18 Months of Hillcroft (a BBS survey)

As you may or may not know (or possibly know, but couldn't give a ****) I used to do one of them blog things. Due to real life and humans, I had to put my blogging on hiatus. Funnily enough, we have dropped like a stone since I stopped doing updates, so perhaps Keith could use that as his latest excuse for our dismal run..?
Anyway, I will soon be in possession of a shiny new laptop (love r lass) and in between real life I am going to do my damnedest to get the blog back online, possibly in time for the Peterbro away day on NYD.
Which brings me on to the title of this thread. I am hoping that enough of my fellow BBS'ers will take part in the survey type thing below, which I aim to include in my first blog article when back up and running.
Thanks,
Andy/Merlin/Whitey/lovely person.
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1 - Were you happy with the initial appointment of Keith Hill as manager on June 1st 2011?
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2 - What were your first impressions of him, and what were you expecting from BFC?
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3 - What did you make of his recruitment strategy - was it in your opinion forced upon him, or the way he wanted it?
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4 - Name me your favourite 3 performances from season 2011/12.
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5 - Conversely, name me the 3 you were most disappointed about, for whatever reason.
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6 - Name me your 3 favourite players of that season.
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7 - The worst 3 players?
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8 - Tell me the things you would credit Keith for during that campaign.
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9 - What do you blame him for, with regards to last term?
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10 - What were your thoughts about Hillcroft by the end of the season?
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11 - What did you make of his Summer 2012 recruits?
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12 - What did you expect from BFC this season, and are we currently better/worse than you expected?
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13 - What are the 3 main issues you have with Keith?
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14 - Do you care that both he, Flitcroft, and a lot of the players are represented by the same agency?
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15 - Your thoughts on Keith's relationship with the fanbase?
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16 - Keith and Mido - your thoughts?
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17 - Keith and Bobby Hassell - your thoughts?
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18 - If you were the man above him, how long would you give him to turn it around? Or perhaps you want him out already?
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19 - Name me 3 realistic managers you would choose to replace Keith, should he leave.
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20 - And finally, give me a score out of 10, to sum up your thoughts on his reign thus far.
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Once again, thanks.
Time consuming perhaps, but not as much as putting it altogether and forming an amazing blog article
UP THE TARN

 

1 - Were you happy with the initial appointment of Keith Hill as manager on June 1st 2011?
Yes

2 - What were your first impressions of him, and what were you expecting from BFC?
Bit of a ****. Loved him. Expecting to stay up.

3 - What did you make of his recruitment strategy - was it in your opinion forced upon him, or the way he wanted it?
Bit of both. Given little money to spend and decided that was the best way to do it.

4 - Name me your favourite 3 performances from season 2011/12.
Peterborough away.
Peterborough at home.
Leeds at home.

5 - Conversely, name me the 3 you were most disappointed about, for whatever reason.
Coventry away
Coventry away
Coventry away

6 - Name me your 3 favourite players of that season.
Butterfield
O'Brien
Perkins

7 - The worst 3 players?
McEveley
Cameron Park
Nouble

8 - Tell me the things you would credit Keith for during that campaign.
Playing the best football we'd seen at this level.
Ricardo Vaz Te
Jacob Butterfield

9 - What do you blame him for, with regards to last term?
Very little.

10 - What were your thoughts about Hillcroft by the end of the season?
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11 - What did you make of his Summer 2012 recruits?

12 - What did you expect from BFC this season, and are we currently better/worse than you expected?
Hoped to stay up.
Exactly where most people expected us to be.

13 - What are the 3 main issues you have with Keith?
Lack of consistency with team selection.
Loan players haven't worked out.
Not wearing his coat.

14 - Do you care that both he, Flitcroft, and a lot of the players are represented by the same agency?
Not at all.

15 - Your thoughts on Keith's relationship with the fanbase?
He's his own man. People need to be told sometimes but he has changed quite a lot in 18 months.

16 - Keith and Mido - your thoughts?
Risk worth taking. No blame on Keith for me.

17 - Keith and Bobby Hassell - your thoughts?
He's made a decision on a player. It's his decision alone to make.

18 - If you were the man above him, how long would you give him to turn it around? Or perhaps you want him out already?
At least another 18 months.

19 - Name me 3 realistic managers you would choose to replace Keith, should he leave.
Paul Tisdale
Steve Davies
Martin Allen

20 - And finally, give me a score out of 10, to sum up your thoughts on his reign thus far.
6. Doing his job and meeting his targets.

 

Cheers Liam.
And I agree with a lot of that. And your 3 potential managers are 3 of mine, should Bobby not fancy it...

 

1 - Were you happy with the initial appointment of Keith Hill as manager on June 1st 2011?
Yes, I didn't think we could attract anyone better and he had a good record with Rochdale
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2 - What were your first impressions of him, and what were you expecting from BFC?
Liked him. Said he wanted to play like Barcelona. No nonsense. I thought we might play better football but still finish around the same place given the budget cut.
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3 - What did you make of his recruitment strategy - was it in your opinion forced upon him, or the way he wanted it?
Lower league players don't necessarily mean lower league football. I didn't mind it, if we found a few gems that would be worth it. We didn't have the finances to recruit experienced championship players and would they even want to come to us permanently.
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4 - Name me your favourite 3 performances from season 2011/12.
Leeds (H) would have said Leeds (A) and Peterborough (A) but didn't get to them.
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5 - Conversely, name me the 3 you were most disappointed about, for whatever reason.
Ipswich (H) - Everything looked good, we were playing great football on sky as well and then the second half happened.
Bristol City (H) - Was sure we'd win.
Donny (A) - Couldn't back up the terrific performance against Leeds with another derby win.
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6 - Name me your 3 favourite players of that season.
Vaz Te
Butterfield
Davies in that order.
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7 - The worst 3 players?
McEveley
Nouble
Dagnall
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8 - Tell me the things you would credit Keith for during that campaign.
Good football. Turn around of Vaz Te. Getting possibly the best midfield 5 in the division.
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9 - What do you blame him for, with regards to last term?
Dip after January. Failing to stop the alarming drop towards the foot of the table
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10 - What were your thoughts about Hillcroft by the end of the season?
Decent pairing. Not sure if they were tactically all that sound. Recruited some rubbish but also some gems.
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11 - What did you make of his Summer 2012 recruits?
Mido - Thought it would be a great signing if it came off
Silva, Cwyka, Cranie, Mellis - Excellent signings
Etuhu - Not sure
Harewood, Alnwick - Good signings
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12 - What did you expect from BFC this season, and are we currently better/worse than you expected?
After losing Butterfield I thought we might struggle but after his work in the transfer market I thought we might push up the table a bit and could finish mid table if we avoided the annual post Christmas slump.
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13 - What are the 3 main issues you have with Keith?
Poor tactics - No width
Failing to sign a commanding CB
Constantly lowering expectations
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14 - Do you care that both he, Flitcroft, and a lot of the players are represented by the same agency?
No, I think the players brought in are decent.
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15 - Your thoughts on Keith's relationship with the fanbase?
Lowering expectations, blaming the fans, no wonder there's no atmosphere at games.
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16 - Keith and Mido - your thoughts?
I think it would have been a good signing had it come off. He's been right not to play. I'm astounded he hasn't managed to lose much weight, I suppose the injury didn't help but even still, he's MASSIVE. Not sure about the wages business.
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17 - Keith and Bobby Hassell - your thoughts?
Unlike most fans, I don't think Hassell should be in our first XI. I have no problem with leaving him out, perhaps he should have played given the loss of form of the entire defense however.
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18 - If you were the man above him, how long would you give him to turn it around? Or perhaps you want him out already?
Keep him for now. If we lose our next two games I would serious consider getting shut. Depends on the performance though and if there's any sign of improvement. Not sure anyone any better would come however.
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19 - Name me 3 realistic managers you would choose to replace Keith, should he leave.
Not sure anyone would want to come, especially not established championship managers. Who would want to take the risk of damaging their career and being given next to no money to turn it around. Some league 2 manager I've barely heard of.
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20 - And finally, give me a score out of 10, to sum up your thoughts on his reign thus far.
Start of last season and this - 8/9
End of last season and the majority of this - 2
Overall - 4
Signs that he is a decent manager. Only a few weeks ago the vast majority loved him. Beginning to lose the plot though?

 

1 - Were you happy with the initial appointment of Keith Hill as manager on June 1st 2011?
Yes, he was my number one choice at the time.
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2 - What were your first impressions of him, and what were you expecting from BFC?
I liked him, I mean really liked him. I thought he was going to be the best manager we’d had since Wilson.
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3 - What did you make of his recruitment strategy - was it in your opinion forced upon him, or the way he wanted it?
I thought he was doing the right thing with the budget available to him. I never went along with the lower league **** argument.
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4 - Name me your favourite 3 performances from season 2011/12.
Derby at home, Peterborough away and Leeds home.
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5 - Conversely, name me the 3 you were most disappointed about, for whatever reason.
Ipswich home, Hull away and Bristol City.
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6 - Name me your 3 favourite players of that season.
Steele, Vaz Te and Butterfield.
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7 - The worst 3 players?
Nouble, Park, The lad from Newcastle.
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8 - Tell me the things you would credit Keith for during that campaign.
We did play some good football at times and he brought in Vaz Te.
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9 - What do you blame him for, with regards to last term?
The second half of the season was a disaster and he must take some of the blame for not being able to turn things around.
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10 - What were your thoughts about Hillcroft by the end of the season?
I still had faith and belief that he was the right manager.
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11 - What did you make of his Summer 2012 recruits? I was reasonably pleased with them.
I did want to see a centre half brought in so when we went in for Greer I thought Hill had spotted that requirement too.
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12 - What did you expect from BFC this season, and are we currently better/worse than you expected?
Far worse than expected. I thought we’d be mid table pretty much all season.
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13 - What are the 3 main issues you have with Keith?
His formations and tactics, his arrogance and his treatment of players who he didn’t sign (one in particular).
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14 - Do you care that both he, Flitcroft, and a lot of the players are represented by the same agency?
Yes, it looks like a conflict of interests.
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15 - Your thoughts on Keith's relationship with the fanbase?
Broken.
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16 - Keith and Mido - your thoughts?
I would have taken a risk on Mido but not if it was going to cost us £4k per week. I’d have had him on performance bonuses.
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17 - Keith and Bobby Hassell - your thoughts?
I think Keith’s treatment of Bobby is disgraceful and I have lost a lot of respect for Hill over this.
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18 - If you were the man above him, how long would you give him to turn it around? Or perhaps you want him out already?
If it was up to me he would have gone on Saturday night.
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19 - Name me 3 realistic managers you would choose to replace Keith, should he leave.
Owen Coyle, Steve Davies. Not sure about others.
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20 - And finally, give me a score out of 10, to sum up your thoughts on his reign thus far.
Overall he would scrape a 4/10. I had so much faith in him gut this has gradually slipped away and Saturday was the final straw. I no longer have any faith or belief that he can turn things around and I believe we will be relegated with him as manager.

 

Who was the lad from Newcastle?

 

Danger.

 

Nile Ranger?

 

I really really don't get this treatment of Bobby is disgraceful stuff. Hill wants to play with full bakcs who can get forward. This isn't Bobby's game. therefore he doesn't get picked ahead of two full backs who can get forward. Hill has been very honest with Hassell as to where his position is in the squad.

You might not agree with the decision but I don't see how its disgraceful treatment of him.

 

Seconded.
Thirded.
Fourthed.

 

1 - Were you happy with the initial appointment of Keith Hill as manager on June 1st 2011?

Indifferent. But didn't want Russell Slade.
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2 - What were your first impressions of him, and what were you expecting from BFC?

Hard working, honest, mind of his own. That to be reflected in how we performed. Expected Rowing not to like it.
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3 - What did you make of his recruitment strategy - was it in your opinion forced upon him, or the way he wanted it?

Forced on him.
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4 - Name me your favourite 3 performances from season 2011/12.

Leeds home. Leeds away. Posh away.
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5 - Conversely, name me the 3 you were most disappointed about, for whatever reason.

Any from xmas on.
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6 - Name me your 3 favourite players of that season.

Butts, Davies, Perkins.
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7 - The worst 3 players?

Nah.
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8 - Tell me the things you would credit Keith for during that campaign.

Vaz Te. Some of the passing football. Turning Perkins into a Champ standard laiker.
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9 - What do you blame him for, with regards to last term?

Wish he'd have kept his head and tried to replace Butts, Vaz, Drinkwater rather than (apparently) panicking.
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10 - What were your thoughts about Hillcroft by the end of the season?

Long term project.
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11 - What did you make of his Summer 2012 recruits?

Let's see.
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12 - What did you expect from BFC this season, and are we currently better/worse than you expected?

Worse. Expected to be clear of rello spots.
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13 - What are the 3 main issues you have with Keith?

Hassell. No commanding centre half. No width to team.
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14 - Do you care that both he, Flitcroft, and a lot of the players are represented by the same agency?

No.
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15 - Your thoughts on Keith's relationship with the fanbase?
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We want someone who speaks their mind. Until they speak their mind.
16 - Keith and Mido - your thoughts?

Gamble, didn't work. Move on.
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17 - Keith and Bobby Hassell - your thoughts?

Fcuks me off.
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18 - If you were the man above him, how long would you give him to turn it around? Or perhaps you want him out already?

Another 3 years after this season.
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19 - Name me 3 realistic managers you would choose to replace Keith, should he leave.

Steve Davis. Senior pro as player manager. Danny Wilson if Sheff Utd don't go up.
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20 - And finally, give me a score out of 10, to sum up your thoughts on his reign thus far.

5.
.

 

Danger, danger...

 

He can play at centre half too so if its genuine football reasons then fine but I dont think it is because I haven't seen anything to convince me that Bobby is not as good as Hills first choice players.

 

1 - Were you happy with the initial appointment of Keith Hill as manager on June 1st 2011?
. l wanted Wilson, Hill took us up on the offer because he had been turned down at Sheff Utd, out of the rest though he was a good choice

2 - What were your first impressions of him, and what were you expecting from BFC?
Loved his interviews and honesty
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3 - What did you make of his recruitment strategy - was it in your opinion forced upon him, or the way he wanted it?
Forced upon him
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4 - Name me your favourite 3 performances from season 2011/12.
Peterboro (A), Derby (H) Leeds (H)
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5 - Conversely, name me the 3 you were most disappointed about, for whatever reason.
Middlesborough (H) was it 1-3? Blackpool (H) Burnley (H) hardly went towards the back end of the season
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6 - Name me your 3 favourite players of that season.
Ricardo Vaz Te, Ricardo Vaz Te & Ricardo Vaz Te
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7 - The worst 3 players?
None spring to mind we were doing ok up until l stopped viewing
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8 - Tell me the things you would credit Keith for during that campaign.
Vaz Te, sales of Barbour jackets in Barnsley and Movember
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9 - What do you blame him for, with regards to last term?
Not enough swimming lessons for their Sydney
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10 - What were your thoughts about Hillcroft by the end of the season?
We've not gone down, they're o'reyt
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11 - What did you make of his Summer 2012 recruits?
Impressed although l was hoping for a centre half and a new Toby Tyke
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12 - What did you expect from BFC this season, and are we currently better/worse than you expected?
4th bottom, not there yet
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13 - What are the 3 main issues you have with Keith?
fecking about with the team every week and **** player nicknames
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14 - Do you care that both he, Flitcroft, and a lot of the players are represented by the same agency?
do l ******, have you seen the bird that represents em, if you're reading love l'd drink your bath water
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15 - Your thoughts on Keith's relationship with the fanbase?
The good, the bad and the ugly
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16 - Keith and Mido - your thoughts?
Fecking mental now l've heard the wage and done a formula based on weight over wages divided by Pi
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17 - Keith and Bobby Hassell - your thoughts?
Keef's really Bobby's dad
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18 - If you were the man above him, how long would you give him to turn it around? Or perhaps you want him out already?
past this season no matter what happens, l'd think he would be the man to take us back up
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19 - Name me 3 realistic managers you would choose to replace Keith, should he leave.
Can't think of any that would do it on our wage bill
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20 - And finally, give me a score out of 10, to sum up your thoughts on his reign thus far.
5, reduced the wage bill and kept us up thus far

 

1 - Were you happy with the initial appointment of Keith Hill as manager on June 1st 2011?
Yes. Unlike all the other candidates he had no failures on his CV. Everything he'd done had been a success.

2 - What were your first impressions of him, and what were you expecting from BFC?
I don't know if I was expecting anything, but I was hoping for progression, so a points total equal to or greater than what Robins achieved.
My first impressions were that he was an arsehole. I thought he said some terrible things about the club, the town and the fans.

3 - What did you make of his recruitment strategy - was it in your opinion forced upon him, or the way he wanted it?
Best laugh I've ever had as a Barnsley fan. Each signing seemed more barmy than the last. Players out injured for a year, Rochdale reserves, albino dwarfs, players missing kidneys, I fully expected us to sign a bloke in a wheelchair. Mental and brilliant.

4 - Name me your favourite 3 performances from season 2011/12.
Leeds at home and Peterborough away stand out. Without looking at the fixture list I can't think of another.

5 - Conversely, name me the 3 you were most disappointed about, for whatever reason.
Second half against Ipswich, then pick any two from the final 4 months of the season.

6 - Name me your 3 favourite players of that season.
Vaz Te, Butterfield, Steele.

7 - The worst 3 players?
Drinkwater aside, any three from the myriad of loan signings.

8 - Tell me the things you would credit Keith for during that campaign.
Playing good football up until the new year.

9 - What do you blame him for, with regards to last term?
Swamping the team with loan signings when we said we weren't going to do that.

10 - What were your thoughts about Hillcroft by the end of the season?
Another very average management team.

11 - What did you make of his Summer 2012 recruits?
Mido and Harewood seemed like exciting signings on paper. The reality has been quite different.

12 - What did you expect from BFC this season, and are we currently better/worse than you expected?
The way we finished last season I was expecting another season of struggle. That's exactly what we've got.

13 - What are the 3 main issues you have with Keith?
I think he's signed far too many players and makes far too many changes to the starting 11. A bit of width would be nice too and a bit more urgency.

14 - Do you care that both he, Flitcroft, and a lot of the players are represented by the same agency?
If I started thinking about it, it would send me nutty, so I'm trying to ignore it.

15 - Your thoughts on Keith's relationship with the fanbase?
I think he's said some bloody awful things, but I think I'm in a minority. Considering how poorly we've performed under Keith his relationship with the fans is pretty good.

16 - Keith and Mido - your thoughts?
We shouldn't have signed Mido in the physical condition he was in. But we did, so you expect Mido to work on his weight and his fitness. He hasn't. Better to try and get rid now than pay his wage until the end of the season.

17 - Keith and Bobby Hassell - your thoughts?
Keith has the right to pick whichever players he likes. If he doesn't think Hassell will improve the side then that's fine by me. I disagree with him, but I've always disagreed with managers when it comes to team selection. The situation with Bobby is no different.

18 - If you were the man above him, how long would you give him to turn it around? Or perhaps you want him out already?
I think I'd find it very difficult to sack anyone. Which is just one of a million reasons why I'm not in such a position.

19 - Name me 3 realistic managers you would choose to replace Keith, should he leave.
No idea.

20 - And finally, give me a score out of 10, to sum up your thoughts on his reign thus far.
3 And maybe that is being a bit generous because 2012 has been the worst year of watching Barnsley since I started attending in the late 70s. Although 1986 was no picnic either.

 

1 - Were you happy with the initial appointment of Keith Hill as manager on June 1st 2011?
Yes, best we could hope for given the remit he had to work to.
2 - What were your first impressions of him, and what were you expecting from BFC?
Liked his style, quite forthright and amusing. Expected us just scraping out of relegation three - goal achieved
3 - What did you make of his recruitment strategy - was it in your opinion forced upon him, or the way he wanted it?
Bit of both, he was given an amount to spend, told maxiumum wages allowed so was never going to recruit Premier League players or old has-beens
4 - Name me your favourite 3 performances from season 2011/12.
Leeds (home), Leeds (away), Peterborough (away)
5 - Conversely, name me the 3 you were most disappointed about, for whatever reason.
Any since January
6 - Name me your 3 favourite players of that season.
Davies, Vaz Te, Perkins
7 - The worst 3 players?
Nouble, Ranger, Harewood
8 - Tell me the things you would credit Keith for during that campaign.
Keeping us in the Division, getting us to play free-flowing football
9 - What do you blame him for, with regards to last term?
Lowering fans expectations to the point where the floating fans couldn't be arsed to turn up.
10 - What were your thoughts about Hillcroft by the end of the season?
Did a decent job and but for the Vaz te, Drinkwater, Butterfield situation (Which was iout of his hands) we would probably have finished mid-table
11 - What did you make of his Summer 2012 recruits?
Like Cywka, Mellis and thought Mido could be another Vaz Te job. Not sure about Alnwick, Harewood again
12 - What did you expect from BFC this season, and are we currently better/worse than you expected?
Slight improvement up to maybe 5th bottom so currently worse off. Expectations went even higher after Brum game but would settle now for 4th bottom
13 - What are the 3 main issues you have with Keith?
Moaning about walking a tightrope with two broken legs, moaning about fans expectations - we don't need it ramming down our throats, moaning in general - needs to be more positive.
14 - Do you care that both he, Flitcroft, and a lot of the players are represented by the same agency?
No
15 - Your thoughts on Keith's relationship with the fanbase?
To say all he does is moan, its quite remarkable that he's still a fan's favourite. Could be the Victor Meldrew factor that fans like maybe? Needs to engage more with us if he doesn't want that relationship to become tarnished.
16 - Keith and Mido - your thoughts?
Worth a punt after what he did to resurrect Vaz Te's career,
17 - Keith and Bobby Hassell - your thoughts?
Don't understand what all the fuss is about. Doubt there's even an issue. Even at his peak, Hassle was never a world-beater,. He's well past his best and I wouldn't even consider him in the starting XI
18 - If you were the man above him, how long would you give him to turn it around? Or perhaps you want him out already?
I'd keep him at least another season. If we go down, he'd be the man to get us back up. Ferguson and Saunders weren't sacked when they were relegated and look at them now.
19 - Name me 3 realistic managers you would choose to replace Keith, should he leave.
Slade, Tilson, Allen
20 - And finally, give me a score out of 10, to sum up your thoughts on his reign thus far.
if we stay up 8, if we go down 6

 

1 - Were you happy with the initial appointment of Keith Hill as manager on June 1st 2011?

The circumstances of Mark Robins' departure suggested the next manager would have less money to spend. The fact that we had once again raided a lower league club for our manager underlined those thoughts. As for Keith Hill, I knew little about him, but the highlights of his CV that were published in the Chronicle suggested he could turn around a struggling club, could spot diamonds in the rough and could polish them.

2 - What were your first impressions of him, and what were you expecting from BFC?

I was not impressed with his initial buys, a wrote on here, “ If you buy from lower divisions, there is a good chance that the team will end up there”. However, after the first few games, which were poor, the team began to play a style of football that I enjoyed watching, which was a marked (no pun intended) contrast to our style under Robins. He had built a team around Butterfield, something that previous managers had not had the courage to do. I felt the team needed another strong midfield player to sit behind Butterfield and in signing Danny Drinkwater on loan from Manchester United he found him. I was confident of a decent season and mid-table finish, so my first impressions were very good.

3 - What did you make of his recruitment strategy - was it in your opinion forced upon him, or the way he wanted it?

As I have said above, he was brought to the club because he had proved that he could recognise talent in the rough, could improve it and sell it on. If the club wanted a manager to spend, spend, spend, they would not have chosen Keith Hill in the first place. I therefore believe that he is operating within the framework and strategy dictated by the club. Having said all that, I do think the layering policy that he has employed this season, which has resulted in the club having many more players on its books is a result of the bad luck he experienced last season. I think that the post Christmas slum, because he lost all his midfield and was unable to replace it adequately in the loan market has left him scarred and determined that he will not be caught in the same position again.

4 - Name me your favourite 3 performances from season 2011/12.

I only attend home games so I suppose the Leeds game is the outstanding result, but I enjoyed most games between September and December because of the quality of the football we played, even though at times we were not rewarded with the right result.

5 - Conversely, name me the 3 you were most disappointed about, for whatever reason.

The period after Christmas was full of poor results. Some of the results were worse than they should have been because of poor team selections or inappropriate formations. I guess the worst performance was West Ham. However, although the defeats were in some cases worse than they should have been, with the resources available to him, I found it hard to see how the results could have been different.

6 - Name me your 3 favourite players of that season.

I am too old to have favourite players. However, the players who contributed most in my opinion were Butterfield, Drinkwater and Vaz Te. Having just typed this and looked back at what I have written, I am struck by the common factor associated with these three names.

7 - The worst 3 players?

I am too old to have worst players as well.

8 - Tell me the things you would credit Keith for during that campaign.

I give him credit for building a team from the ashes left by the previous manager after the sale of Shackell, and for doing so by playing football in the style that I enjoy watching.

9 - What do you blame him for, with regards to last term?

Not a lot really. He proved me wrong, and I have a lot of respect for someone who can prove me wrong. He could have been a lot luckier, but that is not really his fault.

10 - What were your thoughts about Hillcroft by the end of the season?

I thought that under very trying circumstances, they had managed to retain our position in the second tier of English football. I thought that they had done enough in the period up to Christmas to suggest that with better luck, they would be able to repeat the trick in 2012/13 season.

11 - What did you make of his Summer 2012 recruits?

Once more they raided the lower leagues. On the occasions their attempts to sign players for fees leaked out into the press, they were players who I thought would fill problem positions and players who were of a better quality than the player we already had. Unfortunately, we were unable to sign any of those players, and I assume that the reason is because the club pay structure is below that of most clubs in the division. In view of this, I was disappointed and thought that we were liable to struggle.

12 - What did you expect from BFC this season, and are we currently better/worse than you expected?

I said before the season began that I thought we would be lucky to survive the drop. After the win at Birmingham, I repeated the mantra. I might just be naturally pessimistic, but that comes in useful when watching Barnsley because it helps me manage my expectations.

13 - What are the 3 main issues you have with Keith?

I do not have issues with Keith. When he picks a team or a formation that I disagree with, I try to understand his thought processes. He does not upset me in his pronouncements in the media because I know he does not mean me, and I respect his honesty and respect that he is willing to say things that others a trained in media management do not say. He has not upset me by leaving out Bobby Hassell because I understand why. I respect his honesty and his integrity and the fact that he is trying to do things in the right way. I hope that he will continue to do so in spite of the pressure that is being applied, because I think there are signs that he is beginning to crack.

14 - Do you care that both he, Flitcroft, and a lot of the players are represented by the same agency?

A manager will be tempted to use the contacts that are available to him, and the agency is one of the stronger contacts. Having said that, I do not think that it is good that he is relying as much as he obviously is a that one contact, assuming the facts about the agency that have been published are accurate.

15 - Your thoughts on Keith's relationship with the fanbase?

The fan base should grow a thicker skin, and a set of bigger balls might come in useful as well.

16 - Keith and Mido - your thoughts?

Keith was over-confident. Because of his success in the past, particularly with Vaz Te, he thought that he could be successful again. Personally, I was doubtful, but I was also doubtful about Vaz Te and Hill proved me wrong.

17 - Keith and Bobby Hassell - your thoughts?

Bobby has been a club stalwart, and in many years, he has been the clubs best player. However, no-one can play for ever, and there comes a time when players must move on. Hill wants a very mobile right back. One who can get from box to box throughout the game, and one who is quick enough to recover, even with the high work load. I do not think that Bobby is up to this any longer.

18 - If you were the man above him, how long would you give him to turn it around? Or perhaps you want him out already?

I am one of those who believes that we have had too many managers since Danny Wilson left. In order to discourage sacking a manager at the first sign of trouble, I would advocate a minimum three year contract term. I would have renewed his contract after last season so for me he has until the end of the 2015/16 season.

19 - Name me 3 realistic managers you would choose to replace Keith, should he leave.

I do not know who is any good now, never mind in 3 years time.

20 - And finally, give me a score out of 10, to sum up your thoughts on his reign thus far.

Based on results 3, based on expectations 8.

 

1 - Were you happy with the initial appointment of Keith Hill as manager on June 1st 2011?
Yes
2 - What were your first impressions of him, and what were you expecting from BFC?
Straight talking & honest. A struggle to avoid relegation
3 - What did you make of his recruitment strategy - was it in your opinion forced upon him, or the way he wanted it?
Logical given the restraints from the board. A situation he knew of, accepted, but perhaps underestimated the task
4 - Name me your favourite 3 performances from season 2011/12.
Reading (a), Leeds (h & a)
5 - Conversely, name me the 3 you were most disappointed about, for whatever reason.
Doncaster (a), Reading (h) West Ham (h)
6 - Name me your 3 favourite players of that season.
Butterfield, Perkins, Steele
7 - The worst 3 players?
Ranger, Nouble, McEverley
8 - Tell me the things you would credit Keith for during that campaign.
The form and general performances up to February
9 - What do you blame him for, with regards to last term?
Inability to solve the problems from February onwards
10 - What were your thoughts about Hillcroft by the end of the season?
They'd been on a steep learning curve and needed to show lessons had been learnt
11 - What did you make of his Summer 2012 recruits?
Impressed taking into account his hands were tied
12 - What did you expect from BFC this season, and are we currently better/worse than you expected?
Expected to finish 16th. Unfortunately, post-Birmingham, the results and form have been dreadful & I'll be amazed if we avoid relegation
13 - What are the 3 main issues you have with Keith?
Appears to have run out of solutions with regards to our problems, as seen with the poor level of results, performances & persistent alterations with regards to team selection, positions & style
14 - Do you care that both he, Flitcroft, and a lot of the players are represented by the same agency?
No
15 - Your thoughts on Keith's relationship with the fanbase?
Quite good when taking into account the results of 2012.
16 - Keith and Mido - your thoughts?
Well worth the gamble. The fact it hasn't worked out should be laid firmly at the feet of Mido's lack of professionalism
17 - Keith and Bobby Hassell - your thoughts?
I rate Bobby more than Keith does. However, he's the manager and has the right & responsibility to select who he wants
18 - If you were the man above him, how long would you give him to turn it around? Or perhaps you want him out already?
Watford away was the end of the line for me. I don't believe he'll be sacked
19 - Name me 3 realistic managers you would choose to replace Keith, should he leave.
No idea, as I don't know the budget which would be available. Nor do I know what salary would be expected for an experienced Championship manager.
20 - And finally, give me a score out of 10, to sum up your thoughts on his reign thus far.
6 and dropping

 

1 - Were you happy with the initial appointment of Keith Hill as manager on June 1st 2011?
Yes. Had a track record of success. Most recent managers had a track record of failure or no track record at all.

2 - What were your first impressions of him, and what were you expecting from BFC?
A maverick. Either upper midtable finish or relegated by Christmas, I really wasn't sure. But I did feel that he was a 'roll of the dice' appointment - the last thing I expected was another season of the same as we'd seen under Ritchie, Davey and Robins.

3 - What did you make of his recruitment strategy - was it in your opinion forced upon him, or the way he wanted it?
Hilarious. Forced upon him to a degree but he signed all sorts of misfits, mentalists and people who seemed clearly to injured to play football. All added to the mystique of "is this sublime genius or breathtaking stupidity?"

4 - Name me your favourite 3 performances from season 2011/12.
Leeds H, Peterborough A and Palace H

5 - Conversely, name me the 3 you were most disappointed about, for whatever reason.
Any 3 from 2012

6 - Name me your 3 favourite players of that season.
Vaz Te is the most talented and exciting player I have seen at Oakwell since Hignett.
Steele continued to be brilliant and Butterfield finally came into his own.

7 - The worst 3 players?
Nile and Nouble. We can't score for toffee this season but dear God how bad were these two?
McEveley was desperately poor also.

8 - Tell me the things you would credit Keith for during that campaign.
Turning his misfits into a formidable team until the guts got ripped out of it in Jan

9 - What do you blame him for, with regards to last term?
Abysmal loan signings to plug the holes left by departing stars.

10 - What were your thoughts about Hillcroft by the end of the season?
Meet the new boss, just like the old boss.

11 - What did you make of his Summer 2012 recruits?
Optimistic about most of his acquisitions but mindful that after his gambles all came off last year he might be due a few duds.

12 - What did you expect from BFC this season, and are we currently better/worse than you expected?
Expected a strong start to lapse into another struggle. We forgot the strong start.

13 - What are the 3 main issues you have with Keith?
Scruffy, talks sh!te and has not backed up his self belief with instilling belief in his team.

14 - Do you care that both he, Flitcroft, and a lot of the players are represented by the same agency?
If we were winning I wouldn't care if he posted turds through my letterbox. As it is I'm not short of sticks to beat him with so haven't given this much thought.

15 - Your thoughts on Keith's relationship with the fanbase?
Remarkable. Trash talks us at any opportunity and has't won a game in months, yet the Hill Out chants have not started. Baffling.

16 - Keith and Mido - your thoughts?
Vaz Te - rolled the dice and won
Mido - rolled the dice and lost
Simple as

17 - Keith and Bobby Hassell - your thoughts?
Meh. Hassell has been a good servant but I do not believe he could turn ths run around. It is clear Hassell does not fit in Hill's plans. The more pertinent question is whether Hill's plans are worth anything.

18 - If you were the man above him, how long would you give him to turn it around? Or perhaps you want him out already?
It's decision time. The activity in the transfer window will determine our fate this season. It's time, in his own words, to back him or sack him. Given his record over an entire calendar year I can only see one defensible reason not to sack him.

19 - Name me 3 realistic managers you would choose to replace Keith, should he leave.
I can't. And that's the one defensible reason

20 - And finally, give me a score out of 10, to sum up your thoughts on his reign thus far.
3.

 

I don't get the fuss with Tisdale, I know he got Exeter up but he then took them back down. They pulled off some wins against good sides so must have been really inconsistent to go down.