The Head Coach Thread.

[Changing Times 12,339]

19 minutes ago, BillyWoofs_shinpad said:

The article even mentions Changing Times!

 

I'm a man of influence ?

I don't want to pour cold water on some of that but the England DNA is one of those things that sounds good but when you examine it close up it's perhaps not as good as it would seem.  We went from Allardyce to Southgate because of a controversy.  Nobody is going to convince me that a Sam Allardyce lead England team would be playing a similar style to that which Southgate appears to be trying to develop.  I mean, England were playing quite different during last summers world cup to what they are trying to do now.   Hopefully it will be easier to imprint on a club side but I'd say the biggest factor in England doing well recently at all levels what's going on at various Premier League clubs and a good batch of younger players who are either coming through or have already emerged.

[Duvel 2,446]

We've had some good young players playing for England recently but I don't think we had many of them playing in last year's world cup. 

I think the reason for our success under Southgate has happened mostly because he took over the job at a time when expectation and interest in the national team was lower than it's ever been. He did a great job at using this to his advantage and we now seem to have a culture where the players are playing with a bit of freedom for a change. 

Southgate and England apparently used a good sports psychologist last summer who helped the players deal with the shoot out. If we'd lost that I think it would have been just another typical England tournament.

As CT said I don't really see a new England DNA, we scored most of our goals from set pieces last summer and our formation has already changed since then. The fundamental change with England has been with the mindset of the team, part of that has been down to good fortune as well because I think the media and fans had almost given up hope. That's led to a better atmosphere for the players to play in, with less pressure. Southgate deserves a lot of credit though. 

Maybe we'll see something similar with us next season if a lot of the fans have very limited expectations. 

Edited June 18, 2019 by Duvel

[Will 2,958]

At least we now know why Bevington is here...

[Duvel 2,446]

1 minute ago, Will said:

At least we now know why Bevington is here...

PR?

[Will 2,958]

Just now, Duvel said:

PR?

[Duvel 2,446]

1 minute ago, Will said:

Well hes worked wonders to be fair to him. ?

[DanFromDownSouth 1,706]

1 hour ago, Will said:

[Borodane 6,297]

38 minutes ago, DanFromDownSouth said:

Classic. Well done ?

[estonpidge 1,449]

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/17713085.jonathan-woodgate-deserves-the-support-of-middlesbrough-fans/

FOOTBALL fans can be a strange breed. Last season, Middlesbrough supporters were crying out for a change of direction. So what happens? Tony Pulis leaves, the club appoint Jonathan Woodgate as part of a radical reorganisation, and people are still not happy. Not all, admittedly. But a trawl through social media last week suggested the reaction to Woodgate’s appointment has been mixed at best.

Too inexperienced. Not bright enough. Too caught up in the failures of the previous regime. Part of the ‘Teesside mafia’. The criticisms have been as varied as they have been ridiculous. Before a ball has even been kicked on Woodgate’s watch, it is almost as if a section of Middlesbrough’ s fan base cannot wait to see him fail.

“I don’t mind anyone having a view,” said Woodgate, in his introductory press conference last Friday. “But it’s when it’s character assassination, digging and rumors. You know what society can be like sometimes. The hardcore fans really back you, and I’ve had some lovely messages as well.”

Should a boyhood Middlesbrough fan, who has spent the best part of seven years playing and coaching at his hometown club, really have to make such a statement on what he openly admitted was the proudest day of his footballing life?

I’ve always been of the belief that while football fans profess to want homegrown players breaking into their club’s first team, they’re quicker to turn on them if they think they’re getting too big for their boots. That’s not just the case at Middlesbrough, but how else do you explain the criticism that’s been meted out to Stewart Downing, surely one of the best players Teesside has ever produced, in the last few years?

Woodgate has been tarred with the same brush, but while it is perfectly justified to have reservations about the 39-year-old’s ability to step up to a head coach role in the pressure-cooker environment of the Championship, some of the more personal attacks that have been levelled at him in the last week are inexcusable.

And even if Woodgate still has plenty to prove as the head of a new-look coaching team, surely it is better that Steve Gibson has gone down the route of promoting an ambitious young coach with a lifelong association to Middlesbrough rather than opting for one of the tried-and-tested alternatives that were available?

Boro went down the ‘old-school, experience’ route with Pulis, and it did not work. They went down the ‘throw a load of money at the problem’ route with Garry Monk, and that did not work either. The most successful recent period on Gibson’s watch came under Aitor Karanka, and just as appointing the previously untested Spaniard was a risk that paid dividends, so it is to be hoped that Woodgate grows into a managerial role and goes on to win promotion.

When John Terry was mentioned as a potential candidate, a frisson of excitement seemed to flow around Teesside. But why should Terry, with half a season on the coaching staff at Aston Villa, be seen as a better bet than Woodgate, who has worked with Boro’s academy set-up and first team as well as gaining experience as a scout at Liverpool? Frank Lampard looks set to be the new boss at Chelsea, but he is only a year or so ahead of Woodgate in terms of his managerial development.

With the parachute payments from the Premier League having expired, this is going to be a period of change for Middlesbrough. Gibson disputed the notion that finances were tight on Friday, but there is little doubt that the free-spending days of the past are over. The Financial Fair Play regulations mean Boro’s wriggle room in the transfer market is extremely limited, so surely it is better to have someone like Woodgate in charge, who is crystal-clear about the situation and wants to head down a different route?

[Blanco 4,916]

Excellent article. Thanks for sharing EP ?

[Duvel 2,446]

26 minutes ago, estonpidge said:

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/17713085.jonathan-woodgate-deserves-the-support-of-middlesbrough-fans/

FOOTBALL fans can be a strange breed. Last season, Middlesbrough supporters were crying out for a change of direction. So what happens? Tony Pulis leaves, the club appoint Jonathan Woodgate as part of a radical reorganisation, and people are still not happy. Not all, admittedly. But a trawl through social media last week suggested the reaction to Woodgate’s appointment has been mixed at best.

Too inexperienced. Not bright enough. Too caught up in the failures of the previous regime. Part of the ‘Teesside mafia’. The criticisms have been as varied as they have been ridiculous. Before a ball has even been kicked on Woodgate’s watch, it is almost as if a section of Middlesbrough’ s fan base cannot wait to see him fail.

“I don’t mind anyone having a view,” said Woodgate, in his introductory press conference last Friday. “But it’s when it’s character assassination, digging and rumors. You know what society can be like sometimes. The hardcore fans really back you, and I’ve had some lovely messages as well.”

Should a boyhood Middlesbrough fan, who has spent the best part of seven years playing and coaching at his hometown club, really have to make such a statement on what he openly admitted was the proudest day of his footballing life?

I’ve always been of the belief that while football fans profess to want homegrown players breaking into their club’s first team, they’re quicker to turn on them if they think they’re getting too big for their boots. That’s not just the case at Middlesbrough, but how else do you explain the criticism that’s been meted out to Stewart Downing, surely one of the best players Teesside has ever produced, in the last few years?

Woodgate has been tarred with the same brush, but while it is perfectly justified to have reservations about the 39-year-old’s ability to step up to a head coach role in the pressure-cooker environment of the Championship, some of the more personal attacks that have been levelled at him in the last week are inexcusable.

And even if Woodgate still has plenty to prove as the head of a new-look coaching team, surely it is better that Steve Gibson has gone down the route of promoting an ambitious young coach with a lifelong association to Middlesbrough rather than opting for one of the tried-and-tested alternatives that were available?

Boro went down the ‘old-school, experience’ route with Pulis, and it did not work. They went down the ‘throw a load of money at the problem’ route with Garry Monk, and that did not work either. The most successful recent period on Gibson’s watch came under Aitor Karanka, and just as appointing the previously untested Spaniard was a risk that paid dividends, so it is to be hoped that Woodgate grows into a managerial role and goes on to win promotion.

When John Terry was mentioned as a potential candidate, a frisson of excitement seemed to flow around Teesside. But why should Terry, with half a season on the coaching staff at Aston Villa, be seen as a better bet than Woodgate, who has worked with Boro’s academy set-up and first team as well as gaining experience as a scout at Liverpool? Frank Lampard looks set to be the new boss at Chelsea, but he is only a year or so ahead of Woodgate in terms of his managerial development.

With the parachute payments from the Premier League having expired, this is going to be a period of change for Middlesbrough. Gibson disputed the notion that finances were tight on Friday, but there is little doubt that the free-spending days of the past are over. The Financial Fair Play regulations mean Boro’s wriggle room in the transfer market is extremely limited, so surely it is better to have someone like Woodgate in charge, who is crystal-clear about the situation and wants to head down a different route?

I don't want to keep arguing about Woodgate's off the field antics, I've got my opinion and other people have theirs. 

Onto the football credentials he is lacking experience that's a fact, it's not overly harsh to doubt whether he's ready or not. If you didn't like Pulis and have doubts about Woodgate that doesn't make you someone who wants us to fail, I actually think there's logic and good reason behind having that train of thought. 

I've argued the same point on here for the last few years when managers have been criticised, the failings here have been far bigger than just the manager. Its the whole culture of the club that's been wrong.

We've heard the plans and the sound bites like we predicted now we've got to put it into practice. For all the nice ideas the fact remains; to be successful you need to sign good players. This is why I'm sceptical of this bright new era, what are we going to be doing differently with our recruitment? 

'The committee' who are in charge of this includes 2 businessmen in Gibson and Bauser and an administrator in Bevington. I'm not sure how they are qualified to be making football decisions. 

Maybe we'll be looking to add some more football nous into the committee with additional appointments.  

[Foogle 2,104]

I've not really seen it mentioned but how much will working in Liverpools scouting department for 9 months have helped give Woodgate a better grounding in what makes a successful player?

He'll have been using cutting edge statistical models to identify key player attributes for a high pressing game. 

 

[nunthorpered 1,922]

Does Gibbo have stuff on these papers, with local rag puff pieces that are coming out. Bit cringey the PR machine at the moment. 

Edited June 19, 2019 by nunthorpered

[Brunners 7,982]

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/jonathan-woodgate-you-not-know-16446411

 

Another positive piece.

[Ayresome365 44]

Bevvington is certainly excellent at PR. Oops, recruitment.