Why Micky Can Not Get The Job On A Permanent Basis

Full credit to MM for a brilliant result at Brighton. It also seems we bossed possession at Burnley. Micky came across really well after the Brighton game, and sounds like a good bloke. Just like Flicker. He also said this is an incredibly talented squad. Just like Flicker. He has provoked a good initial reaction from the players. Just like Flicker. The players will feel under some pressure with a new manager - even a temporary one. The effect will wear off once they feel they are in a comfortable place. Just like it did with Flicker.

This squad is not good enough for the Championship. The defenders are largely lower league recruits who struggle to read the game against good Championship sides and also lack the physicality to compete at this level. They also seem very fragile in terms of confidence. The midfield are not a convincingly coherent unit and lack a true leader. They appear to lack the vision to be truly creative, despite sometimes having good possession periods. They also provide poor protection for the defence. The forwards lack pace and finishing prowess, and it's a long time since we've seen any of our strikers demonstrate the level of understanding to form a good partnership.

Business needs to be done in January to re-shape this squad. I'd be putting that task in the hands of someone with experience and contacts, which I don't think Micky has. Micky may not even see the necessity, given he believes in the "talent" of these players. He may, in the short term, get the current players to 'dig in', but I don't see us pulling off last season's escape. That would require a tremendous amount of good luck. The battlers from last season are all a year older, and are showing it.

It might be that BM & Co are already working on a better solution - in the absence of information from the club, we can't really know. But I find it hard to believe that they will exactly follow the pattern of last season and appoint from the Hill/Flicker magic circle yet again. It's hard to imagine that Ben and Maurice would want to link themselves with the same limited ambition that characterised our one-man Board up until this Summer.

Mark Robins was beginning to build a team based around Jason Shackell (he that sits at the top of the Championship with Burnley) until The Don et al dug up the foundations. We now need to identify an experienced longer-term manager who will recommence that building project in order to start to make up for 2-3 wasted years.

 

And where is the money coming from ?

 

That's a good question, Nightmare, and I'm not suggesting that we should splash it around. It's well-documented that Wilson's promotion squad cost little more than £1M to assemble. Some people say that would be impossible now, but I think that given the competition within the game there are probably still players towards the twilight of their careers who could do a job for us (the likes of Neil Thompson spring to mind). Ramage might have been one such, but he doesn't seem very good. A more experienced manager would probably have the contacts to make such signings. Danny also played the European market fairly adeptly.

For the avoidance of doubt, I'm not suggesting we could be back pushing for the Prem like before, but a bit of entertainment and less of the relegation dogfight crapfest would be a welcome change, to say nothing of being more of a crowd attraction.

And lastly, the youth must be blended with experience and given a chance, particularly RNL, Digby and Rose. Never mind Flicker protecting them, we need to sort out whether they're good enough - for their's and the club's sake.

 

I'm pretty sure Neil Thompson will be too old by now mate!

 

Jason Shackell was leaving whether Robins stayed or not. Jason Shackell was leaving whether we started cost cutting or not.

I agree with most of your other points.

 

The obvious thing to say is he would still do a better job than TK. So I won't.

 

Based upon your criteria for the next manager, I hope you do not mind, but I have prepared an advert setting out your requirements.

FIRST TEAM MANAGER AT BARNSLEY FOOTBALL CLUB

Barnsley Football Club are looking for a new first team manager and invite applications from suitably qualified experienced managers with good connections in the game. Applicants will be required to show a record of success in taking under-performing football clubs from abject failure to unqualified success in spite of an absence of funds and a failing business plan. It will be necessary to totally get rid of the entire first team squad, replacing them with much better players. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate that they are able to do so with a budget that has proven totally inadequate for the previous seven holders of the position. Clearly, all that is required is that the applicant will be able to find 17 talented individuals who are totally unaware of their worth, who are currently employed at football clubs with managements that are similarly placed and who have employed agents who are not worth their wages.

In return Barnsley Football Club will reward the successful applicant with lower wages than the average for the division. The football club has every confidence that a long term and mutually fruitful partnership will result, and the applicant can look forward to the full support of the owner and directors of the club as long as he is successful in maintaining the club's place in The Championship. Failure to do so will result in dismissal.

Applications including full CV to Ben Mansford c/o Barnsley Football Club.

 

Doesnt matter who's appointed, you'll still moan even if we win 4 matches on trot.

 

What about the new style of football he is setting up . Melliss in middle for example. The team is playing better football with Mellons style of attacking play
You can forget new players, because there will be nothing in the kitty. It has all gone. The pattern used last season kept us up on well above 50 points, so why cannot Mellon do that for us

 

Red Rain,

That's funniest thing I've read on here for ages, and so glad you typed that up, I was steaming reading his pathetic uneducated fantasist post

Well done

 

Red Rain - me too! I think that's brilliant!

KHJ: I do object to 'uneducated'! The rest I'll take on the chin!

 

So..................?