This the problem its easy for us all to say Appleton should go but they took 3 weeks musing of Appletons appointment and that was all they could come up with. I'd just appoint a bit of fire fighter until the end of the season make sure we don't get sucked in to relegation and spend the rest of the seasons getting the right man in ahead of preseason
I suspect, but have no inside info, that the club have denied this today so that the players can be told together as a group, either by Appleton or someone else. Then it will be announced.
I don't know if the stats back it up, but my perception is that the majority of promotions from League One are won by managers in their first job or certainly still earlier in their careers. If managers are any good, they might start at this level but they don't stay here for long. To win promotion from this league you need players capable of playing the Championship. I think you also need a manager/coach capable of managing in the Championship. Nothing in Appleton's record suggests he is, or ever was, good enough for that level so his appointment never made sense from day one.
If we're getting rid of him then in my opinion we should not be looking at well-known names, unless we can somehow tempt someone down to this level who you would really expect to be managing higher. That would be a very tough sell, so our chances of attracting a good enough manager to get us promoted are probably improved if we look for bright and ambitious young coach taking their first steps in management. The added wrinkle for us is we have rarely done well with managers with no previous connection to the club. Northerners don't seem to fair well down here either (Jimmy Seed aside).
I don't know who to suggest, I just don't know enough about what is going on at other clubs, but, for me, that is the general profile of manager we need to be finding. I'm hesitant on Bowyer and Powell. Bowyer could be a good fit for the squad, but will he work well with Andy Scott and head coach not manager structure? Same perhaps goes for Powell plus I'm not sure he would want to set up in a way that suits the squad we currently have.
A very quick look at the last couple of years generally supports this:
21/22 promoted sides:
Wigan - Leam Richardson, second job, first full season in charge
Rotherham - Paul Warne, first job, first full season was 2018 where he got them promoted was and promoted three times from League One with Rotherham, including 21/22
Sunderland - Alex Neil, fourth job, appointed mid-season (February), promoted the same season
22/23 promoted sides:
Plymouth - Steven Schumacher, first job, appointed in Dec 21. Promoted in second full season in charge.
Ipswich - Kieran McKenna, first job, Dec 21. Second full season in charge.
Wednesday - Darren Moore, 3rd job, March 21, relegated from The Championship, second full season in charge
If Apples has gone then I would be very happy to see Andy Scott join him out the door. Has bought in two poor managers and a whole tonne of crap players (this windows players currently exempt given they have not settled yet). Having to sack both managers mid transfer window is really dreadful performance by him. He threw Holden right under the bus I thought when he left with his comments, I wonder if he does the same with Apples.
I don't know if the stats back it up, but my perception is that the majority of promotions from League One are won by managers in their first job or certainly still earlier in their careers. If managers are any good, they might start at this level but they don't stay here for long. To win promotion from this league you need players capable of playing the Championship. I think you also need a manager/coach capable of managing in the Championship. Nothing in Appleton's record suggests he is, or ever was, good enough for that level so his appointment never made sense from day one.
If we're getting rid of him then in my opinion we should not be looking at well-known names, unless we can somehow tempt someone down to this level who you would really expect to be managing higher. That would be a very tough sell, so our chances of attracting a good enough manager to get us promoted are probably improved if we look for bright and ambitious young coach taking their first steps in management. The added wrinkle for us is we have rarely done well with managers with no previous connection to the club. Northerners don't seem to fair well down here either (Jimmy Seed aside).
I don't know who to suggest, I just don't know enough about what is going on at other clubs, but, for me, that is the general profile of manager we need to be finding. I'm hesitant on Bowyer and Powell. Bowyer could be a good fit for the squad, but will he work well with Andy Scott and head coach not manager structure? Same perhaps goes for Powell plus I'm not sure he would want to set up in a way that suits the squad we currently have.
Appointing a manager like that is always a bit of a gamble, though. I think we've had a run of managers that would probably be better suited to being assistants, and there's the risk of getting someone in that mould again. That said, experienced managers haven't really worked out for us either. The coaches I can think of off the top of my head who have a connection to the club are Jason Pearce (who doesn't seem to feel he's ready yet), Jason Euell and Andy Hughes (a northerner, though).
Well I know what two I have faith in and it’s not the man that’s based up North.
To be fair, it isn’t necessarily. The wheels could be put in motion which is where fans generally get their rumours from, but the club haven’t actually pulled the trigger which is where Cawley would get his more official info from.
Lets hope it happens soon, because you’ve got an entire fan base who are willing it to happen and that can only ever end one way.
Our manager and players should be able to mix and match and adapt as required / at all times.
There may be a preference but it shouldn’t be anything more.
And even adapt during a game. Any manager in anything needs to manage with what they have. This division regularly has teams with low budgets who have a manager who organises what he has and uses a little creativity to get a side promoted. I very much doubt such sides ever have an Andy Scott type second guessing a manager who is as inflexible as Appleton. If Rodwell/Methven could judge anything they would have seen that such a combination was doomed to failure from the beginning as was Scott and Holden. Sack both of them.
I would probably favour Nigel Pearson or Chrissy Powell as the next manager as they probably have enough bottom to keep Scott in his box as a slightly glorified scout.
In August 2022, Scott revealed that he would not return to football management and that he had been "in management for a reason and that was to develop players, organise teams and get everyone playing the way I wanted to play. Realistically, where I was going to go after Aldershot was scrambling around at that level, I didn’t want to be a journeyman manager applying for every job. Now I’m forging out a new career where I’m fortunate to be in the position I am in".
I wonder if we’d ever go completely out there and appoint a foreign coach who’s been an assistant or first team coach at a decent level. A fair few Football League clubs have had success with this route.
I’ll throw a name out there I’d like to see given a crack if he ever wanted it: Albert Capellas.
Barcelona man, coached at La Masia, Barca B, has been assistant at Dortmund, has managed Denmark U21s and Midtjylland, has done a bit with the FA here too.
If the club genuinely wanted to develop a footballing philosophy and style through the club they’d look at coaches like this.
Just a name, I highly doubt we’d ever look his way or be able to afford him or that he’d want to come here.
Comments
21/22 promoted sides:
22/23 promoted sides:
Scott Parker?
There may be some loose ends to tie up, but Appleton is history!
fingers crossed as he is usually bang on the money most the time
Well I know what two I have faith in and it’s not the man that’s based up North.
Appointing a manager like that is always a bit of a gamble, though. I think we've had a run of managers that would probably be better suited to being assistants, and there's the risk of getting someone in that mould again. That said, experienced managers haven't really worked out for us either. The coaches I can think of off the top of my head who have a connection to the club are Jason Pearce (who doesn't seem to feel he's ready yet), Jason Euell and Andy Hughes (a northerner, though).
Lets hope it happens soon, because you’ve got an entire fan base who are willing it to happen and that can only ever end one way.
Appletons days were numbered after our stupid SMT offered him the job in the first place
In August 2022, Scott revealed that he would not return to football management and that he had been "in management for a reason and that was to develop players, organise teams and get everyone playing the way I wanted to play. Realistically, where I was going to go after Aldershot was scrambling around at that level, I didn’t want to be a journeyman manager applying for every job. Now I’m forging out a new career where I’m fortunate to be in the position I am in".
Strange thing to say Croydon.🧐
I’ll throw a name out there I’d like to see given a crack if he ever wanted it: Albert Capellas.
Barcelona man, coached at La Masia, Barca B, has been assistant at Dortmund, has managed Denmark U21s and Midtjylland, has done a bit with the FA here too.
If the club genuinely wanted to develop a footballing philosophy and style through the club they’d look at coaches like this.