The warning signs were there for me during pre season. Persisting with three at the back when our defence isn't good enough when there's four there and playing CBT at wing back. Everyone knows Corey's biggest asset is pace and running with the ball so why give him defensive responsibility? Unfortunately for Dean, he got it wrong early and in being 'pro active' pretty much changed the whole team against Oxford and again we lost. Seems a nice bloke but not sure if he's tactically up to it
He was a little unlucky with that I think, depending on what he was told by the owners about signings. If he wanted to play 352 and knew he was getting more players in soon then it makes sense to start drilling the shape early. He wasn't to know that Ness would struggle so much at the start, though second season syndrome is pretty common for defenders, and Jones took a while to get to fitness. He obviously wanted to play two up front as a lot of people want us to, but he never got to play Leaburn and May together. We spent most of preseason with Kirk or TC up front when Appleton has May, Leaburn, Tedic and Aneke available. He started CBT at LWB but then we didn't really have a proper left back until Edun appeared and then he wasn't very fit. Even now Appleton is playing a CB at left back every week.
Ultimately though I think 352 was the wrong choice; we have a few game changing players and CBT is one of them. You can't play 2 up front and CBT wide so you need to play 433/4231. You have to use May differently but he's hard working enough that he still makes the best of it playing as a 10 whereas CBT can't defend well enough to make him a worthwhile WB. Really, Holden should have seen from when we had JRS that sometimes you have to make the best of it with your best players rather than cramming players into your preferred shape, and if you're going to insist on changing the shape then you need to make sure you've got a match-ready squad to go with. Holden might have thought he'd have that squad by game 1 but we very much didn't and really he should have abandoned it when it was clear it was going to be a deadline day job.
I look at our side now and the attacking options are second to none. These options were not there at the start of the season. Appleton is doing a great job though. This cannot be argued.
Sorry mate but the jury is still out for the moment on that one and in my opinion, it could well be argued about the job he is doing.
For example, playing May up front by himself last Saturday was just plain daft.
Lets see if you still feel the same way at 9.45pm tonight!
I'm sure he'll get a Morecombe, Crewe or some other L2 type job at some stage, plenty of failed managers bounce around that league (and ours to be fair).
He was very fortunate to take the reins at our great club and I personally think after the job he did it would have been an insult for Bradford fans if he got the chance there, another club well operating below their level.
Non-league manager imo, I think he would struggle to get a national league side promoted unless they were loaded* like a Wrexham type.
He was very fortunate to take the reins at our great club and I personally think after the job he did it would have been an insult for Bradford fans if he got the chance there, another club well operating below their level.
Non-league manager imo, I think he would struggle to get a national league side promoted unless they were cash strapped like a Wrexham type.
I agree with all of that except for saying Wrexham are cash strapped.
He was very fortunate to take the reins at our great club and I personally think after the job he did it would have been an insult for Bradford fans if he got the chance there, another club well operating below their level.
Non-league manager imo, I think he would struggle to get a national league side promoted unless they were cash strapped like a Wrexham type.
I agree with all of that except for saying Wrexham are cash strapped.
After being linked heavily he has missed out on both Gills and Bradford appointments. Think he will struggle for another job as manager.
have to remember he was linked to lots of jobs when he was with us, his agent works hard but doesn't mean there's truth to it
He has good contacts in the media so expect his name to get airtime. Personally I think we’ll see a bit of him doing media work in the short term to stay relevant
I'm sure he'll get a league 2 job at some point. I don't think he's a terrible manager and he could probably get a job somewhere off the back of managing in the Championship.
He's probably in the last chance saloon for league jobs though, unless he wants to go back to being an assistant like he was originally at Bristol City and then later at Stoke.
I don't particularly want either. One is a decent bloke but not much of a coach, the other has plenty of experience but as much personality and personal charisma as a pebble. Both not very good, but in very different ways.
Nice bloke shit manager. Appleton hasn't even got the nice bloke bit yet.
They’ve all been shit over the last few years . That blame falls on the owners , whichever ones they were , not the managers and there’s no sign of that ending .
Really disagree with the "He’s a master at PR" comment he is a thoroughly decent human being and I wish he was still here.
Didn’t mean the “master at PR” phrasing to suggest anything nefarious. I do think he’s a genuinely lovely bloke and he’s very good at saying the right things. It’s a good skill to have.
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He had JRS for six months last season. We were still losing games to Morecambe at home.
Not a gambler so don’t know where to look. 😂
For example, playing May up front by himself last Saturday was just plain daft.
Lets see if you still feel the same way at 9.45pm tonight!
Non-league manager imo, I think he would struggle to get a national league side promoted unless they were loaded* like a Wrexham type.
He's probably in the last chance saloon for league jobs though, unless he wants to go back to being an assistant like he was originally at Bristol City and then later at Stoke.