Thanks for sharing Weighty. I think Westy got similar banter a couple of months ago after revealing Mick was definitely not having his contract renewed, and he eventually was proven to be correct. No offence here, but I hope you're wrong. Rowett's style of football and approach to tactics is not what we need at this club, particularly after the last few years. I have no doubt that if he was to be made available, he'd be on Evans' managerial shortlist. For reasons covered previously in this thread, I believe we need a complete change and a younger manager in charge.
Mate I hope nothing comes of it also for same reasons as you..........I won’t just share snippets of info I agree with
Not worded what I meant properly! Apologies to all. Ultimately see what happens. If you are right Weighty that's a bloody good sauce!
We all know how the game works Weighty.. he could be the number one target one day and then someone else becomes available. Please do keep sharing.
Both Rowett and Grayson are half decent managers but have a similar approach to Mick. We need someone to really freshen the club up with ambition to take the principles instilled in our academy players and follow it through to first team level
Jack Ross meeting with the club for a second time today, according to media reports. I think this is a very likely appointment now that the choice is apparently between Ross and Hurst.
Lamps has apparently been interviewed. Would be a great shout IMO. You could say he has the same passion and drive as Roy Keane but without the volatile temperament. Would definitely get us playing the right way. https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/33736/
Nothing against Lampard, but I'm still hoping it'll be either Hurst or Ross who will get the job. They have the right blend of youth, record of attacking football, and recent managerial success. Lampard comes across as an articulate, level-headed man, but we don't need another media circus around a big personality appointment like what happened with Keane. And Keane actually had managerial experience and a promotion under his belt. In this day and age, Lampard should be cutting his teeth at a lower level, not walking straight into a Championship job. I bet Redknapp and Pleat have been pulling the strings for this one. So not the worst appointment we could make, but this would be disappointing if Lampard got given the job over Ross and Hurst.
Not many great managers start off managing a League 2 side though Nuggets. Jack Ross' limited experience at Scottish Championship level is arguably less useful than Lampard learning from world class managers and coaching behind the scenes at Chelsea. Paul Hurst has unquestionably done really well but I can't see him coming if Shrewsbury win Sunday (and I think they will). Trouble is we don't have this 'establishment' culture that consistently successful clubs have. Our vastly knowledgable, successful and experienced old guard should have some kind of footballing foot in the club to help steer the ship. I don't like that the entire culture of the club depends on the manager at the time.
Not many great managers start off managing in England these days. What I meant was that recently retired Premjer League footballers like Harry Kewell and Kevin Nolan went the League Two route this season and have overachieved at their clubs. Current Premier League manager, and this country's next big hope according to some, Eddie Howe, started his managerial career at that level. Irrespective of that, Lampard is not somebody who fills me with hope compared to somebody in the mould of Hurst or Ross. Despite Ross having a limited managerial experience, at least we can draw on a record of success, evidence of entertaining, attacking football, and his experience of being a popular manager. Lampard would bring contacts that could benefit us in the transfer window, but he is still a managerial novice and how he sets teams up is still unknown. Hopefully Evans will ascertain this from interviews, but he is also taking recruitment advice from Frank Lampard's uncle Harry. It's not what you know, but who you know sometimes ... Regarding your last point, I'm not entirely sure what you mean? We don't have that ingrained successful "establishment" culture because we have not been a successful club for over a decade now. I don't think many fellow Championship clubs have this "establishment" culture either. Did the likes of Bournemouth, Brighton, and Huddersfield possess this culture when they got promoted? They got there with a forward-thinking manager who had an attacking football ideology that underpinned everything they did. It's no guarantee of promotion, but for a club in our financial position, it's our best shot. Hurst or Ross would definitely provide and persist with that ideology, I'm not so sure about Frank.
Bournemouth, Brighton and Huddersfield have all carried on upward momentum from lower leagues in just the same way as Wigan and Swansea, which is how they've ended up in the top flight so it's not really applicable to trying to drag a deadweight into the top flight. I don't expect Nolan to make a top manager and I wouldn't call it over achieving. As for Harry Kewell. What? Regardless of experience, I do think there is something to be said for learning from the masters. Sir Alf, Sir Bobby, George Burley were all top players and that's not a coincidence. It would be nice to have experience and calibre but there is no realistic prospect of us getting both of those at Ipswich at the moment (apart from the Butcher / Burley option). Whoever we give the job to it will be a punt and my gut says Lampard would do really well within a few seasons. If it was Gerrard I would not be happy but Lampard has got all the attributes. More than anything he would bring a bit of fun back to the club. He doesn't need his uncle to put in a word really does he? As I mentioned Hurst would be a good option too but I reckon he'll stay at Shrewsbury.
Brighton had spent six seasons in the Championship before they got promotion. Huddersfield had clocked up five consecutive seasons before they got promotion. I'd hardly call that upward momentum. They achieved promotion by adopting a playing style and having everybody at the club buy into it. They targeted a specific manager who could deliver that style by hiring a manager with a record of playing the style of football they want. My point is Ross and Hurst have a managerial record and style the supporters would like to see, Lampard is a risk because he is a man with an unknown and unproven managerial style. My point wasn't that Nolan and Kewell are top managers, or even potentially world class. I used them as examples of former Premier League players taking a job in League Two and having good seasons. Nolan's Notts County are in the play offs and could get promoted. Kewell took Crawley Town to mid-table when they were tipped for a relegation dogfight. I agree that learning from top managers is an advantage but not a guarantee of making a good manager. Off the top of my head, Tony Adams, Paul Ince, Gianfranco Zola, John Barnes, Terry Butcher, Bryan Robson, and Roy Keane all learned from the best managers in the game, and their management careers have been disappointing and mostly filled with failures. I am not against Lampard completely. He'd actually be my third option behind Hurst and Ross out of the recent names linked to us (ahead of the likes of Grayson, Sherwood etc). As I said, he's articulate, comes across well, and would have good links and contacts. But my preference is still for a young, upcoming manager with a proven track record of success, evidence of playing good football, and with a rising reputation within management. Hurst and Ross tick those boxes, Lampard doesn't.
Morning Nuggets Brighton did have momentum, Oscar and Chris Hughton carried on the work that Poyet and Taricco were doing when they came into the Championship and for me made an instant impact with their football, fans and stadium which all had a positive energy - but took a bit of time to bridge the gap in quality between League One and the Premier League. Notts County were dire in the play off games (they lost by the way) and OK Crawley didn't get relegated but that's a bizarre example to apply. Zola, Bryan Robson, Roy Keane and Terry Butcher for me all did good things in management. Of course being a top player isn't going to make you a top manager but it definitely helps and Lampard is an outstanding individual. As I mentioned Hurst I'd be pleased with. I would be disappointed if we went for Ross, he does not have a proven track record of success at all - he has done well but he may as well have won the Bostik league for how well you can transfer that experience to the English Championship - and there are at least a handful of people I'd rather see in the dugout, if we didn't get the top three I would favour giving a go to ex-Town players ahead of taking a punt on Ross. Incidentally Bowman was McCarthy's man I'd be surprised if we didn't appoint a new Director of Football: 1) Hurst 2) Lampard 3) Cowley 4) Burley / Butcher 5) Bilic 6) Magilton 7) Dyer * 8) Kuqi * * - with an experienced assistant / Director of Football e.g. Burley would be the obvious choice or Magilton / Curbishley would be a good fit, loads of options here. But of course if Ross DOES get the job maybe he'd be fantastic. These also rans like Grayson / Sherwood who have already proved they can't do the job, forget about it. I would be gutted.
You originally referred to carrying momentum upward from lower leagues, which would have expired long before Brighton's sixth year in the Championship. I agree that Brighton did / do have a rejuvenated energy around them, such as the new stadium, but it was a gradual process which included a few different managers, with Hughton being the main driver of their promotion. The only way I can see us getting promoted in the near future is by adopting what Brighton and Huddersfield did to get to the Premier League. Unfortunately for us, most teams in the Championship are trying to do this now and I'm not sure if Evans is the owner to do this. I think there are some crossed wires regarding my point about Nolan and Kewell. I think that they are good, recent examples of first time managers going to League Two clubs and doing well. Not that they are, or will be, great managers. Compared to their pre-season objectives, they had good seasons. Getting experience in the lower leagues is what I'd expect Lampard to do before managing a Premier League or Championship club. Zola and Keane arguably had one good season in club management with big-spending, heavily-fancied clubs expecting promotion (Zola - play-offs with Watford, Keane - first season with Sunderland), while Robson was an incredibly average manager, up and down with Middlesbrough (three cup finals was good, but lost them all) and keeping West Brom up that one season was a good achievement, although he got relegated the season after. He was awful at Bradford, Sheffield United, and Thailand. I agree with your dislike of old has-beens such as Grayson, Sherwood, and the like. Another concern I have with Frank Lampard is who his assistant would be? I think Harry Redknapp coming in would be a very high possibility, and somebody who we all rubbished for being linked to the job earlier this month.
Brighton still had an upward momentum. Tony Bloom took over there around the same time as Evans. Look at the graph from 2009 onward. That is an upward trajectory all day long. When Hughton went in they were a very different beast to what Town are today. please log in to view this image Zola I liked, really liked - West Ham screwed him over. As for Frank, I would be amazed if he went in at League Two. He will have offers to go into a Championship or Premier League club or a top flight club abroad, or he will be on the coaching staff of a giant or in the England set up. I think Redknapp is a bit tired to be managing day to day that's the difference.
It is a general upward trajectory, with a major blip, but then clubs like Brentford and Preston have been on upward trajectories over the past few seasons and I would not argue they are primed for promotion next season. I think you are underestimating Hughton's impact. They were near the foot of the table under Hyypia and were close to relegation that aeason. Huddersfield were not in an upward trajectory though, finishing 19th the season before they got promoted and hadn't finished in the top half in their previous four seasons. Agreed that Zola should have been given more time at West Ham, but he was not a success there and is not regarded highly with West Ham supporters. He failed at Watford, where he had a very good side, as well as Birmingham (where he took serious play off candidates to the brink of relegation) and Cagliari. I would genuinely be surprised if Lampard walked into a Premier League management job right now. Owners will be wary of giving a job to somebody who has never sat in the hot seat, particularly at that level. Look at how Giggs was routinely ignored for top flight jobs when he kept trying to get imterviews (as well as the Championship). I'm a firm believer that you have to do your time at a lower level and work your way up on merit. Having said that, Arteta is potentially poised to get the Arsenal job on the back of no managerial experience (but I guess he has contributed to Manchester City's "project"). Redknapp came out recently and said he is still looking for a managerial job. I think he'd be more than happy to have another chance in the Championship alongside his nephew, considering how his last job went.
Come on Nuggets... Giggs has walked straight into the Wales job. Was watching Motty night last night and spotted Bryan Robson early in his managerial career on the bench as Terry Venables' assistant at Euro 96. Why would any of these top players walk into a League Two job when they have these opportunities? Even Sean Dyche started in the Championship. Hughton was a national team coach. Are there any examples this millennium (or even the Premier League era) of anyone starting in the fourth tier and going on to a top job (let's say at least Europa League level or Manager of a major nation)? I can't think of one. Now Michael Jolley.. will be interesting to watch Grimsby next season, they had a terrific run at the end of the season. If they have a good start next year he may well be one to watch in the future.
I think we just have a different preference when it comes to retired footballers starting their managerial career, Hampy. I am of the belief that a retired pro, even one with a big name, should not expect a job in the Premier League or Championship and should be prepared and open to the idea of managing at League One / Two level to develop their managerial career. Giggs settled on the Wales job after being rejected at a few Premier League and Championship clubs. Even Gerrard was having to potentially settle for MK Dons as no top two tier side wanted him here. Examples of managers who initially managed at League One / Two (or lower) levels and went on to manage at Europa or international level include Martin O'Neill, Tony Pulis, Roberto Martinez, George Burley, Alan Pardew, David Moyes, Sam Allardyce (at a push), and Peter Taylor.
