My dad used to do a lot of work with the youth team during pre-season, back when Liam and Jeff were coming through the ranks, and still keeps in contact with a lot of the lads. His association with the club goes way back and has always known a fair bit surrounding how the club internally operates but is still rather crypticabout exactly goes on - even to me.
I was ranting away to him about the NP sacking but he didn't sound too bothered and still thinks we're going to have a very successful season. In response I asked him how the leader of the great escape, the mastermind behind the tactics and player belief could possibly be replaced. He is confident that actually (unsuprisingly) the club success was a team effort and in fact NP was just a very small cog in the machine. In fact I have been led to believe that the change in formation, player signings (Walsh and Rudkin) and even the team belief was instilled through a collaboritive team effort with huge influence from the likes of Phillips, Rudkin, Shakey and Walshy to name a few. I have been led to believe that formations, players and recruitment did not fall solely to NP. I believe that one issue that arose around the time of the NP sacking was Nigel being "given direction" on how the club should move forward based on these numerous influences and that may have been something that NP disagreed with.
Although this is quite a wooly explanation, and limited, it makes me feel confident that maybe it doesn't massively impact the hunt for the next manager. What people want in a new manager may not neccesarily be the same as what the club wants/needs. The new manager needs to be somebody that is willing to take onboard the expertise around them and actually realise that the position of the LCFC manager isnt neccessarily the man running the show. I'm not saying we need a sheep to lead but if this is true and, hyperthetically, Cambi was the inspiration and tactical genius, Walsh was responsible for the player recruitment and in fact some of the first team coaches like Phillips were monumental in the player developement - then maybe this isn't the biggest catastrophe I felt it was.
I think the point to get accross here is whether its Lennon, Big Sam or even Arry who take charge (worst case scenarios) - LCFC could be in for a very good season regardless of this bombshell.
In my mind the best way forward for the club would be to appoint Shakey as manager, offer Cambi a player/coach or player/assistant role and say to the lads carry on as you were. People will argue "shakey and walsh are loyal to NP" of course they are! But who in the world would turn down a contract (NP was on £1million a year) to step up to the manager role with all the support he has in place in order to "be loyal" and follow his mate around for the rest of his life as an Assistant earning roughly a third of said manager??
Just a thought, and i was actually very suprised as to how little input NP actually had to the great revival... maybe others would disagree.
I was ranting away to him about the NP sacking but he didn't sound too bothered and still thinks we're going to have a very successful season. In response I asked him how the leader of the great escape, the mastermind behind the tactics and player belief could possibly be replaced. He is confident that actually (unsuprisingly) the club success was a team effort and in fact NP was just a very small cog in the machine. In fact I have been led to believe that the change in formation, player signings (Walsh and Rudkin) and even the team belief was instilled through a collaboritive team effort with huge influence from the likes of Phillips, Rudkin, Shakey and Walshy to name a few. I have been led to believe that formations, players and recruitment did not fall solely to NP. I believe that one issue that arose around the time of the NP sacking was Nigel being "given direction" on how the club should move forward based on these numerous influences and that may have been something that NP disagreed with.
Although this is quite a wooly explanation, and limited, it makes me feel confident that maybe it doesn't massively impact the hunt for the next manager. What people want in a new manager may not neccesarily be the same as what the club wants/needs. The new manager needs to be somebody that is willing to take onboard the expertise around them and actually realise that the position of the LCFC manager isnt neccessarily the man running the show. I'm not saying we need a sheep to lead but if this is true and, hyperthetically, Cambi was the inspiration and tactical genius, Walsh was responsible for the player recruitment and in fact some of the first team coaches like Phillips were monumental in the player developement - then maybe this isn't the biggest catastrophe I felt it was.
I think the point to get accross here is whether its Lennon, Big Sam or even Arry who take charge (worst case scenarios) - LCFC could be in for a very good season regardless of this bombshell.
In my mind the best way forward for the club would be to appoint Shakey as manager, offer Cambi a player/coach or player/assistant role and say to the lads carry on as you were. People will argue "shakey and walsh are loyal to NP" of course they are! But who in the world would turn down a contract (NP was on £1million a year) to step up to the manager role with all the support he has in place in order to "be loyal" and follow his mate around for the rest of his life as an Assistant earning roughly a third of said manager??
Just a thought, and i was actually very suprised as to how little input NP actually had to the great revival... maybe others would disagree.
