Sorry I should have phrased that better. It was a significant contributing factor. One of many. A good number 2 is usually the cornerstone of a management team. That's why they usually follow the main man about. Venus was vital to mowbray.
He failed against Luton by trying to do the impossible ... ... defending for ninety minutes, without a defence, was never likely to withstand a bombardment by them. He failed last season and Venus said he had no idea about management at Birmingham.
Better than anyone we have had since. Right time for him to go but he gave us the most successful times so far in this league , since promotion. Venus would say that. He is a number 2. Not a manager. That's his job.
Maybe it’s not the club? Maybe RLB hasn’t found someone he wants to work with. Either way, tactically it looks like Dodds and co aren’t having an input. They’re coaches. So I’m not too fussed either way
The trouble is mate, this is all just guesswork. RLB seems to have definite ideas about how he wants to play and, in my opinion, won't be easily swayed. His reputation is on the line and I just can't see him being directed by two coaches.
He won't be. But a good experienced number 2 will be worth their weight in gold for a foreign head coach who has zero experience in the league he about to call the shots in. It's just all very random and similar to our head coach search. Drawn out.
I'm sure Chris Davies at brum is in the same situation but obviously he has worked in English football
Personally would see appointing Defoe as a number two more of a PR stunt than the actual best man for the job.
Defoe was recently a first team coach for Spurs wasn’t he? If he’s interviewed, he’d only be interested in an assistant head coach role, which I don’t really see how he’d be qualified for it.
Complete speculation on my part but I think the club are waiting to see if an additional support for RLB is needed or if he hits it off well with Dodds and Proctor. If it all goes well they can just keep it as it is and not disrupt the applecart. And then fix it when / if it starts going wrong. Personally i'd rather be proactive and get somebody in to support now. But as I've said all along, the most important thing here is getting RLB what he wants and needs. Not what us fans think he needs. Not even what the club thinks he needs. It needs to be RLB with the say. And if he's happy with what he's got - great.
What I would say for Dodds is that he seems to be a very good man manager type. Always see him in the behind the scenes videos chatting away with players and checking in on them. He’s no good tactically, but as a familiar face around the training ground it’s good for existing players. I assume the same goes for Proctor, but I don’t see a lot of him.
Ljinders to Klopp, now Davide to Carlo Ancelotti, Faria to Mourinho, Murtosa to Scolari. Good Managers generally do keep their number 2s with them wherever they go unless they accept the top job somewhere.
For every successful duo you can trot out a virtual solo manager who's done it his way. Yes Peter Taylor was there to curb Clough's excesses, but how influential was anyone on Alex Ferguson, Klopp, Guardiola, etc. Yes they have staff but they're not pushed into changing what they want to do. This seems to be creating a mountain out of a molehill before a ball has been kicked and made to look like we're starting the season only 50% ready. I don't buy this 'zero experience' argument either, some foreign managers have been capable of doing the job, some of whom didn't even speak English. Anyway, it's a bit of a pointless argument ... ... none of us know how RLB will do, either with or without a number two. I'll wait and see before making my mind up.
I don’t have any hatred for Dodds and proctor. They’d done some brilliant jobs prior to last season. Just are out of their depth in higher roles. Keep them as coaches I’m happy.
