The Head Coach Thread.

[Boro 86 80]

I though sacking Mogga was a mistake and so was sacking Aitor . Monk I wasn't overly bothered but to be fair to the lad he has got a Brum team with big Lukas at the top end of the league so I might have been wrong on that one.

 

Pulis though I would sack in a heartbeat as he is adding nothing to our team other than cliched soundbites and an ability to dig out our younger players at every turn.

 

We are still a big draw for a manager though as we will pay big and will support managers in the transfer market. Agreed not as much as in the old days but in the Champo only the likes of Villa , WBA and Stoke are probably ahead of us in that respect.

 

No idea on who we would bring in at this stage as don't think Gibbo can afford a "project" but maybe we should look at the likes of Jokanavic as someone whose teams we could get behind.

[ABH 46]

Southampton won't be interested in Pulis, they are talking about looking for a manager that 'fits in with the long term philosophy of the club'.

 

That isn't Pulis.

 

Maybe the long term philosophy of the club is to stay in the premiership :)

[Duvel 1,039]

Southampton won't be interested in Pulis, they are talking about looking for a manager that 'fits in with the long term philosophy of the club'.

 

That isn't Pulis.

 

Maybe the long term philosophy of the club is to stay in the premiership :)

 

Well that's one way of looking at it! I'm just telling you what I read and heard this morning.

 

A South coast correspondent on the radio said it won't be an Allardyce or Moyes type appointment.

[Borodane 1,465]

I would have no idea who we should replace him with. Is anyone decent actually available. Putting emotions aside the best bet is probably to keep Pulis until his contract is up at the end of the season. We have the defensive part of the squad in place so we only have to look at attacking reinforcements. Everyone can see that we are lacking pace and technique so that at least narrows our search down for january. Just make sure that it's either loans or players that a new manager can actually use, making it important that we don't sign someone like Puncheon on a three year deal.

[Changing Times 3,005]

With sacking any manager, there are two questions at play:

Should we sack him?

Who would we bring in?

 

Question 2 is far more the pertinent one, particularly when there's a promotion/relegation at stake. For example, as big a Karanka fan as I was, I thought letting him go was 100% the right decision. But when I realised that the replacement was Agnew, I'd have taken Karanka back in a heartbeat.

A common theme for our transfer targets is that we are 'not an attractive proposition', so why would that not be the case for managers?

Is Gibson still seen as a standout great chairman within the football community? I'm not sure - the funds aren't as plentiful as they once were, and if he was to sack Pulis tomorrow, that would be 3 managers in a row who he has given less than a year too, so the famous 'time and patience' possibly is a thing of the past too.

Would we have the pulling power to poach a manager as Villa have done?

 

That was pretty funny like.  If nothing else it shows that Gibson has a sense of humour.  I suspect that Karanka had ***ed too many people off to stay but God knows why he thought Agnew would improve things.  Perhaps he didn't and had already resigned himself to relegation so decided not to spend any more money on the season?

 

I think it's a little harsh to include Agnew in the three managers comment as he was really only a stopgap but the overall point possibly has some merit I guess.  We're lucky this season that the league is a little bit tighter than last season or we'd be further off the pace than we are.  As it stands Gibson won't do anything unless we fall away and I have no idea who he'd turn to if he decided to make a change.  I doubt he and we are as attractive a proposition now.

[Changing Times 3,005]

Southampton won't be interested in Pulis, they are talking about looking for a manager that 'fits in with the long term philosophy of the club'.

 

That isn't Pulis.

 

Maybe the long term philosophy of the club is to stay in the premiership :)

 

Then he might not be the guy you want judging by the fact that two of his former clubs are no longer there.  I'm assuming he shares at least some responsibility for West Brom's relegation although Stoke's might be pushing it to be fair.

[Borodane 1,465]

Move heaven and earth to get Ralph Hasenhüttl who left RB Leipzig last summer. Attack and youth development as main traits. Surprised he hasn't got a job yet. Would also be hilarious to listen Maddo trying to pronounce it.

[SouthernSmoggie 417]

I would have no idea who we should replace him with. Is anyone decent actually available. Putting emotions aside the best bet is probably to keep Pulis until his contract is up at the end of the season. We have the defensive part of the squad in place so we only have to look at attacking reinforcements. Everyone can see that we are lacking pace and technique so that at least narrows our search down for january. Just make sure that it's either loans or players that a new manager can actually use, making it important that we don't sign someone like Puncheon on a three year deal.

 

In order of preference:

1. A manager at a foreign team who would drop down a level for the potential to build a promotion side a la Farke, Wagner, Nuno, (can add Karanka too). I do not have an encyclopedic knowledge of European football but there must be someone in the German, Spanish, French, Portugese, Dutch leagues whose head could be turned by Boro. Are Hudders and Norwich that much more attractive than us, if at all?

2. Probably loads of lower league managers doing well, choose one with a great reputation whose team plays the most like we would like to. Again, I don't know who, but I don't run a football club. There must be some League 1 or 2 coaches earmarked for big things.

3. Some managers available already like Jokanovic and Quique Sanches Florez, probably more out there too - that's just top of my head

4. Poach Mowbray, or another Champ manager in the Summer who has had a good season and would fancy a promotion challenge

 

Edit: said the exact same thing about points 1 and 2 when we sacked Monk, hence being immensely disappointed at what we ended up with.

[JMC91 33]

Move heaven and earth to get Ralph Hasenhüttl who left RB Leipzig last summer. Attack and youth development as main traits. Surprised he hasn't got a job yet. Would also be hilarious to listen Maddo trying to pronounce it.

 

 

He's 2/5 favourite for the Southampton job

[PompeySmog 17]

Move heaven and earth to get Ralph Hasenhüttl who left RB Leipzig last summer. Attack and youth development as main traits. Surprised he hasn't got a job yet. Would also be hilarious to listen Maddo trying to pronounce it.

 

 

He's 2/5 favourite for the Southampton job

 

I txt my mate earlier when hughes got the flick joking they could have TP and he replied with that name. Had no idea who he was

[Duvel 1,039]

I would have no idea who we should replace him with. Is anyone decent actually available. Putting emotions aside the best bet is probably to keep Pulis until his contract is up at the end of the season. We have the defensive part of the squad in place so we only have to look at attacking reinforcements. Everyone can see that we are lacking pace and technique so that at least narrows our search down for january. Just make sure that it's either loans or players that a new manager can actually use, making it important that we don't sign someone like Puncheon on a three year deal.

 

In order of preference:

1. A manager at a foreign team who would drop down a level for the potential to build a promotion side a la Farke, Wagner, Nuno, (can add Karanka too). I do not have an encyclopedic knowledge of European football but there must be someone in the German, Spanish, French, Portugese, Dutch leagues whose head could be turned by Boro. Are Hudders and Norwich that much more attractive than us, if at all?

2. Probably loads of lower league managers doing well, choose one with a great reputation whose team plays the most like we would like to. Again, I don't know who, but I don't run a football club. There must be some League 1 or 2 coaches earmarked for big things.

3. Some managers available already like Jokanovic and Quique Sanches Florez, probably more out there too - that's just top of my head

4. Poach Mowbray, or another Champ manager in the Summer who has had a good season and would fancy a promotion challenge

 

Edit: said the exact same thing about points 1 and 2 when we sacked Monk, hence being immensely disappointed at what we ended up with.

 

Totally agree, we should be looking abroad especially when a foreign manager will most likely have contacts overseas for identifying players. I said the same when we were looking to replace Agnew.

 

Unfortunately we seem to have closed the door on foreigners since Karanka which rules out a lot of talent.

[SmogDane 1,274]

Good thread, OP.

 

As I posted on the Villa thread (apologies for that, but this thread didn't exist at the time!), our last four managers have all been hounded by sections of the fans for not playing attractive attacking football. But doesn't a lot of this come down to the players? I watched the Villa game, and apart from a Besic shot, I cannot remember a single moment of innovation, skill, excitement or dynamism from any of our midfield or attacking players, in the entire match.

 

I know Pulis is ultra-defensive, but when we can't pass the ball five yards or run forwards without giving it away, that comes down to a lack of individual ability. We're solid in defence and absolutely **** going forwards. Same as we have been since midway through the PL season, when Ramirez threw a strop and Negredo stopped chasing lost causes.

 

Sacking the manager won't change the chronic lack of attacking potential in this squad. The best it'll do is reduce the inhibitions about going forwards felt by certain players, but getting rid of Karanka, Monk and Agnew was supposed to do that as well, and we're still having the same conversation.

 

Very well observed! 

 

I share this opinion. I posted something similar too. Our midfielders are simply not good enough with the ball. They need to drive it more.. Carry that leather up the pitch, creating space for team mates. Our attackers get little to non service.

[Borodane 1,465]

I’d say both Howson and Besic are good enough with the ball but they are simply too restricted by our tactics.

[SmogDane 1,274]

I’d say both Howson and Besic are good enough with the ball but they are simply too restricted by our tactics.

 

Besic maybe a little, but Howson is not my cup of tea. My view is, that he looks stiff with the ball, not good at dribbling or turning. He has power and speed, but not technique. That is my view and I might be wrong. I can only speak for my self ;)

[Ayresome365 21]

I believe Howson to be a decent, technically able footballer. Some of his goals for Norwich were spectacular!

 

IMO, the team is setup wrong - that lies with the manager. I'm still not convinced we need Clayton to purely protect the backline. Look at Villa on Saturday, they played 3 attack minded midfielders in the middle of the park and were rewarded for it.

 

We try to keep the tempo very low so we don't come out of shape.

 

My son doesn't like going anymore because it's boring. Who can blame him! I'm going purely down to the routine of going to the match for the last 20 years. Not because I enjoy it anymore.

 

I would like the club to develope an identity and stick to it. What happened to promoting from the academy? We seem to be giving them away without an opportunity. Chapman looks like the next one to depart.