Stewart Downing as Boro manager?

[Erimus74]

IMHO, our finest ever academy player

He's been ball boy, he worked his way through the Academy, he's been a first team star, he's been captain, now he's helping out coaching in the Academy & in the future, Stewart Downing wants to "complete the set" & become Boro manager.

It's nice that he should feel honoured to want the position but unfortunatly, no from me

Downing wants to 'complete the set' and be Boro manager in future

The former Boro and England winger talks at length about his transition from player to coach and his ambitions in the dugout

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

[grumpyoldgit]

Not for a long time. Start in the lower leagues and do something there. We've had enough of old boys.

 

[Fat_Dragon]

Needs to prove himself first before we could even consider him. Remember the last time we gave a former boro player their first managerial post?

 

[Johnnyweetabix]

Good god no, nor yet. We seem obsessed for making an assumption that someone who is one of our own should be our manager at some point . A rookie is the last thing we need

 

[Laughing]

Let him earn the right as any other prospective manager would have to. If he has what it takes, then great. If not, then no.

All other things being equal I would rather downing than someone unconnected with the club.

 

[Scrug]

Needs to prove himself first before we could even consider him. Remember the last time we gave a former boro player their first managerial post?

I’d argue the Southgate one was decent though.

 

[Fat_Dragon]

I’d argue the Southgate one was decent though.

I was referring to Woodgate but yeah, Southgate turned out good.

 

[indeedido]

I was referring to Woodgate but yeah, Southgate turned out good.

Not for us he didn’t.
Great player and legend of a captain, but wrong time for him to manage here.
None of us know what sort of manager Downing would eventually make, but he must not start his managerial career here surely.

 

[bumface]

I've said on here before that I don't think that it's ever a good idea to manage a club that you used to play for. The fans always turn eventually. It was horrible seeing that happening to Mowbray.

 

[Erimus74]

I've said on here before that I don't think that it's ever a good idea to manage a club that you used to play for. The fans always turn eventually. It was horrible seeing that happening to Mowbray.

I was against Mogga coming back here for the simple fact when the tide turns a section of Boro fans turn on players/managers

I knew it was turn horrible & it did, there was a time during the end of his reign I actually thought his legend status would be gone forever, glad that wasnt the case

 

[Zoophonic]

I was against Mogga coming back here for the simple fact when the tide turns a section of Boro fans turn on players/managers

I knew it was turn horrible & it did, there was a time during the end of his reign I actually thought his legend status would be gone forever, glad that wasnt the case

Willie Maddren also struggled as a manager and took us down to the third tier. His legendary status was not affected either in my mind.

 

[Erimus74]

Willie Maddren also struggled as a manager and took us down to the third tier. His legendary status was not affected either in my mind.

I never said it did, I was I was concerned it might have, the hatred was that bad towards the end

Bruce took us down WM left the club on the 3rd feb

 

[Zoophonic]

I never said it did, I was I was concerned it might have, the hatred was that bad towards the end

Bruce took us down WM left the club on the 3rd feb

I’m not arguing at all with you E74. But We were as good as down when he left us and Bruce had no time to work with the team and pull us out of the general demise. We could easily have gone down the season before and only a last gasp win at Shrewsbury saved us from the drop.

 

[Rofesleg]

I've said on here before that I don't think that it's ever a good idea to manage a club that you used to play for. The fans always turn eventually. It was horrible seeing that happening to Mowbray.

The saddest example of that in my opinion was the way the crowd turned on Bobby Murdoch in 82.
It got very personal and was horrible.
Fantastic as a player, did extremely well as youth team coach and was given the poisoned chalice of managing the first team after Amer destroyed the squad.

 

[Zoophonic]

I've said on here before that I don't think that it's ever a good idea to manage a club that you used to play for. The fans always turn eventually. It was horrible seeing that happening to Mowbray.

100% agree!

 

[Alzi]

Recipe for disaster. Downing wasn’t very popular with all the fan base after his last stint and even before that slapping in a transfer request during our relegation season didn’t go down too well.

That said, the Gibbo cycle suggests he’ll get a 5 year contract when Wilder goes.

 

[Kenna]

It's a no from me

 

[Kevlar]

If you’ve ever listened to him, summarising his career on podcasts or in the media, you quickly realise that his mindset and personality really held him back.

It’s also these elements that mean, unless he has a fairly significant revision, he’s very unlikely to become a successful manager.

 

[BiggEggo]

If you’ve ever listened to him, summarising his career on podcasts or in the media, you quickly realise that his mindset and personality really held him back.

It’s also these elements that mean, unless he has a fairly significant revision, he’s very unlikely to become a successful manager.

People do develop as they progress through life.

I was happier with Downing's mindset than say a Ravel Morrison or a Joey Barton approach.

He has to start coaching in the basement and work his way up. He did that as a player, so let's keep an open mind. I wish the lad well, I never doubted his comittment and I'm sure he has already learnt a lot from Kranky on how not to manage players.