POLL- Who should be the next manager?

[gazzer, loyal royal]

Please not Curbishly.

Martinez, Ferguson Jnr or Poyet

poyets application has been rejected!

[Muskrat]

Ray wilkins is worth a shout..... good win record, experience with "big" players and at championship level.

So Mr Wilkins, what have you done in your football career?

Apart from go bald, nothing.

Exit stage left.

Don't hold your breath expecting Butch to join us.

[winchester_royal]

Please not Curbishly.

Martinez, Ferguson Jnr or Poyet

poyets application has been rejected!

How the hell do you know that?

[bigmike]

I believe Marco Van Basten is looking for a job at the moment

[yuomi]

andrei shevchenko as a player manager.

[Great Knolly]

I voted Rodgers. Curbs is a bit of a stodgy, safe choice.

Why isn't McGhee on the list ? Is it because we know Motherwell wouldn't release him ?

[yappy]

IMHO it'd be a real backwards step [with Curbishley] - in a lot of ways I feel he's backward looking instead of forward looking, and I think it'd take him too long to get up to speed with the players. He tried and failed with West Ham where he didn't come in and take control - he came in to a club in crisis with rock bottom morale and lots of dressing-room in-fighting and wasn't able to stop it. I think he's too weak and too nice, and won't impose himself onto players.

Its a fair point, but in Curbishley's defence he didn't have much control at the club anyways. If the club was selling players without him knowing, its quite hard to take control of players, he didn't really have control of. The way West Ham is run it was always going to be difficult for him, given the chance at a well ran club, i.e. us, I think he could do a good job.

This is an interesting article - from a West Ham fanzine discussing how poor and negative Curbs was for them.

Cheers for the link, good read.

I take the point that under Curbishley that the football was fairly negative and dull, however reading the article and the comments made, it is pointed out that Curbishley's team actually gained more points and scored more points than the 'positive' Zola. Yes i'd love for us to play the attacking free flowing football that we produced a few seasons ago, but at the end of the day football is a points-related business.

This season if anything we've tried to be a bit too wide, a bit too direct and play at too high a tempo. Teams have sussed out that all we try to do is get the ball out wide to Hunt and Kebe, and at the end of the day they aren't half the players Little and Convey were in 05/06 and we don't have the threat of Sidwell bombing through the middle anymore. Giving up playing attacking football to play successful football, is a sacrifice i'd be willing to make.

[Kitson12]

Why isn't McGhee on the list ? Is it because we know Motherwell wouldn't release him ?

Is it because the fat Scottish barsteward left us? And isn't that good a manager anyway?

[Hoop Blah]

This season if anything we've tried to be a bit too wide, a bit too direct and play at too high a tempo. Teams have sussed out that all we try to do is get the ball out wide to Hunt and Kebe, and at the end of the day they aren't half the players Little and Convey were in 05/06 and we don't have the threat of Sidwell bombing through the middle anymore. Giving up playing attacking football to play successful football, is a sacrifice i'd be willing to make.

Agree on the one dimensional approach we had, but I disagree on the high tempo bit. We've been direct and got the ball forward far too quickly without showing any patience or abilty to keep the ball, but we've not done it at a high tempo.

High tempo was what we used to play when we'd not let teams settle by keeping the ball in play and moving (short passing or direct) quickly and generally not letting up for 90 minutes. We've been nothing like that this season.

Personally I'd rather we didn't forgo decent attacking football in favour of becoming a stifling team in order to become successful for two reasons. Firstly it's horrid to watch, and secondly I think you'll be more successful by playing 'better' more intelligent football than just being defensive and spoiling games.

[Plymouth_Royal]

im surprised brian mcdermott hasnt been considered considering the work he's done with progressing the youngsters in the ressies. I dont know how many people have seen Mr Mads interview on the OS but i got the impression he wants someone to use our youngsters more. he was hinting that their loan spells this season have put them in a fantastic position for a place in the team, and he would like to see more of there involvement because he thinks our squad is good enough.

saying all that, it is why i think brendan rodgers or eamon dolan would be a great candidate for the job. not too sure curbs would like the idea of a low budget and only being able to work with players already in place from the previous management. I also think he may fancy the newcastle job because i cant see shearer staying there.

[Royal Lady]

Ranieri has just been sacked - mind you, we couldn't afford him.

[peterroyal76]

im surprised brian mcdermott hasnt been considered considering the work he's done with progressing the youngsters in the ressies. I dont know how many people have seen Mr Mads interview on the OS but i got the impression he wants someone to use our youngsters more. he was hinting that their loan spells this season have put them in a fantastic position for a place in the team, and he would like to see more of there involvement because he thinks our squad is good enough.

saying all that, it is why i think brendan rodgers or eamon dolan would be a great candidate for the job. not too sure curbs would like the idea of a low budget and only being able to work with players already in place from the previous management. I also think he may fancy the newcastle job because i cant see shearer staying there.

I don't agree with you on Brian McDermott although it was good to hear a different name, but hey this is all about opinions.
I saw the comment from Mr Mads about the budget, me thinks there will be quite a bit of cost cutting in addition to what we already know which may lead to some applicants changing their minds.

[Ian Royal]

We can afford to streamline the squad quite a bit (already begun). Add a couple of quality purchases who aren't going to expect Premier League wages and we'll be looking quite health financially and with the squad (on paper at least).

Especially if we can shift some of the larger earners for a few quid. Yes SHunt I am looking at YOU.

[Deathy]

We can afford to streamline the squad quite a bit (already begun). Add a couple of quality purchases who aren't going to expect Premier League wages and we'll be looking quite health financially and with the squad (on paper at least).

Especially if we can shift some of the larger earners for a few quid. Yes SHunt I am looking at YOU.

"We get the parachute payments and this is the last season we get them so we'll have to cut our coat according to the cloth."

Wont be easy finding quality purchases on a thinner than thin budget this summer. If we thought we were a bit tight last summer, this one will be a lot harder.

With regard to that quote, in one year we wont have the parachute payments and we will be surviving on about 20% of this current income. Sure that's what Dirk said. Tough times.

[Ian Royal]

That's about wages and squad size, not transfer fees.

Cutting our coat means reducing squad size by relying more on younsgters coming through and not signing players on Prem wages / off loading some of the higher earners.

See Lita, Duberry, Murty & Hahnemann.

I think it would be hard to argue that our squad wasn't over large this season. Unfortunately it was filled with under performing players of a similar standard.

[Cookie]

it was filled with under performing players

That's the bit that's hard to argue with.

[Sun Tzu]

I saw the comment from Mr Mads about the budget, me thinks there will be quite a bit of cost cutting in addition to what we already know which may lead to some applicants changing their minds.

No chance !

An unemployed football manager would take a job if it was offered to him on the condition he sold his grandma....

It's a very, very tough thing to get re employed - most football managers are out of work and if a job comes up there is a rush of hundreds of former bosses desperate to get a chance. Very few are lucky enouigh to be able to pick and chose.

[YateleyRoyal]

Murty as manager anyone?

[SteveRoyal]

Murty as manager anyone?

Maybe in a few years time when he's actually got his badges and managed a club.

[SLAMMED]

Murty as manager anyone?

You can't be serious...