| Des Buckingham  Joined: September 2004 - July 2014 (U18 Manager/Assistant Coach) 16th November 2023 - Present (Head Coach)   |
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Current Staff Des Buckingham
- Thread starter Joey
- Start date
werthersoriginal
Well-known member
Doing bits for us?Certainly the most memorable day of my supporting life was at Wembley watching Des do a complete number on Bolton and I was on top of the world watching our early season performances. For that I’ll always be grateful.
The timing of this international break is probably the most luck he’s had in weeks (except Hull hitting everything but the goal first half!). I hope we use it wisely, get players back on the grass and rediscover our identity which I feel we’ve drifted away from in quite a big way recently. We need that courageous, high energy football back or I fear the worst for Des as our plan B is not looking too good. Do we have enough ideas in the dugout?
I’m praying we get a fully fit Brannigan back now along with the calmness and quality of Phillips as I think these two could play a big part in reversing current form. We need plan A back in action.
Stadium and longevity aside, I want nothing more than championship football next year. 2nd to that is Des still here doing bits for us this time next year. We need to pick up now.
Keep going Des
LowerSouth
Well-known member
Doing the biz for us maybe ?
Apologies, for whatever reason when I posted that I thought I was 21 again.
Rephrase - doing great things for us.
IsleofWightYellow
Well-known member
By ‘Plan B’ do you mean three at the back?
Because when we changed to that formation we got an actual win after going eight (8!) games without one… and we then went to Watford with it, a side who are very good at home, and could easily have got a draw. Small sample size, but both performances with it were a hell of a lot better than the games immediately before it was brought in.
So I’m sure that the plan itself is the problem (although I do agree that it makes less sense now Nelson is out). The real problem for me is that we have no proper left backs, no wingers with pace, and no-one able to reliably play as a lone holding midfielder… (The latter two especially are literally key to Des’ preferred 4-1-2-3 system)
Until we get some wingers back and in form then I can see the new 3-4-2-1 system continuing - Brannagan could certainly thrive in it. Kioso or Long can replace Nelson as right sided centre back.
I’m less convinced.
We deployed it at Sunderland, admittedly an excellent side, and it was all over the place. Against Hull, if we’re honest with ourselves, we should’ve been out of it in the first half. And against Watford where it arguably looked best, the second they went through the gears we could’ve conceded several. If it wasn’t for Cumming that day we’d have conceded 4+.
That’s not to say it hasn’t had moments, but it’s been evident that this squad was not assembled to play that way and we’re trying to cobble together a system that keeps us more in games as we were on a long run of being second best.
I applaud that, by the way, as we quite clearly couldn’t carry on with the 433 for reasons you mention. Most notably no wingers but also Vaulks’ ineptitude as a single pivot.
I know full well Des doesn’t want this problem and his hand has been hard forced but I don’t think he’s settled on something that can work when the ‘ideal’ isn’t possible. Not unusual for a young manager, but this is the big boys now.
werthersoriginal
Well-known member
Haha is that groovy slang?! I’m old. I thought you meant we should keep him on as a scout or coach.
Orkney Islands Yellow
Well-known member
Well, we find ourselves in a painful period which was always going to be likely. Probably the hardest test of Des's career at the most difficult level he's managed/coached at.
He's a man who loves a challenge and it'll be interesting to see if he has the experience, management skills and tactical know how to get us out of this slump.
He's a man who loves a challenge and it'll be interesting to see if he has the experience, management skills and tactical know how to get us out of this slump.
Lost Marbles
Active member
I think you'll find the hardest test of Des' career was the couple of months leading up to Bolton away last season. He passed.
Orkney Islands Yellow
Well-known member
I think the level of opposition he and we are up against now is far more difficult I'd say.
holdsteady
Well-known member
That’s the trouble, when we played Bolton and they hammered us the game after was one where we could reasonably expect to get something, after scored six against the game after was against probably the best team in the league.
For us this league is like the premier league was last season for Sheffield United, it’s hard to bounce back against a better than just smashed you.
For us this league is like the premier league was last season for Sheffield United, it’s hard to bounce back against a better than just smashed you.
QR
Well-known member
Well if the owners back him during the transfer window they won't have to worry. It doesn't matter if our first choice 11 are a mid table team, if we have a League One quality squad we'll struggle.
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Orkney Islands Yellow
Well-known member
Des has earned a free hit this season. There were times last night we actually played well.
If we were 12 months further down the line I do wonder if the board would sound out Mark Robins?
unification
Well-known member
Do we know this as a fact? Is staying up a requirement on DB keeping his job?
To me, relegation from this level isn’t a disaster. Over a third of newly promoted League 1 sides end up back there within two seasons anyway. Those that do down often bounce back too - 41% are back in it again in two seasons. Nearly a third are back at the first attempt.
If we go down with DB at the helm and provided we have made a good account of ourselves in doing so, he should stay. He’s had one window to attempt to build a League 1 side that has to compete with the likes of Burnley and Sheffield United who can and have spent seven and eight figure sums on players whereas our highest transfer fee paid is still yet to reach £1m.
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holdsteady
Well-known member
I think the good account of ourselves is the crucial bit, if we make a fight of it then then you can make a case for him staying, if this current run continued for the rest of the season then obviously he won’t survive that, no manager would.
Excluding the free hit, Xmas jamboree away to Leeds the next run of games going right into January is massive, we need to improve and stay competitive during this run, if we are not then that is when Buckingham will come under pressure.
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The Voice Of Reason
Active member
Rhere
Des has credit in the bank but....
The main point is the view of the owners,, they have shown in the past their reluctance to sack people so you'd think after paying a fortune to get their man they would give him time.
However it could also be in their view about performance growth, so if we capitulate in matches between now and end Jan then maybe they will have a view, the owners won't want to be embarrassed but fighting performances are different
There are no free hits in life.
Des has credit in the bank but....
The main point is the view of the owners,, they have shown in the past their reluctance to sack people so you'd think after paying a fortune to get their man they would give him time.
However it could also be in their view about performance growth, so if we capitulate in matches between now and end Jan then maybe they will have a view, the owners won't want to be embarrassed but fighting performances are different
Up The Manor
Active member
Next time we have a free hit give me a shout I will save myself 10 hrs traveling and stay at home .
All these free hits we are burning through and gaining zero points ,we will eventually run out of games.
Lost Marbles
Active member
Next one's on the 21st December at 3pm.
holdsteady
Well-known member
Least you have given him plenty of notice.
