Da Man Clay
T'Blades
- Dec 16, 2004
- 16,286
Agreed, was never a manager that was going to take us that far forward.
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Simple yes or no - was Dean Wilkins up to the job?
- Thread starter Lush
- Start date
Agreed, was never a manager that was going to take us that far forward.
Dave the OAP
Well-known member
how do you know?
He took a team that barely stayed up season before last playing shite football, to a team that was entertaining, solid at the back and had two excellent strikers...
what more did you expect?
British Bulldog
The great escape
- Feb 6, 2006
- 10,974
So what was finishing bottom like McGhee did then?
Da Man Clay
T'Blades
- Dec 16, 2004
- 16,286
Entertaining? Were you watching the same team as me? - I can name two, maybe three games when I left entertained.
I dont think he had the tactical know how to take us forward, always looked non league on the sidelines and was never pro-active at all. Add that to the amount of times we just didn't show up for the first 15 minutes of games and his quite clear man management problems I dont think he could take us very far.
If by some mircale we had gone up this year a season in the championship would have been hell IMHO.
Dave the OAP
Well-known member
from memory
Leeds at home, Leeds away
Notts forest home Notts forest away
Orient away
southend home
swansea away
carlisle home
swindon away
crewe home
doncaster home
Luton and hartlepool home
I could go on.
Which games were you watching then?
Compared to the last couple of years we played some good stuff
Da Man Clay
T'Blades
- Dec 16, 2004
- 16,286
Well the only games I went away to were Luton, Millwall, Bristol Rovers and Cardiff so cant comment on the away games (However I fail to see how 0-0 draws where by all accounts we defended for most of the games can be concluded as entertaining football)
Equally I dont think games where we get beat are the most entertaining performances either.
You missed Millwall at home from the entertaining games as that really was quality, I dont agree that alot of those games we were entertaining as such, but more grinded out good victories (Doncaster, Southend, Hartlepool, and Swindon).
Icy Gull
Back on the rollercoaster
- Jul 5, 2003
- 72,015
He'd made big strides in 1 and a half seasons having rebuilt the side. In fact he did better than Adams did in the equivalent time but in a division higher.
That would definitely suggest to me he was up to the job which is what the thread is about.
Spot on. As someone said on another thread Knight and the board have effectively upped the ante. And using the 'Uncle Speilberg' test it doesn't matter if we finish seventh or seventeenth - unless we improve on last season the change will be deemed a failure.
Guy Fawkes
The voice of treason
- Sep 29, 2007
- 8,297
So by watching a couple of games, you think we know how we played in the rest of the matches?
So if you watched, lets say the Orient, and Forrest away games, would you be saying we were one of the most entertaining teams in the division?
Every team has good games and bad games, and you can have really entertaining draws, and really boring matches where you win, so results don't always tell the full story.
IMO we were more entertaining than we had been for several seasons, (probably back to pre Taylor days)and were moving forward
Guy Fawkes
The voice of treason
- Sep 29, 2007
- 8,297
completely agree
Da Man Clay
T'Blades
- Dec 16, 2004
- 16,286
I went to pretty much every home game, bar three I believe. I think thats a sufficient number for me to form an OPINION on how well we played. Im clearly not the only one who thinks this either, as the dropping attendances shows.
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Nemesis
SERIOUSLY!
You can't possibly compare Adams' first 2 seasons with Wilkins tenure. Adams took over a side that had finished 2nd Bottom of the entire football league for 2 seasons, its revered former captain had jumped ship and we were dreadful in every respect. The club had had its entire infrastructure decimated and if likened to a hospital patient was in intensive care and coughing up blood.
1066familyman
Radio User
- Jan 15, 2008
- 15,234
I seem to remember more than a few occassions where Wilkins' substitutions changed the game.
I'm with Dave the gaffer on this thread.
NMH
Banned
The trouble, for me, was that he WAS a decent shout for the job - but he was learning it as he went. We couldn't prosper with a side AND a manager that were all feeling their way....capable as they might have seemed at times.
So, the team, and the manager, got it right....sometimes. That was not quite enough to get us promoted - on a wing and a prayer. We all got mental about the defending of 11 men in the box and NONE left up front to collect a clearance. The too-late substitutions after the horse had just bolted. Putting on a defender to preserve.....a 1 goal deficit. Sitting with the fans in the North Stand, then running around the pitch to witness us going anOTHER bloody early goal behind to poorer teams.
All basic no-nos in football.
IF these ploys WERE successful, then DW might have kept the job. But doing those odd things and failing, made him look a chump week-in week-out, and ultimately a loser in the long run.
Are we 'wise after the event'? Not really, people were deriding those tactics throughout the season. Yet....we managed to have a basically successful season and impress in several games! That was proof that the training was alright, the team selection and squad were alright, the passion, desire and intent was there, but the ultimate foundation required to win the points was not.
Conclusion; put aside, and correct the foibles inherent from the 'basic no-nos', and we'd have consolidated a higher point count, and higher league position.
It was a good try, so I voted "yes".
So, the team, and the manager, got it right....sometimes. That was not quite enough to get us promoted - on a wing and a prayer. We all got mental about the defending of 11 men in the box and NONE left up front to collect a clearance. The too-late substitutions after the horse had just bolted. Putting on a defender to preserve.....a 1 goal deficit. Sitting with the fans in the North Stand, then running around the pitch to witness us going anOTHER bloody early goal behind to poorer teams.
All basic no-nos in football.
IF these ploys WERE successful, then DW might have kept the job. But doing those odd things and failing, made him look a chump week-in week-out, and ultimately a loser in the long run.
Are we 'wise after the event'? Not really, people were deriding those tactics throughout the season. Yet....we managed to have a basically successful season and impress in several games! That was proof that the training was alright, the team selection and squad were alright, the passion, desire and intent was there, but the ultimate foundation required to win the points was not.
Conclusion; put aside, and correct the foibles inherent from the 'basic no-nos', and we'd have consolidated a higher point count, and higher league position.
It was a good try, so I voted "yes".
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Seagullible
Super Keeper
finishing 7th shows he was up to it whether you like it or not US
Bevendean Hillbilly
New member
Yup. That'll be the right answer.
So if Tony Pulis and Stoke finishes just outside of the European places next season, he's failed?
Of course not, everything is relative and success/failure has to go down to the targets you're set. Wilikins was probably given top half as a target. Job done.
I agree with DTG, Knight et al must take responsibility for this decision if Adams fails to get into the play-offs.
¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤
Banned
He's a coach. Simple as.
It was a step too far for him, or at least too soon.
It was a step too far for him, or at least too soon.
Wise words. Clearly has issues on the man-management side, but I was impressed with the side he was building. I bet we don't finish as high as 7th this time out.