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Post by warehamgas on Nov 24, 2023 15:40:39 GMT
In case anyone was wondering why I was saying 'It'll Be Interesting To See Who They Eventually Appoint' here is the reference from 1985. Phone boxes!!! What are they? 😉 UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 23, 2023 11:49:19 GMT
Sorry, have a missed something? This has gone right over my head. Who has said that?? The reasoning given by the owner for JB being sacked was the league position did not match the investment they had put in. They expected the club to be around 8th or better. If at the point in the season the decision was made 10-14 games. It stands to reason that is the time frame they make their judgement on. So a new manager starting today has the maximum of the Barnsley game to be 8th(ish) or above. A new man might get longer as its not his squad. AM though being part of the JB setup and the players choice might be judged harsher.After all AM wont be the players choice if he announces the squad isnt good enough and he wants big changes in January. Mmm. Ha. Never been sure what ‘reason’ and BRFC or even football generally have in common! 😉 Let’s appoint the best person for the job and let them get on with it. They will be judged….continually. UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 22, 2023 0:31:55 GMT
I haven’t read the interview, I can’t bring myself to do it. I lost my daughter just over 2/12 years ago(different circumstances) but the heartbreak, devastation and anger (for me) is still there. As for getting up each day, that’s a struggle but there are usually other people relying on you to carry on. I loved DC and would love to see him come back one day, what a man💙 Absolutely agree with all of this. I lost my son aged 29 ten years ago. At that point effectively I lost my wife, my daughter and myself too. Somehow my daughter and myself clawed back to some sort of a different ‘normality’ and carry on. Sadly my wife hasn’t managed and stays ‘broken’. It’s very hard to keep encouraging her when it hurts so much. She now has developed memory problems. We are told it’s not dementia even though it presents similarly but my daughter and I feel it’s that she just wants to ‘forget’. It is actually part of you that died not just figuratively. I wish DC all the best and that he continues to manage - himself and clubs - well. My sympathies to both of you. Brave of you both to share. We come on here and share opinions and stuff but it’s all bubblegum stuff isn’t it? Not overly important, family always comes first, second and third. I can only imagine what you must have gone through and continue to do so daily. Good luck and best wishes as you provide the strength for others when you feel your own pain. That is brave. UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 22, 2023 0:09:11 GMT
Brentford are a smart club we should aspire to be like IMHO. trainingground.guru/tags/teams/brentford/Their stadium cost just over £70m and over the previous five years to the stadium being built the club had sold players for a combined value of £150m and up to 2021, the average age at which players were signed at Brentford in total since the 14/15 season was lower than 23-years-old. Brentford spent 7 seasons in the Championship at Griffin Park on crowds averaging about 10,300 and then won promotion to the Premier League despite having the fourth-lowest playing budget in the Championship, above only Preston, Rotherham and Burton. They punched above their weight mostly with a combination of smart recruitment and innovative coaching. The likes of Brentford and Luton have shown what is possible and also our former long time divisional rivals Brighton, Bournemouth, Swansea City, Cardiff etc. Swansea had a clear philosophy and you can see that by their managerial appointments when moving through the divisions: Roberto Martínez, Paulo Sousa, Brendan Rodgers, Michael Laudrup, Garry Monk, Graham Potter, Steve Cooper and Russell Martin. “I think the journey the club has been on has been absolutely remarkable. There should be a lot of clubs out there dreaming. Everything is possible if you work hard, have a clear strategy, top attitude and togetherness. I think then everything is achievable in the world” said Brentford Head Coach Thomas Frank. Lee Dykes, the club’s current Technical Director, who has been there since 2019 after joining from Bury, said: “Matthew [Benham, owner] will tell you himself that we never want to be in a position where we have to outspend our competitors – we out think them. That’s why it’s such an innovative club and everything recruitment wise is geared towards that philosophy.” Former Director of Football Rasmus Ankersen said during his time at the club: “Recruitment is the bread and butter of Brentford because we have one of the lowest revenues in the league. We need to make the business sustainable by buying cheap and selling expensive, which is what we’ve done over the last few years. “It comes down to not only being able to identify undervalued talent in the market but also we invest a lot in the development of players. We invest in different types of specialists, whether it be sleep coaches, kicking coaches, to try and raise the level of the players who come in." talksport.com/football/fa-cup/659667/brentford-data-revolution-england-smartest-club-championship-leicester-fa-cup/trainingground.guru/articles/ankersen-how-backroom-investment-pays-off-for-brentfordwww.standard.co.uk/sport/football/brentford-appoint-sleep-specialists-and-ballstriking-coaches-to-claim-edge-in-premier-league-promotion-race-a3945156.htmlbreakingthelines.com/squad-analysis/mathew-benham-brentford-a-story-on-innovation-through-statistical-analysis/trainingground.guru/articles/phil-giles-staying-ahead-of-the-curve-at-brentfordTSG 1899 Hoffenheim are a Bundesliga club that made a 19-year journey from Germany’s fifth division to the Champions League with the help of similiar innovative methods too. www.computerweekly.com/news/450423973/TSG-1899-Hoffenheim-gets-faster-in-the-head-with-SAP-analyticswww.forbes.com/sites/sap/2017/08/15/tsg-hoffenheim-is-tops-in-tech-and-talent/amp/What would happen if all clubs adopted this policy? Would all clubs be successful 🤷♂️picking out teams who’ve had a purple patch and claiming they’ve discovered something special or undiscovered is flawed. These clubs will soon run out of steam/ luck/ new ideas and it all goes round again. No nailed on solutions for continued success I’m afraid. I guess if all clubs did it then there’d be better run clubs and football may turn into a more sustainable ‘industry’ because the great losses wouldn’t be made. And if you’re a smaller club you have to find other ways to compete against the giants who can just throw money at it. You have to find other ways. Brentford and Brighton can’t compete financially with the big 6/7 but they can compete in a match as they have shown. What are our losses? Just to stay where we are. Of course there are cycles of failure and success. But it’s a tad silly to suggest that the ways that they do it is flawed. I doubt many fans would expect that the way Brighton, Brentford have done what they’ve done to get where they’ve got is flawed. I can’t think their fans would hark back to the ‘good old days’ of slogging around the lower leagues and in Brightons case dicing with going out of the league. (Them and Hereford competing on the last day to finish 91st in the league) I don’t think you mean that. Do you? But I do agree with there being no ‘nailed on solutions for continued success’, there isn’t of course but being sustainable gives you a better chance I think. UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 21, 2023 22:02:03 GMT
Brentford are a smart club we should aspire to be like IMHO. trainingground.guru/tags/teams/brentford/Their stadium cost just over £70m and over the previous five years to the stadium being built the club had sold players for a combined value of £150m and up to 2021, the average age at which players were signed at Brentford in total since the 14/15 season was lower than 23-years-old. Brentford spent 7 seasons in the Championship at Griffin Park on crowds averaging about 10,300 and then won promotion to the Premier League despite having the fourth-lowest playing budget in the Championship, above only Preston, Rotherham and Burton. They punched above their weight mostly with a combination of smart recruitment and innovative coaching. The likes of Brentford and Luton have shown what is possible and also our former long time divisional rivals Brighton, Bournemouth, Swansea City, Cardiff etc. Swansea had a clear philosophy and you can see that by their managerial appointments when moving through the divisions: Roberto Martínez, Paulo Sousa, Brendan Rodgers, Michael Laudrup, Garry Monk, Graham Potter, Steve Cooper and Russell Martin. “I think the journey the club has been on has been absolutely remarkable. There should be a lot of clubs out there dreaming. Everything is possible if you work hard, have a clear strategy, top attitude and togetherness. I think then everything is achievable in the world” said Brentford Head Coach Thomas Frank. Lee Dykes, the club’s current Technical Director, who has been there since 2019 after joining from Bury, said: “Matthew [Benham, owner] will tell you himself that we never want to be in a position where we have to outspend our competitors – we out think them. That’s why it’s such an innovative club and everything recruitment wise is geared towards that philosophy.” Former Director of Football Rasmus Ankersen said during his time at the club: “Recruitment is the bread and butter of Brentford because we have one of the lowest revenues in the league. We need to make the business sustainable by buying cheap and selling expensive, which is what we’ve done over the last few years. “It comes down to not only being able to identify undervalued talent in the market but also we invest a lot in the development of players. We invest in different types of specialists, whether it be sleep coaches, kicking coaches, to try and raise the level of the players who come in." talksport.com/football/fa-cup/659667/brentford-data-revolution-england-smartest-club-championship-leicester-fa-cup/trainingground.guru/articles/ankersen-how-backroom-investment-pays-off-for-brentfordwww.standard.co.uk/sport/football/brentford-appoint-sleep-specialists-and-ballstriking-coaches-to-claim-edge-in-premier-league-promotion-race-a3945156.htmlbreakingthelines.com/squad-analysis/mathew-benham-brentford-a-story-on-innovation-through-statistical-analysis/trainingground.guru/articles/phil-giles-staying-ahead-of-the-curve-at-brentfordTSG 1899 Hoffenheim are a Bundesliga club that made a 19-year journey from Germany’s fifth division to the Champions League with the help of similiar innovative methods too. www.computerweekly.com/news/450423973/TSG-1899-Hoffenheim-gets-faster-in-the-head-with-SAP-analyticswww.forbes.com/sites/sap/2017/08/15/tsg-hoffenheim-is-tops-in-tech-and-talent/amp/Good reading pirate. It seems so full of common sense when you read. The Brentford owner came in with a clear vision and a strategy to achieve it. I guess BRFC need to have someone with a vision and a clear strategy to get there. Appointing some ‘club’ staff along those lines would be a good start. UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 21, 2023 9:37:36 GMT
From what I see on iFollow and being a long time Gashead ( since 1957) living in Oz IMO Mangan should not be next Rovers manager. I welcomed JBs appointment based on his knowledge and experience in the premier league even with his baggage but Mangan was his man and he cannot have loyalty for Rovers and will jump ship as soon as JB gets another appointment . We long suffering Gasheads deserve better and I for one would welcome Monks or Taylor but if Mangan is serious then maintain his assistant role. UTG Welcome to the forum! 👍 I think Mangan is in a difficult position. Not sure JB a is going to jump into another managers job anytime soon. He doesn’t need to nor will anyone be rushing to appoint him. But I’d imagine Mangan needs to work. We might not be the best but being our manager is a lot more attractive than being an assistant to JB in League 2. A chance to be his own man. It may work out, it may not but a chance to come out from JBs shadow. If offered I’m sure he’ll take it. UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 19, 2023 23:10:35 GMT
TW seems a good example of how the DoF and manager have to work together as a team, under DC & GC it seemed to work but under PT & JB it was a total flop. Did PT have a window, I can’t remember? It was never working with Barton, Wael was in Jordan and he came down to see TW and Starnes with Jennings at the Quarters and stormed back up to Liverpool, they never got on. Wael should have listened to Tommy and Martyn then, it would have saved us a relegation and us ever employing him. In the three months with us he had the Jan ‘21 window. We needed a CF, he spent the window chasing Jayden Stockley, failed to get him or any striker and signed George Williams, a full back he’d worked with at MKD. Our fate looked desperate. JB came in and accused everyone of negligence and we were completely bu******. UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 19, 2023 19:34:01 GMT
I was lucky, lucky, lucky. Both Sutton and York scoring late to give me maximums. Difference of 8 points in 5 minutes. Lucky old me!
UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 19, 2023 18:07:11 GMT
Like TW or not the posts he had, Head of Recruitment before becoming DOF are sensible posts giving the club a football infrastructure not dependent on the manager. Under JB, whatever his managerial qualities, it was all about his mates getting jobs which has probably led us to the position we’re in now. The appointment of Kevin B whilst just a coach is a small step in the right direction. And I say all that whilst acknowledging that AM, one of JBs mates, has done very well and will probably be our next manager. That will give the new owners time to put proper club staff in place which are not dependent on the manager. UTG! I thought TW was brought in by DC after they worked together at Salisbury? Wriddington then brought in his son as a player, which always seemed an odd move. Not sure as a club that we've ever had a DoF/HoR and coaching staff independent from the manager. Yes, I think you’re right TW was brought in by DC as Head Of Scouting/Recruitment. (2018?) Stayed like that until Tis was appointed in Nov ‘20 and he was made DoF at the same time. (Independent of Tis I would imagine.) Then JB was appointed in Feb ‘21 and it all kicked off. During his time as DoF I think TW would have been as independent’ as any, given JB ignored him! Im sure if the timings are wrong someone will correct it. What I do remember clearly was, everyone (the fans forums, local press, Geoff 20man etc) seeing the appointment of TW favourably and seeing it as a real support to DC and a step forward for BRFC. UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 19, 2023 11:48:18 GMT
Interesting. People can debate whether Widdrington was the right man and/or young Mr Hedges, but when the new owners talk about club staff this what they mean isn't it. Having these positions within the infrastucture of the club that aren't dictated by the manager Like TW or not the posts he had, Head of Recruitment before becoming DOF are sensible posts giving the club a football infrastructure not dependent on the manager. Under JB, whatever his managerial qualities, it was all about his mates getting jobs which has probably led us to the position we’re in now. The appointment of Kevin B whilst just a coach is a small step in the right direction. And I say all that whilst acknowledging that AM, one of JBs mates, has done very well and will probably be our next manager. That will give the new owners time to put proper club staff in place which are not dependent on the manager. UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 18, 2023 12:48:57 GMT
As much as I like the bloke appointing Mangan would be one of the biggest cop outs in our recent history. It will prove that the suits running the club have absolutely no idea on football matters… start the countdown clock for March and a desperation search to find someone to keep us in League One, Seriously Rovers never fail to under achieve - it’s Paul Trollope ground hog day all over again. Are you saying PT wasn’t a successful manager for us? It doesn’t prove what you say it proves. It shows that JB probably opened his mouth once too often at the wrong time and paid for it. But that’s just an opinion, not proof. It showed that ultimately he couldn’t do what he’d always done…perhaps. And fortunately AM has steadied the club, got some good results and given the owners some breathing time. I think your ideas of ‘proof’ are more like opinions and a point of view. All of which are valid but as opinions, not proof. I think they’ve handled the situation fairly well. Given themselves some time to think, reflect and make a choice they want. They have been lucky insofar as AM has got some decent results which has enabled them not to make a hasty appointment. It’s ok, I know it’s probably a minority view on here but managers come along all the time so I don’t see the need to make a hasty one. I’m not sure AM is the long term answer for us but tbh few managers get to the long term anyway. As ever time will tell. UTG! UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 18, 2023 12:45:51 GMT
Once BG and Tis were sacked we focussed on Tommy W and he carried the can, imo. We were very positive about the recruitment that Summer ‘20. Unfortunately we stopped recruiting after we did defence and midfield and seriously missed strikers. This screwed up everything and left an unbalanced squad. Hanlan was never a CF but was often played there. And, tbf when TW was managing the team he did get them to play. Istr the win v Pompey and other matches. Highlights that season being that match, Lincoln away and the 0-0 draw at Posh, the first point there for some time when the defence and esp Baldwin played very well. Anyway, all water under the bridge now and TW has done well where he’s been though it’s a few levels below what we are now. Good luck to him. UTG! UTG! Wanted to sign the striker Pigott who was available at the time and he went on to score 20 goals that season. gaschat.co.uk/post/792037Garner also desperately wanted the midfielder Ebou Adams (who was scouted and recommended by Jamie). Yes, I remember that circulating at the time. He may have made a difference. Thanks for reminding. UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 18, 2023 9:47:05 GMT
It's quite interesting as Tommy Widdrington was also run out of town and seems to be doing well elsewhere. Whatever went wrong under Garner (Maybe it was Garner all along) Widdrington has shone at Aldershot. I think I remember people questioning why he would leave Kings Lyn at the top of the table, to manage Aldershot at the bottom of the next league up. Oh and Nans up and down the country thinks his son is lovely. 😍 Perhaps managing in the national league is different to managing in league 1. The clique of players he knows are good for the Nat league but no good in league 1. Tommy came out in that season, after his recruitment got 2 managers fired at great expense to the club and said “the players are good enough” Max Ehmer. Jack Baldwin. Main goal threat Brandon Hanlan. Zain Westbrook as midfield general. Harries. Good enough? Were they fk. Once BG and Tis were sacked we focussed on Tommy W and he carried the can, imo. We were very positive about the recruitment that Summer ‘20. Unfortunately we stopped recruiting after we did defence and midfield and seriously missed strikers. This screwed up everything and left an unbalanced squad. Hanlan was never a CF but was often played there. And, tbf when TW was managing the team he did get them to play. Istr the win v Pompey and other matches. Highlights that season being that match, Lincoln away and the 0-0 draw at Posh, the first point there for some time when the defence and esp Baldwin played very well. Anyway, all water under the bridge now and TW has done well where he’s been though it’s a few levels below what we are now. Good luck to him. UTG! UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 17, 2023 23:29:35 GMT
Need to stamp this out, celebrate with your own fans. Back in the day they used to turn around and jog back for the kickoff, with a few shakes and pats on the back along the way. And then in the evening go back to their landlady's house for a cup of tea and a hearty plate of pie and chips. Aye. And we had real butter just after the war! 😉 UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 17, 2023 21:57:53 GMT
Stevenage v Lincoln. 0-1 Accrington v Wrexham. 1-2 F G R v Grimsby. 1-1 Gillingham v Salford. 2-0 Harrogate v Swindon. 1-2 Sutton v Tranmere. 1-1 Ebbsfleet v Oxford city. 2-0 Woking v Oldham. 0-2 York v Hartlepool. 1-3 Bognor Regis v South Park. 1-1 Torquay v Yeovil 1-1 Whitehawk v Lewes 2-1
UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 17, 2023 21:05:11 GMT
Meh… Come on wally you really think Pompey fans are likely to think anything we do to be good? Like all rival fan groups they will see it in a way complimentary to them. They don’t want to say anything good about us. But in a way you’re right insofar as our off-field set up was all JB-oriented and that was the fault of Wael. (Am I allowed to say that?) the new owners are aware and I think they will remedy that. But it will take time and at this point we have to appoint from where we are. I’m not sure I’d be asking Pompey/Exeter/Argyle/OTIB for their views about us. UTG! I agree with your take on rival fans comments but I think he raises a point I agree with in that we seem to be dithering our way through this process with no real direction or focus on what we actually want. Some of The people we are speaking to don't even fit the criteria the owner said he was looking for. It's all coming across a bit amateurish. Fair enough, I appreciate what you’re saying. I think the plan was very basic and whilst I think they have one I can understand others thinking they may not. But hey, we’re BRFC not Manchester City! Getting club people appointed and not just managers mates will be a good thing. UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 17, 2023 18:45:54 GMT
The new owners aren't going to remedy anything if they really have left Wael in charge of recruiting the new manager! Ha! Yes, that’s a good point. But I hope things will change in time. Blimey, I’m a Rovers fan so I’m full of hope. 😀 UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 17, 2023 18:33:25 GMT
Was on the Exeter forum to see what they thought of us being linked with Taylor and found this comment from a Pompey fan. Hit the nail on the head for me.... I've no axe to grind with Rovers whatsoever - spent some time living in Bristol and always identified with them more than City - but you'd have to ask wtf is going on with their recruitment process if, three weeks after they choose to sack their manager, they're set to hold talks with someone who only became available a few days previous. From the outside it would suggest there's something going pretty wrong in their off-field set-up to find themselves in that position (you'd expect them at this stage to, at worst, be finalising their appointment following a recruitment process - not holding talks with someone); add the farce around the stand with no planning permission. If I were Matt Taylor I'd at least want to do some due diligence on their set-up. Meh… Come on wally you really think Pompey fans are likely to think anything we do to be good? Like all rival fan groups they will see it in a way complimentary to them. They don’t want to say anything good about us. But in a way you’re right insofar as our off-field set up was all JB-oriented and that was the fault of Wael. (Am I allowed to say that?) the new owners are aware and I think they will remedy that. But it will take time and at this point we have to appoint from where we are. I’m not sure I’d be asking Pompey/Exeter/Argyle/OTIB for their views about us. UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 17, 2023 18:19:58 GMT
We often hear about how there’s no respect for officials in the game. I remember this differently. Watching in the 90s, there were for a start some really nasty tackles and the game was generally more violent. However, I recall a common occurrence which doesn’t happen as much now: The mobbing of the ref. Back then, often you’d get a kind of melee round the ref. A mass of bodies pushing and shoving each other. Not sure if others remember this. If anything I think the game is generally better behaved now. Other than players celebrating at fans . That’s fairly new. You’d get it then but only where there was a grudge. A lot of players now make a bee line for opposition fans purely for the edgy kudos. Yes it may be better behaved now in that you don’t have knobs like Keane spitting and hollering at the referees but I’m not sure that the referees don’t get mobbed. Having watched plenty of PL football over the past decade we still get the melee around the referee but they are usually waving the hands with imaginary cards in them after any foul from a player on a yellow. In League 1 the matches I’ve seen individual or a couple of players will protest against refs but as you say, no large melees. But we still get the masses of bodies pushing and shoving each other in the matches I’ve seen. Not the ref though! I think the players’ behaviour is different now. Probably not so vicious in the way that Man U, Chelsea and other top clubs used to turn on the referees. Now it’s more planned, more tactical and they are very aware how to target referees and players. And, of course, how to get players sent off, booked and how to pick up and deliver easy fouls. Less vicious but more tactical and planned interventions. UTG!
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Post by warehamgas on Nov 17, 2023 15:25:31 GMT
I knew the process would be ham-fisted when I was reliably informed Wael was leading the search for a new manager. Nice bloke but not qualified to make these sorts of decisions. Really hammers home the need for us to have some capable and experienced football business people in the building. That I agree with. But at the moment perhaps we don’t have those football business people. I’d suggest the owners are aware of that fact hence their comment about staff being employed that are ‘club staff’ not managers mates a few weeks ago. But we’ve got to get to that position and it won’t happen overnight. Thats why AM, doing so well, has given the owners some time, some leeway over the appointment. I’m sure they have a ‘plan’ but it may not be the one that lots on here want! 😉 UTG!
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