Seeing how Donald took a gamble on Ross, that nearly came off (pushed him off too early imho). The appointment of Parkinson has proved a disaster, hoof ball tactics and inability to manage senior players and get the best from the squad... that sort of evidence would even get Republican senators voting for impeachment. Now Arsenal seem close to having one of their former players as manager who has only been an assistant up till now. If only Sunderland had a former distinguished player who was ready to take the next step from being an assistant to manager..
It doesn’t matter what level he was assistant at it’s still experience, he would also be going to manage at a lot lower level that Arteta
Agreed, but we are in the turd division and on our uppers. An Arteta level of appointment is beyond us... evidenced by the fact we have got a Parkinson who operates with the same level of decision making that the refs in this division demonstrate. Taking a punt on Phillip's may well be a risk worth taking!
Arteta has been Pep's assistant though. Whereas Phillips has only ever been a coach, hasn't he? The step from assistant manager to manager is big enough. From coach to manager is even bigger.
Your first paragraph shows the sheer stupidity of a large number of our fans. Begging for Ross to be fired despite an indifferent start to the season. He had us together as a team and that's what mattered. He went far too early. Phillips, as I've said before, I don't think would be a good fit at the moment. I do think it'd go wrong for him and he could end up hating SAFC as our fans who aren't really old enough to remember him will turn on him. He would likely get a lot more chances to get it wrong than Parkinson has (if Phillips was there now, he wouldn't get the hammering parkinson has adfter the run of games) but it wouldn't take much longer for people to turn. I'd love him managing us eventually,m but preferably when the time is right and things are going better and we're more on the up than down. But, as has been said, you never know
Agree about Ross. Still pissed off we got rid of him tbh, only because I had a feeling we'd end up appointing someone who would be worse ie Parkinson. We'd probably be in a play off position by now and still be in a few cups. Replacing Ross we had to make sure we were getting an upgrade. Now we've just regressed massively.
Yep... I do wonder why Donald pulled the trigger so soon, it did seem premature, I guess we will never know. Perhaps there was animosity between them, a rumour had suggested that Ross did not want Grigg and wanted to keep Maja..you should never tell the boss (or the wife ) I told you so. Although Maja (or his agent) wanted to be away...yes some fans were vocerious, but not all...
Arteta has been badged up, groomed and heavily involved as Pep assistant. He’s been set to the level he could step in and give continuity if Pep left, it’s a different set of experiences to Phillips. I’d still give Kev the job in a blink though, for the lift it would give the place alone. We are in a right ****ing pit right now, all of us.
Ross should have gone immediately after the play off final. What a disgrace the game was. He demonstrated he wasnt up to the job. Pitted against a rookie manager and a very cheaply cobbled together team we were made to look like amateurs. A complete choking performance. Reflective of the amount of games ( 19 iirc ) that we drew after giving away cheap goals. Shows how bad things have got that some lament the leaving of that useless tw9t. Just because PP is worse doesnt mean that ross has managerial merit.
Yes, the PLAYERS choked in that final. You can't hold Ross solely responsible for that. Ross clearly has 'managerial merit'. He nearly got us promoted and got us to a cup final despite not having a goalscorer for half a season. He had our current, very average for League 1, squad in 6th and looking good for making a push for promotion if backed in January. What more do you want him to do?
In reality, both teams were utterly awful in the play off final. Completely removing emotion we were no better or worse than them. Wonder how everyone would feel if we’d drawn 6 instead of losing them this season? Much worse yeah?
I’ve been assistant to a team in the Peterlee and District Sunday League for about twenty years, do you think it’s about time I was given a chance at a higher level?
Definately not, Fanny . . . . if you've been an assistant for that long you must be either nee good as a manager or you've got nee ambition
Philips is after the vacancy at Bristol Rovers according to today's media. If he gets it and makes a decent fist of it that would be a right kick in the gonads for us lot up here. The report also says he wanted the job up here as well.