Off to see Neil Warnock tonight

The way Wilder wanted to play isn't inherently flawed but I question whether we had the players to play it. Additionally I think it's very much a plan that requires supreme confidence and belief and once that is damaged you're toast. At that point some tactical flexibility was required to recover the situation and Wilder had none he simply kept changing personnel within the same system whilst pursuing a 'beatings will continue until morale improves' approach to man management which did nothing for player confidence.
It appears that once opponents identify the weak spots in his system/team he either can't or won't change things tactically. This was levelled at him by Sheff Utd. fans in their disastrous 2nd Prem season. As such he appears to be deeply flawed as a manager.
On top of all that he comes across, in my working experience, as an absolutely typical, opinionated West/South Yorkshire bell end.🙂
Yes he does doesn't he :)

I think all systems have pro's and cons and in that context are flawed when the players cant execute the plan, which ultimately is the managers responsibility of course.

The system worked very well for us at first, but it derailed spectacularly, which I think was down to his management of relationships rather than his tactics - I think he would have failed under any system, cos the players stopped believing in him.
 
Some absolute rose-tinted whoppers on here. He saved us from relegation and we're all thankful for that but people seem to forget the humiliation by Wycombe at home in the last game. And the following season getting beat at home by 10 man QPR, stuffed at home by Birmingham and the 5 minute capitulation away to Luton.

Just because it didn't work out with Wilder doesn't mean it was wrong to sack Warnock when we did.
 
Yes he does doesn't he :)

I think all systems have pro's and cons and in that context are flawed when the players cant execute the plan, which ultimately is the managers responsibility of course.

The system worked very well for us at first, but it derailed spectacularly, which I think was down to his management of relationships rather than his tactics - I think he would have failed under any system, cos the players stopped believing in him.
My slight concern is the players have lifted themselves enormously from a team heading in one direction, IMHO & now on the verge of the playoff pack & now having a permanent manager in charge, hopefully thats more down to Carrick & Woodgate coming in than, Wilder gone, time will tell mind
 
My slight concern is the players have lifted themselves enormously from a team heading in one direction, IMHO & now on the verge of the playoff pack & now having a permanent manager in charge, hopefully thats more down to Carrick & Woodgate coming in than, Wilder gone, time will tell mind
I'm sure it is, you can see that by the way we are playing - as a team. A team who look like they know their roles, both with and without possession and know the type of football that they are being asked to play.

I do think that Carrick is very popular with the players though, which has also made a difference.
 
Some absolute rose-tinted whoppers on here. He saved us from relegation and we're all thankful for that but people seem to forget the humiliation by Wycombe at home in the last game. And the following season getting beat at home by 10 man QPR, stuffed at home by Birmingham and the 5 minute capitulation away to Luton.

Just because it didn't work out with Wilder doesn't mean it was wrong to sack Warnock when we did.
He did an excellent job to change the mentality and turn around what was going to be relegation and for me he should have gone at the end of that season and not kept on for the next year.
 
I'm sure it is, you can see that by the way we are playing - as a team. A team who look like they know their roles, both with and without possession and know the type of football that they are being asked to play.

I do think that Carrick is very popular with the players though, which has also made a difference.
Yea I dare say you're 100% spot on & I'm worrying unduly but the transformation is incredible
 
My slight concern is the players have lifted themselves enormously from a team heading in one direction, IMHO & now on the verge of the playoff pack & now having a permanent manager in charge, hopefully thats more down to Carrick & Woodgate coming in than, Wilder gone, time will tell mind
Share your concerns. For a few seasons now we seem to be a team with a very fragile psyche. It doesn't seem to to take much for confidence to drain away and for us to go on a poor run. Hopefully Carrick's approach can help the players but I think longer term it's going to take fresh recruitment. Attitude AND abilehteh.🤭
 
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I was once at a Gentleman's Smoker over in the North West, Alan Ball was the guest speaker and I've never laughed so much in my life but he didn't tell one joke. The evening consisted of tales mainly from the 1966 World Cup squad characters with Sir Alf providing much of the mirth. Ball was a great storyteller, footballer and gentleman and like most of the other members of that squad, born too soon. They weren't able to reap the riches, accolades and rewards which other far less talented footballers enjoy today.

#UTB
Alan Ball one of the biggest pricks I've met in my life. He single handedly spoilt an other wise fabulous day out playing football at the old Wembley for me and about sixty others.
Eddie Gray on the other hand was great - a gent and a star.
 
Alan Ball one of the biggest pricks I've met in my life. He single handedly spoilt an other wise fabulous day out playing football at the old Wembley for me and about sixty others.
Eddie Gray on the other hand was great - a gent and a star.
Come on, spill the beans ????
 
With reference to games this season.

I think we have picked up because:

Akpom has returned from injury and we play him from the start.
Forss starts and his energy combined with Akpom helps
Hackney is playing instead of Crooks and playing well
We have dropped the 3 centre halves (McNair, Dijksteel and Bola are not centre halves and fry and Lenihan look happier as a 2)
We play Jones and Giles
The team is more settled

Early in the season we suffered some bad officals decisons and some poor luck. The fans and possibly even the team thought they were poorer than they were which does not help performances, e.g.

Stoke's first goal (ref later apologised for)
Our disallowed goal at QPR
Finding the woodwork more often than our opponents (Rotherham and Sheff United)
Injury time goals @ Stoke and Watford.

My gut feeling is that we are a top half Championship team, but obviously struggle to compete with parachute payment clubs.
 
I used to attend quite a few business dinners with sports after dinner speakers. My favourite was Frank Worthington. He was hilarious with stories. Emlyn Hughes was awful, he came over as nasty and didn't want to be there, which was surprising, since he had a good image as team captain on question of sport. Geoff Hurst was Geoff Hurst and not a natural speaker, but everyone was in awe of him. Richard Hadley the cricketer was good and had some nice cricket stories against England.
I don't think any of them could have done what Neil Warnock is doing. I'm sorry he didn't manage Norwich, as I could have gone to see him!
 
I was there last night as well. Class night. I loved how he said "thank f*ck he's gone" about Wilder.

He said that the day after the sacking, he went to the training ground to clear his office and was refused entry because Kieran Scott was doing a press conference with Wilder. Gibson has apologized to him since so sounds like they've kissed and made up.

He said something about Kieran Scott, think it was something like "he wouldn't look me in the eye". Not sure what the crack is there but obviously he wasn't a fan of him.

He also said that he nearly went to Barnsley some time after leaving us to try keep them up but the move didn't come off, and now he's properly retired.

Absolutely top bloke, I was gutted when we sacked him because I thought we'd have picked up form and gone on a run under him. I remember watching the game v West Brom in The Stockton (I think) in Redcar and we were unlucky not to win. Went over the road to some other pub and saw the news break on SSN. Did think Wilder would do well with us too but we all know how that ended...
I don’t think the players did Warnock any favours at Luton away, they seemed to give up and go through the motions for the last 20 minutes after Luton’s third goal. We had outplayed them first half as well. I think if the players had kept going it may have been different but there you go, Warnock was not getting any younger either, Boro was his last job.
 
Tommy Doc was the consummate football raconteur only ever equalled by Burnley's Paul Fletcher who gave one of the funniest anecdotes of the time Burnley went to Anfield and won.

Doc's famous one liner from bis shows was the line " I've had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus". I guess NW can almost equal him?
The Doc was a real character, similar to our own Big Mal. Used to listen to Jim and The Doc on the old radio five in the early 90s with his withering refrain about Scotland at each major tournament they qualified for….’home before the postcards’. Cloughie and Big Jack probably in the same bracket too, football much poorer that these days we have Garry Monk and Chris Wilder instead!
 
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My slight concern is the players have lifted themselves enormously from a team heading in one direction, IMHO & now on the verge of the playoff pack & now having a permanent manager in charge, hopefully thats more down to Carrick & Woodgate coming in than, Wilder gone, time will tell mind
I have that nagging doubt too, same players lifted themselves when Warnock and Wilder arrived too, what happens when Carrick upsets one or two of them?
 
My slight concern is the players have lifted themselves enormously from a team heading in one direction, IMHO & now on the verge of the playoff pack & now having a permanent manager in charge, hopefully thats more down to Carrick & Woodgate coming in than, Wilder gone, time will tell mind
I don’t think that’s fair at all as carrick hasn’t just kept the same players doing the same thing hoping it improves ( as Agnew did).

No not only has he changed our tactics he’s also changed our personnel. So its 100% down to what the new coaching staff have done the additions of Hackney and the re introduction of Chuba have shown that.
 
I don’t think that’s fair at all as carrick hasn’t just kept the same players doing the same thing hoping it improves ( as Agnew did).

No not only has he changed our tactics he’s also changed our personnel. So its 100% down to what the new coaching staff have done the additions of Hackney and the re introduction of Chuba have shown that.
Jedi, Im not implying that Carrick & Woodgate aernt responsible for the current improvements in the team, well not meaning to come across as such anyway
 
Jedi, Im not implying that Carrick & Woodgate aernt responsible for the current improvements in the team, well not meaning to come across as such anyway
I get that and I see your point but I’m saying that I think carrick has been pro active so I’d expect him be equally as pro active when results level off as they are bound to during the course of a season.
 
Come on, spill the beans ????
Corporate event at the old Wembley. My Company and lots of Customers.
Day of our lives to play on the Wembley pitch, piped crowd noise, use the changing rooms and old bath. Medals at Royal Box up the steps, after match meal and drinks. A wonderful day out and I was privileged to be there.
Some decent players through to enthusiastic fans.
Two professional greats handled four teams, half hour matches.
Eddie Gray who said it was a major treat for him, even though he had played there a number of times. Absolute gent and a wand of a left foot even then.
Alan Ball jogged around moaning at absolutely everyone in his ridiculous squeaky voice, telling people they shouldn't be there. He genuinely spoilt a lot of people's experience.
 
Absoutely fantatsic night from start to finish, met him in the VIP lounge before hand, got a selfie with my daughter, shook his hand, lovely bloke, everything I expected from his TBH, signed a piece of paper to my granddaughter for her 1st season scrapbook, which will go on the front cover of the scrapbook, luckily he was the manager when she was born

Standing ovasion at the end, followed by chanting his name tells you all you need to know, we were lucky to have him manage our football club
WOW! they say don’t meet your heroes.. unless your hero is Neil Warnock!

What a guy! Met him in the VIP lounge with my two lads, very accommodating and spent quite a bit of time with us answering questions and making us laugh. He is genuinely magic. I told him how gutted I was when he left.. ‘not half as gutted as me son’

Btw there was LOADS or Boro fans in last night.. didn’t feel like an away game. I think Warnock and Foster were surprised with how many were there tbh. Standing ovation at the end nothing forced and you could see Neil was genuinely moved and taken back.

Genuine laugh out loud moments from start to finish ‘Bury’ ‘Dog Shyt’ ‘Next Slide Please’ lol even some of his biggest critics on here would have had a belter of a night. Criticised the government, said he was brought up Labour through and through. Ooohhh!!

I was surprised with how early Kieran Scott got involved with the club.. it was in the summer with Sporar, Siliki and all that lot. I asked him about Siliki.. and he said “who”?
James Lea Siliki - “who are you on about now” lol.. the French lad.. the midfielder
He’s face changes.. recognition.. eyes roll, teeth grit.. laughs.. “he was no player his was he.. absolute rubbish”

He remarked on how quick Bausor was to get Keiron Scott’s players through (or ones that the club had identified) the one that upset him the most was Keiffer Moore, after clearing out the big earners and identifying cheap solid performers, he was the one that would be the final piece in the puzzle. More expensive than the rest but value for money, mentioned about his wages and the offer.. then Bausor low balled the offer.. Cardiff offered what he wanted.. only then did we match the offer and we ended up losing him. The Sammy Ameobi deal was done in 24 hours.. he said he’s never had a transfer done for him that quick. Bausor’s choice, he knew his agent etc. “First day of training and he’s fcuked his knee”

I asked him if he still spoke to Steve Gibson.. he said he’d sent him a few messages and he knows he dropped a bollokc getting rid of him when he did and the way everything was done. Warnock was saying he was genuinely hurt and really bitter about not getting to finish that season, as good as a team as he’s ever had.. no one in that league would have bothered them. He likes Carrick and thinks we could still do something this season, very complimentary about the youngsters.

by the sounds of it if a championship club needs saving from relegation he would come running, February to May next year watch this space. (he nearly joined Barnsley)
 
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