Manager/Coach Des Buckingham

[Northstandboy]

Manager Stats (Click Below)

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[Leysboy]

Not entirely it isn’t. This is the second time a lot of players have seemingly downed tools, regardless of whether it’s malicious or merely a psychological weakness, in 12 months. They’re now developing form for this. I happen to believe it’s the case that too many players have been here too long, and have gone stale after what happened last season.

I understood it with Robinson because of the utter chaos behind the scenes, and the fact that he was burning the entire club down around him, but for any player to do it a second time is unforgivable. Especially when they proved in between that they can actually perform and put a shift in, providing they fancy it.

Buckingham has made mistakes and it’s looking like he’s doomed at this point, but it’s a disgrace that so many players seem to require their bottoms being stroked in exactly the right way, by exactly the right person, in order to perform adequately, let alone well.

The culture is rotten and, frankly, there are a good few players who need showing the door ASAP, because too many of them have proven they’re losers and layabouts.

I absolutely agree with you. It’s gone very stale, and hopefully with a stronger manager, ideally sooner rather than later, then he can sort the misfits out. Whether he chooses to keep them or not.

Des is a likeable bloke, but doesn’t have it in him to use the iron fist, and get these group of players playing to his tune. At the same time, if there is a plan to every approaching game. Then I’d like to know what it is, because it’s just aimless goofing at times to nobody, or to the shortest lad on the pitch (TG) that lad needs the ball to his feet, not jumping up against a big brute of a defender.

Certain players do need to go, and the ones that are out of contract this summer. It’s going to be a big clear out job, and start from scratch. Hopefully the next manager will be able to build a balanced squad, and have this club performing to its potential.

Des is doomed, he’s lost players belief, and some didn’t want him. He’s responsible to get a tune out of them, and he simply can’t!

He’s lost a large chunk of the fanbase, and it only ends one way. Unless we go unbeaten until the end of the season. Which isn’t happening!

This job wasn’t for him. It needed an experienced manager to continue on from Manning, and I’m afraid TW and GF got it wrong.

 

[unification]

Even if (when, IMO) Buckingham is sacked ....

With someone with better insights into the club than most, is this being entertained at present?

If I were the club, DB would have until the end of the season and then a major review of performance would be planned ahead of a decision being made. Some semblance of improvement and entertainment would be on my agenda.

Failing that and assuming a mid-table finish sees us end the season, I'd keep an eye out for alternative options.

 

[Jonny G]

Des is doomed, he’s lost players belief, and some didn’t want him. He’s responsible to get a tune out of them, and he simply can’t!

He’s lost a large chunk of the fanbase, and it only ends one way. Unless we go unbeaten until the end of the season. Which isn’t happening!

This job wasn’t for him. It needed an experienced manager to continue on from Manning, and I’m afraid TW and GF got it wrong.

It is and its the players job to try a leg and play. Make sure to tell your three mates that won't you.

 

[Foley]

Buckingham has made mistakes and it’s looking like he’s doomed at this point, but it’s a disgrace that so many players seem to require their bottoms being stroked in exactly the right way, by exactly the right person, in order to perform adequately, let alone well.

The culture is rotten and, frankly, there are a good few players who need showing the door ASAP, because too many of them have proven they’re losers and layabouts.

I simply don't understand the alleged downing of tools. I do get that there could be some psychological damage after the last couple of seasons.
McGuane had a fantastic start to the season. There was talk of him getting a Championship move. He could well move on at the end of the season. Add in potential bonuses with success, shooting yourself in.the foot comes to mind.
Ditto Rubin to a certain extent.
There clearly has to be a clear out of any players who have downed tools ( if true they are a total disgrace)

 

[RyanioBirdio]

With someone with better insights into the club than most, is this being entertained at present?

If I were the club, DB would have until the end of the season and then a major review of performance would be planned ahead of a decision being made. Some semblance of improvement and entertainment would be on my agenda.

Failing that and assuming a mid-table finish sees us end the season, I'd keep an eye out for alternative options.

If the performances don’t improve, I don’t think he’s going to make it to the final day at Exeter. I certainly think anybody assuming he’s guaranteed the start of next season no matter what couldn’t be further from the truth.

 

[LowerSouth]

If the performances don’t improve, I don’t think he’s going to make it to the final day at Exeter. I certainly think anybody assuming he’s guaranteed the start of next season no matter what couldn’t be further from the truth.

Agreed.
If he’s to go, it has to be before the season end.
This would allow the new man to assess the squad and decide who leaves when contracts end in early June and then move on to the transfer targets .

 

[ZeroTheHero]

I suppose what I find difficult to understand is this 'downing of tools' stuff. While I agree that it certainly *looked* as if they couldn't be arsed, isn't it potentially self defeating, especially if you are one of the more talented players? If it is true (and I make no comment on that) and you play embarrassingly appallingly (and on live TV) and get the manager sacked, there will be a new manager coming in who will just not trust you to pull your weight when things get a bit sticky. If the current manager isn't sacked, you have made yourself look like a complete a**e and you'll have to hope that either he is the forgive and forget type or that he tries to get rid of you in the summer. But then any other club is going to look at you and wonder if you'll pull the same stunt with them!

There are only 8 games to go. Surely, even if you really cannot stand the manager, you play your best (and that makes you a more desirable asset, especially if you are excellent on TV) having made your feelings known and then put in a transfer request in the summer and get your agent busy - he will have a better player to hawk around than a mardy sulker, so you are more likely to get away and get paid more in the process. We all know that once a player decides to leave there isn't much a club can really do about it!

I am obviously missing something?

 

[Chippy]

The downing of tools seems a perfectly reasonable explanation for some recent performances. However it appeared all 11 starters plus the used substitues were in that bracket at Bolton, so I wouldn’t just pick on a few because they have been named, this is on the whole squad from what I saw at Bolton and from very many of them in other recent games.

How true that may be I have no idea, but if it’s not the downing of tools then it’s unbelievably poor performances from the team/squad due to poor coaching by the back room team, led by a manager who doesn’t seem to have established any sort of system or tactics.

Our terrible form since November is on all of them, but it’s not coincidental that it’s since the change of manager.

 

[Common Villager]

I think there's an important difference between downing tools and simply not being motivated. Maybe I'm naïve but, for reasons stated above (reputation, financial incentives), I cannot understand why players would consciously stop trying. I can understand, however, that their performances may suffer if they are demotivated.

Of course the counter-argument is that professional sportspeople should be able to self-motivate but, as we know (particularly in football), that is not always the case.

 

[tonyw]

So Kane is a world class perennial failure ?

Errrr.....yes?

Success in football is winning things - and the meaningful awards are the team promotions, cups and titles, not the individual honours because it is, after all, a team sport.

Kane has won literally nothing ever for club or country (and somehow is probably not even going to this season, despite moving to the team that's won every German title for over a decade). So to call him a perennial failure is just a simple statement of fact.

World Class is a bit more subjective, but I think most people would have him in their 'World's Best' 22-man squad, and that's pretty much the definition for me.


I don't think that's unfair, and I don't think it's unfair to apply the same logic to Eastwood, Cam, Moore and Henry; however much we might love them, they've not delivered promotion for the club and have therefore failed.

Whether you want to get rid of them or not is a completely different argument.
(and personally, I think both Cam and Moore could still be part of a successful side, if you surrounded them with the right complementary characters, players and manager)

 

[tonyw]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again hoping that OUFC officials read this forum.
After 20 odd years as a season ticket holder if the current management are in place come the start of next season 5 of us will not be renewing

Hang on - 20 odd years? So you bought a season ticket during the Atkins era, kept it through Rix, Talbot & Paterson as well as the meandering Lenaghan/Wilder League Two years, but now is when you've decided not to renew?

OK then.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Whether Des stays or goes, whether players have down tools or not, what I would say is that some people need take what some ‘ITK’/‘close to the football club’ posters say with a large pinch of salt. Some are making out they know what is going on behind the scenes when they don’t have a clue, to the point some club officials actually laugh at some of their claims.

 

[Chippy]

Whether Des stays or goes, whether players have down tools or not, what I would say is that some people need take what some ‘ITK’/‘close to the football club’ posters say with a large pinch of salt. Some are making out they know what is going on behind the scenes when they don’t have a clue, to the point some club officials actually laugh at some of their claims.

So are you ITK and close to the football club and the key personnel to make this counter claim?

 

[East Stand Fan]

If the performances don’t improve, I don’t think he’s going to make it to the final day at Exeter. I certainly think anybody assuming he’s guaranteed the start of next season no matter what couldn’t be further from the truth.

I think it would be ridiculous to give a manager who's future is in doubt the summer transfer window and start of the season. He's had more than enough time and a heavily-resourced transfer window (on top of an already massively invested squad) so if he cannot deliver by the end of the season then he has to go as soon as possible to give us time to recruit and be active in what's left of the summer window.

The risk is we burn through the budget and we end up being the same as we are now or in an even worse position. I firmly believe if Des started this season then we would be in a relegation battle right now and even in a far worse position than what we were this time last year with KR.

 

[Leysboy]

Agreed.
If he’s to go, it has to be before the season end.
This would allow the new man to assess the squad and decide who leaves when contracts end in early June and then move on to the transfer targets .

Exactly what I said the other day on this thread.

There is enough time to conduct a proper process, and like I said before, give the new man at least four games, so he can look at the current squad. Then decide where we need to improve.

 

[Jonny G]

Exactly what I said the other day on this thread.

There is enough time to conduct a proper process, and like I said before, give the new man at least four games, so he can look at the current squad. Then decide where we need to improve.

What happens if certain players don't then like the replacement? I mean I'm sure that Ferguson and Williams will be able to spot the next Skubala a mile off, but just in case they don't know their footballing a**e from their footballing elbow....

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Whether Des stays or goes, whether players have down tools or not, what I would say is that some people need take what some ‘ITK’/‘close to the football club’ posters say with a large pinch of salt. Some are making out they know what is going on behind the scenes when they don’t have a clue, to the point some club officials actually laugh at some of their claims.

Lol. Self-own.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Whether Des stays or goes, whether players have down tools or not, what I would say is that some people need take what some ‘ITK’/‘close to the football club’ posters say with a large pinch of salt. Some are making out they know what is going on behind the scenes when they don’t have a clue, to the point some club officials actually laugh at some of their claims.

Behave yourself, Steve.

 

[Royalstandard74]

Hang on - 20 odd years? So you bought a season ticket during the Atkins era, kept it through Rix, Talbot & Paterson as well as the meandering Lenaghan/Wilder League Two years, but now is when you've decided not to renew?

OK then.

So should he have gave up early into his OUFC supporting journey? After 20 years he's seen enough and earned the right to make his judgement, like the majority of us to know Buckingham isn't the answer.

 

[Nadi-]

Haven’t read an awful lot of anything since Tuesday, just so pissed off.
Never been a f1 fan, but joined in on weekends in Europe with the lads when younger.
But loving the Netflix f1 series, after years of poor results. And not improving when he takes over.
After some upgrades the new young Williams chief say, he feels like an expecting father. The results turn up.
Will Des ever be able to step forward like that?

Edit mind you he was signed from Mercedes not Mumbai