It wasn't a improvement on burton 1st half, stevenage, Cambridge, Lincoln, Blackpool. Like I've been told things have gone on behind the scenes aswell but there just rumours but no smoke without fire. Fallouts with key players, bottom of the form table, the possibility of not making the play offs and poor season ticket sales all contributed to his sacking.
I agree we played poorly for that run - nobody is suggesting otherwise. I said it in my post. We'd had a horrendous run of form. But we weren't 14th. We were still in contention. Which is pretty good considering we've all decided that all the players are now rubbish. All this Losing The Dressing room stuff is unproven tittle tattle. Do we know this as fact? Or is it just rumours. A few posters have alluded to it, but whenever there's a poor run of form it's an easy crutch to rest on. I don't know why I keep banging on about all this tbf. We've sacked him. It's done. I strongly disagree with it, and last night was pathetic. But its done now. I'm just frustrated I guess. Best move on though cos I'll only end up arguing all day. Time to put it to bed.
The dressing room thing had been said on here a few times and when I was at the Northampton game spoke to a few lads who also mentioned it. It's also strange why we kept his backroom staff and only removed Collins. I don't envy any manager having to work with players who come off smiling at 2 down or who then go on ale after losing a play off semi think I'd be falling out with a few.
I think they did it for two reasons. The minor one - a last throw of the dice - to give us some hope for promotion. The main one - he was an awful Coach, with a dreadful playing style who had defensive coaching skills which appear to have been modelled on the playing style of Professor Stephen Hawking. In addition, he had sucked out the enthusiasm of a huge section of the fan base and couldn’t get a tune out of the playing squad, who should be capable of more.
Sorry that’s absolute *****. evaluation of performance will have many metrics. Given that we follow the ‘player farming’ model Model you would imagine these as key markers. Maximisation of saleable assets through improvement of playing staff. Can your honestly say any of our permanent staff have improved over the season? Many have regressed significantly Maximisation of saleable assets through manager development - putting yourself in the shop window see Val / Duff Maximisation of revenue through retention and attraction of new customers to the business - could be achieved through say playing an attractive style of football or building a relationship with customers through engagement Relationship Management through media performance, fan relationship, player relationships. In any professional situation swearing at your customers regardless of provocation and making increasingly bizarre public assessments of performance is not a good idea. on field performances results and performance orientated. Over the season are they on an upwards or downwards trajectory. Is the manager maximising player potential. Is the style of play attractive enough to create commercial opportunities. There will of course be other metrics but I would imagine that those are the key 4. Duff last season ticked all 4 boxes. Increased revenue, improved players developed a relationship with the customers and maximised on field performance. Collins at best hits 1/2 the one that he does hit results have gradually deteriorated over the season which if you were evaluating performance you may consider to be a result of Duffs coaching and influence gradually declining while Collins took hold. Some idiots changing at him is not on the list.
In that case then they should have sacked him 15 games in. All of your four metrics were not being met. Everyone hated the football. The players were going backwards. We had no saleable assets because there were no bids at Christmas. And he kept doing his boring post match interview - and everyone knows we hate listening to our lads give interviews. But they sacked him with one game to go. Why was this? I'll tell you why. They panicked. Season ticket sales may have been down. Fans were chanting. Them loveable rogues who like to fight amongst themselves and get on the sniff at half time. They should have sacked him at Christmas.
He shouldn't have been appointed in the 1st place, we went from attacking pressing from the front football to sideways backwards boring to watch stuff, players went backwards. He had no experience of English football, no connection to the fans a gamble that didn't pay off.
The lack of any sort of plan or due diligence into Thalhammer has been the issue. How many times has the club not done their due diligence on several issues in recent seasons and then had to deal with the consequences afterwards? West stand issue Hex.com Fa cup expulsion
Because like Duff they expected him to improve as the season went on. Come on that’s not hard is it? Any job you employ for you expect a period of adjustment / settling in and you will (unless disaster hits) have pre determined points at which you evaluate. I’d say the end of season would have been that point but the downturn in results and worries on customer retention prompted earlier action with clarity that the vast majority of the objectives had not been achieved. Timing was awful but from a human point of view if they thought there was no chance of him hitting objectives (which I’m sure were made clear at interview stage and he agreed to) it was best to have that conversation as soon as practical. But you are definitely right about one thing any business that is losing customers quickly will act.
What's done is done so let's move on and hope the next incumbent is a good one. Personally give me a Brian Clough all day long or someone who follows his ethos. I laugh at managers who mention philosophy, it's just get player's who are good and willing to turn up every game.