Paul heckingbottom article

To be honest I’d forgotten all about Hecky , is he working for Matalan clothes catalogue ?

 

I just tell it how I see it.

I think Cryne always acted in what he thought were our best interests & he made more good decisions than bad but in January 2017 & the build up to it he messed up.

No one will ever convince me that in a year where we’d sold Mawson, got the Stones sell on fee, had 2 televised play off semi’s & 2 Wembley appearances that we needed to sell players in that January window.

Who knows when we’ll next be in the play off hunt to get to the premier league, that could be it for my lifetime, we might never get another chance.

Whilst I still go to every home game I don’t have anywhere near as much passion as I did a couple of years back, they killed a dream that window, unnecessarily in my opinion.

 

He says players were signed without him knowing, I'm sure when he was in charge he said 'if players were signed without him knowing they wouldn't be getting played simple as that'

 

I don't disagree. We've made some great decisions, we've made some awful ones. As fans, we've believed some were fantastic, that turned out to be terrible, and others which we thought terrible, that turned out to be good ones. And many more in between.

I didn't envy Patrick or his fellow directors in deciding to sell various players. If we'd failed to get in the playoffs (personally I thought we were nowhere near good enough to do so) and 4 players left for free, what would the view have been then? We'd have neither transfer income, nor the players.

And I do think that we compounded the sales with very poor transfers in over 2-3 windows. Particularly the crazy spree of buying no10s that weren't suited to formations by the previous 2 coaches, many of which have already been shipped out.

All we can do now is see if the new owners make better decisions than was made in that phase of our history. But Heckingbottom, inspite of that, wasn't blameless and had us playing increasingly negative dour joyless football. Something he took to Leeds that resulted in his sacking there.

 

Could it be possible that this is what hecky is doing ?

 

Whether you want to sign a player or not you have to say publicly that you did. Just think of morale if you come out & day that you didn’t want a player while you’re the manager. Your position becomes almost untenable

 

It's not poor at all. It's a massive factor in the whole debacle. Yes, we all know things could be done better, but this isn't to be underestimated.

If I thought you was right, I would agree with you. I say what I think. Why would I say any different?

 

I disagree about Hourihane. Even Johnson didn't fancy him in a midfield 2, didn't trust him.

Yeah he could take a shot and a set piece, but he didn't come into his own until he dropped back a few yards. Same role as he now plays at Villa.

Agree about winnall, but not all of our fans rated him. No pace, poor first touch etc.

Bree? Gifted but injury prone. Dunno if he features regularly for villa. Haven't seen much of him when I've watched them. Injured, or out of favour? Not sure about the young west Yorkshire full back.

 

I'm not under the illusion that the club isn't a company which is being run as a company. This company operates in the entertainment industry. So they're not "tricking" us into thinking it's for us. It's how they make their money. And I'm looking to be entertained, so I'm willing to part with some of my money for that. That's how they stay in business. For me, the supporters make the heart of club more than the team or the club management does.

 

Who are the hangers on?

 

Johnson is an awful manager who talks a good game. Bree if he had stayed with us would have been a solid championship player. Given how all the managers who had him rated him paying him more than 800 quid might have been a good idea. The young West Yorkshire full back has made his fortune but stymied his career.

 

A manager needs to get the best out of his squad regardless of how the players were brought together - that is for the benefit of our club and the greater good. The article suggests he was too close to the players he'd work with on the lead up to his appointment and he couldn't cope with the inevitable change.
The early season performance at Millwall was impressive, but 2 months later his team selections were all over the place around a time when there were rumours his head had been turned. By mid October, he clearly had no idea on 'best team'. Clearly his heart wasn't in it.
In hindsight, the article is backing the view he should have been sacked in November and the club were let down by his attitude. Similar situation to Man Utd and why they need to sack Mourinho - erratic team selections and not backing and motivating the current squad of players. Just happy we've Daniel Stendel & looking forward to the season ahead with optimism, not dwelling on history.

 

I agree about Johnson, and Hourihane proved him wrong, but I don't think he was always the player he had become when he left us.

 

The hole point of getting players under 24 is to sell them on in their prime for a profit. So the owners don't have to put their hands in their pockets.. I totally except that, I just wish they'd be honest... Nothing is being built here, just the perpetual promise that tomorrow will be better.. stick with us, oh and keep paying yer money.. again so we don't have too..

 

Are you saying that's what has actually happened here.. is that true or opinion?

 

What about the money they've already spent on buying the club? Doesn't that count?

 

The structure may have changed but the plan has not.. We're stil just a kresh, nurturing maybe's.... Here comes the new boss same as the old boss.

 

Do you know the details ? How much they payed, how much was left in the coffers when they took over? And have they spent any money while being here, or has all the out going money been covered by previous sales.. So is everything just fine and dandy?

Asking for a friend..

 

Heckingbottom was never the manager. He was only ever head coach. Same as Johnson before him, and the same as Morais and Stendel after.

OTOH Didn't Brian Clough used to tell players to their faces that he hadn't signed them and didn't rate them - at least Currie and Tiler who Forest took off us.