Dean Wilkins

[Dave the OAP]

Who will get in the playoffs with a 10 point deduction.

Whatever happened in 2008 and for whatever reasons has killed this club and staying up last season only glossed over the problem.

I am not really sure its "killed" the club, however noone can disagree that it has had an unexpectedly negative effect on the club. Adams was a nightmare, slade, worked wonders to rescue a side that was dead and buried, but his choice of players, which we all thought at the time were excellent signings have proved no to be so.

It does appear that Adams didnt rate some of the youngsters coming through and it does look like he and Slade dismantled a youth policy that Wilkins had spent many years building.

Also it now appears that Gus does not rate any of teh youth either...witness Steve Brinkhurst getting shipped out to Lewes when he is the sort of player we really need now.

 

[Ernest]

If it hasn't killed it then the decision to sack Wilkins has grievously hurt it and set the club back years

 

[Dave the OAP]

If it hasn't killed it then the decision to sack Wilkins has grievously hurt it and set the club back years

Yes I will go along with that

 

[NMH]

Spot on Mr Slicker.

I think the problem in society is you often have to be a "Named" manager or some fans think you are crap and they are then unable to change their opinions.
I am personally happy for managers to come on through the ranks as Wilkins did very patiently.

I look forward to titanic response to you.

Not just the fans, but the boardrooms as well.
I don't think we'll see anyone else 'coming through the ranks' like that for a long time - it's a rarity that anyone is in such a position.

How fans think, is quite unfortunate a lot of the time. I remember that Wilkins was pilloried by our fans during his tenure - while really quite unfortunate to see some vital points slip that could have seen us contend for promotion again. Somehow, a lot of people could compare McGhee as a great manager, and Wilkins as a poor one - while Magoo just did get the rub of the green (and Leon's most stable period as a player) to gain a promotion, that DW didn't quite manage (although coming close despite the lack of support from the board and a couple of his players walking)

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Also it now appears that Gus does not rate any of teh youth either...witness Steve Brinkhurst getting shipped out to Lewes when he is the sort of player we really need now.

What, we need a youngster with no experience to get us out of this mess? And risk being hyped to death by supporters, and crucified when they realise he isn't up to it? (Cox, Robinson).

Disagree Dave - sending a young player out on loan is usually an indication that they are getting some experience of competetive football at a time where there are no reserve games.

 

[Acker79]

I seem to remember Slade admitting his signings were somewhat risky. Didn't he explain that he had signed several people who haven't lived up to early potential, who went to clubs with expectations they couldn't/didn't fulfil and that he was hoping that bringing them in would give them a chance to prove themselves?

I know I was hoping for the best, but didn't expect they would all be great.

 

[bhadebenhams]

Dean Wilkins was so brilliant that even when he was not at the club for a month due to illness we were beating everyone, even when Booker and White were in charge during that period.

The only match we lost during that time (Port Vale at home) was purely down to Booker and White of course.

 

[andywhing4england]

About the video, who is the left footer knocking in all the crosses at the beginning??

 

[bristolseagull]

About the video, who is the left footer knocking in all the crosses at the beginning??

its you Andy its you!

 

[murraymints4brighton]

About the video, who is the left footer knocking in all the crosses at the beginning??

Might have been Sam Rents or Matt Richards?

 

[Rookie]

Video says it all really , shows how promising we were compared to how poor we are now . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB7cI4P2CZA

the good days a solid midfield and players that had known each other for years and knew how to play their positions throughout the team. Shame Wilkins wasn't given a chance to build on it but that is football I guess

 

[Don Tmatter]

Dean Wilkins was so brilliant that even when he was not at the club for a month due to illness we were beating everyone, even when Booker and White were in charge during that period.

The only match we lost during that time (Port Vale at home) was purely down to Booker and White of course.

Bob Booker was not at the club during Wilkins's reign, White was assistant manager and Ian Chapman reserve team coach.

 

[philgull25]

If Wilkins was sacked for finishing 7th, then you'd have a point. But it's been said time and again, that he was dismissed for a different reason.

Is there another justifyable reason to sack a manager?

 

[Southy]

What the f*** happened to Cox, I forgot how good he was then.

Lets not get too dewey eyed about Wilkins, yes we finished 7th, but alot went our way and everyone was very surprised about the table at end of the season as I remember. There was a feeling under Wilkins that team did well but no one really felt that optimistic about the following season as we'd all felt we'd been a bit lucky in a weak division that season. Div 1 has been alot tougher in the last 2 seasons and we have under performed. Knight was made very aware that Wilkins was dividing the changing rooms and encouraging certain players to play games with the board re their contracts and in hindsight he has to take a large part of the blame in his dismissal. Yes it probably has in hindsight been a mistake but what was he supposed to do, ignore what Wilkins was doing? Dean sabotaged a promising chance and break given to him as a first time manager, as much as Knight made a mistake IMO.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Lets not get too dewey eyed about Wilkins, yes we finished 7th, but alot went our way and everyone was very surprised about the table at end of the season as I remember. There was a feeling under Wilkins that team did well but no one really felt that optimistic about the following season as we'd all felt we'd been a bit lucky in a weak division that season.

Quite. The standard of play in that division was extremely piss-poor and we tailed off badly towards the end. We may have finished 7th but in the final third of the season we were showing not a scrap of form that suggested we were worthy of a play-off place. Very flattering final position.

 

[philgull25]

Quite. The standard of play in that division was extremely piss-poor and we tailed off badly towards the end. We may have finished 7th but in the final third of the season we were showing not a scrap of form that suggested we were worthy of a play-off place. Very flattering final position.

I remember coming back on the train with a few lads from the Bristol Rovers game in april of that season, having won, and that result summed that season up perfectly. Another game we won which we didnt deserve to and wouldn't have if it wern't for Kuipers. Which imho Juipers being missing is our major flaw atm and has highlighted some of the weaknesses of our defenders.

Sacking Wilkins wasn't the reason we have underwhelmed since it was appointing Micky Adams. As much as I love the man for what he did in his first spell, he almost ran this club into the whole it was in when he was appointed that time round. Slade steadied the ship well, but struggled to move us forward. Now its Gus in charge and I hope we give Gus time, things look to be moving forward.

We probably wont win promotion or get relegated this season. But promotion next season is what Poyet is working towards. Give him the time that others haven't and maybe we will see some improvements in results and eventually championship football at falmer

 

[Knotty]

Is there another justifyable reason to sack a manager?

There could be a number of reasons that were nothing to do with results on the pitch.

In a non-football world I have seen people sacked even though they were good at their jobs...and they deserved to be sacked.

 

[R. Slicker]

Quite. The standard of play in that division was extremely piss-poor and we tailed off badly towards the end. We may have finished 7th but in the final third of the season we were showing not a scrap of form that suggested we were worthy of a play-off place. Very flattering final position.

You sure about that Tom? I've often wondered about that better standard argument. Seems a bit of a strange one to beat a manager with. It's league 1 & I would imagine that teams are in it because they are league 1 standard.

 

[doug7126]

Hammond i'd say

i would go along with that

 

[bhadebenhams]

What people don't realise is that we won 36 matches due to Dean Wilkins' (OOH LA LA!!!) brilliance when he was manager, and the 36 that we lost under him were all due to Dick Knight (LIAR!!!!) interfering with team selection