a back up option makes no sense on that basis as if he's not quite good enough to be first choice when he's a known quantity, aren't there going to be hundreds of managers across world football that are exactly the same, yet they might actually be better than you thought? Sadly, your reasoning is probably right but I'm just pointing out it's utterly illogical.

 

And hasn't every managerial appointment been critical for the past 3 years? Most of those have been dire and even in the case of the 1 that did work, it wasn't like it was so successful that it relaid really strong foundations that would take years to undo, rather than months. Unless we're getting Pep, with the amount of work that needs doing, getting anyone in later than mid/late June will likely be disastrous.

 

Bottom line is, the most basic communication from KP would have cost them absolutely nothing and probably would have done a lot of good with a chunk of fans. Personally, I'm not at all surprised and don't really understand why anyone expected anything else.

[Cropwellfox]

Their promises about more open communication exposed for what they were, empty platitudes to quell the growing tension amongst the fans. Plenty fell hook line and sinker for it. If anything it’s got even worse since then 

[ClaphamFox]

2 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

I wouldn’t say it’s a non event this year though. 
 

Ownership promised better communication and everyone else is doing it now. A very quick easy win to the fanbase is to tell everyone some rotten eggs have been released. This isn’t rocket science at all. People want to see some form of action and get a bit of hope. Yeah we’ve never been early with the announcement.  
 

The lack of managerial process is following the last two summers and that’s why people are struggling. Realistically we’ve had since Rowett’s appointment to draw up a list. Yet we are here now and it would very much appear we following the tactic of agent influenced choices put in front of the club rather than targeting individuals 

Do we really know enough about what's going on behind the scenes to say this? I can't recall a single example of a club publishing a shortlist of managers they're pursuing before they make an appointment. What are you seeing that makes it 'appear' to you that we're going down agent-influenced route again? Is it just the lack of media rumours, or something else?

 

Silence might mean they're making the same mistakes as in the past or it might mean McCarron is working hard to correct those mistakes. No news could be bad news or it could be good news— we'll only find out when the manager is announced. I completely understand why people fear the worst, but I'm not sure the fact that we haven't made an appointment by 22 May tells us a great deal either way.

[hackneyfox]

On 20/05/2026 at 23:51, jv1 said:

Jesus if we can’t afford mark robins wages who the hell are we getting in as gaffer ? You really reckon robins is on decent money at Stoke - surely not - he hasn’t ever done anything at all at any level with anyone 

If you're going to rant at least check your facts.

He's got the sky blue scum promoted twice and they got to an FA Cup semi against Man U and were exceedingly unlucky to lose.

[ClaphamFox]

3 minutes ago, hackneyfox said:

If you're going to rant at least check your facts.

He's got the sky blue scum promoted twice and they got to an FA Cup semi against Man U and were exceedingly unlucky to lose.

True, but he did all of that with Adi Viveash as his assistant. My impression is that Coventry fans think that Robins is not much cop without Viveash, and Stoke fans now seem to think the same thing. Personally I hope we steer clear.

[AjcW]

8 minutes ago, ClaphamFox said:

True, but he did all of that with Adi Viveash as his assistant. My impression is that Coventry fans think that Robins is not much cop without Viveash, and Stoke fans now seem to think the same thing. Personally I hope we steer clear.

Not to mention Adi made Rob Edwards look good  and now Boro are in a play off final tomorrow. 

[Steve Earle]

Shouldn’t the thread be called ‘League One - Who Cares?’

 

I don’t, for one, having given up my season ticket after 45 years, & given up completely on the incompetent buffoons that allegedly run this empty vessel.

 

I have something between admiration & respect for those of you who still have the ‘pashun’. I guess I might have sustained that if I were still in my 30s or 40s.

 

The manager next season? It’s maybe 10-15% of the problem.

[CarolinaFox]

2 hours ago, ClaphamFox said:

Do we really know enough about what's going on behind the scenes to say this? I can't recall a single example of a club publishing a shortlist of managers they're pursuing before they make an appointment. What are you seeing that makes it 'appear' to you that we're going down agent-influenced route again? Is it just the lack of media rumours, or something else?

 

Silence might mean they're making the same mistakes as in the past or it might mean McCarron is working hard to correct those mistakes. No news could be bad news or it could be good news— we'll only find out when the manager is announced. I completely understand why people fear the worst, but I'm not sure the fact that we haven't made an appointment by 22 May tells us a great deal either way.

Agree 100% - we aren't at the stage in the summer where we need to be in panic mode. McCarron comes from a city group background, he won't just be pulling a name out of a hat, plus It will be his first real managerial appointment, there is a lot of incentive for his career to get this one right and to use the training he's had with city group to use the data to find a fit across all levels of the club (i.e a long term cultural fit and someone who can get results). That isn't an easy task, so while we haven't heard too much yet, I don't think we are at the point in the summer where it should give us cause for concern. It could be due to a lack of planning - sure, but given McCarron's background it actually reads more like we are doing the right thing for the first time in a long time: trying to get this right, which takes time. 

[Winstonthedog]

The way the club is being run .... anybody on the way up in management and with ambition will give us a wide berth .... we are looking in the absolutely useless, no idea, win record of less than 20% and nobody else would touch with a barge pole section  

[CosbehFox]

3 hours ago, ClaphamFox said:

Do we really know enough about what's going on behind the scenes to say this? I can't recall a single example of a club publishing a shortlist of managers they're pursuing before they make an appointment. What are you seeing that makes it 'appear' to you that we're going down agent-influenced route again? Is it just the lack of media rumours, or something else?

 

Silence might mean they're making the same mistakes as in the past or it might mean McCarron is working hard to correct those mistakes. No news could be bad news or it could be good news— we'll only find out when the manager is announced. I completely understand why people fear the worst, but I'm not sure the fact that we haven't made an appointment by 22 May tells us a great deal either way.

Every second that ticks this summer is another second wasted. If we keep Rowett as a potential option hence no news, that suggests our leadership and McCarron have zero confidence in their own ability to identify a manager better and stronger than him. Just weak, unambitious leadership again. 

 

Bournemouth managed to find a successor within a week for their outgoing manager. 

Edited 22 May by CosbehFox

[ClaphamFox]

39 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

Every second that ticks this summer is another second wasted. If we keep Rowett as a potential option hence no news, that suggests our leadership and McCarron have zero confidence in their own ability to identify a manager better and stronger than him. Just weak, unambitious leadership again. 

 

Bournemouth managed to find a successor within a week for their outgoing manager. 

Bournemouth are currently a considerably more attractive proposition than us. While it would be great if we could just go into the market and recruit a talented young manager with fresh ideas, I suspect anybody fitting that description will take some persuading before they agree to join us. That’s just the reality for us at the moment. 

[CosbehFox]

4 minutes ago, ClaphamFox said:

Bournemouth are currently a considerably more attractive proposition than us. While it would be great if we could just go into the market and recruit a talented young manager with fresh ideas, I suspect anybody fitting that description will take some persuading before they agree to join us. That’s just the reality for us at the moment. 

Bournemouth will have had that list ready for months - there's no excuse why we couldn't have. 

 

From the end of the season, 8 clubs in a variety of size have already appointed managers for the forthcoming season. Examples like Northampton and Hartlepool (far less attractive than us) have worked on the same time frames as us and got managers in. Ready to shape pre-season, ready to shape transfer targets (& departures). In the same period, we have a manager but he's not really the manager.  

Edited 22 May by CosbehFox

[ClaphamFox]

8 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

Bournemouth will have had that list ready for months - there's no excuse why we couldn't have. 

 

From the end of the season, 8 clubs in a variety of size have already appointed managers for the forthcoming season. 

Right. And if our objective was merely to get somebody in post, regardless of quality, then we could also doubtless have appointed by now. Probably Gary Rowett or Russell Martin. 
 

I’m suggesting there may be a trade-off between expediency and quality. And if that’s the case, I’d prefer us to prioritise quality. 

[Foxdiamond]

4 hours ago, dmayne7 said:

Assuming the fixation thing was just a general comment and not aimed at me given I've just said there's no point in getting overly emotional about it. The whole point is that all the radio silence does, is create more uncertainty for fans, display that there is yet more inability to act decisively and arrogance that they don't need to communicate.

 

And to the point that we know which players are put of contract, I'm not sure we actually do. Winks for example, we believe had his contract extended but that was never confirmed officially. Even Ayew, there was an element of doubt as to whether it was 2 or 3 years depending on the option in the contract, so it's possible that's been triggered if taking into account the Winks deal.

 

With Rowett, it just reinforces the above point. They don't know what they're doing (which we all know). He's managed the club for enough time so you either know whether you want him or not. Keeping him as a back up option makes no sense on that basis as if he's not quite good enough to be first choice when he's a known quantity, aren't there going to be hundreds of managers across world football that are exactly the same, yet they might actually be better than you thought? Sadly, your reasoning is probably right but I'm just pointing out it's utterly illogical.

 

And hasn't every managerial appointment been critical for the past 3 years? Most of those have been dire and even in the case of the 1 that did work, it wasn't like it was so successful that it relaid really strong foundations that would take years to undo, rather than months. Unless we're getting Pep, with the amount of work that needs doing, getting anyone in later than mid/late June will likely be disastrous.

 

Bottom line is, the most basic communication from KP would have cost them absolutely nothing and probably would have done a lot of good with a chunk of fans. Personally, I'm not at all surprised and don't really understand why anyone expected anything else.

The club really don't do themselves any favours. The basic communication you mention would certainly help. They don't seem to understand the emotional connection fans have. It's not like we are customers at a King Power outlet or some supermarket 

[CarolinaFox]

1 hour ago, CosbehFox said:

Every second that ticks this summer is another second wasted. 

McCarron comes from city group, they use a slower, data-driven process . His job is to literally rebuild the club's playing philosophy from the ground up, identify who needs to stay, who goes, identifying recruitment profiles for league one players, thinking long term about club success and then appointing a manager who can get the job done. He won't be hiring a manager to impose a system on the club, he will be hiring a manager who fits the system he wants, with the player profiles he believes we need to make that system work. And that takes time to get right - to really unpack the data and make decisions. Clubs like Bournemouth have an identity, and a recruitment strategy that's been working, we don't. So its easier for them to make faster decisions and have replacement managers in place: they aren't reinventing their playing identity. McCarron won't be hiring a manager based on vibes or on name recognition. I actually think McCarron's the first real sensible person in our club to get us out of the mess we've been in the last few seasons: hiring on vibes (Ruud) or impulse (Cooper). I totally get the frustration: we don't have time to waste, sure. We also don't have the money to waste on a poor fit, and I'd rather the club take its time to get this right than us start off this season poorly. This is such a big season for us, we need to get this right. 

Edited 22 May by CarolinaFox

[CosbehFox]

9 minutes ago, ClaphamFox said:

Right. And if our objective was merely to get somebody in post, regardless of quality, then we could also doubtless have appointed by now. Probably Gary Rowett or Russell Martin. 
 

I’m suggesting there may be a trade-off between expediency and quality. And if that’s the case, I’d prefer us to prioritise quality. 

The last two summers we didn’t make an appointment until the second half of the off season. 

 

Quality certainly wasn’t present in either of those two choices.
 

So why as a set of fans are being asked to considered that for the third time in a row, we remain patient on the promise of a quality appointment, you can see where the annoyance is occurring again? 
 

Pardon me for thinking that after quite simply the worst season ever, the grave financial implications, and the promise of communication. And even that they knew this scenario was a very real possibility back in February when they appointed Rowett to the end of the season. That the football club might realise that planning the contingency of next season starts back in February/March. Not hanging around until something crops that might be of interest. Hence why I strongly believe the recruitment is mostly likely agent led again. 

[CosbehFox]

3 minutes ago, CarolinaFox said:

McCarron comes from city group, they use a slower, data-driven process . His job is to literally rebuild the club's playing philosophy from the ground up, identify who needs to stay, who goes, identifying recruitment profiles for league one players, thinking long term about club success and then appointing a manager who can get the job done. He won't be hiring a manager to impose a system on the club, he will be hiring a manager who fits the system he wants, with the player profiles he believes we need to make that system work. And that takes time to get right - to really unpack the data and make decisions. Clubs like Bournemouth have an identity, and a recruitment strategy that's been working, we don't. So it’s easier for them to make faster decisions and have replacement managers in place: they aren't reinventing their playing identity. McCarron won't be hiring a manager based on vibes or on name recognition. I actually think McCarron's the first real sensible person in our club to get us out of the mess we've been in the last few seasons: hiring on vibes (Ruud) or impulse (Cooper). I totally get the frustration: we don't have time to waste, sure. We also don't have the money to waste on a poor fit, and I'd rather the club take its time to get this right than us start off this season poorly. This is such a big season for us, we need to get this right. 

McCarron has had since March to get this sorted. 
 

Similar sort of time frame as Bournemouth for example in their transition to Rose. 
 

You are putting a lot of emphasis on a bloke whose real life experience in the role is failing to get the most well backed club in the Belgian second division promoted 

Edited 22 May by CosbehFox

[CarolinaFox]

2 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

McCarron has had since March to get this sorted 

Did we know in March we would be in league one? Did we know in March that we would have to rebuild the squad for league one money? No. Did he know what managers would or would not be available in May? No. And that literally changes everything. 

Edited 22 May by CarolinaFox

[CosbehFox]

5 minutes ago, CarolinaFox said:

Did we know in March we would be in league one? Did we know in March that we would have to rebuild the squad for league one money? No. Did he know what managers would or would not be available in May? No. And that literally changes everything. 

Most clubs work on a business plan basis which includes multiple, different scenarios playing out. Transfers/managerial choices in particular. You have lists for the eventualities. 
 

The new CEO even mentioned this when the financial results came out 

Edited 22 May by CosbehFox

[Guppys Love Child]

2 hours ago, CarolinaFox said:

Agree 100% - we aren't at the stage in the summer where we need to be in panic mode. McCarron comes from a city group background, he won't just be pulling a name out of a hat, plus It will be his first real managerial appointment, there is a lot of incentive for his career to get this one right and to use the training he's had with city group to use the data to find a fit across all levels of the club (i.e a long term cultural fit and someone who can get results). That isn't an easy task, so while we haven't heard too much yet, I don't think we are at the point in the summer where it should give us cause for concern. It could be due to a lack of planning - sure, but given McCarron's background it actually reads more like we are doing the right thing for the first time in a long time: trying to get this right, which takes time. 

Let's hope so.

 

There has been many a post in the past were we have been clambering for the club to do some due diligence over the next appointment. 

 

Due to our League One status we also have the added problem of the managerial pool we are fishing in is limited both in quality and in all fairness probably quantity.

 

The club however does need to make it public if Gaz the Coward Rowett is officially buggering off or not. 

I appreciate it was made clear that his contract was until the end of the season, but wasn't the end of a specific month mentioned somewhere, so maybe we have to wait for this future date before the club posts "We'd like to thank Gaz for all his hard work and wish him the best for the future -but hope the door doesn't hit him too hard on the arse on the way out"  on the club web site.   Hopefully at this point rumblings of the new manager may start to surface.

 

Or the club is doing bugger all as normal....

[CosbehFox]

Also the City Group thing is a red herring. None of their satellite clubs have had great success. Man City don’t need to be overly analytic with recruitment of players or managers.
 

None of their satellite clubs have shown great success in identifying players and managers which can either play for City or be sold for big money. 

 

If you compare that to say Bloom at Brighton and see the impact on Union SG and Hearts. That’s proper good work and use of an analytic approach  

[1972 Fox]

1 hour ago, ClaphamFox said:

Right. And if our objective was merely to get somebody in post, regardless of quality, then we could also doubtless have appointed by now. Probably Gary Rowett or Russell Martin. 
 

I’m suggesting there may be a trade-off between expediency and quality. And if that’s the case, I’d prefer us to prioritise quality. 

I doubt that we've even started looking for the new manager yet. The incompetence of Top and Rudkin knows now bounds.

[Reg Vardy]

Just an observation reference Bournemouth, Premier League, possibly Europe, great squad, as opposed to, League One, unknown squad of players, And the Vertu(?) trophy…..