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A Matter Of Time

A Matter Of Time

Well-Known Member
May 1, 2013
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Bristol
DC has achieved something that no other Rovers manager has ever achieved in winning two promotions, let alone back-to-back.

From the moment he took over from John Ward he said all the right things, but to see the way in which he was in pieces following our relegation from the Football League to how he has turned things around since then is truly remarkable. He had great success at Salisbury before coming to us, and we now know that was no fluke!

The confidence and belief he instils into the players is something else, and his ambitions for the club never cease. Only a brave manager would have set the top 7 as a minimum target coming into this season, but goodness he delivered that and even more. 26 wins in League Two! Automatic promotion! It's an unfamiliar feeling.

Now I pose one simple question: IS DARRELL CLARKE THE BEST MANAGER ROVERS HAVE EVER HAD?

One thing I am confident of is that I'm unlikely to see a better Rovers manager in my lifetime. And whatever happens, when we get our new stadium there has to be a stand named after him at the very least.
 
Well he is without question the best we have seen in Bristol for a long time. Alan Dicks for City was very successful in the record book, but the entertainment value was dire to watch. It's very much a question of taste in many cases. Bert Tann managed in the days of No Buy No Sell. Bill Dodgin played very attractive football . it just goes on......
 
I was 1 of only a few who stood behind DC when Ward moved up and DC took over. I still had complete faith in him when Higgs confirmed DC was staying in charge even after relegation. Obviously if everyone knew what was going to happen, then everyone would have got behind him straight away. But DC had to win over an awful lot of people and boy didnt he do so.
He got in signings to begin with that he knew that he could trust. People that he worked with before. He knew who the hard working players were in non league and got them in. He has regularly said we dont have the best players in the league but we got the best team though.

If any of you have watched moneyball, then to me DC's signings reminds me of that film. If you havent watched it, you must because its a great film.

DC in my eyes must go down as our greatest manager, Who else has won 2 promotions with us? I think if he stays with us and Wael fully supports him, we could get further success. DC has won 4 promotions now in 5 full seasons. Not many managers can say they have that on their CV.

But he hasnt managed at league 1 level before, so it will be a test. Hopefully our fans can stay grounded and not expect another promotion.
 
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Captain Jack Sparrow said:
I was 1 of only a few who stood behind DC when Ward moved up and DC took over. I still had complete faith in him when Higgs confirmed DC was staying in charge even after relegation. Obviously if everyone knew what was going to happen, then everyone would have got behind him straight away. But DC had to win over an awful lot of people and boy didnt he do so.
He got in signings to begin with that he knew that he could trust. People that he worked with before. He knew who the hard working players were in non league and got them in. He has regularly said we dont have the best players in the league but we got the best team though.

If any of you have watched moneyball, then to me DC's signings reminds me of that film. If you havent watched it, you must because its a great film.

DC in my eyes must go down as our greatest manager, Who else has won 2 promotions with us? I think if he stays with us and Wael fully supports him, we could get further success. DC has won 4 promotions now in 5 full seasons. Not many managers can say they have that on their CV.

But he hasnt managed at league 1 level before, so it will be a test. Hopefully our fans can stay grounded and not expect another promotion.
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I wasn't sure about his appointment at the time but was willing to give him the chance he now has 4 promotions on his CV and as it stands a 52% win ratio I'm more concerned losing him then I 'am any of the players.

If he does well next season then for me he will probably pass Francis as my greatest manager :D. When Gerry took over we didn't have a pot pee in and he used his own money to bring in players, we trained at a chocolate factory and had portacabin's as offices and of course not having our own stadium so to get us promoted to the old second division as champions and get to a League trophy final was for me still my greastest time as Gashead (yesaterday and last seasons events being a close second:D)DC has had a bit more to work with then Gerry did :D Their is definitely a lot of similarities between Gerry's teams and DC's its like a resurrection for me:D
 
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Even though I say it through gritted teeth, he has done well but there is no room for sentiment in football. Look at ourselves, 8 months after giving us arguably our best season ever, Cotterell was out on his ear. Mainly because he couldn’t adapt and change things when change was needed. I think the warning signs are already there for your lot by his statement that he will offer everyone a new contract who got you promoted. You can’t knock the loyalty aspect but most of these lads were non-league two seasons ago, do you really think that all of them can step up to League 1? Before you say ‘yes of course they can’ again look at ourselves we stormed League 1 last season and we were full of hope and expectation for the Championship but our players struggled. I think with Clark he will need to adapt quickly, a lot quicker than Cotts did, and forego the sentiment or another Bristol manager may be having an unhappy New Year.
 
Yes, totally agree with that loathsome one, we all know how fickle the game of football is and especially so when it comes to managers, it is oh so easy for everyone to get all slushy and sentimental about someone after two promotions but if things start badly next term or the fare on offer is dire then I guess it won't be long until you start hearing the dissenters.
 
Loathsneyd said:
Even though I say it through gritted teeth, he has done well but there is no room for sentiment in football. . I think the warning signs are already there for your lot by his statement that he will offer everyone a new contract who got you promoted. You can’t knock the loyalty aspect but most of these lads were non-league two seasons ago, do you really think that all of them can step up to League 1? .
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To a certain extent, I agree here. Football is brutally success or failure. I admire that all of the lads will be given a new contract. They have earned it. We have seen the transformation in quality of some of the lads who had never played League football before. Matty Taylor obviously stands out. Stuart Sinclair continues to play his own way with value. I am not going to discuss all of the individuals. Some of the senior players are near the end of their careers and might not be able to step up a division. But with regard to the new contracts to be offered. No-one has given any indication to the terms or length of new contracts, so don't hold your breath yet.
 
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I think DC will mainly offer 6 month deals to quite a few of the players. Players will either want to stay like Bodin when he joined last summer and earned a longer deal in January and some players will want more security than a 6 month deal like balanta did when he didnt come back and moved to Carlisle instead. Bet he wished he stayed with us now though.

Giving 6 month deals is still rewarding these players though. A chance to be league 1 players and a chance to prove themselves at that level too. If they cant hack it then they can go instead of us being stuck with them and we can replace in January.
 
Captain Jack Sparrow said:
I think DC will mainly offer 6 month deals to quite a few of the players. Players will either want to stay like Bodin when he joined last summer and earned a longer deal in January and some players will want more security than a 6 month deal like balanta did when he didnt come back and moved to Carlisle instead. Bet he wished he stayed with us now though.

Giving 6 month deals is still rewarding these players though. A chance to be league 1 players and a chance to prove themselves at that level too. If they cant hack it then they can go instead of us being stuck with them and we can replace in January.
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He said in the paper he will offer 12 month contacts and maybe longer ones for the ones who deserve it
 
I wonder if the better contracts will be offered to the players he really wants to keep with the hope that the ones he doesn't want will reject what's on offer and leave. Lee Mansell fled the pitch during invasion and stood on the terrace, asked him if he would be here next season and he said he hoped to be
 
Not the right thread to post it on but Northampton have advised that Charlton have approached them to sign Wilder and Knill their management team
 
I'm sure DC will stay and have another successful season. I also think this squad is good enough to do very well next season.We've won a lot of games during the past two seasons, so we've got a group of players who know how to win. The Birmingham City game showed that we can compete at a higher level, and that was at the beginning of the season before the lads stepped up a gear. Maybe three or four additions and we'll be right up there.
 
I think DC is really at home where he is. Why would he leave the good things that he has created and take a punt somewhere else? Unless he is offered a real biggy of course. I certainly wouldn't wish him to fall into a bed of vipers ala Dave Penny.
 
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