League One Michael Appleton

[Northernyellow]

I still maintain the ‘Appleton left for the money’ statement is a total myth. If he’d have felt like Eales/the ownership could have matched his ambitions and continued pushing us forward after a really strong season in L1 my opinion is there’s no way he would have left. Adored by the fans, a promotion and two Wembley cup finals on his CV and the bones of a decent squad (even if it did need to start evolving as some of the top players from his team also left). After his experience before us, he’d absolutely have stayed if he felt like it made sense. But he could see the chaotic season we ended up having coming. He recognised that if he wasn’t going to be backed to push on by the ownership then he was better off not having his reputation tarnished and making a huge chunk of change on top.

I also think his time at Lincoln was impressive. Perhaps not as strong as his Oxford spell, but still massively outperforming expectations. It has gone badly wrong since though. I still ponder what might have happened if he’d got the job (when he was rumoured to have wanted it) when we appointed Manning.

(And I adore MApp. Probably not at Champ level, but I’d still have him back )

It was a completely bizarre move imo. To go as a very well rated L1 manager to be an Assistant in the PL was so obviously only about £££. Dave Kitson (who admittedly hated him!) said players knew Appleton was a job hopper who chased the money. If he'd left us for a very well funded L1 club, fair enough. Anyway. It's a shame. I thought his L1 team for us was great. But his management career is almost certainly over now.

 

[holdsteady]

He is terrible at picking jobs, that’s been his undoing. But that 2015/16 season is up there as my favourite season as an OUFC fan, after years of drugdgery football (with the odd exception here and there) we suddenly swaggered, had a team that played football that didn’t really belong in the fourth division. So whatever happened after he left us will never detract from that for me.

Hopefully he goes back into coaching, he is still too good to not be involved in football, even if management is not going to be his thing anymore.

 

[90syeIlow]

I think his recent jobs have proven he's not as good a coach as some people believe he is based on his time here. It's worth remembering that he worked with Baldock, Lundstram, Roofe, Hylton, Maguire and Sercombe in League Two.

 

[greatunclekip]

I think he is a good coach, but again he’s not a miracle worker. Here, he had a perfect combination of an incredible scouting department, cash to spend and a CEO who got things done.

Tactically he was not brilliant, as shown in the Wembley finals, one way of playing, but he didn’t have to be with those players. They knew exactly their roles plus had a sprinkling of magic and a core of graft.

 

[Whingit]

He underachieved here let's be honest. It was a great time in our history, but that squad was like nothing L2 has ever seen before or since.

 

[Basham Wonderland]

Always fond of him and what he achieved with us. He seems to be addicted to taking on poisoned chalice clubs though. Feel like he should go for a nice gritty Lancashire club like Oldham next.

 

[Marked Ox]

He underachieved here let's be honest. It was a great time in our history, but that squad was like nothing L2 has ever seen before or since.

Bar the keepers who pretty much every L2 club has seen an equivalent of.

 

[unification]

There are some blind spots being missed with MApp from some here.

2015-16 was banging. 2016-17 with the pressure off from having to get promoted and to simply enjoy League 1 and the Cup runs was arguably even more entertaining. However, MApp takes an age to get sides going.

His first season here was 2014-15. The dregs of CW's functional League 2 hoofers were still here and MApp added the likes of Junior Brown, Michael Collins, Will Hoskins, George Long and John Campbell before January. Only DE's monies allowed to us move on a load of players and sign the likes of Skarz, Roofe, MacDonald and Baldock instead. He got damn lucky as that side was awful for much of the season. Trying to watch Hunt and Newey play MApp's way was dire.

His 2019-20 Lincoln team was the same. 16th at the end of it having done nothing much. It was the next season that they really excelled. It's one of the reasons I was so glad we never went back to him. His sides never have a new manager bounce. More of a new manager thud, in truth.

As for all his other jobs, it's been a mix of basket cases and wrong fits all round. Shrewsbury always looked difficult this season and so it has proved. Too many failures on the CV now for anyone to go for him. Maybe a career as an Assistant is what's left to him.

 

[Whingit]

Bar the keepers who pretty much every L2 club has seen an equivalent of.

Yeah fair enough, I rated Buchel but he was hardly anything special. Bad judgement with Wright and Hylton too.

 

[Left Wing Cross]

There are some blind spots being missed with MApp from some here.

2015-16 was banging. 2016-17 with the pressure off from having to get promoted and to simply enjoy League 1 and the Cup runs was arguably even more entertaining. However, MApp takes an age to get sides going.

His first season here was 2014-15. The dregs of CW's functional League 2 hoofers were still here and MApp added the likes of Junior Brown, Michael Collins, Will Hoskins, George Long and John Campbell before January. Only DE's monies allowed to us move on a load of players and sign the likes of Skarz, Roofe, MacDonald and Baldock instead. He got damn lucky as that side was awful for much of the season. Trying to watch Hunt and Newey play MApp's way was dire.

His 2019-20 Lincoln team was the same. 16th at the end of it having done nothing much. It was the next season that they really excelled. It's one of the reasons I was so glad we never went back to him. His sides never have a new manager bounce. More of a new manager thud, in truth.

As for all his other jobs, it's been a mix of basket cases and wrong fits all round. Shrewsbury always looked difficult this season and so it has proved. Too many failures on the CV now for anyone to go for him. Maybe a career as an Assistant is what's left to him.

2014-15 was a sh*t show. Appleton wasn't in charge until 4th July so we'd already missed most of the free agents and were left scrambling with the dross that remained from the previous season and could only scratch together a side with emergency loans. Very much bargain bucket.

 

[Sharp Edges]

There are some blind spots being missed with MApp from some here.

2015-16 was banging. 2016-17 with the pressure off from having to get promoted and to simply enjoy League 1 and the Cup runs was arguably even more entertaining. However, MApp takes an age to get sides going.

His first season here was 2014-15. The dregs of CW's functional League 2 hoofers were still here and MApp added the likes of Junior Brown, Michael Collins, Will Hoskins, George Long and John Campbell before January. Only DE's monies allowed to us move on a load of players and sign the likes of Skarz, Roofe, MacDonald and Baldock instead. He got damn lucky as that side was awful for much of the season. Trying to watch Hunt and Newey play MApp's way was dire.

His 2019-20 Lincoln team was the same. 16th at the end of it having done nothing much. It was the next season that they really excelled. It's one of the reasons I was so glad we never went back to him. His sides never have a new manager bounce. More of a new manager thud, in truth.

As for all his other jobs, it's been a mix of basket cases and wrong fits all round. Shrewsbury always looked difficult this season and so it has proved. Too many failures on the CV now for anyone to go for him. Maybe a career as an Assistant is what's left to him.

No blind spot here, Appleton inherited a squad that was conference bound and left us with a squad full of future championship and premiership players. Had we had a half decent striker in our first season in league 1 instead of Kame Hemmings we would have made the play offs. Robinson inherited that squad via Clotet and took us to the brink of relegation back to league 2 but he gets a free pass from most.

 

[tonyw]

No blind spot here, Appleton inherited a squad that was conference bound and left us with a squad full of future championship and premiership players. Had we had a half decent striker in our first season in league 1 instead of Kame Hemmings we would have made the play offs. Robinson inherited that squad via Clotet and took us to the brink of relegation back to league 2 but he gets a free pass from most.

Woah there - I'm not Karl Robinson's biggest fan but even I can see that, before he arrived, Clotet and co. had taken Appleton's squad and replaced Dunkley, Sercombe, Skarz, Maguire, Lundstram and Marvin Johnson with Xemi, Tiendalli, Obika, Van Kessel, Pekalski and Mike Williamson (and James Henry, to be fair, so they at least got one right).

KR messed up plenty, but you can't really blame him for decimating Appleton's legacy - it was already mostly on the scrap heap before he arrived!

 

[90syeIlow]

Woah there - I'm not Karl Robinson's biggest fan but even I can see that, before he arrived, Clotet and co. had taken Appleton's squad and replaced Dunkley, Sercombe, Skarz, Maguire, Lundstram and Marvin Johnson with Xemi, Tiendalli, Obika, Van Kessel, Pekalski and Mike Williamson (and James Henry, to be fair, so they at least got one right).

KR messed up plenty, but you can't really blame him for decimating Appleton's legacy - it was already mostly on the scrap heap before he arrived!

I'd be amazed if Pep Clotet wasn't high on shrooms when he signed most of those players.

 

[ttg17]

We're retreading old ground, and I obviously loved the Appleton years as much as the next person, but I do think a lot of our recollection of him (and in particular 2015-16) is very rose-tinted. Easy to forget that, despite having this 'Championship level squad in League 2,' we ultimately only secured promotion on the final day (we didn't win a home game in the league in 2016 until March!), and finished thirteen points off Wilder's Northampton. Hardly the all-conquering side we like to remember them as. The MApp years were amazing, no doubt, with some great moments, cup runs, tangible success in the form of promotion and some legendary players, but the further I get from them the more I do wonder how much of that was down to Appleton, particularly given his record ever since.

 

[Benox]

Woah there - I'm not Karl Robinson's biggest fan but even I can see that, before he arrived, Clotet and co. had taken Appleton's squad and replaced Dunkley, Sercombe, Skarz, Maguire, Lundstram and Marvin Johnson with Xemi, Tiendalli, Obika, Van Kessel, Pekalski and Mike Williamson (and James Henry, to be fair, so they at least got one right).

KR messed up plenty, but you can't really blame him for decimating Appleton's legacy - it was already mostly on the scrap heap before he arrived!

Cameron Brannagan was another Clotet signing as well. For a man who was a complete disaster he was in charge for 2 of our best signings in modern times with Henry and Cam!

 

[MJB]

We're retreading old ground, and I obviously loved the Appleton years as much as the next person, but I do think a lot of our recollection of him (and in particular 2015-16) is very rose-tinted. Easy to forget that, despite having this 'Championship level squad in League 2,' we ultimately only secured promotion on the final day (we didn't win a home game in the league in 2016 until March!), and finished thirteen points off Wilder's Northampton. Hardly the all-conquering side we like to remember them as. The MApp years were amazing, no doubt, with some great moments, cup runs, tangible success in the form of promotion and some legendary players, but the further I get from them the more I do wonder how much of that was down to Appleton, particularly given his record ever since.

Similarly, I don’t wish to diminish Appleton’s huge achievements here, but it was also the case that he left a lot of autonomy to the players.

Given the number of big characters and leaders we had in the squad, I think they drove a lot of the decision-making and standards.

Ultimately you can say that Appleton set the culture that allowed this to happen, but I think that the squad from 15/16 was strong both on and off the pitch.

 

[90syeIlow]

Similarly, I don’t wish to diminish Appleton’s huge achievements here, but it was also the case that he left a lot of autonomy to the players.

Given the number of big characters and leaders we had in the squad, I think they drove a lot of the decision-making and standards.

Ultimately you can say that Appleton set the culture that allowed this to happen, but I think that the squads from 15/16 was strong both on and off the pitch.

Yeah we had some brilliant leaders - Baldock, Lundstram, Maguire and Roofe all head leadership qualities in them, while still having the humility not to clash egos with each other which is why we were unstoppable most of the time.

 

[MJB]

Yeah we had some brilliant leaders - Baldock, Lundstram, Maguire and Roofe all head leadership qualities in them, while still having the humility not to clash egos with each other which is why we were unstoppable most of the time.

Mullins was captain at other clubs too and a big motivator.

 

[90syeIlow]

Mullins was captain at other clubs too and a big motivator.

True, his name went under my radar but now I'm recollecting how important he was.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

We're retreading old ground, and I obviously loved the Appleton years as much as the next person, but I do think a lot of our recollection of him (and in particular 2015-16) is very rose-tinted. Easy to forget that, despite having this 'Championship level squad in League 2,' we ultimately only secured promotion on the final day (we didn't win a home game in the league in 2016 until March!), and finished thirteen points off Wilder's Northampton. Hardly the all-conquering side we like to remember them as. The MApp years were amazing, no doubt, with some great moments, cup runs, tangible success in the form of promotion and some legendary players, but the further I get from them the more I do wonder how much of that was down to Appleton, particularly given his record ever since.

We would have won the league with a proper keeper. We got promoted with two number 2 goalkeepers in Slocombe and Buchel.
It was great football to watch and yes Appleton had some incredible players to work with but it is down to the manager to get the best out of them and to get them playing as a team, which he did.

 

[90syeIlow]

We would have won the league with a proper keeper. We got promoted with two number 2 goalkeepers in Slocombe and Buchel.
It was great football to watch and yes Appleton had some incredible players to work with but it is down to the manager to get the best out of them and to get them playing as a team, which he did.

3 players in that league two squad went on to play premier league football and Maguire had international experience.

To have that quality in league two was absurd, and wouldn't require much coaching to get out of that league to be honest.

 

[holdsteady]

We also played s**t loads of games while we had a good first 13/14 players after that it tailed off a bit, the number of fixtures just caught up with us a bit. We suffered from being so good that we were successful in the cups and the focus drifting.
Northampton had a very good manager who was very driven as well, what he went onto achieve shows that, so coming second while making Wembley and the FA Cup run was an achievement.

 

[The Voice Of Reason]

Old history but best of luck to him

 

[yellowbow]

Hard to believe that all happened a decade ago now!

 

[tim lane]

We would have won the league with a proper keeper. We got promoted with two number 2 goalkeepers in Slocombe and Buchel.
It was great football to watch and yes Appleton had some incredible players to work with but it is down to the manager to get the best out of them and to get them playing as a team, which he did.

With respect, Steve, I don't thinks that's correct. It's too long ago for me to remember specific games, but I can't recall us dropping points due to any inadequacy from our keepers.

 

[Kamal]

If we had 2016 to 2018 Simon Eastwood and didn't have the cup runs we would have won the league. However, I much preferred finishing 2nd and having the cup runs. A much better overall experience imo.

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

Being replaced at Shrewsbury by the Brackley manager.

 

[Carlislehotdog]

With respect, Steve, I don't thinks that's correct. It's too long ago for me to remember specific games, but I can't recall us dropping points due to any inadequacy from our keepers.

I think it's a bit of a cognitive dissonance - I went to almost every game that season home and away and the high points are unforgettable, but I look at some of the really crappy results we had, mostly at home, and I just can't picture them. Losses to Barnet, Northampton (twice), Accrington, Brovers, Orient, Luton etc. When that team was motoring it was one of the best I've ever seen, but they didn't turn up every game.

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

we ... finished thirteen points off Wilder's Northampton.

Oxford team 2016 > Northampton team 2016
Wilder as manager >>>>> Appleton as manager

 

[unification]

With respect, Steve, I don't thinks that's correct. It's too long ago for me to remember specific games, but I can't recall us dropping points due to any inadequacy from our keepers.

I agree. It's an oft made point that we somehow didn't win the title that season as a result of our 'keepers. Neither Slocombe or Buchel would get anywhere near our top 10 GKs of all time but neither were dreadful. Buchel made one of the best saves I've seen live away at Barnet and Slocombe was top class in the win against Swansea in the FA Cup for instance.

The only game I can recall where 'keeper errors actually led to us losing points was Mansfield at home. Otherwise, any other goalkeeper errors (Buchel away at Wimbledon, Slocombe away at Stevenage) were largely countered by us scoring enough goals to win the game instead.

I put the title going to Northampton that year down to two things:

1. Our home form - Six defeats and seven draws at home didn't help. We scored 37 goals at home and 47 away. We travelled really well but didn't quite match that with the home form.
2. Northampton's absurd consistency - After game 22 on 19th December, Northampton did not lose a single match until the end of the season. They went 24 matches unbeaten including a spell of 10 wins in a row amongst a spell of 15 wins in 16 matches. They may have scored fewer goals than us, let in more and not been the best team that season (hehe), but they were relentless.