Ruaidhri Higgins..

I don’t have a problem with us looking at Ireland and Scotland for managers or players if we’ve done our due diligence.
I think we’re all still smarting from the Schopp/Asbaghi debacle and some are forgetting that Stendel was plucked from obscurity and did a great job.
I think margins between success and failure for managers are the slimmest of the slim, but with our squad and resources only a really poor manager could fail to get us into the top 8.

 

For some reason, reading this thread makes me think of the opening monologue in Annie Hall......

 

Worrying amount of similar posts about his tactics and style of play on the Derry forum. Sounds a bit tippy tappy and go nowhere. We’ve had that before. It didn’t work.

With this snippet:

“It is not the first time he has had a conversation about a job in England and if he stays he will no doubt be linked with another post. Barnsley though,last season played some really attractive, competitive football (Second Leg of the Playoff withstanding) and if he employs the same tactics as he does here, Barnsley fans will be less forgiving as Derry fans are.”

I’d say it sums up what the general concensus is on that forum and if they are really looking to appoint a manager who’s tactics appear to be slow turgid possession based stuff that we’ve failed with in the past, then the appointment might set us back two or three years.

I don’t care he’s from the league of Ireland, everyone comes from a somewhere and his record/success warrants conversation, but I do care if the style of play is that which is described, and if the fans of Derry are also right about there being no change or flexibility in it, I don’t see it being the right appointment. I’m not suggesting we need to go full on eighties Wimbledon but you have to mix it up otherwise the Wycombe’s of this world and plenty more will just old man us off the park every week.

If he’s the man, I’ll back him as I would anyone - but there are red flags about this one for me and none of them are to do with his lack of English game experience or the level he’s currently coaching at.

 

Now there I'd agree. I don't care if he's from the Gibraltar under 12's league but I really hope we don't have to endure tippy tappy pass it round our penalty area crap.
Whoever our new manager may be.

 

Can I get a bet on him

 

I think the translated interview with Khaled a few weeks ago which was skipped over conveniently by some, is more concerning with every day that passes.

 

I just want an anouncement of a new headcoach.

 

I can't get my head around the idea of the aim to have the youngest squad in the EFL with a certain number of players allowed over a certain age....... Enforced minutes for youngsters. What coach in their right mind would follow that philosophy? And this is from the horse's mouth!?

Duff is getting pelters but I think it says more about the club than it does Duff leaving.

 

I think they were more "ideals" than none moveable demands. Would duff had been sacked for not achieving the required number of "minutes" for example. I doubt it.

They may be targets, that over time are worked towards. And in any business if you don't achieve targets, you assess why. Well, to hit those targets of youth minutes, would have meant a higher calibre of youth. So the business would have to look at re routing that to achieve one of their aims.. most likely

 

Which horse would that be?

 

Please tell me out of the 46 league games and 3 play off matches last season who exactly were these youngsters Duff was forced to play , other than Jalo who every fan wanted be given a go I am struggling to think, but surely if this is to be believed then there must be a list a mile long, I look forward to someone compiling this long list for me .

 

I posted something similar at the time the transcript of it appeared on a thread on here. In addition to that, I found it strange that he stated the ambitions as:

• Being data / process led;
• Being self sufficient;
• Becoming established in the Championship

in that order. IF that reflects the Board's priorities then I don't think it's inconceivable that Duff (and potential replacements) have been told that we're selling to bridge the financial gap, reducing the playing budget further for both fees paid and wages by playing playing more young players either from our academy or brought in externally (still with the aim of developing and selling them for profit) and are prepared to grow more slowly (and it could be argued more sustainably) including spending a longer period in League One if necessary. For that reason I'm worried that may have been why Duff had his apparent change of mind and may be why may be struggling to recruit his replacement.

All speculation and unprovable of course and at the time I said that we might only have some more reliable indicators based on outgoings and incomings over the coming weeks. I should also add that perhaps Khaled was clumsy in how he communicated the Board's ambitions but it is strange to me that the primary objective at any football club could be anything other than winning as many football matches and competing at the highest level possible. It's surely the raison d'etre for it's existence. Being data / process led then becomes an enabler of how it will be achieved and the budget available (to ensure the club is financially sustainable) is a constraint applied to it.

I'll happily say I was mistaken if the evidence suggests something different over the coming weeks but right now I share your concerns @ubique_tyke.