What he got in his early months was a bit of something else. A bit of team confusion and fan fury. "A bit of the other side of life in Glasgow when you are dominated and ridiculed from the other side of the city. "As a group, we were scrambling," the 30-year-old recalls of the days under Michael Beale. "We weren't in a good spot. It wasn't going to plan, it wasn't right. We were running down a cul-de-sac into a dead-end. It didn't feel like we were getting to where we needed to get to." Things have turned in a major way. A trophy in the bag, top of the league, European knockouts to come, tremendous personal form from Butland, talk of an England recall and the kind of consistency he has not found since his best days at Stoke City in the Premier League." Looks like we may need to give our players some time for their heads to clear.
Is the general consensus that we get someone sooner rather than later to bed in or do we wait till the summer ? I know the statement said Dodds till the summer but is there flex in this if a suitable candidate comes along
Coaches are different to players, perhaps more akin to a keeper in the respect that you only have one at a time, big clubs are watching him but presumably they want to see how he does in the medium term with his next move, a bigger club than us will gamble on him sooner than later though.
my view is, there’s no harm talking to coaches informally or making shortlists but Dodds should complete the season and the next manager gets a clean slate with a full pre season.
If we announced him now (or in the coming weeks) then that probably puts unnecessary pressure on Dodds. If/when we lose 3 or 4 in a row then there would be a clamour for him to take over immediately Like I say, the source isn't reliable, but it's a bloke I've known for years and he'd have no reason to make stuff up
Two ways of looking at it, both of which I understand, but my view is get someone in ASAP (if available now) and they then have a number of games to see what we have/need. Plus, if it is a positive appointment then it may settle one or 2 players who may be considering their position? Like I say that is just my thought!
I just have the bad feeling it could go like this: New manager appointed with 5 games left, nothing to play for. We lose all 5. New manager out mentality already in effect.
Not sure there is anything to be gained by u-turning on Dodds to end of the season. We aren't going down and it's increasingly likely we don't come anywhere near the play offs. Surely better to appoint the new man the day after the Sheff Wed game and give him the summer to get to know the players and implement his plans. It feels like we are in a downward spiral right now and appointing someone who potentially cannot arrest that spiral then starts him on the back foot. Let the season play out and go again with the new man in the summer.
Aye but the difference is you are rolling the dice early. Better just to give the new man a clean slate, rather than a grumpy summer where we’re all wondering if he is the right man.
I would leave a new appointment until the end of the season and start with a clean slate. Gives the new coach a whole pre-season to get new ideas across to the players, the players will be fresh and probably more open to new things. It must be mentally draining for the players to take on board all the usual information about tactics, opponents etc as well as the 4th coach of the seasons ideas and changes
Agree with this. Really don't see any other potential manager coming out of this dark patch very well.
We have to be fair to Dodds here as well, at times on Saturday he didn’t look comfortable on the touch line, his cap got lower and lower as the 1st half went on. I felt a bit sorry for him if I’m honest, a manager / 1st team coach has an aura about him and looks in control on the touch line, Dodds didn’t on Saturday. Yes he’s done the job temporarily before but to ask him to take control for the rest of the season is a big ask. I would imagine senior players would normally have a voice in the dressing room as well but we don’t have many, it’s a tough call for the club but sooner the better for me, they must have an idea who they want, waiting could backfire massively if we keep losing.
Sooner the better for me, I'd much rather end the season on a high and getting someone like Cooper in would surely make that more likely, and the sooner he gets to know the squad the better. Not really arsed if we lose a few under him and some of our fans are all grumpy.
We need to identify the right man and go for him,regardless of timing. If he is available now,but can't arrest the current spiral,then he isn't the right man. If,as we suspect,several of our players will be the subject of bids in the summer,it may be better for us and for them, if they knew what the set-up with us was going to be.
Worry is the new guy doesn't get everyone up to speed quickly enough, which a full pre-season may help with, and he doesn't perform a miracle. All of a sudden we are starting next season with a manager many fans already have lost faith in.
I would be wholely disappointed if we don’t have a Still like appointment oven ready as Boz would say, just waiting for the incomer to be free of his current employer. If coaches such as Cooper are under consideration they could be snapped up by the season is over.
