So who do we want, who do we think will get it?

I’d also be open to this and think it is long overdue. Can’t think of any names off the top of my head, but people on TWTD linking us to Nuno Espírito Santo (formerly of Spurs and Wolves) must still be drunk from the night before!

 

One name I would consider and is being favoured by many is Manning from MK. The right pedigree, great coaching, excellent record, our kind of football, a ready-made confident coaching team, and hello, an ex- Klug Youth academy man here. Money will be no object, if our Board want him, they will get him.

 

Too inexperienced for me Gaffer, although if he can implement his style of play from MK over here, that would be brilliant to watch! I reckon he’d jump at the chance, but get the impression he’d be learning on the job - particularly at a club with more ambition and pressure than MK Dons.

 

If this is going to be a long term project (which I think it is), I don’t see any point bringing in Bruce, Warnock, allardyce etc as, yes, they may get us promoted but then what? We need a manager / head coach that can come in and plan for the future as well as the present and hopefully, someone who isn’t completely rigid in the way they set the team up. 1 of Cooks biggest failings was his refusal to change formation when it was clearly warranted. I’m actually surprised the trigger has been pulled this quickly but let’s see what Ashton has to say on Monday when he says he will speak to the supporters

 

Carrick done well with man utd for the 3 games he was in charge, got a response from the players!

 

Morning chaps. One name that leaps out at me is Chris Coleman. The right type of character, the right footballing ethos. Bags of experience. And his stock has fallen far enough for him to be a viable candidate.

The main thing is that we don’t have yet another nasty, grumpy, arrogant anti-football man like McCarthy or Lambert. If it’s Warnock I’ll be waiting till he leaves to go and sit in the stand again.

 

We can dream.

 

To be honest I wasn't all that surprised, and like everyone really wanted it to work out. As we all know, it was partly his stubborness and inflexibilty to change things when the game wasnt going our way, and in response to other teams often out manoeuvering us. Ironic, as the one time he did revert to bring on the Pig to join Bonne up front in the last debacle, we played our best and most intense football in the match. And we still contrived not to score!

I agree with Hampy, Spanish that Carrick & Coleman ( & for me Manning) would be desirables from the home grown pick of the bunch. I am guessing that the Board do have someone in mind to approach, and they might confirm this on Monday.

Perhaps McGreal can rally the players around and motivate them to put on a magnificent display against Charlton & Wigan.

Dream on gaffer!

 

If the club want instant success which I assume they do as they haven't shown a great deal of patience, they will surely go for an experienced manager...unless the reason Cook went was because he wouldn't bend to what Ashton wants and there was a fallout.

I hope in the change of tenure thing this isn't similar to the Magilton situation where in hindsight it would've been better to sit tight

 

One name which I haven't seen mentioned, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink?

 

Wouldn’t be the worst appointment in the world.

 

Frank Yallop is the early favourite

 

That's no surprise due to the connection with the Americans. Not for me tho!

 

Forgot about that. I would love Yallop on board.

 

Thierry Henry?

 

So did ole though…

I don’t want a lampard type as we’d be just a stepping stone in their career and they’d bugger off as soon as a big job came along. As per lampard at derby/Chelsea…

I don’t think saying going abroad, go British, avoiding unproven, going with experienced campaigners helps too much. Eg Bruce; just think moyes was sacked by West Ham…now back and flying…

‪Surely this sad, sorry tale teaches us one thing: don’t just pick a man, pick a manager with a fully functioning coaching team around him.

Appleton, the Plymouth chap, the mk boss…they’d all fit that and be less likely to get a PL job offer if they start to do well for us.

 

We’ve got a chance to get a bounce and get back in the Championship now. If it’s a six month job so be it.

 

Whoever it is, just let them be somebody that reads a game whilst it's in progress and can make adjustments accordingly. If we're in the lead, make subs/system tweaks to see the game out, if we're losing make subs/tweaks to get us back into the game. Cooks insistence on always making attacking subs did him no good here.

I just want somebody that can manage the game that's being played, not an overall ethos of how you want to do things every time.

 

If we hadn't sacked Paul Cook, we'd basically be looking for Paul Cook the be our manager next... for all the disappointment and strange decisions in his time here I can't fathom why we got rid, especially when you look at the names we're being mentioned with.

 

Agreed SD but you’d think that would be a given from any pro manager? I mean I did tactical subs to protect a lead playing champ man in my bedroom in the 90’s…

The reality is managers don’t last long at clubs for three main reasons I can think of: 1). Results are crapper than expected and their blamed/fired. Rightly or wrongly. I’m never convinced it’s all their fault. Cool might say Ashton failed to sign his preferred players and he did the best he could with a randomly assembled bunch of blokes in a major hurry last summer.

2. The club is dysfunctional and they bail out for an alternative. cook did this with Wigan and posrtsmourh.

3. they do so well they get poached.

so on that basis we have to hope that although the topic of the next ITFC manager is likely to arise again quite a few times in our lifetimes, hopefully the overall structure of the club is built on sound foundations now to withstand the 1 or 3 events and never be a 2 type club.

So who?

The old timer option: I don’t think there’s a great option right now. they all seem a bit broken and unmotivated for what we need. Brice seems broken tbh so I’m not so sure. Warnock is hit and miss in success terms and a bit regressive for me. Can’t see his need for omnipotence going well with ashtons need for omnipotence.,,,

the top ex player Option. Probably gives us a initial bounce, with good connections and hungry, relevant and inspiring. I’d go for lamps as at least he’s got experience in the lower leagues and seems a smart guy. Likely to be off ASAP after any hint of success. He’ll look at Gerard at a biggish PL club and be thinking ‘I want that too, and I want it now if someone offers it’. I can see why he sacked off Norwich; apart from being Norwich it’s a hiding to nothing being in charge of them this season. He’d be better off with us where’s there’s big money relative to the opposition and plenty of quick fixes to make with a good bunch of players, and room to move up the divisions fast to make him look good.

the Lower league battler option. Lots of choices here in L1. Interesting no championship managers have been linked except those out of work. Id be happy to give any of Appleton or the mk dons guys a go with all their coaches too. Appleton at least knows what it’s like to work with Ashton…

the interim option. Frank gallop is odds on at the moment. Love the guy but can’t be a long term option? If he was any good he’d be working in Europe surely at a higher level. Might be good fine for this season on the basis they have a target they can get in the summer??

The foreign option. My view on cook was he’d be a good bet to get us outta division 3 but in the championship it’s a big time division (up to 11 from 31st) in the world rankings and I’d think we need our own Bielsa for the push to the top of that. I don’t see how we’d get any really good European Coach while we’re in L1. Unearthing a gem would be a expensive risk and MA seemed to say before that we didn’t have the size or scope to operate in the European football market until we’re up so I’d think this route is very unlikely,