Dear all, an awful thought about AN and the past has just come into my head. Up and coming manager thought to be talented and starts to show real evidence of this and helps the club move up a few gears and starts to go places for a while. He then puts forward a plan to take the club to new level. Asks for support from higher up and ..... Anyone here quaking like I am about what happened to Martin O'Neil?
Don't worry................yet! He hasn't shown enough for PL clubs to try to wrestle him away and even with the poor transfer window I couldn't see him dropping to the championship in disgust at the board. Stay up or stay up with style and we could have a problem. But hopefully we will have learnt some harsh lessons this window and be a bit more on it both in January and next summer! Bah!
MoN had a falling out with Chase over the purchase of Dean Windass after being promised financial backing that never materialized. Quit on a point of principal and promptly guided Leicester to promotion.
AN has only just got his family down and given his rather mediocre playing career I doubt he would want the family disruption or could fully afford such principles, at least not without an alternative offer! Bah!
I'd already had these thoughts, Thai. I can't believe how quickly the optimism and club togetherness has gone. Already people are predicting relegation on the fan boards and squabbling about whether we should give Grabban another chance. I didn't expect the good vibes to last the season undiminished, but I did think they might manage more than 4 games. I know the transfer window is a travesty, and I know it's not as easy as picking a player you want and then handing over the dosh, but our Board does seem to have a special talent for pissing their fans off.
Some of these expectations are created by seeing what other clubs are doing and I'm afraid this colours what everyone thinks about everything from team selection to finances and man management. I ca't blame anyone on here or elsewhere for wanting us to stay up. Trouble is we have gone somewhat against the tide. Other clubs seem to have improved quality in some areas 'just in case it I becomes needed' we seem to have been a lot less worried about all this and some are just concerned. It's not wrong to have expectations but it can hurt to see them rubbished!
Certainly our board in the past have had previous, with Mike Walker not being given a contract being one that sticks in my mind. That was all in the past though and hopefully the curent board are a little bit more progresive and supportive but it is all down to budget. If AN's plans were outrageous, then they would fall on deaf ears, and rightl so. Thanks Ox for getting Friday off to a depressing start!
No Dave it's nothing to deal with high expectations, there is plenty of history. 1. Endless trail of poor managers Hamilton, Grant, Roeder. 2. Not backing Worthington enough after our promotion. 3. Not getting rid of Worthington sooner then later. 4. The massive elephant the room Neil Doncaster and his sidekick Roger Munby. 5. Allowing Roeder to piss millions down the drain on loanee's 6. Bryan Gunn employing an inexperienced manager out of sentiment we all know what happened after this.... 7. Nearly going into administration, due to financial mismanagement 8. Indecision with Hughton. 9. Neil Adams aka Rabbit in head syndrome, they obviously didn't learn their lesson with Gunn but ex players shouldn't have to commit Seppuku he was a caretaker manager at best. I will give the board some due they are brilliant gamblers I wouldn't mind having them down the Casino with me. Some of the achievements where they've redeemed themselves 1. David McNally a bit of a Machiavelli schemer love him or hate him his an excellent businessman and get's results 2. Paul Lambert great gamble at the right time and worked out for us. 3. Balancing books and operating like an actual business not a community charity credit where credit is due. 4. Alex Neil they decisively acted at the right time and in my opinion got the right candidate.
Good post / points raised, Northampton, but no mention of pissing off Martin O'Neill, after just 6 months, by refusing to cough up circa £500k for Dean Windass. As I recall, he went to a game at Leicester with NCFC, and didn't come back - stayed put and guided them to cup and league success shortly afterwards
Thanks, people seem to forget a lot of what has happened at the club or refuse to accept the facts of what has happened. I think a lot of the boards errors are down to their naivety, they do not learn from their mistakes and are easily misled by people, there is nothing sinister about it. I honestly can't remember who is charge back then it was definitely after the Robert Chase fallout, even remember my Dad saying when we got O'Neill that his a class manager everything will be alright we'll be going back up etc.
