Interesting one for me. Not sure on the style of play however, he had tightened it up at the back and isn't scared to make subs. Big impact of the bench each time. Speaks common sense too. Less coach waffle
Unsure as to whether he is the man to take us back to the promised land but football is a results based business and as it stands he is doing a bloody good job. I would take 40 odd boring 1-0 wins inc late goals next season if it meant promotion from this league or the championship. His honesty is a bit like Mick McCarthy. Doesn't pull any punches and says it how it is.
He feels a good fit, but results will ultimately be the judge. I really hope he is a success and lasts more than 12 months. We've been on this merry-go-round of managers for years. For once I'd like to see someone stay for 5 or 6 years and really set his stamp on the club. It has to be right right man though - that is the tricky bit
The challenge he will have, whether any of us want to be rational or not right now, is that if we don’t go up this season there will be a sizeable amount of the fan base who want him sacked. Even those of us who right now think he should have another stab next year, may well turn due to the disappointment of missing out. Personally I think we have a good chance due to being difficult to beat. But assuming we make the playoffs, it’s still a 1 in 4 chance against some teams in top form. And frankly I don’t think he deserves to be judged on one off games against top sides like that. I’ve seen and heard enough of him to want him to have a shot next season no matter the division. But I said the same about Lee Johnson this time last year so…
I wanted Johnson gone in the summer. He blew it, like all the others blew it before and I saw nothing in those 6 months to suggest anything would change. Having said that, I didn't want him from day 1 so my view was probably biased. Alex Neil has come in very late in the day and turned around a sinking ship. 10 games before Neil P-10 W-3 D-3 L-4 F-17 A-18 Pts-12 PPG-1.20 10 Games since Neil P-10 W-5 D-4 L-1 F-14 A-6 Pts-19 PPG-1.90 There is a marked improvement in terms of points and PPG, together with goals conceded. Sure, we have sacrificed some of our attacking play but I'd take Neil's record over what went before any day of the week.
Agreed. Its helpful to look at it that way. Neil’s PPG would have us in 4th and still fighting for the automatics, just a few points off MK and Rotherham. And considering he had to turn around a sinking ship, and using players that were signed for an outgoing manager, thats impressive. If we can recruit to his style in the summer, we may well see him maintain that defensive stability whilst also adapting the way we attack to suit his style. Guess it depends on who we have left.
I like the comparison to McCarthy. I do think there are similarities there in how he sees the game. I really liked Mick as well at the time and I am warming to Alex in similar ways. It is very early days yet to define him as the manager we have been waiting for, but I certainly hope he proves to be.
As any manager will tell you, while you're winning games you're the best manager in the world. As soon as you start losing them, you're clueless. Neil has benefitted from the signings that were made in January and from players returning from injury. Its possible that those factors would have brought about an upturn in results if Johnson had remained in charge. His emphasis on defence and willingness to play an ugly game at times has, no doubt, been a contributory factor though. I was very happy with Neil being the chosen man at the time (much happier than I would have been with Keane) and so I'm pleased he's doing well. As others have said, he needs to be given time (as Johnson should have been) and I hope if he is, we get back to playing more attractive football. The one thing that Neil has on his side is that he's clearly a more palatable character to a lot of our fanbase.
Just on the point Johnson blew it mate. And I am in the opposite Johnson camp to you (which is now a very lonely place) so am likely biased too. He had to pick up the pieces Parky left. We were 11th or similar when he arrived and in similar form to what Neil has found. We were looking like mid table also rans playing just about the worst football I can remember. He lifted the place almost immediately and got us moving forward again. It was up and down at first but the squad of players he inherited I hope must would agree are nowhere near the level Alex Neil has inherited. What he did was instantly transform Charlie Wyke by playing a different type of play and brough McGeady back in. It went off the rails last few games and in the play offs, but remember how he had us playing in the first half of the second leg. Yep we could have gone up, but I would say if he had pulled it off it would have been one of the best managerial achievements in our modern history, given the position and squad he walked in to. The players we had in that play off game need to take a large slice og resonsibility as well - remember that late shot by captain Max? Alex Neil himself has said he was walked into a good squad with a well organised training setup and praised Johnson for that. I guess my overall point is he had a bigger job, in my opinion, than Neil has to get us a play off spot. None of which means I am anti Neil by any means, I just think Johnson deserves more credit fot his overall tenure with us than he seems to get, at least in this little corner of the world.
We were 7th when Johnson was appointed. He took us down to 11th within his first 5 games then stumbled across a run of form (give it to Geeds, cross it to Wyke) that took us to 3rd before our arses dropped. We then won 1 of our last 9 games in the first of his 3 losing streaks he presided over. His PPG was worse than Ross' but better than Parkinson's. That's probably where he ranks in recent managers. I give Johnson zero credit. Less than zero
This little corner of the world ? I cant see any other corner clamouring for his services, no doubt he will worm his way back into football somewhere along the way, thankfully it wont be with us.
My memory must be wrong on where we were. Fair enough. If you give him zero credit for anything he did then that is your call, but it seems a very blinkered view to me.
I have decided to make this my last post on Johnson. I dont think it is possible to have a rationale and considered debate about him. The language used and tone of your posts about him make me think this. I respect yours and others opinions on here hugely, but it appears on this we seem a million miles apart. Perhaps if we ever drink a pint together we might find we are closer than I think, becase I do wonder if I read some of what people say too literally.
I'm not sure what he did in 13 months that deserves credit. ****ed up a promotion run-in, flogged the young players so they were dead on their feet by the crucial time of the season, 3 losing streaks, presiding over our 3 worst defeats at this level, talking complete and utter bollocks every time we lost.......
i think most would agree that LJ did ok once he settled into the role. i would agree he got us playing some good, forward thinking, attacking football which i am pretty sure we all yearned for after our 'get a goal and put up shop, withstand the pressure' type of game we had become used to but that end of season slump disgruntled many. this season he had us playing the same style from the off, we began better than we expected considering the young lads in the squad...then the first 'blip' came along and most fans let him have that one, just, but then the young lads started to show signs of fatigue and the confidence seemed to be oozing out of them, i also feel LJ got a little more support due to the type of football we started the season with, the fact he had a few young lads and the fact we seemed to have a smaller squad than most but that next 'blip' to many fans was just one too many, with no real increase from the previous one the whole squad began to look tired and nervous. i think it was time for him to go, whether the players stopped working for him or there was something internal or KLD had seen enough and wanted to show he was a 'strong' owner we will never know but results are what matters, maybe if we were in the championship it may have been that he would have been given more time and more transfer windows but being in this league is causing a few 'rash decisions' along the way...i honestly hope AN is given the time as we have to stop the merry go round at some point, but that 'pleasure' will be given to whoever gets us out of this league i reckon.
He also overplayed Jordan Willis when he was clearly struggling with injuries… He played in daft papa johns trophy games iirc FFS
I have never labelled anyone else's comments or opinions as bile, so maybe I find myself agreeing with your last sentence . If we were ever to be introduced, I am sure we would see eye to eye on most matters, bar the tedious Mr Johnson, who I would agree needs consigning to history.
