Is there anyone who has a feeling in their water

At all levels. Hoping he's got current contacts regarding players too.

 

I'm not that confident. I feel like a big part of being a great manager is being able to make sensible, reasoned decisions without sentiment.

He massively failed this test the very second he accepted the job of Barnsley manager in 2025.

 

This is key. If he ends up being yet another manager who's given a teaspoon to bail out a sinking ship he'll struggle at the very least, probably fail and end up being sacked by the board for failing to use his teaspoon properly. The board picked him presumably because they felt he was the right man (if they didn't they're utterly idiotic) so they must support him financially, recruitment-wise and trust him with his tactics. He's there to run the team so enable him to run it ffs!!

 

You are right.....and the board also know this and that won't sell many season tickets. That's why we get the total management speak/ lip service of a top 6 squad etc etc.
Maybe I'm more, nearly said pessimistic, I'm not, i just see what I see not what they want me to see or hear. I predicted 10th or 12th at the start of the season and it has worked out that way perfectly.
Personally, imho I think Connor will be successful at barnsley but it may take time.
I do take your point, which is a good one.

 

Not with us unless he can convince the Board that the DoF isn't up to the task of rebuilding the squad with him and needs replacing. Because while ever Sormaz is allowed to run the show we won't progress as a team no matter how good a coach CH turns out to be.

 

I think he can do something - he recognises the issues and that it needs time to sort. Hopefully the club do, and the fans do.

I’m thinking a top ten finish next year - I’m not looking at automatics. At a push we may flirt with the playoffs.

I’m happy with that for now. We need a reset.

In his post match interview yesterday, he kinda admitted that.

I have seen improvements, albeit small. But with nothing to play for, plenty of youth in the side, and some likely to move on in the summer, he’s done fairly well getting a tune out of them.

Last 2 home games we’ve 4 points from. And in the 2nd half yesterday, probably should have scored a couple to get another win. He brushed on that yesterday - the need to improve the home form. Which he has, albeit only small steps. A good result on Saturday adds to that.

It’s all about expectations and aspirations. But I think he’s the right man currently.

Be interesting to see what happens to Devaney, Stead, Gilks & Harban this summer tbf.

 

I’ve more faith in him than I had in Clarke.

But as I’ve often repeated, a lot will come down to how much (or little) autonomy he is afforded.

We’ll only know more in the first month or two of next season. Although this summer’s transfer activity will offer clues I guess.

 

CH has hinted at backroom staff changes. Don't see a future for Stead in all honesty and can see Devaney returning to the academy set up.
Maybe a swap with Harban as Hourihane seems to really rate him. Hope he's allowed to bring in one of his own men too.
The whole set up needs a shake up.

 

Give him time. Be patient with him as he grows into the job. Let him set the standards we expect of the squad and the team - on and off the field.....because he knows what we expect.
Put everything into perspective and recognise that we will be in transition and might not challenge for the top 6 next season.
Get off his back and support him as much as we can because we know he has the future of the club at heart. That support should be through thick and thin so if we lose 5 or 6 games on the trot recognise that he's in a rebuilding process and that Rome/Barnsley wasn't built in a day.

 

That’s why I wanted an appointment now and not in the Summer. Surprised it was Conor, but here’s hoping

 

100% this.

He’ll have my support all season, so long as we’re not in the bottom 3 (unless he’s given a bottom 3 squad, which is unlikely).

 

The fact he’s brought Harban in, is either he wants a fresh pair of eyes, or doesn’t fully rate/trust a couple of the others.

I’ve no idea how good they all are - only those who work closely with them and are actually qualified to know can confirm that.

I suspect Gilks will be retained - as he has a lot of experience from his Bolton days.

No idea on Stead & Devaney. IMO Stead seems to be more involved currently, but we don’t know their full remit, so it would be wrong to assume.

 

Get behind him an see what happens, the fans, an the tarn need to get behind him, a few already calling for his head, Opinions, and like some av said he's not coming in cold, knows the team, club an the area, i say good luck Conor an with your connections, i'm hoping a few talented players will come an support him. Keep the faith, C,O,Y,R.

 

Malik Mothersile. Out of contract in the summer and one I said a few weeks ago I'd like us to be in for, particularly if Phillips leaves. Probably destined for the Championship sadly.

 

First half looked head and shoulders better than anyone else on the pitch

 

My feeling exactly and your words should be for the owners as well as the fans

 

He's a winner because he had the skills as a footballer to be a winner' to be a winner as a coach he needs to have the players to match his ambition and expectations' over to the board' put your money where your mouth is ...

 

If I was Neerav. I'd sell a few players to bring in a few quid and raise my outlay a couple of million to support Hourihane. At least then people couldn't say anything and hold their hands up. Take excuses out of the equation. I've been guilty of it myself for a while. Waiting for my opportunity to vent at the club and its owners.

 

I’m sorry but no.

Patience is fine if a manager leaves of his own accord & Hourihane ends up in the job by chance if we’re skint or whatever but the club have sacked an experienced manager & given him the job.

They’ve told us the last manager was underachieving & that we’ve got a top squad.

My patience is running out, I’ve had loads of patience for Collins & Clarke, I never once got on their backs yet the club chose to sack both after their first proper bad run or even semi bad run in Clarke’s case.

Troff summed it up brilliantly the other day with his post about the tactics.

It seems like we’re going to play a high line & front foot football even though we haven’t got the defenders to play that way.

Collins & Clarke were intelligent enough to realise that but if Hourihane isn’t & carries on with these tactics are we expected to put up with it because he’s learning on the job?

Or is Hourihane just playing these tactics to initially get the job & keep the boards support this summer?

If so are we going to have another situation where a 3rd manager ends up getting the boot for not playing the type of football Sormaz wants when Hourihane realises Roberts, De Gevigney, Earl & co can’t play a high line?

The club has far bigger problems than its manager right now, I think we all agree with that after hearing Sormaz & Nareev speak. I’ve just not seen anything that suggests Hourihane’s the man that we get behind for the long term. I would have been far more comfortable doing that with a more experienced manager like Collins or Clarke.

 

I don't really have any sense of whether he'll do well for us or not.

I liked him as a player, who didn't ultimately, but we've taken a huge convenient punt on someone who is a complete novice. It may work, it might not, but I just feel jaundiced by the constant flux, stupid decisions based on nothing obvious and it being spun to sound sensible.

From his comments, he's either not going to get what he wants, or, we're in for a major pivot of playing style and formation to something we've not been playing or recruiting for through our First team squad or academy. That's likely to take time to build from and that's rarely something coaches or our board choose to display.

I'll take 12th next season if there are signs of building and making sensible decisions that don't continue to boost ridiculous levels of financial loss even higher.