Manager/Coach Des Buckingham

Leysboy said:
I think that’s a little harsh. Wallop has obviously got the patience of a Saint. He entitled to that, just as we are to call for the manager to be fired.

I’m with you that Des has to go though.
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But it seem that, currently, only a third of respondents agree with you.
A lot of saints don’t.
 
Our club tend to stick by our managers and give them time if we can see a plan. Like Clotet days no one can see a plan with Buckingham. The staff can’t, the fans can’t and the players can’t. Job of a manager is to get players working as a team - that’s why no club can buy their way to winning.
 
Since Des took over, we're 15th in the form table (21 points from 18) but most of the teams below have at least one game in hand (several with two). While we've struggled with injuries, we've shown no improvement (in fact, we might have regressed) since the end of the window and there's no evidence of a style/identity/philosophy on the pitch.

Everything points towards Des not being the right man, but I don't blame him for our failures. I've no doubt he's giving it his all, but the fact that he is out of his depth is the responsibility of Ferguson and Williams for hiring him in the first place.

For us to progress, they probably all need to go.
 
I’m finding it difficult to defend him now. This form is shocking however you look at it. Can we really have faith that he’ll suddenly turn things around going in to next season?

I do have some sympathy for him but it’s beginning to look like a gamble that’s failed and an expensive mistake

This argument that he just needs an experienced, knowledgeable assistant to show him what to do.. wouldn’t it be that the new man is the head coach and Des his assistant..?
 
The board will be in a difficult position now. Will they trust the current team with new signings?
If we build a Championshio squad whats the financial liability per new player?
Transfer fee say 300k
Salary say 500K pa on 3 years = 1.5m
Player overheads including cost to employ I have no idea where to start on this, it would be huge though if you factored in all the cost to insure, develop and sustain that Player.
I imagine the cost of a new Player assuming he is not sold on is circa 3m, and we need about 10 of those.
Do they trust Des and his team with 30M?
Ps
I'm probably way out so anyone with more knowledge please feel free.
 
I go to football to be entertained I don't mind losing games it happens I don't mind drawing games it happens BUT my gosh at the moment it is so boring I can't wait for the game to finish it's like a chore.

I don't blame Des but he's out of his depth he needs replacing this season could have been special but in the end it's just going to finish on a sour note

Roll on the end of April is all I can say
 
oufc1991 said:
I go to football to be entertained I don't mind losing games it happens I don't mind drawing games it happens BUT my gosh at the moment it is so boring I can't wait for the game to finish it's like a chore.

I don't blame Des but he's out of his depth he needs replacing this season could have been special but in the end it's just going to finish on a sour note

Roll on the end of April is all I can say
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It is quite boring but it's the City Group method of playing. This forum was quite consistent in saying that Manningball was boring but we were eeking out wins and so there was less resonance to the issue at the time.
 
Wallop said:
It is quite boring but it's the City Group method of playing. This forum was quite consistent in saying that Manningball was boring but we were eeking out wins and so there was less resonance to the issue at the time.
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I agree if we were winning it would be tolerable but when we're not winning it's boring I don't find it entertaining BUT if we were top of the league getting results you could tolerate it
 
You know what Will happen if he gets the sack.. He'll probably go on to have a fantastic career.
Sod's law .... A little bit to soon for me, if we haven't improved by this time next year.
Then I'll be more concerned, saying that though something has gone drastically wrong.. People talk about Manning, but he's not exactly flavour of the month,with Bristol fans... It's all ifs ,buts , &may be's really.. We really F***d up. Not getting Mous in, especially as that's what he was being trained up for. Couldn't make it up....
 
Appleton's record after 19 games - 5 wins, 6 draws, 8 losses. That's one point less than Des, I wasn't here then, but out of interest, what was the mood here re Appleton at that stage?
 
Really feeling for Des at the moment. He has the look of a man who isn't in the job that was sold to him and I would assume is feeling incredibly confused about what he was recruited for.

Before I get accused of being in his fan club he obviously has to shoulder some of the responsibility for our form and the way we're playing as it isn't good enough and supporters are right, we should be doing better than we are with the players we have and he has made mistakes. I said let's wait and see until the end of January and I have to admit that at this moment it isn't working out.

However, I can't ignore the absolute circus going on above him that must be making the job immensely difficult and causing him deep anxiety - it must be demoralising to be chased, made to feel incredibly wanted and brought back from a successful job halfway across the world only to find the people above you in your new gig are complete farces and not really interested in supporting you and helping you settle. It's absolutely nonsensical to not help him get the right staff around him to help him flourish as quickly as possible. It was a big part of helping Manning come in and turn things around over the summer - obviously made a lot easier by him working with Hogg et al. - and to think Des could just rock up himself and hit the ground running just confirms what we all knew, that Uncle Timmy and Co don't know the first thing about football and running a league one club, and are too arrogant and thin-skinned to admit it and rectify it.

The football is obviously turgid at the minute and some of this is due to Des's naivety and inexperience, but you also have to ask how much of it is down to the fact that he hasn't been able to assert his authority with confidence since day one and must be second guessing himself all the time. I see talk of players downing tools but I wouldn't know about that, all I can say is from the outside looking in it seems like that lack of confidence and assurance has been reflected back on to the players and they're also struggling in the environment. I don't know any industries in which teams do well when their leadership is struggling and I don't see why football would be any different. It must be very weird seeing a new manager arrive by himself without much support part-way through the season and have to deal with the bizarre scenario of publicly having to correct the CEO regarding his staff. The Manning regime was settled and confident, Des has been on the back foot since he arrived.

Sacking him and getting in somebody with more experience and ready to go could save the season and may well be the right thing to do in the current environment, but for me that's more a reflection on our pathetic leadership not putting the work in to make it successful rather than Des not being up to the job and I won't be asking for it. I want to see Williams and Benson leave before I start calling for a change of manager and that's where I would rather put my energy right now. I'm really willing Des to get a good result soon and start to see a turnaround as he doesn't deserve the hand he's been dealt.
 
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Jster said:
Appleton's record after 19 games - 5 wins, 6 draws, 8 losses. That's one point less than Des, I wasn't here then, but out of interest, what was the mood here re Appleton at that stage?
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Not good, fans were saying that he had no style, didn’t like his interviews, moaned that we didn’t have a plan b, the players couldn’t play his style.
A section of fans wanted him sacked.

This is why I am happy to see what Des does after a full pre season where he can truly stamp his mark on the side.
 
JayOx88 said:
Really feeling for Des at the moment. He has the look of a man who isn't in the job that was sold to him and I would assume is feeling incredibly confused about what he was recruited for.

Before I get accused of being in his fan club he obviously has to shoulder some of the responsibility for our form and the way we're playing as it isn't good enough and supporters are right, we should be doing better than we are with the players we have and he has made mistakes. I said let's wait and see until the end of January and I have to admit that at this moment it isn't working out.

However, I can't ignore the absolute circus going on above him that must be making the job incredibly difficult and causing him deep anxiety - it must be incredibly demoralising to be chased, made to feel incredibly wanted and brought back from a successful job halfway across the world only to find the people above you in your new gig are complete farces and not really interested in supporting you and helping you settle. It's absolutely nonsensical to not help him get the right staff around him to help him flourish as quickly as possible. It was a big part of helping Manning come in and turn things around over the summer - obviously made a lot easier by him working with Hogg et al. - and to think Des could just rock up himself and hit the ground running just confirms what we all knew, that Uncle Timmy and Co don't know the first thing about football and running a league one club and are too arrogant and thin-skinned to admit it and rectify it.

The football is obviously turgid at the minute and some of this is due to Des's naivety and inexperience, but you also have to ask how much of it is down to the fact that he hasn't been able to assert his authority with confidence since day 1 and must be second guessing himself all the time. I see talk of players downing tools but I wouldn't know about that all I can say is from the outside looking in it seems like that lack of confidence and assurance has been reflected back on to the players and they're also struggling in the environment. I don't know any industries where teams do well when their leadership is struggling and I don't see why football would be any different. It must be very weird seeing a new manager arrive by himself without much support part-way through the season and have to deal with the bizarre scenario of publicly having to correct the CEO regarding his staff. The Manning regime was settled and confident, Des has been on the back foot since he arrived.

Sacking him and getting in somebody with more experience and ready to go could save the season and may well be the right thing to do in the current environment, but for me that's more a reflection on our pathetic leadership not putting the work in to make it successful rather than Des not being up to the job and I won't be asking for it. I want to see Williams and Benson leave before I start calling for a change of manager and that's where I would rather put my energy right now. I'm really willing Des to get a good result soon and start to see a turnaround as he doesn't deserve the hand he's been dealt.
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This is a brilliant post mate and probably as close as anyone has come to summarizing the situation.
 
Steve Gilbert said:
Not good, fans were saying that he had no style, didn’t like his interviews, moaned that we didn’t have a plan b, the players couldn’t play his style.
A section of fans wanted him sacked.

This is why I am happy to see what Des does after a full pre season where he can truly stamp his mark on the side.
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Although to be fair, he did totally change his stance tactically. He went from a flat 4231 to a fluid 442 and stopped trying to pass the ball aimlessly, and focussed more on getting players running the ball forward and advancing up the pitch quickly. And that wasn’t even to do with players, at least solely, as he only changed it around March when we were still only 4/5 points away from going back to the Conference. So his original Plan A that he used to say was how it was going to be was totally binned off.
 
Just an idea, with all the elder out of work managers around, couldn't we get one in to mentor/guide Des until the end of the season, help him learn quicker on the job so to speak.

Another thing, every time some one on the phone in says sack Des, Jerome always says ' do you want Oxford United to be one of those clubs who sack managers after 4 months', well we may not want it but maybe it has to be done.

I really want Des to do well, I wanted Pep to do well, I want every Oxford manager to do well , but at the moment I just can't see it working, I try not to be too critical but at the moment I'm going to games because 'it's what I do' rather than, as my missus thinks ' enjoying a day at the football' it's boring, depressing and it could easily have been so different
.
 
bicesterox said:
Just an idea, with all the elder out of work managers around, couldn't we get one in to mentor/guide Des until the end of the season, help him learn quicker on the job so to speak.

Another thing, every time some one on the phone in says sack Des, Jerome always says ' do you want Oxford United to be one of those clubs who sack managers after 4 months', well we may not want it but maybe it has to be done.

I really want Des to do well, I wanted Pep to do well, I want every Oxford manager to do well , but at the moment I just can't see it working, I try not to be too critical but at the moment I'm going to games because 'it's what I do' rather than, as my missus thinks ' enjoying a day at the football' it's boring, depressing and it could easily have been so different
.
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Best way to save face and the season is to get a good number 2 in
 
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