Because the players looked happy to play for him and they played as a team. That was a great game today and you saw how much it meant to the players. Give the guy a chance. We were easily the better team today. Well done Mike
Phelan is a tough call: He served his time as an assistant coach will have learned a lot from Fergie Players seem to really like him Can set up a team Club needs stability But..... can he attract players like Bruce? Was yesterday out of necessity rather then clever tactics (we barely had a fit 11) Personally I would like to see him backed and given chance to make initial signings (doubt we will have any major money available until after takeover), see how he then manages and who he identifies as potential signings for January. if we are OK in january then great, if things are going bad, signings not worked out/poor selections then bin him in Dec ready for new manager for Jan transfers.
I bet he knows one or two people in the game like. Quite a few of which might be willing to give him a hand up the ladder.
He's mebbe not the 'sexy foreign manager' type that the London-centric press like to cream over but he'll certainly be able to attract the same player type as 'boro, S'land & WB etc .... it is after all ''the best league in the world'' innit? They all want a piece of that, no matter who the manager.
We should be after the German Michael Velansdorf or that French guy, Michele Felane, or that well seasoned Dutch manager Michael Van Felandyke, or the Spaniard Miguel Fellandro, or even the Russian Mikail Felanowski.
There are many, many good players desperate to get into the PL (big money), they may only use you as a stepping stone but at this stage it doesn't matter as long as they keep you in/push you up the league. Stability is for later
As much as being a good quality footballer, both yesterday and Leicester last season shows that team spirit goes just as far! We have to be careful with who we bring in, we don't want another Ben Arfa situation of someone thing they're Billy Big Bollocks and bring a toxic attitude to the group.
Haven't read the rest of the thread but from his time at United, I would just say he is very defensively minded (a sign of his playing days also). It does mean you won't be playing adventurous (or too much entertaining) football, but he'll grind you out results (or at least that's what he helped Fergie to do). Only saying this because IF he can make the step up to being a manager and succeed, that's the type of football you may have to endure a lot of the time. But having said that, I think he deserves a chance. He knows his trade well, he is tactically solid (defensively especially) and is an excellent coach and will develop the team to play together as a unit. He should do well. "Should" being the word because managing in the prem is still ****ing hard in practise!
I love Phelan and he is a great coach, really gets on with the players and understands them. That said, like I have said before, there is a difference between coach and manager. Someone once said to me (after promotion) you can't run with the hare and the hounds, it took me two years to understand that. A manager can not always be a players friend and that is when management becomes a real job.
Would we rather Phelan, or Mancini/Pellegrini? If the new owners come in and have that sort of coin, it's a no brainer, even if Phelan did get a great result on the weekend.
What makes you say that he's defensively minded? Very difficult to judge that from when he was assistant to another manager and had little major input on the philosophy of the team. In pre-season and the Leicester game we've played some decent football really, playing it out from the back and creating a few chances. I don't think anyone really knows what style of play he'll supply until he's given a chance to manage the team for a decent length of time.
Love this from Davies on Phelan wanting the job. “It is easy to duck the job but he wants to take on this mighty challenge. We need someone like that. He wants us to play football and to have a go. “Before we might have been the team that soaked up pressure after going in front but Mike wants us to play football. We are here to give teams a game this season.” Pretty much tells us what we already knew, but Bruce was very negative in his tactics.
Its only one game but Saturday was light years away from what Bruce has served up for years. Nothing was defensive about the game even in extra time we still had the ball in their half. Hope to see more of the same. Steve Bruce would of set up for a draw from the kick off, after going in the lead he would of taken off the strikers and put defenders on.
It's hard to know in the fullness of time whether Phelan would revert to defensive tactics or not, depends where we are generally in the league and what sort of squad we eventually manage to assemble - but I thought the style of play on Saturday was incredibly encouraging and exciting. There seems to be a siege mentality in the camp now as a result of the chaos, and I think we should draw from it. So Phelan in for me.
