Manager/Coach Next Manager

[Scrongo]

The majority are probably in the “I will give him a go and see what he does camp”, that’s a reasonable position for a manager like Manning who hasn’t been around long, but it’s hardly going to get loads of people saying it online.

I remember when Appleton got the job he got loads of why has he been employed comments and very little support apart from a few people saying the above, that turned out alright.

Going after a manager before he has even been officially announced is a bit mental, our two most successful managers recently have been Wilder and Appleton, both were not exactly big names or greeted wildly but without them we would be fucked.

I'm in no camp, we'll see ,then I'll make judgement. I can see where people are coming from though, an opinion is an opinion right or wrong.

 

[holdsteady]

I'm in no camp, we'll see ,then I'll make judgement. I can see where people are coming from though, an opinion is an opinion right or wrong.

So you are in the I will give him a go camp, told you that was the majority .

 

[Scrongo]

So you are in the I will give him a go camp, told you that was the majority .

Haha , I'm not giving him a go, the board are, I just watch & follow.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

If you are happy to write off this season because he has his best players sold and lost all the plans, which is fairly reasonable, then you can't give him loads of credit for last season when he was given a fantastic squad for this level.

They played great stuff but plenty of managers would have got a tune out of a squad with the likes of Darling, Coventry, Mceachran, Twine, Parrott, Eisa, Wickham, Corbeanu etc. This isn't me being negative and I'm still cautiously optimistic about him but you can't have it both ways and lavish praise on him for last season while excusing him for this.

Yeah this is a good point.

I’d rather have KR in charge next season with all those players added to this squad, than Manning with just our current squad.

 

[RgYellows]

I'm amazed if we don't get this announced before the game today.

 

[Swaby39]

Yeah this is a good point.

I’d rather have KR in charge next season with all those players added to this squad, than Manning with just our current squad.

But isn’t there an argument to say Manning not only got several of those in the door, he also got them playing some of their best football? Many of them have gone on to much better things so it’s not good fortune that they played well - he put them together to do so. I understand both sides of the argument but we’re almost arguing against ourselves. Didn’t he just do a really good job that season?

 

[The mighty Aldo]

Now I don’t know much about Manning but have witnessed his teams play us twice

At the end of last season they should have given us a drubbing

Away at MK a few weeks back they were all over us and missed two sitters and should have been 3/4 up
Then Manning made changes and took two players who were controlling the midfield for them off. Bate scores a goal that their keeper should save ( Eastwood would have been crucified on here) and then we are all over them.
The point being is he technically any good and can he manage games and crucially has he got a plan B

 

[Sharp Edges]

Before the weekend, they was hoping to have it done early this coming week.
Been a couple of meetings over the weekend including a full board meeting.

I’d be stunned if it’s not all completed and announced by Friday at the latest.
If it’s not, I’d have lost any confidence in the people running the football side of the club!

Do you still feel the same way?

 

[RgYellows]

Now I don’t know much about Manning but have witnessed his teams play us twice

At the end of last season they should have given us a drubbing

Away at MK a few weeks back they were all over us and missed two sitters and should have been 3/4 up
Then Manning made changes and took two players who were controlling the midfield for them off. Bate scores a goal that their keeper should save ( Eastwood would have been crucified on here) and then we are all over them.
The point being is he technically any good and can he manage games and crucially has he got a plan B

Manning was sacked last year

 

[OxfordYankee]

Now I don’t know much about Manning but have witnessed his teams play us twice

At the end of last season they should have given us a drubbing

Away at MK a few weeks back they were all over us and missed two sitters and should have been 3/4 up
Then Manning made changes and took two players who were controlling the midfield for them off. Bate scores a goal that their keeper should save ( Eastwood would have been crucified on here) and then we are all over them.
The point being is he technically any good and can he manage games and crucially has he got a plan B

Manning had been sacked by the time we played them.

 

[Millman]

Manning is not the manager I would have picked (not in my top 5). He maybe isn't the manager we need right now. However if he has the job it's only fair to give him our full support and to see what happens.

The measure for him this season will be to get our players playing well and make bring the confidence and performances up to match at least the skills our squad pocesses. Its a pretty low bar as for me I'm not sure survival even for the best manager is a definite with this squad. By the end of the season we should look like a team that has turned it around all be it one with the known pieces missing. If that means survival then great. If not its up then a lot of blame goes on the owners and board who have shown abject neglect or incompetance regarding the playing side this season. That said if we reach the end of the season still with poor performances, ill fitting formations and styles of football, and relegation then I will have grave doubts over whether we have the manager we need or a KR mark 2.

The other concern is that regarding player recruitment Manning has little experience. We need one if not a series of good if not great transfer windows to undo the utter mess of the last 3. A ton of money will be needed to offload and buy new players and they have to be the right ones. We need a balanced squad. What is more if we are in league 2 we will need big phyiscal players. Nice attacking football will need to be tempered at that level by a degree of strength and resiliance. Is this something Manning is capable of or is he fixed in his nice attacking foorball mindset like KR? I would like to see the club appoint a director of football to work with him that is very experienced at this level someone to help him find is feet and fix our incredibly broken recruitment model.

Either Manning is a bright new manager, keen to play great football, but clever enough to know when to mix it up, and who can build the club up form the depths the board have let KR drag it down to. Or he may be more of the same as the early years of KR which in my mind would mark a failure, and cement my grave concerns over this board's ability to properly run a football club. Given Mannings scant history as a manager this is a glourous gamble on the club part. Its going to be interesting to see what happens next. Come on you Yellows.

 

[Oslernorth]

Are the bookies still giving odds on the next Oxford manager?

 

[Made-in-Jericho]

The silence from the club is absolutely deafening.

 

[Northernyellow]

I agree.

Our greatest ever player. I’ve watched Oxford for 51 years now and in my time he stands alone as the best ever to pull on the yellow shirt. What an outstanding footballer he was. He genuinely had the lot - skill, could run all day, could tackle, score, assist. I don’t know the man but he always seemed so humble for someone so brilliant at what he did. I always remember that interview he did a day or so after the cup final win, he was MOTM by a mile but looked genuinely embarrassed about all the praise he got.

Great memories, what a footballer.

Fantastic player. I did a lot of media work back then. Brian Glanville (Sunday Times) thought he should have been in the England 1986 World Cup squad. Considered him a far better player than Peter Reid of Everton. And Trevor would have caught Maradona!!!

 

[ThatSlopesATwelfthMan]

Yeah this is a good point.

I’d rather have KR in charge next season with all those players added to this squad, than Manning with just our current squad.

I wouldn't

 

[Joey]

But isn’t there an argument to say Manning not only got several of those in the door, he also got them playing some of their best football? Many of them have gone on to much better things so it’s not good fortune that they played well - he put them together to do so. I understand both sides of the argument but we’re almost arguing against ourselves. Didn’t he just do a really good job that season?

Not really, he was appointed the day before their second game of the season, I think most of their business had been done by then. Also the rumour seems to be that he had nothing to do with transfers, although this might just be something that's been repeated so many times it's taken as fact. If you say he was responsible for bringing in players then he has to take some responsibility for the squad he's put together this season, if you excuse what they've got now he can't get much credit for assembling the squad last year.

As far as I can see he struggles this season with a pretty poor squad but did well last season with an excellent squad (perhaps an argument that they had the talent to go up automatically?). I'd hope with our finances and appointing a head of recruitment and more scouts we'll be able to furnish him with a good squad and he'll have us competing at the top end while playing good football.

I know this comes across as negative but it's not a dog, merely keeping my expectations in check. I'd find it hard to say he's a good or bad manager based on his history with MK Dons, although he did well in Belgium before that. Overall I'm happy enough with him providing we get the support organised pdq, I just wish we'd made the move months ago.

 

[MiddleBartonYellow]

Now I don’t know much about Manning but have witnessed his teams play us twice

At the end of last season they should have given us a drubbing

Away at MK a few weeks back they were all over us and missed two sitters and should have been 3/4 up
Then Manning made changes and took two players who were controlling the midfield for them off. Bate scores a goal that their keeper should save ( Eastwood would have been crucified on here) and then we are all over them.
The point being is he technically any good and can he manage games and crucially has he got a plan B

Oh Dear.

 

[Cotswolds Cowboy]

Loads of negative comments in the Oxford Mail. Loads on here, Loads on Twitter, loads on Facebook & other forums. Loads on the street. Mmmm it's not excatly United the fan base, which is not a good sign. Let's hope we stay up ,or I can see it going one way if we get relegated, & don't Push on ....

All fans have pathologically negative people among their fan base
And unfortunately they usually make the most noise
I expect us to turn things around now that the previous manager's toxity has been removed
It won't be easy because of the mess he left and loss of the good people he drove out
But I expect to lose my 80/1 bet that we will be relegated

 

[LS1985]

Wtf are the club playing at why are they dragging there feet in announcing the manager even if they said the new manager would be unveiled at the derby game surely that would get more people through the gates an hopefully get behind the team in what’s going to be a very tough game today. Part of me actually thinks they slightly worried that we could get beat badly today an wouldn’t be the best start for a new manager so giving manager easier but a more Crucial Game away at morecambe. Should not really be surprised there planning an organisation this season has been shocking to say the least

 

[Swaby39]

Not really, he was appointed the day before their second game of the season, I think most of their business had been done by then. Also the rumour seems to be that he had nothing to do with transfers, although this might just be something that's been repeated so many times it's taken as fact. If you say he was responsible for bringing in players then he has to take some responsibility for the squad he's put together this season, if you excuse what they've got now he can't get much credit for assembling the squad last year.

As far as I can see he struggles this season with a pretty poor squad but did well last season with an excellent squad (perhaps an argument that they had the talent to go up automatically?). I'd hope with our finances and appointing a head of recruitment and more scouts we'll be able to furnish him with a good squad and he'll have us competing at the top end while playing good football.

I know this comes across as negative but it's not a dog, merely keeping my expectations in check. I'd find it hard to say he's a good or bad manager based on his history with MK Dons, although he did well in Belgium before that. Overall I'm happy enough with him providing we get the support organised pdq, I just wish we'd made the move months ago.

Fair enough, I hadn’t fact-checked the dates in all honesty I just assumed he was there sooner.

But to put a more positive angle on that same point, he assembled a team he didn’t recruit pretty damn well. And I’m always cautious with the whole argument that talent/budget should automatically sail you to the top. It doesn’t. Look at Chelsea, currently. Of course you want and need good players but there is still a job to be done in getting them together with a winners mentality and this is a very competitive league. The standard was better last year than this as well; they were part of that.

You’re not being negative I wouldn’t say - just guarded. I am too but for other reasons. I admire what he did at MK, I think any team that finishes that close to the top 2 has done really well. But I’m very unconvinced he has enough games to put this right.