Ok, the general opinion from cardiff fans seems to be either that: 1) He's a good choice, bargain at £300k, will get us promoted 2) He's average, 16th & 14th place positions hardly suggest that he's a better choice than hughton, for example the watford fans think 3) He's on the way to being a world class premierleague manager, and we're not big enough to attract him. personally, i'm floating between options 1 & 2. i believe we would be taking a punt if we got him, and that could go one of two ways at a club like CCFC. i suppose my view that he could be a very good appointment was soured by the thread the other day in which some watford fans came on saying we would not be a step up for mackay, complete and utter rubbish of course, but annoying nonetheless
As a player for us - he was 100% committed to the cause and I believe his attitude is the same wherever he goes. To achieve what he did with Watford last season, with a pathetically low budget, was excellent. Will he go on to great things? potentially yes but he is not anywhere near as good as Paul Lambert has been so far.
Maybe it's a cunning plan and the board will re-appoint DJ on half his previous wages? Then Betty will re-sign 'cause no one will talk to him, burke will change his mind on Brum because McWinger had left, the board will lend out gerrard and chopra will fail himk medical on alcohol count, or hwe'll get pissed and gorget to go. then we can all have groundhog days just like last season and narrowly miss promotion, but for a lot less money.
Hey, Watford fan in peace (honest). At the moment, Malky is a good manager who had a very good season with the resources at his disposable. He hasn't really proven much yet as it has only been one season, but the potential seems to be there that he can manage at a much higher level - no disrespect meant to you or ourselves. Saying who is bigger out of us at the moment is debatable, but you are clearly better at the moment and have more short-term potential - but we have been in the Premiership twice in the last 12 years and are a reasonably-established 2nd-tier team, so there is always that possibility with the right board and management team, we can push again. We were pushing again just 2 seasons ago! Just the fact how Watford fans don't want to see him go proves how much we rate him. We just feel it would be too early for him to go. We'd like to see him continue his good work here and in a season ot two's time, wouldn't begrudge him making that step-up to a decent and established Premiership team (or even Celtic, due to his ties there). Obviously if he goes, we will wish him luck (if it is all handled 'by the book'), but I think it will just be extremely hard to replace him with the money we have! Oh, as a foot-note; have you heard anything about Shearer? A lot of bets has gone on him and his odds have been slashed dramtically and may possibly be the bookies favourite in time?
Swamp: He wasn't my first choice but the more I've read about him, the more I'm taking to him. The Hornets specs are as yellow tinted as ours are blue though he's clearly made an impact at Vicarage Rd, certainly off the field. IF it were to be him, yes I'd want us to be up there challenging again at the end of the season but I wouldn't be overly disappointed if we weren't, given its a new boss, practically new squad etc...unless of course it was another cataclysmic failure (which admittedly, doesn't bare thinking about) Sparkey: they'd just as well had written "...within the next season" for all the good that does us
Option 3 every time for my money. You may call me biased, but Malky has gone about his work with great dignity. Have you heard about the clowns who are running Watford FC? But you could go for Alan Shearer - and then the laughter would start. He looks great on the sofa, but on the bench ......
I like the idea of Mackay. He is like the anti-Jones really (and I am a big fan of DJ). Up and coming, 4-2-3-1 tactics, bringing through youngsters...of course he is unproven as a promotion winner but I get the feeling he could do great things at CCS
Watford fans like him because he has not got us relegated - is that what you guys are after? His win percentage in 99 games is just 33% - 33 wins and 41 losses - good enough for you? He has done well by making a satin (not silk) purse out of a sow's ear but there is no way of knowing whether he has the temperament to take a side to promotion. He is honest hard working and has been good for us - I am amazed that a club that would sack someone who got you into two play offs would consider a gamble on the unknown. On the "which is the bigger club thing" - you have the better stadium, you have richer owners, you have had a better last 3 years; we have a better youth Academy, we have done better over the last 40 years - and we probably have much LESS debt (don't know how much yours is but ours is only £10m which is low in Championship terms and only a problem as we have not attracted a rich investor yet. If Malky moved on I would have expected him to try for a bigger club than yourselves - he turned down Burnley flat and they had only just come out of the Premiership - at Cardiff he would be under enormous pressure from the start but would have to build it all up
I don't know about the youth academy, ours is supposedly one of the top ones in Britain The next product might begin to shine this season, Ibrahim Farrah.
Obviously not wanting to get into a My dad is bigger than your dad-style argument, but the Watford academy is pretty special. We actually had Ajax come over and look at it and say we have a better set up than they do - and looks like it might be the model many Premiership clubs adopt. The Harefield Academy is still pretty young, but is already starting to produce players for the first team... which is very much needed at a club like Watford who can't spend fortunes on players - which will come on very handy when the new financial fair play rules come in. Historically we've had a pretty good flow of youngsters too... with one about to sign for Man Utd for a reported £20m. Our (or your) Academy might just be the thing that makes Malky's mind up when making his decision
Apart from Ashley young, who else has come out of the academy. This is not an antagonistic question im just curious about this set up which is as claimed above (not by you) better than Ajax's
Hi City. This is the article I was referring to; http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jul/17/england-world-cup-watford In no way saying we have the best academy, or produce the best players - just the set up is very unique even Ajax felt we do it better than them. "If you tried to copy us, you've got it wrong, You've managed to get even more coaching time with the kids than we have. Well done!" We have integrated a sports academy with a school and get many more coaching time than any of the regular academies. As I mentioned, it is still in it's infancy, with the first graduate only recently signing pro forms but he has already turned down a move to Man City. This season alone we have had 2 of our youngsters achieve full international debuts for N.Ireland, and Sordell in his first full season got into douoble figures and called up to England Under-20s and looks a promising player. I am in no way disrespecting your academy or knocking it as don't know enough about it... but we have been rather innovative with our own and it is starting to produce the benefits already!
