Summer window

Yeah youd think so but think it depends on what club, we play a pressing style of play thats similar to Liverpool so could be a good move. I think the other benefit of coming to us is the pressure of playing for us, if hes to make it at Liverpool he will be under pressure to win every game and its the same with us. Thats why we should have always been an attractive destination for the top clubs to send their youngsters too. Liverpool need to see how he plays under the pressure of a fanbase that demands wins every week. He wont get that at most PL clubs

 

You're the most negative poster about Speakman on this entire board in my opinion. You've been very vocal about his personality etc. which clearly comes from your "insider" and their experience of the club. Every time you see a potential thing you don't like, you're incredibly critical of Speakman, to the point of it seeming personal.

 

He has played his part in turning the club round. No doubt. Made some mistakes too. Canny big ones.

But making reference to previous owners and some how linking me there is incredibly incorrect.

 

That's a very good point. I was thinking he could easily go back to Fulham or perhaps someone like Palace or Bournemouth. But you're right that the pressure isn't the same there.

 

I agree that Speakman has made a few big mistakes, and I also think he comes across as a management consultant which grinds with me (and I'm saying that as a management consultant).

But the positives far far far outweigh any of the negatives and there's also nothing definitive to suggest any of the negatives have actually cost us. For example no striker second half of season. That was a big mistake from him. But if we'd had one, we might not have played the football we have and been able to counter sides the way we have. (not for one second saying that's my opinion - just that there's no way of proving something that hasn't happened).

Same goes for Dodds with his poor spell as caretaker.

Since both of them came in we have gone from League One try-hards to this and I love it.

 

Fair points there.

 

Everyone makes mistakes and i get speakman has made mistakes but hes also been proven right on quite a few of these so called massive mistakes.

He took his time to replace johnson, but got the right man so happy he took his time on that one. Selling flanagan n not signing a CB last season was regarded as a mistake, proved to be the right decision.

Didnt sign another striker, yet we still made the playoffs so again proven right to trust the players weve got rather than just signing anyone.

Folk moaned about not having an academy director for ages, he took his time and then got a quality appointment in the lad from Southampton

Theres certain people on here that have an agenda against him and just focus on a few mistakes that hes made rather than the many many many things hes got right.

He isnt perfect, but hes the perfect man for the job we need him to do

 

Really depends how you analyse it though.

He took too long to get rid of Johnson. This was because they were very much on the same throught process with football and full of coaching buzzwords.

He took too long to get Neil in which meant we burned vital points with inexperience in dug out.

Neil perforned unbelievable to get us out of that league. Insane run of results from Feb onwards.

Neil also mentioned balance of squad. So has Tone.

Striker - play offs , great achievement but an opportunity was there to really push IMO. Our home form killed us and it was effected by not having a striker and teams just being able to sit and let us play. Again Tone has mentioned this is an issue.

Academy appointments. Agree with you. That's where the biggest change is. For the better.

 

You're both right FWIW.

Which is why the outcome is what matters. And so far the outcome is things are brilliant.

Results business of course but its not just the results that have improved. The connection with the team. The fun we are having as fans. Things that are immeasurable are objectively better.

If things go badly start of next season, it's going to be scary how quickly the points prehab is making are going to come to the forefront of people's minds.

But my opinion is that appointing Speakman was the single best thing KLD has done at the club so far.



As an aside...

how many "sporting directors" have we tried. De Fanti, Congerton etc. They've all last like a year at best. Speakman, whether you love him or hate him, has come in with a plan and he is going to stick with it whether people agree with him or dislike him for it. And I LIKE him for that

 

To change the subject slightly, I was just thinking about Ross Stewart on my dog walk. Random I know.

Don't get me wrong, I'd be fecking ecstatic if a sudden tweet from the club announcing a new contract was made. But...

..I have completely come to terms with him going. Even if he goes to Stoke. If he doesn't want to be here, I don't want him. That's a cliche I know but I absolutely mean it.

Forget the pull of the club etc - what's being built in this TEAM requires players who want to be a part of it and want to grow and move to the next level. And I don't want anything to compromise that. Nothing.

It's a shame that purely because of his injuries it will be Stoke, or Boro, rather than a PL move for him. But if I was going to put odds on it right now it feels like 95% certain he's going this summer, doesn't it?

I still think, especially with his recent injury record, the lad is an idiot if he's not sining a 3 year contract on the table with us. But if he doesn't then off you pop.

 

I get all that, and some of his decisions have probably been luck as well as smart decision making. I was annoyed it took so long to get neil in but at least it was the right appointment. The appointment of TM was spot on and done quickly so hopefully hes learning from mistakes. I was just being glass half full with my comments lol

There will be a big what if from that jan window just gone by, would signing a striker have got us over the line (n improved the home form), maybe but suppose we will never know. He is stubborn for sure but i think thats what weve needed, we will only sign players that he believes improves us.

I just think the appointments hes made in key positions have been massive, i know you are a huge fan of james young - he will be one if the best appointments weve ever made imo and harvey isnt far behind him.

We may go through tough times and thatll be when we truly see what he is like. I trust he is making the best decisions possible for the club tho and i wouldnt want anyone else in charge at the minute.

 

Or an alternative view:

He got rid of Johnson

He appointed Neil

Neil did well but probably not an insance run of results considering he was given a squad, by Speakman, furnished with Clarke, Roberts, Stewart, Baath, Cirkin, Pritchard, Evans etc in League 1.

We got playoffs despite not having a striker (which was an error) which is testament to the rest of the squad of players assembled by Speakman and/or the coaching of Mowbray who was appointed by Speakman.

 

He hired the right man to do the job which resulted in the desired outcome and you've found an angle to criticise him. It took 12 days by the way. 12 days to make a decision on spending half a million quid in wages, choosing the right man to achieve the task we'd already failed 3 times and to build for the future.

We sacked Johnson when we were 2nd. We were 4th when Neil took over. We finished 5th. Neil got the job done, credit to him for that. But promotion was pretty much par. Nothing "unbelievable" at all. What Mowbray has done this season is unbelievable.

 

We were 3rd actually and the run of form was terrible. Getting humped 5 and 6 nowt from ****e teams. Squad was on the slide. Neil's run to the finish was fantastic.

 

Yes I think its undeniable that Neil did a tremendous job here like. Mowbray overall has done a better one for my money but Neil should be remembered fondly if not for the manner of his departure which I think was ****ing despicable in hindsight (leaving on day of game)

 

If we had Stewart fit or similar replacement we wouldnt have played the way we have done imo, long balls up to the front man for him to bring others into play would have been miles off what we have got accustomed to.
I am at the point now if Stewart goes it will not bother me too much.

 

The big ones were Defoe leading to no striker then ‘we only need two strikers’ leading to no striker.The Keane saga. Maybe not going half way with Neil though we’re well rid. I suspect he’s chased a few through cockiness. No doubt at all though his methodological forward thinking approach to the investment has been the biggest game changer.

 

I agree that the goal drought than I anticipated did not happen with Stewart out. We found other ways to score, spot on.

But having your cake and eating it, Steward would have given another attacking option, especially on the 'out' ball.
He would also have been useful in defence

 

There’s no way we would have been playing long balls up, we didn’t do that before his injury after all.

We did manage to find a way to score but we lost his hold up play and also ability when defending set pieces and corners. We still need that as an option in most games. I’d still be gutted if we lost him but it certainly won’t be the end of the world.