I'm all for being gracious in defeat, football is supposed to be a sport, after all. But Hecky is just another manager at another club, so why anyone would bother starting a thread to say "well done" is beyond me. Unless we're gonna do that for every manager that we lose to in future? It's well past time to let go...
Can’t be bothered to read the whole thread, but I strongly suspect this guys a friend/ relative of PH, he kicks off at absolutely any criticism of him (and has done since the day it happened). Also noted the other day he described him as one of the best managers the club has ever had. So he’s either deeply troubled or a close personal friend of the ****. I pity him either way.
No, not a friend or a relative, mate. I disagree with the criticism of Heckingbottom but I don't think I "kick off" at it. I stand by my view that he's one of the best managers we've had but that's just my opinion. No more nor no less valid than yours. Just different. Not sure why he is a "****" - were you following Barnsley in 2015-16? But hey - carry on with the abuse if you want - it really doesn't make any difference to me!
David flitcroft was great for 6 months he took us from doomed at Xmas rock bottom and saved us with someone else's team. Paul was great for 6 months longer with someone else's team.
No arguments there - that was his job. If that team had floundered though, he would have been blamed for it's demise. He continued to do well until the team was slowly dismantled and replaced with an inferior one - something which must have been a source of great frustration for him.
Well, yr getting it in the neck over this one Orsen. For what it’s worth i’ve now come through the stages of ‘grief’ so I can say again that PH is one of the finest coaches we’ve had at the Club in 50 years. Gave me some of the best times of my life in following the Reds. Although it’s easier to get information out of ISIS than it is BFC, I concluded sometime ago that he, and the supporters were let down by a really badly run club. For a while it looked different but we ended up playing the same ‘little old Barnsley’ game that’s been played for many years. I thought PH was gracious yesterday in a way I wouldn’t have been, after getting all that stick. I don’t think he could have helped us any more than by putting out the Leeds ‘Junior’ team, but even they were too good for us. Incidentally, I had a fantastic Lucky 15 at Ayr yesterday. A last, two pulled up and a faller. Really made my day when I got home.
He gave the final word on those transfers. He then went to Leeds and put their play off hopes to bed in a matter of weeks with consecutive defrats. He did well for us in 2015/16 and I had some great times that season. But since then he has proved as a manager the jury is still well and truly out.
.....by him Oh I forgot the accepted narrative is that only the successes like McBurnie were his signings.
I gave up backing at Ayr some time ago! Can't make head or tail of it, and the jumps at this end of the season is perilous. You don't know which ones have left their races behind at Chelters or Aintree. Happily on the flat though it's Sandown Classic Trial Day on Friday, with three group races and the always excellent Esher Cup, which is a group race in disguise. I know at least one quiet one who will be attending!
I It’s a dig at whoever was making the decisions at that time. They took a squad that was on the verge of the play offs, kicked it in the nuts in January then smacked it around the head in the close season. My point about information coming out of the club is, as we’re only supporters, we’re not deemed important enough to have it explained to us who and how decisions are taken. Fair enough, but I think that’s poor. I’ll be around at this club (God help me) longer than any Owner, Chairman, Coach or Player,
Had he been given McBurnie in August when he was supposed to come I think our position would now be looking a lot different (my opinion). As it is, I think few of the squad have been "his" signings, which probably accounts for their quality, and our current position. Clubs can save money, but so can supporters (customers, I'd call them).
That’s a bit posh for me but i’ll be at Catterick on Wednesday. Always a bit to be made at the start of the flat season, if you have a Middleham connection
Here's some perspective. PH inherited a potentially fine team and piloted them to some memorable achievements. How much credit he should get for that we'll never know. He said himself that by the end of the promotion season everyone knew their job so well all he had to do was make sure they were fit and send them out. He had the bulk of that team sold from under him. Everyone knew it would be a struggle this season and he proved unable to defeat the odds. My conclusion is that neither his successes prove him to be a great manager nor his failure prove him to be rubbish. Only time will tell on that. What is predictable is that the bitter element within any football club fanbase will immediately turn on anyone who chooses to leave the club. Inevitably we fans never know the full story. We'll never know the full story behind PH's decision to leave. That won't prevent certain people venting their spleen to make up for their inability to deal with disappointment. It happened with Wilson, Hill, Heckingbottom. It would have happened with Hourihane if he'd left for a local rival. For those who are unable to deal with facts here are some anyway.... Barnsley have been relegated nine times in their history. It's probably about to become ten. Despite having the longest tenure in what we feel is our natural home we have, nevertheless, spent a sizeable proportion of our history in the lower leagues. Football clubs, teams go in cycles. We are not and never have been immune. Deal with it.