Appointment Delayed

[Box of Frogs]

I can't recall NSC ever being quite such a binfest as it has been lately.

It amazes me the number of people on here who think everything in life is as simple as waving a magic wand and having all the answers to hand. It's Dick Knight's fault that the managerial process is taking a while (of course it is, after all, the process of narrowing down a shortlist, interviewing, agreeing terms with and announcing a new manager should take SECONDS in the hands of a DECENT chairman), it's Knight's fault that Gannon turned us down (again, of course it is, any DECENT chairman would have reached into his pocket and offered Gannon millions to make it worth his while). It's Dean White's fault we lost on Saturday, even though we finished with ten players, and even fewer first choice ones. The most laughable thing has been the person who suggested that Malcolm Stuart and the club doctor were at least partly to blame for McNulty's plight, by allowing him to walk off the pitch. Of course they were, after all, it's not like McNulty would have tried to stand up himself, is it, and internal injuries are a piece of PISS to diagnose pitchside, with no specialist equipment other than a bag full of ice, tape and Deep Heat.

Jesus, if you're all that blind to the eminent realities of life, then I feel sorry for your other halves. You have about as much patience as a hungry lion given the keys to a home for ageing wildebeest. A reflection of society maybe? I don't know, but it's doing my head in. I want the situation sorted as much as anybody else, but I'm also realistic enough to know that these things don't happen in minutes, or if they do, then something's probably gone wrong.

Do you all seriously think Dick Knight has spent the past week or so reclining in an armchair, puffing a cigar and watching Loose Women?

Top post Edna - but most of them probably haven't got 'other halves'!!!

 

[severnside gull]

Severnside Gull, do you think relegation really would be the 'ultimate disaster'? G

I guess it's the Leeds thing....you go down expecting to have the ability to bounce back and it doesn't happen.

Because of the stadium, and particularly how long we have waited (the Goldstone WAS my youth) and the current financial turmoil, I dread that relegation could mean we lose our new home and that for me would be tragic.

So, no, at another time it need not be disastrous (although rising back up can't be taken for granted I am a Brighton supporter no matter what league we play in) but in current circumstances................

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I'm just fed up with people who haven't a clue how to run a business or a football club, piling on the vitriol towards the board, based on entirely groundless assumptions (perhaps they once watched The Apprentice, and have thus concluded that they now have the necessary business acumen to be a Chief Executive at Premier League level)

I haven't a clue how to run a football club either, but then I'm not the one declaring confidently that Knight/Perry/Bloom are a monumental waste of time and space.

I'm sure they're not perfect (find me a football fan who thinks his club's chairman is), but there's sure as hell no queue of business magnates lining up to take over, so we may as well get behind the team and try to drag ourselves out of this mess.

(As for the person who criticised Knight for the "unforeseen circumstances" comment- good God, has nothing unexpected ever happened to you? A family bereavement? Getting stuck in traffic en route to an important meeting? One of your kids being taken ill? )

 

[Pavilionaire]

Yes, but once we knew Micky wasn't up to the job - 20 Sep 08 losing to Walsall's 9 men to be precise - it IS in Knight's control as to what he does, who he approaches and how he handles the task of trying to keep us in this division.

The way I see it everything he COULD bungle he HAS bungled.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Yes, but once we knew Micky wasn't up to the job - 20 Sep 08 losing to Walsall's 9 men to be precise - it IS in Knight's control as to what he does, who he approaches and how he handles the task of trying to keep us in this division.

The way I see it everything he COULD bungle he HAS bungled.

But is it realistic to sack every manager who isn't instantly successful, two months into a job?

If you recall Adams' first spell, the season we all went into thinking we were certs for promotion, we started like absolute crap. We lost at Southend, a few other dismal sides, and we didn't get a decent result until- coincidentally- late September, when we beat Torquay 6-2 I think it was.

By the criteria you've used here, Adams should have been sacked that month...as opposed to being allowed to go on and win the league the same season. I'm also pretty sure Sir Alex Ferguson was absolute crud in his first few seasons at United, and was on the verge of being fired when they managed to scrape through an FA Cup tie at Forest. The rest being very much history.

I do see what you're saying, but firstly it's with the great benefit of hindsight, and secondly I think people have a certain responsibility to back their judgement in terms of who they've appointed to jobs. You can't go booting a man out every time you hit a dip in form or you'd go through five managers a season.

 

[The Wookiee]

I'm just fed up with people who haven't a clue how to run a business or a football club, piling on the vitriol towards the board, based on entirely groundless assumptions (perhaps they once watched The Apprentice, and have thus concluded that they now have the necessary business acumen to be a Chief Executive at Premier League level)

I haven't a clue how to run a football club either, but then I'm not the one declaring confidently that Knight/Perry/Bloom are a monumental waste of time and space.

I'm sure they're not perfect (find me a football fan who thinks his club's chairman is), but there's sure as hell no queue of business magnates lining up to take over, so we may as well get behind the team and try to drag ourselves out of this mess.

(As for the person who criticised Knight for the "unforeseen circumstances" comment- good God, has nothing unexpected ever happened to you? A family bereavement? Getting stuck in traffic en route to an important meeting? One of your kids being taken ill? )

haven't you got some villains to catch or something

 

[Lady Whistledown]

haven't you got some villains to catch or something

I do get days off sometimes, you know

 

[The Wookiee]

I do get days off sometimes, you know

One thing I have learnt over the years is a copper is NEVER off duty !!

 

[Stoo82]

I can't recall NSC ever being quite such a binfest as it has been lately.

It amazes me the number of people on here who think everything in life is as simple as waving a magic wand and having all the answers to hand. It's Dick Knight's fault that the managerial process is taking a while (of course it is, after all, the process of narrowing down a shortlist, interviewing, agreeing terms with and announcing a new manager should take SECONDS in the hands of a DECENT chairman), it's Knight's fault that Gannon turned us down (again, of course it is, any DECENT chairman would have reached into his pocket and offered Gannon millions to make it worth his while). It's Dean White's fault we lost on Saturday, even though we finished with ten players, and even fewer first choice ones. The most laughable thing has been the person who suggested that Malcolm Stuart and the club doctor were at least partly to blame for McNulty's plight, by allowing him to walk off the pitch. Of course they were, after all, it's not like McNulty would have tried to stand up himself, is it, and internal injuries are a piece of PISS to diagnose pitchside, with no specialist equipment other than a bag full of ice, tape and Deep Heat.

Jesus, if you're all that blind to the eminent realities of life, then I feel sorry for your other halves. You have about as much patience as a hungry lion given the keys to a home for ageing wildebeest. A reflection of society maybe? I don't know, but it's doing my head in. I want the situation sorted as much as anybody else, but I'm also realistic enough to know that these things don't happen in minutes, or if they do, then something's probably gone wrong.

Do you all seriously think Dick Knight has spent the past week or so reclining in an armchair, puffing a cigar and watching Loose Women?

To Bloody right. You really are a clever lass, and if there was an election for President of NSC (or Queen) then i would vote for you.

 

[bhaexpress]

I'm just fed up with people who haven't a clue how to run a business or a football club, piling on the vitriol towards the board, based on entirely groundless assumptions (perhaps they once watched The Apprentice, and have thus concluded that they now have the necessary business acumen to be a Chief Executive at Premier League level)

I haven't a clue how to run a football club either, but then I'm not the one declaring confidently that Knight/Perry/Bloom are a monumental waste of time and space.

I'm sure they're not perfect (find me a football fan who thinks his club's chairman is), but there's sure as hell no queue of business magnates lining up to take over, so we may as well get behind the team and try to drag ourselves out of this mess.

(As for the person who criticised Knight for the "unforeseen circumstances" comment- good God, has nothing unexpected ever happened to you? A family bereavement? Getting stuck in traffic en route to an important meeting? One of your kids being taken ill? )

It is true of late a lot of braindead gobshites have been on hear fresh from their holiday in Cloud Cuckoo Land. We really need a few boxes of reality checks opened on their behalf.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

One thing I have learnt over the years is a copper is NEVER off duty !!

True, well if I was shopping in Tesco's and saw a little old lady get mugged, I'd do my civic duty (I don't mean check her trolley for bargains)...but as I'm sitting at home right now, I consider it the duty of others to serve & protect ;o)

 

[pork pie]

Yes, but once we knew Micky wasn't up to the job - 20 Sep 08 losing to Walsall's 9 men to be precise - it IS in Knight's control as to what he does, who he approaches and how he handles the task of trying to keep us in this division.

The way I see it everything he COULD bungle he HAS bungled.

I am note sure he has "bungled". Other than being guilty of failing to keep his options open.

It looks like he actually wanted Adams to stay, and was in denial about the FACT that Adams has lost the plot.

I would have thought, like you, that the writing was on the wall months ago that Adams was only going to take us backwards as a club, and that, as Chairman, he should have been getting ready for the inevitable. That way, the bases were covered. If Adams had turned the situation around, great, if not, his replacement was already being thought about.

One thing I would add, is that now we are in this position, it is vital that Dick Knight gets the best manager available who is keen to join us - however long it takes (within reason). Then us fans need to get behind the new Manager and Team.

 

[Pavilionaire]

No Edna, I'm not saying Knight should have sacked Adams back in September but it was clear things were VERY wrong at that point. Adams deserved some extra time because of his past achievements here, but he took over a squad that finished 7th.

Adams should have gone probably over Christmas, mid-Jan at the latest. It was perfectly clear the side coached by Wilkins was much more organised than the side coached by Adams.

Yes, you can level the charge of hindsight but I don't buy the argument that EVERY manager deserves a minimum period in charge, because sometimes, on occasion, an appointment is so horribly wrong it HAS to be changed, i.e. Les Reed at Charlton for less than 2 months.

 

[Pavilionaire]

This is how it appears to me:

Hammond situation: Bungled
Wilkins / Knight breakdown: Bungled
Not then sacking Wilkins if he had to go In January: Bungled
Sacking Wilkins but offering him coaches job: Bungled
Agreeing to the Hart / Mayo "Out, then back in" deal: Bungled
Delaying sacking of Adams: Bungled
Announcing Gannon is "No. 1 choice" whilst still recruiting: Bungled.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

No Edna, I'm not saying Knight should have sacked Adams back in September but it was clear things were VERY wrong at that point. Adams deserved some extra time because of his past achievements here, but he took over a squad that finished 7th.

Adams should have gone probably over Christmas, mid-Jan at the latest. It was perfectly clear the side coached by Wilkins was much more organised than the side coached by Adams.

Yes, you can level the charge of hindsight but I don't buy the argument that EVERY manager deserves a minimum period in charge, because sometimes, on occasion, an appointment is so horribly wrong it HAS to be changed, i.e. Les Reed at Charlton for less than 2 months.

I don't think managers get a minimum period, no, I was only saying that I didn't go along with the sacking him in September theory. I presume the board were looking towards the transfer window as the watershed, and when nothing changed then, that was the tipping point.

With regard to last season, I can't be the only one who thinks that, in all honesty, 7th place might have been a bit flattering? We were DIRE for large periods of last season, and though 7th sounds tidy, we were a million miles from being a play off side. A decent late run thanks to a few loan signings got us up there, but we were never real contenders IMHO, and I can't help wondering, looking back, if it allowed us to kid ourselves we were better than we were, and masked a few significant deficiencies?

I genuinely think Wilkins might have struggled- or at least failed to live up to the expectations- this season. I still don't know if it was right to sack him, but I really believe that 2008-09 was never going to be an easy ride, whichever way we played it.

 

[Stoo82]

This is how it appears to me:

Hammond situation: Bungled
Wilkins / Knight breakdown: Bungled
Not then sacking Wilkins if he had to go In January: Bungled
Sacking Wilkins but offering him coaches job: Bungled
Agreeing to the Hart / Mayo "Out, then back in" deal: Bungled
Delaying sacking of Adams: Bungled
Announcing Gannon is "No. 1 choice" whilst still recruiting: Bungled.

Did you even read Edna's post?

 

[Jim D]

......I genuinely think Wilkins might have struggled- or at least failed to live up to the expectations- this season. I still don't know if it was right to sack him, but I really believe that 2008-09 was never going to be an easy ride, whichever way we played it.

I agree. the memories of Mansfield and Port Vale are still fresh. BUT I'm equally certain that we wouldn't be in the bottom 4 under him as we would have been better coached (Chapman wouldn't have left). Also, he organised the defence a lot better than Adams did.

 

[Russell Slade's hat]

Deary me, We can not go on much longer with two clowns in charge of the first team, we are in a differcult situation and need a manager with experiance and passion to keep the team going. It wouldn't suprise be if we have had another rejection as who ever it was would of been secend choice.

 

[gruntage]

Also, he organised the defence a lot better than Adams did.

Adams had a defence?! 'get out of here', you're having me on.

 

[severnside gull]

WILKINS BACK - KNIGHT IN U-TURN SHOCK







Apologies to those who nearly had a heart attack but if the whingers from the "bring back dean wilkins brigade" have seen what they want to see..............



can we please now see the back of this tiresome "campaign" and return the board to people who want to support the club (even whilst expressing realistic concerns) or heavens forfend say some positive things about the club

and can those who are constantly harping on with their pet theories and fantasies against the club go and support the teams where their heroes are now employed (if they are indeed employed).