I am becoming a great fan of MM though I don't really want to draw any comparisons with DJ. As usual, remote makes a great point about having players who will fulfil (or at least make every attempt to) a game plan. There is no doubt that MM has all of his players playing as a team, but he keeps them aware of their importance to the team as individuals. I've been impressed that on 99% of occasions of substitutes, he takes the time to greet the retiring player with a thank you and a brief explanation of his decision. Good managment technique. With regard to the original point of this thread, I was glad to hear MM say that he won't be buying players just to make up numbers or to appease fans. He seems quite adamant that he will only buy to improve the squad and live with the fact that the right players may not become available. I was very interested in Wengers statement about the January window in which he suggestede that players that transfer at this stage of the season are in it purely for themselves and are less like likely to be good team members. I suppose the differing circumstances of each club may give other managers a different view.
Clingo - not really having a go at DJ personally mate, just his rather dogmatic approach (only my opionion I might add). I think the comparison is a pretty fair comment - we lost against Reading last year in the PO semis for just that reason.
All managers are different and have different approaches. Comparing DJ to MM is like comparing Sam to the Riddler. They each have their strengths but also their limitations. Also as said before, I wouldn't go back, but in their ways, they moved us forward. MM is a different kettle of fish though. As Sparkey said, DJ wouldn't have made the changes to personnel for the 2nd leg, he'd have stuck with more of the same. The changes MM makes are sometimes subtle, but always for a reason, though I am not bright enough to spot the reason up front, it needs to be with hindsight. I'm sure I'll get close to spotting the reason for the changes sooner rather than later with a bit more practice. I just hope that opposing managers are as slow as me on the uptake or haven't got the nous or the players to counter MMs tweaks during the game.
Yes - Brendan took us up in his first season and firmly believe Malky can do the same with you; am a huge admirer of his and was watching him closely during the Palace second leg - he totally lived every kick of that match and was shouting and gesticulating to his players for the full 120 minutes - you can't doubt his passion and commitment, was a joy to see. Good luck for the rest of the season!
To be fair its quite reasonable to draw comparisons between a quality manager like Malky and someone who in the most important game in its clubs history responded to an early Bothroyd injury by throwing on Kelvin Etuhu and hoping for the best.
i was just posing a question earlier in the thread, i rate MM as highly as the rest of you, its clear that he's sharper tactically, and this team fights it to the bitter end, and that comes from him. theres nothing worse as a fan then seeing players not play to their potential and MM has completely eradicated all players who didnt fit in with what he's doing and is reaping the rewards, any talk of top 10 being acceptable has been pushed to one side, and thats down to him
Anyone on here know who at the club was really responsible for appointing Malky? We're led to believe that the owners were pushing for a high profile "name" to take over from Jones to influence their home market. I'd imagine the only Mr. Mackay they'd heard of was in Porridge. Someone at the club must have seen the potential in Malky to take us forward and convince them otherwise. Borely and Whitely seemed to have been charged with the task, but it may have had a lot to do with Gethin who got the bum's rush for his trouble shortly after.
I think we will get a few players in, but we have to be patient as buying & selling in the window has become a bit of a Poker game - if you buy too early you show your hand - leave it too late & you miss out on the players you really want & end up paying over the odds for someone that didn't originally figure in your plans. Timing is critical.
Sparkey - according to fans elsewhere there are no " football" people at the club. Thing is these guys dont become billionaires for no reason. Football man Sam got us Cork , Gould , Lennie and Jones. Now we have Malky. Says it all!
Hilts, Cork and Gould were not good but Lennie and DJ both moved us forward, whether or not we think they're good managers is irrelevant. Lennie got us promoted to the championship and was let go when he'd taken us as far as he could. DJ was brought in and moved us forward every season even in his last season. He was given a season too long perhaps but if either Lennie or DJ were not in place and did what they did we would not have MM. Malky is doing a fantastic job but would he have come if we were lower down the league? Probably not. He came because he saw us as a club that was a regular top 6 finisher with a rebuilding job to be done and was given assurances he would be supported. With that in place he signed for us but please do not dismiss what previous managers did to get us where we are today.
Agreed Taff. I think we have to remember the **** that DJ had to put up with while he was in charge. A lot of his transfer policies were forced on him due to the financial problems. We all agree DJ was no tactical genius, but he got the results during the season. He was caught out in the play offs when he made a couple of bad decisions, but I thank him for the effort he gave the club. I really hope we get a couple more bodies in. I don't think we can keep it up without some new names. The season is too long. A long term injury to Kenny would really cause us a problem for example
Taff - as irrelevant as it might be to criticise DJ, it is equally irrelevant to ask if Malky would have come here if we were lower in the league. Why should he? He had a decent manager's job at Watford and they were very keen to keep him. The fact is he wanted to progress in his carrer and not go backwards like anyone else would in his position. Securing Malky for this club was a huge step forward. It may have taken someone with an extensive inside knowledge of the man or just pure luck rather than judgement, but he's here. Whatever, from what I've seen so far, both Malky and the club have made an excellent decision.
All valid observations an good comments. It may not be comparing apples with oranges, but certainly granny smiths with coxes pippin. Lennie had money to spend and was in a lower league. DJ had no money in a higher league. You could argue that DJ was a miracle worker. After Earnie, Kav, Collins, Gabidon, and a host of others left (I think 7 went to prem teams) DJ got to a higher finish than Lennie did the previous year, but Lennie got us there. You can say DJ left the squad in a mess (which he did), but with far better facilities and financial position than when he arrived. The other advantage MM had was that he didn't have to have a clear out, it was already done. He more or less had a clean slate. He has his own team. There's a phrase in business, 'Standing on the shoulders of giants'. Maybe not quite as appropriate in this situation, but MM has joined a stable club with a recent history of competing at the top end of the table, magnificent fans with sensible owners. We are in that position because of what has gone before. Thank you Lennie, thank you DJ, now C'MON Malkey!!!!!!
Sparkey, I agree with criticism as no one is perfect and we all have our short comings. What I stated as irrelevant was our personal view of a managers ability. Better to look at what they achieved in their time at the club. I was trying to point out that Lennie and DJ moved us forward every season during their time. Hilts' post implied (to me at least) that the football men (Sam) who brought in the likes of Cork, Gould, Lawrence and Jones were poor judges whereas non football men who brought in Malky are excellent judges. Lennie got us up to the championship and was supported by transfer funds. I concede that DJ was not the messiah and he was tactically poor but he moved us on every year despite his short-comings. Malky has had a fantastic start as manager and I am 100% behind him despite my concerns when he was first appointed. He is a very different manager to any previous manager we've had previously because he's one of the new younger generation of managers coming through. Fresh ideas and a good eye for young talent along with great motivational skills. We mustn't forget that the foundations built and platform were laid by (love or loathe them) the likes of Sam, the riddler in the board room with Lennie and Dave Jones as managers. If they hadn't done their bit (unorthodox) I believe we would not now have the stadium, increased fan base, our position in the league or Malky. It's been a long hard ride and at times we almost sank into oblivion but we're on a high at the moment and long may it continue. The next battle we'll have will be to keep Malky at the club, he'll be off as soon as a good premier league club comes knocking.
Taff - I'm not saying I disagree with anything in your above post, in fact I echo most of it, but the bit of it I've left in is 100% correct. The only thing I meant when I commented earlier was your questioning as to whether Malky would have come to us if we were lower in the league. That was irrelevant. You could say the same of Adkins, Barmby or Hughton for instance - would any of them taken the Doncaster job when SOD got the bullet? All I know is Malky has exceeded expectations, and pulled the club up by the scruff of the neck after DJ's efforts failed (yes, I mean ultimately failed). With the support of the owners, MM and his staff can take us all the way. If he doesn't do it this year, I think it will need to be a good Prem side to prise him away, but then that's the nature of this game of ours.
Oldsparkey I am not going to quote this as Fact but the people at the club ie Borley Whitley Jenkins and our malaysian owners took advise from certain people but the one mans advise they really took was Craig Bellamys and that is why they got Malky from Watford other than some of the high profile available managers.
Sparkey, agree it is irrelevant as we were not lower in the table and it is difficult to see where would have been had Sam come to the club and started the ball rolling. Who envisaged we would be where we are now? I agree DJ failed and in hindsight I also think he was let go at the wrong time. He should have gone the season before but that's another debate. Malky is the ultimate in new broom sweeps clean stakes, I would not be surprised if he takes us up this year. No cup games to distract us as we're already in the final stay injury free and some rotation we can do it
Who was the footy advisor they had on the payroll? Keith Harris? Or was that just related to getting investors in.
Thanks for that cvd (contagious venereal disease? ). Didn't know about any influence that Craig brought to bear regarding the appointment of Malky, but didn't they spend time together at Norwich? Taff - I think Orville was sent packing when the Malaysians arrived.
Sparkey, I think MM and Bellamy's paths have crossed in the past, speciffically at Norwich, though some time ago. Not sure how close they are or how much they've kept in touch. We're unlikly to know exactly how things panned out. All we can do is be grateful that they did.
