New Manager

[Sparkle]

9 hours ago, Andicis said:

The Mail (I know - take with a pinch of salt) are saying Di Matteo, Howe, Brian McDermott (formerly of Reading), and Nigel Adkins are the 4 on our shortlist. 

Well out of that lot I would suggest looking at it in reverse order.

[RoyMac5]

9 hours ago, Andicis said:

The Mail (I know - take with a pinch of salt) are saying Di Matteo, Howe, Brian McDermott (formerly of Reading), and Nigel Adkins are the 4 on our shortlist. 

Wow! Makes Rooney or Cook or Mac3 sound great!

[Sparkle]

Just now, Jayram said:

ducking hell, if that’s the extent of the shortlist we really are in trouble. How are absolute non-entities like Adkins, McDermott and Di Matteo even in the frame for a job of this kind? This had better be fake news!

We have no idea if any of that is true of course but we look like we will have a new owner who we know nothing about and we will be his new toy in all reality, so something completely out of the box is very possible 

[cheron85]

4 minutes ago, Jayram said:

ducking hell, if that’s the extent of the shortlist we really are in trouble. How are absolute non-entities like Adkins, McDermott and Di Matteo even in the frame for a job of this kind? This had better be fake news!

Whilst I'm not saying I want him - he does have a Champions League under his belt as a manager - I'm not sure that qualifies as "non-entity"

[Sparkle]

2 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

Wow! Makes Rooney or Cook or Mac3 sound great!

It does doesn’t it but I do believe it’s the right time to give Cook a go with us and hopefully he could achieve what Jim Smith managed whilst we remember how underwhelming his appointment was 

[Sparkle]

1 minute ago, cheron85 said:

Whilst I'm not saying I want him - he does have a Champions League under his belt as a manager - I'm not sure that qualifies as "non-entity"

He was only in charge of the final was it? Anyway not many games at all and it was only foreign football stuff not championship stuff as we are constantly complaining about.

[Dimmu]

I know everyone's been waiting my annual Valakari post, but unfortunately we are bit late this year and he just signed for a Finnish team called Kups.

So, no Valakari post this time, but I'll give you another name from nowhere. Just look at these team values. Our new manager has to be the guy who managed that shower of poo called Finland to Euro's and beat France couple days ago. Even North Macedonia have almost double the value compared to Finnish team. 

Step forward, Markku "Rive" Kanerva.

As classy as Cocu, but way more vocal and lively. His managing style is based heavily on man-management and TEAM cohesion.

Okey, this is not happening but would love it to be true after 2022 World Cup.

[Sparkle]

10 minutes ago, ramit said:

i just hope the next manager likes to play a high tempo game and can work well with young players

Ideally but so long as we play as a team and to our strengths 

[Jayram]

4 minutes ago, cheron85 said:

Whilst I'm not saying I want him - he does have a Champions League under his belt as a manager - I'm not sure that qualifies as "non-entity"

Maybe non-entity is a bit harsh but Di Matteo won the Champions League in May having only taken over the reins at Chelsea in March - it wasn’t really his team. He’d be another showboat choice - someone who wins when he’s given an already talented team and millions to spend, which is exactly the wrong kind of manager for us at this current point in time.

[Shang]

My perspective on a potential Mac3:

If we compare the difference between a Mac1 team with our current team, apart from in one position (up front) he'd have better players across the whole pitch. Most of these players already play in a similar way to their counterparts. If anything this new team would be more attacking, our current crop are more comfortable on the ball, and we have progressive passers of the ball and ball carriers (Clarke, Knight and Holmes) up and down the pitch.

I wouldn't hate the appointment, but we'd need a plan B. Something that never really got resolved in his previous 2 stints.

(Just noticed I missed out Bryson on this!)

[Sparkle]

6 minutes ago, Shang said:

My perspective on a potential Mac3:

If we compare the difference between a Mac1 team with our current team, apart from in one position (up front) he'd have better players across the whole pitch. Most of these players already play in a similar way to their counterparts. If anything this new team would be more attacking, our current crop are more comfortable on the ball, and we have progressive passers of the ball and ball carriers (Clarke, Knight and Holmes) up and down the pitch.

I wouldn't hate the appointment, but we'd need a plan B. Something that never really got resolved in his previous 2 stints.

(Just noticed I missed out Bryson on this!)

Do you seriously think we have better players now than we did then ? Or am I misunderstanding? I believe the players we have now are miles away from the quality of the Mac 1 team that finished at Wembley 

[The Key Club King]

12 hours ago, Mick Brolly said:

Who do you recommend? 

I've been happy with the last few choices to be fair but none have worked out.

Eddie Howe would be my pick. Got a small club promoted, kept them there for a few years and played good attacking football with largely British players. His stock has fallen since relegation so he might be attainable. 

On the other hand, somebody with a low profile that could allow us to build and keep fans' expectations lower. Wassall would fit that bill.  

[BOB BIGGS]

31 minutes ago, Spanish said:

Who has said that? Ridiculous 

Ridiculous? I must have been reading a different Forum to you over the last couple of months then. I can’t see many on here being happy if we just “avoid relegation”. Many feel that Cocu should have had us in the mix for play offs at least.  Let’s see what the new manager can do with the same players. 
I hope, as always, that better times are around the corner. 

[Grumpy Git]

For a start Lawrence is nowhere near the player that was Jamie Ward.

[Dimmu]

2 minutes ago, The Key Club King said:

I've been happy with the last few choices to be fair but none have worked out.

Eddie Howe would be my pick. Got a small club promoted, kept them there for a few years and played good attacking football with largely British players. His stock has fallen since relegation so he might be attainable. 

On the other hand, somebody with a low profile that could allow us to build and keep fans' expectations lower. Wassall would fit that bill.  

NOOOO!!!

Take your greedy hands of Wassall. He is needed in a team I support more than Rams.

[Shang]

14 minutes ago, Sparkle said:

Do you seriously think we have better players now than we did then ? Or am I misunderstanding? I believe the players we have now are miles away from the quality of the Mac 1 team that finished at Wembley 

Apart from up front, 100%. Just because we're down in the dumps right now doesn't mean the current crop doesn't have a higher ceiling and potential than Mac1s team.

[RIMBAUD]

4 minutes ago, Shang said:

Apart from up front, 100%. Just because we're down in the dumps right now doesn't mean the current crop doesn't have a higher ceiling and potential than Mac1s team.

Holmes better than Hughes??

[Black ('n' White) Sheep]

Just a thought... if we offered Rooney say a 'joint manager' role on a different contract, would that then cancel the alleged 'playing clause' that's in his current contract? Schteve Mac & Rooney? Big Sam & Rooney? He'd know them both (depends on if he got on with either of them though, I suppose!).

[Millenniumram]

9 hours ago, IslandExile said:

I live down sarf now and I've seen a fair bit of Bournemouth. To me, Howe was greatly overrated. They bought their way from League 1 to the Premier League. I think they fell foul of FFP. The football wasn't great either but it seems a lot on here are calling for "effective".

In addition, Howe is not regarded as "a legend" by their supporters. The ones I have spoken to and those interviewed on radio and local TV were all saying it was time for him to go - even before they were relegated.

Wasn't there stories when Ibe signed for us that he was unhappy with Howe's treatment of his mental health issues? One or two others wouldn't sign short extensions going into lockdown either.

Anyhow, I may be swimming against the tide but I don't want him at Derby.

Interesting to hear that, I’d have expected he would be more highly regarded than that. Adds to my skepticism about him. I wouldn’t say I flat out don’t want him here, but there’s definitely things to be unsure about with him.

[angieram]

51 minutes ago, Shang said:

My perspective on a potential Mac3:

If we compare the difference between a Mac1 team with our current team, apart from in one position (up front) he'd have better players across the whole pitch. Most of these players already play in a similar way to their counterparts. If anything this new team would be more attacking, our current crop are more comfortable on the ball, and we have progressive passers of the ball and ball carriers (Clarke, Knight and Holmes) up and down the pitch.

I wouldn't hate the appointment, but we'd need a plan B. Something that never really got resolved in his previous 2 stints.

(Just noticed I missed out Bryson on this!)

My take on this - 

Marshall - same

Buchanan - same now, has potential to be better but we had Fozzy at his best that year

Clarke - weaker now than prime Bucko - has potential

Davies - weaker now 

Byrne - same

Bielik - weaker now (has potential) 

Holmes - weaker by a mile, I would have Sibley there

Knight - stronger than Hendrick, potentially better than Bryson

Lawrence - same

Waghorn - weaker

Jozwiak - same now but may have potential to be better.

So, overall I think we are quite a bit weaker currently than then. Could Mac bring out that potential? Possibly but he'd need at least one better centre half and a decent centre forward - absolutely key to that style of play.

Not sure I want to pin my hopes on another Mac era. However, yours was the only post to pique my interest!