Sorry I just don't see how getting a draw against Cheltenham even with the squad he has to choose from is a sign of a good manager
Where do you think this squad would finish over a full season with a good manager?
This team has shown in some games that with the right manager in charge we could have made the playoffs but to many games we just never turned up our defense has & still let us down to many times no improvement in that department at all That's down to not having the right man in charge
He's done much better than I expected and seems to take the time away from the pitch to get involved with the club. Just hope he is backed in the summer to make a go of it next season
Sorry I just don't see how getting a draw against Cheltenham even with the squad he has to choose from is a sign of a good manager
Where do you think this squad would finish over a full season with a good manager?
This team has shown in some games that with the right manager in charge we could have made the playoffs but to many games we just never turned up our defense has & still let us down to many times no improvement in that department at all That's down to not having the right man in charge
I would like to agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.
Sorry I just don't see how getting a draw against Cheltenham even with the squad he has to choose from is a sign of a good manager
Where do you think this squad would finish over a full season with a good manager?
This team has shown in some games that with the right manager in charge we could have made the playoffs but to many games we just never turned up our defense has & still let us down to many times no improvement in that department at all That's down to not having the right man in charge
I would like to agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.
We see things different doesn't mean your right or I am wrong as we never will know but time will tell if he is any good or not
Sorry I just don't see how getting a draw against Cheltenham even with the squad he has to choose from is a sign of a good manager
Where do you think this squad would finish over a full season with a good manager?
This team has shown in some games that with the right manager in charge we could have made the playoffs but to many games we just never turned up our defense has & still let us down to many times no improvement in that department at all That's down to not having the right man in charge
So I take from that you’d keep the bulk of this squad together as you see poor management as the main issue rather than poor recruitment over the last couple of years?
Holden got 38 points from 25 games and we were 16 points off the playoffs (taking into account goal difference).
After Garner’s poor start Holden would have needed to achieve over 2 points per game to make the playoffs, i.e. top 4 form this season, usually good enough for 2nd or 3rd.
With one good striker available for part of the season and a lot of mid table quality players throughout the squad no manager would have achieved that.
Tactics and coaching are important but they can’t turn a mid table squad into top 6 one.
This squad lacks the stand out players that Powell and Bowyer had. Both had players who took the team up a level or two.
Sorry I just don't see how getting a draw against Cheltenham even with the squad he has to choose from is a sign of a good manager
Where do you think this squad would finish over a full season with a good manager?
This team has shown in some games that with the right manager in charge we could have made the playoffs but to many games we just never turned up our defense has & still let us down to many times no improvement in that department at all That's down to not having the right man in charge
So I take from that you’d keep the bulk of this squad together as you see poor management as the main issue rather than poor recruitment over the last couple of years?
Holden got 38 points from 25 games and we were 16 points off the playoffs (taking into account goal difference).
After Garner’s poor start Holden would have needed to achieve over 2 points per game to make the playoffs, i.e. top 4 form this season, usually good enough for 2nd or 3rd.
With one good striker available for part of the season and a lot of mid table quality players throughout the squad no manager would have achieved that.
Tactics and coaching are important but they can’t turn a mid table squad into top 6 one.
It's not what I am saying a good manager gets the best out of what his got IMO his not done that but like I said we will see how good he is going forward
I like him and feel that we could have been dragged into a relegation battle without him. Whatever his limitations we could easily have recruited a far worse manager.
Sorry I just don't see how getting a draw against Cheltenham even with the squad he has to choose from is a sign of a good manager
Where do you think this squad would finish over a full season with a good manager?
This team has shown in some games that with the right manager in charge we could have made the playoffs but to many games we just never turned up our defense has & still let us down to many times no improvement in that department at all That's down to not having the right man in charge
So I take from that you’d keep the bulk of this squad together as you see poor management as the main issue rather than poor recruitment over the last couple of years?
Holden got 38 points from 25 games and we were 16 points off the playoffs (taking into account goal difference).
After Garner’s poor start Holden would have needed to achieve over 2 points per game to make the playoffs, i.e. top 4 form this season, usually good enough for 2nd or 3rd.
With one good striker available for part of the season and a lot of mid table quality players throughout the squad no manager would have achieved that.
Tactics and coaching are important but they can’t turn a mid table squad into top 6 one.
It's not what I am saying a good manager gets the best out of what his got IMO his not done that but like I said we will see how good he is going forward
You said the squad could have made the playoffs but to do that we’d have had to maintain the sort of form the top 4 did.
He’s made mistakes but all managers do, I just fail to see how he had the squad to achieve the playoffs.
Looking in from the outside is always difficult but I think he’s done pretty well and considering the deficiencies in the squad all over the pitch he’s probably done better than any of us expected. If I’m brutally honest I’m not sure he’s a great tactician but perhaps the squad has hugely impacted that. Would like to see a good coach in to support him. I think Holdens strengths lie in man management and being a straight down the line bloke. Admirable but enough ? In any case he’s earned his crack but he’ll need financial support. I like him already but I’m for some reason not 100% convinced.
Holden did well all things considered .. I just hope he is given leeway to pick a few players he wants, budgets allowing of course, and can show the door to a few non performers so that he can continue his good work next season
Sorry I just don't see how getting a draw against Cheltenham even with the squad he has to choose from is a sign of a good manager
Where do you think this squad would finish over a full season with a good manager?
This team has shown in some games that with the right manager in charge we could have made the playoffs but to many games we just never turned up our defense has & still let us down to many times no improvement in that department at all That's down to not having the right man in charge
So you think the defence is play off standard as is the whole team & Holden is the problem?
The problem hasn’t been Holden but the absolute shite that he inherited. In the circumstances I think he has done really well with what he inherited. I’d give him an 8.
As many have said, Dean not only got a dreadful squad to begin with but also had to be away from his family, then deal with with the constant 'wilI have a job this week' probably hanging over him as the different takeover talks with different buyers became more like a Carry on Film and then if that wasn't bad enough he then had to motivate and organise a team that was a mess in order to get to safety.
He isn't perfect as he said and has made mistakes but no manager anywhere in the world could have done any better in my opinion save grab a few extra points here and there.
He's earnt my trust and let's see IF and let's be honest it's a bloody big if he gets any reasonable amount of money to buy some quality only then can we judge how good or bad he is.
At Christmas I thought we were toast so to get out of the relegation mire with all the other crap going on was good enough for me.
Positive- really nice guy-straight talking-protects team and team spirit, wants to be successful and take us all with him. Negative-marginal improvement on appalling defence, OK the catastrophic errors disappeared, replaced by casual slipshod ones, so slight improvement. Unknowns-did he have any say on the Jan loanees? -they weren't up to scratch.
We are where we are because our recruitment has not been good enough, and that is because TS did not provide the budget. Garner would have been fine if he had been backed, but I prefer Holden as I feel he gets more out of players and is more decisive.
It was a depressing camp when he took over and he had to turn that round quickly - which he did. It will be interesting to see who he lets go, and even more interesting who stays. Sess and Hector for example. If he keeps one of them I will be impressed.
Sorry to be pedantic but the budget at £6mill+ on wages was plentiful to get a play off place. Lincoln finished below us on goal difference and had a budget of £3mill. It wasn't the budget it was the way it was spent, who they recruited.
Dean made it interesting to listen and follow our rest of season, at a time it was easier to cave in.
He's done well and I quite like his 'ard man act.
He should stay and be given the chance to have a full season with ‘his’ squad - I say ‘his’ because none of us know what sort of budget/players he may be able to attract until the ongoing uncertainty re: who will own us.
For me, it’s still very much, we don’t know if he’s the right man for the job. I agree he did well and if you extrapolate his results over a 46 game season, we’re just short of the play-offs. But, we have to remember, his career had stalled prior to getting the role with us. He comfortably avoided relegation, but when he took us on, we were a free hit, and still are to some extent.
In reference to his ‘ard man act, he’s said some good things and comes across well, mixing with fans in The Oak etc, but for me, that’s earned over time. There’s nothing wrong with it per se, but another character did that last season and look at where he, and we are at now. Do I think Holden is a narcissist like TS, no way. I do think that we’re an easy mark as fans given what we’ve gone through and Holden as identified that and says a lot of the right things, including soundbites like the no dickheads policy.
For me, him, any new owners and players are now simply in what Henry Irving calls the, Deeds not words category.
For Holden, a lot of that will come down to whether or not he gets the backing, any manager needs that, but we just don’t know. We don’t know if he had 46 games that our season would’ve played out like it did in his 25 games.
I do agree there are very few viable alternatives though, so I hope he gets given a chance with proper backing, although I fear this won’t be the case come August
Sorry I just don't see how getting a draw against Cheltenham even with the squad he has to choose from is a sign of a good manager
Where do you think this squad would finish over a full season with a good manager?
This team has shown in some games that with the right manager in charge we could have made the playoffs but to many games we just never turned up our defense has & still let us down to many times no improvement in that department at all That's down to not having the right man in charge
So you think the defence is play off standard as is the whole team & Holden is the problem?
I am saying IMO Holden is not good enough & he will be out the door with the rest of them guaranteed mark my words
Bit concerned about his self-admitted lack of tactical nous, as that it what has done for us in many matches from the Bowyer Championship year onwards. Adkins, Jackson and Garner also suffered from the same lack of ability to change things if Plan A turned into a non-starter from the off. Otherwise a decent bloke who has deserved the opportunity to take the team forward for the 23/24 season.
The communications are great, the working class Salford lad stuff connects, but tactically, need a lot of convincing, when against a good side we looked lost, McKenna and Eyvatt completely out did him in those games, and that’s the standard
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That's down to not having the right man in charge
After Garner’s poor start Holden would have needed to achieve over 2 points per game to make the playoffs, i.e. top 4 form this season, usually good enough for 2nd or 3rd.
With one good striker available for part of the season and a lot of mid table quality players throughout the squad no manager would have achieved that.
Tactics and coaching are important but they can’t turn a mid table squad into top 6 one.
This squad lacks the stand out players that Powell and Bowyer had. Both had players who took the team up a level or two.
Whatever his limitations we could easily have recruited a far worse manager.
He’s made mistakes but all managers do, I just fail to see how he had the squad to achieve the playoffs.
I am not suggesting we don't need another defender, or two, even if we kept Hector and Sessegnon.
As many have said, Dean not only got a dreadful squad to begin with but also had to be away from his family, then deal with with the constant 'wilI have a job this week' probably hanging over him as the different takeover talks with different buyers became more like a Carry on Film and then if that wasn't bad enough he then had to motivate and organise a team that was a mess in order to get to safety.
He isn't perfect as he said and has made mistakes but no manager anywhere in the world could have done any better in my opinion save grab a few extra points here and there.
He's earnt my trust and let's see IF and let's be honest it's a bloody big if he gets any reasonable amount of money to buy some quality only then can we judge how good or bad he is.
At Christmas I thought we were toast so to get out of the relegation mire with all the other crap going on was good enough for me.
Negative-marginal improvement on appalling defence, OK the catastrophic errors disappeared, replaced by casual slipshod ones, so slight improvement.
Unknowns-did he have any say on the Jan loanees? -they weren't up to scratch.
It wasn't the budget it was the way it was spent, who they recruited.
He's done well and I quite like his 'ard man act.
For me, it’s still very much, we don’t know if he’s the right man for the job. I agree he did well and if you extrapolate his results over a 46 game season, we’re just short of the play-offs. But, we have to remember, his career had stalled prior to getting the role with us. He comfortably avoided relegation, but when he took us on, we were a free hit, and still are to some extent.
he praises the fans and buys round down the oak which is enough for some
don't think he's got it in his locker for promotion unfortunately.
Adkins, Jackson and Garner also suffered from the same lack of ability to change things if Plan A turned into a non-starter from the off.
Otherwise a decent bloke who has deserved the opportunity to take the team forward for the 23/24 season.