Holden interview on RB

[marcofisher]

If Holden has just been given the year to blood some young players for another manager to come in next season then I am all for it. I can stick out the unwatchable dross until the end of the season and accept that this year has been a bit of a write off, in football and in other parts of life.

However, the fact that big money loans such as Mawson came in suggests that might not be the case, and would Holden really come in as a stop gap? 

Only time will tell. Long-term, I think it could be a master stroke if it means Howe comes in at the end of the season with a very cheaply assembled squad of youngsters with Championship experience. Even if it is absolute dross at the minute.

 

I don’t think that will be the plan going forward though. 

 

 

[Red-Robbo]

30 minutes ago, MelksRed said:

Dissent can be loyal too....there is such a thing as blind loyalty.

 

Was going to make that point. We are loyal to the club; not one employee.

To answer LR's question, I can't see Holden being replaced - barring some run of massive defeats - until the end of the season. 

The slide will be occasionally arrested by some wins, but our direction of travel will be slowly downwards. We will finish lower than we did in 19/20, probably considerably lower, and I don't think that'll be acceptable for Lansdown.

The only thing that might save Holden is if he makes some amazing acquisitions (more than one needed IMO) in January and their spark lifts the underperforming players back to looking like contenders.

We'll have coached the talent out of them by May, of course, but we might get a temporary boost mid-season.

[Sweeneys Penalties]

Napoleon once said I would rather have a general who was lucky than one who was good.”. It's fair to say that Holdens luck (as far as injuries is concerned) has been further out than the tide at Weston. Having said that, the cohesion which teams often show in adversity seems to be entirely missing. I felt there was a problem in the background during LJ's time, and that problem still exists. 

[petehinton]

Starting to wonder if it’s the annual Mark Ashton Rejects RB Interview time soon. Normally around January time isn’t it. 
 

Loves being in shot with Holden on the pitch after a win (Wycombe, Forest) but loves going awol in bad runs too. 

[One Team]

42 minutes ago, reddoc said:

I think that too from time to time, and then I wonder what on earth made him take it in the first place ? 

Once he's sacked from this job he's going nowhere in the game. Another manager who's achieved nothing and would have been better off recognising his own limitations. Therefore loses my sympathy vote.

Out of likes here mate but completely agree.

No other club in the Championship (perhaps the football league) would’ve appointed him. I don’t blame him for taking the job, in his position I can see why he did, it’s Ashton and SL who need to take the blame (and indeed praise if it turns around).

2 minutes ago, petehinton said:

Starting to wonder if it’s the annual Mark Ashton Rejects RB Interview time soon. Normally around January time isn’t it. 
 

Loves being in shot with Holden on the pitch after a win (Wycombe, Forest) but loves going awol in bad runs too. 

Correct Pete, I would love to see GT give him and indeed SL a grilling live on air. 

[Alessandro]

2 hours ago, One Team said:

Part of me actually feels sorry for him; and that really isn’t a good thing at all. 

I do at times too.

But he took the job with open eyes - watch this interview again if you want, it's clear he wanted this job:

• "It was important the club did due diligence and saw what candidates were out there and I'm delighted those chose me"
• "I'm ready for this job....i've been 25 years in this industry....i'm my own man, i've got my way of doing things and as I say, i'm ready and i'm looking forward to it"
• "It's a fantastic group of players at the club already and with a few additions I think we can really challenge this season"
• "I embrace the responsibility of being head-coach, this is something i've been building towards"
• "we want to get on the front foot, we want to play attacking exciting football, creating chances in the oppositions half of the pitch and when we haven't got the ball we want to win it back as quickly as we can and get our supporters out their seats"

 

 

[Sir Geoff]

8 minutes ago, Alessandro said:

I do at times too.

But he took the job with open eyes - watch this interview again if you want, it's clear he wanted this job:

• "It was important the club did due diligence and saw what candidates were out there and I'm delighted those chose me"
• "I'm ready for this job....i've been 25 years in this industry....i'm my own man, i've got my way of doing things and as I say, i'm ready and i'm looking forward to it"
• "It's a fantastic group of players at the club already and with a few additions I think we can really challenge this season"
• "I embrace the responsibility of being head-coach, this is something i've been building towards"
• "we want to get on the front foot, we want to play attacking exciting football, creating chances in the oppositions half of the pitch and when we haven't got the ball we want to win it back as quickly as we can and get our supporters out their seats"

 

 

He's certainly managed that as they switch off or avoid Robins TV altogether.

[Sir Geoff]

Brentford not the right game but surely it would freshen things up playing a few of the youngsters against Portsmouth. We are told they hold their own in training against the more senior pros which is why they are on the bench. Seeing them on the pitch is long overdue and there can be no reason why some of them havent been given 20 minutes or so at the end of some of our recent dismal performances.

[Red white and red]

13 hours ago, TomThumb84 said:

Holden would have got the job regardless of COVID, and being the cheap option has nothing to do with it.

I firmly believe he got the job on the basis that anyone - and I mean anyone else would have meant changes to roles/responsibilities/agenda at boardroom level. Egos and vanity would never have allowed that to happen.

If Holden goes because his position becomes untenable, then Simpson gets the job, and on we go.

This is bang on! 

[Bazooka Joe]

23 minutes ago, petehinton said:

Starting to wonder if it’s the annual Mark Ashton Rejects RB Interview time soon. Normally around January time isn’t it. 
 

Loves being in shot with Holden on the pitch after a win (Wycombe, Forest) but loves going awol in bad runs too. 

Ashton's verbal diarrhea is a bad case of the runs.

[Harry]

1 hour ago, ashton_fan said:

I think that if Holden is given the push at some stage Simpson will take over and be given a chance to prove he can do it, he's been Head Coach before and it would fit with the Club's continuity policy rather than bringing in outsiders who are seen as greater risk

If this happens then Mr Ashton had better decide which one of Simpson & Downing he wants to keep. 
‘Rumour’ has it that he’s already made one expensive balls-up by approaching both of them back in the summer for the assistant role, not expecting BOTH of them to say yes!!! 
Oh dear Mark - you really didn’t have a good summer did you!! 

[City1970]

2 hours ago, ashton_fan said:

Why should Lansdown be accountable when he owns the club, it's not a democracy? If people don't like the way it's being run they have the option of not watching

Even Lansdown is not daft enough to share that philosophy. 

[Tin Soldier]

Without SLs £, the club would have fallen into a really bad situation a long time ago because it's the money that always covers the mistakes this club keep making IMO. I don’t blame DH completely, as he inherited a mess from Johnson. But things are not improving currently so pressure now comes on top.

Ashton has to go as he oversees the club’s policies. Slimey piece of shite IMO.

[Davefevs]

3 hours ago, Alessandro said:

Fair comments, and I could well be taking 2 + 2 and getting 5.
 

But then again when you see the growing injury list...you’ve got to ask the question!

No, don’t misunderstand, I wasn’t saying you’re wrong, just adding in detail re roles.  You’re right to ask the question.

1 hour ago, Dolman Block B said:

I’d also think a defeat to Pompey in the FA Cup may well see a board meeting 

I think it was the Shrewsbury defeat that cost LJ his job and SL’s vanity match with Liverpool on tv.

I think we need a cup run....if only for the money.  Getting a run is a different matter though.

1 hour ago, MelksRed said:

Like it didn't with the loss against Shrewsbury last year? 

I wouldn't hold your breath old chap! 

[stephenkibby.]

18 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

No, don’t misunderstand, I wasn’t saying you’re wrong, just adding in detail re roles.  You’re right to ask the question.

I think it was the Shrewsbury defeat that cost LJ his job and SL’s vanity match with Liverpool on tv.

I think we need a cup run....if only for the money.  Getting a run is a different matter though.

Yeah your right getting a run is the difficult bit.

If Portsmouth put out a full strength side i can see them turning us over whatever side Dean  puts out. Have watched them a couple of times good side and obviously full of confidence with the run they have been on.

[Cidre Monita]

The summer change of coach was well documented as being a disaster and amateur in extreme. Sl , again, got upset about being questioned and basically told everyone to shut up, he puts in the money, he will do what he wants. He has decided to put the most important role at the club in the hands of a poorly prepared and ill equipped person. No not Holden, Ashton. Holden should never in a million years have been on any potential list of replacement for LJ. A professional operation would have a list of future coaches identified, and would have one lined up long before LJ left. We have a self appointed director of football, who has nothing on his cv to suggest he is the person to build a modern, relevant, and successful football club. Nothing. Yet SL chooses to allow this person to guide the choice of coach and recruitment of players. I will not go into the nonsense of our recruitment processes, but there are gaping holes in it that on one side are laughable, on the other completely random. That Holden got the job is not the fault of Dean. He saw this as his chance, but sadly it is his Brian Tinnion moment. He should never have taken it, and gone  somewhere else to learn his role. Exactly like LJ . He came to us many years too early and minus any success. All this the fault of SL and MA. You can look at our injury list, and indeed , that is a factor this season. But it is not a factor for performances when you look at who is playing and who is fit and how we performed against Luton and others. Our centre back cost more than the whole Luton side. We had a 6m centre forward on the bench. Yes it is tough, and against the top sides you can see it would impact, but the awful, disjointed, aimless football is not about the injury list. At least SL cannot blame the fans for the atmosphere, this is self inflicted nonsense. 

Sl and MA have again lost any momentum and good will created by the LJ tenure. I can generously say it stabilised the club , and most assumed it made us an attractive proposition. They have history at missing opportunity, our best ever promotion and title win followed by total nonsense and recriminations. THis is where we come to the crux of the issue. What characterised that promotion was a team spirit.Not just on the pitch, but also off it. The whole club was as one and with belief. You knew how we were going to play, and we signed players to achieve it. 

Sl and his yes man have created , and continue to create ,a divide , a lack of unity, clarity and application. Dean Holden is just an unfortunate pawn in the charade. 

SL does not want , does not really really want a state of the art football club. It is not about money, he has spent more than enough. It is about real desire. He could do it if he wanted to. Just as we have seen with rugby, but with football, it is far more important other factors that only he knows but we can all surmise. 

If he wants to somehow regain some credability, then before dumping Holden, Ashton needs replacing ASAP and a high quality , highly experienced DOF is needed to upgrade and improve the scouting and recruitment (including head coach recruitment) . Ashton should have been shown the door with LJ. 

 

[Harry]

41 minutes ago, Psychopomp said:

The summer change of coach was well documented as being a disaster and amateur in extreme. Sl , again, got upset about being questioned and basically told everyone to shut up, he puts in the money, he will do what he wants. He has decided to put the most important role at the club in the hands of a poorly prepared and ill equipped person. No not Holden, Ashton. Holden should never in a million years have been on any potential list of replacement for LJ. A professional operation would have a list of future coaches identified, and would have one lined up long before LJ left. We have a self appointed director of football, who has nothing on his cv to suggest he is the person to build a modern, relevant, and successful football club. Nothing. Yet SL chooses to allow this person to guide the choice of coach and recruitment of players. I will not go into the nonsense of our recruitment processes, but there are gaping holes in it that on one side are laughable, on the other completely random. That Holden got the job is not the fault of Dean. He saw this as his chance, but sadly it is his Brian Tinnion moment. He should never have taken it, and gone  somewhere else to learn his role. Exactly like LJ . He came to us many years too early and minus any success. All this the fault of SL and MA. You can look at our injury list, and indeed , that is a factor this season. But it is not a factor for performances when you look at who is playing and who is fit and how we performed against Luton and others. Our centre back cost more than the whole Luton side. We had a 6m centre forward on the bench. Yes it is tough, and against the top sides you can see it would impact, but the awful, disjointed, aimless football is not about the injury list. At least SL cannot blame the fans for the atmosphere, this is self inflicted nonsense. 

Sl and MA have again lost any momentum and good will created by the LJ tenure. I can generously say it stabilised the club , and most assumed it made us an attractive proposition. They have history at missing opportunity, our best ever promotion and title win followed by total nonsense and recriminations. THis is where we come to the crux of the issue. What characterised that promotion was a team spirit.Not just on the pitch, but also off it. The whole club was as one and with belief. You knew how we were going to play, and we signed players to achieve it. 

Sl and his yes man have created , and continue to create ,a divide , a lack of unity, clarity and application. Dean Holden is just an unfortunate pawn in the charade. 

SL does not want , does not really really want a state of the art football club. It is not about money, he has spent more than enough. It is about real desire. He could do it if he wanted to. Just as we have seen with rugby, but with football, it is far more important other factors that only he knows but we can all surmise. 

If he wants to somehow regain some credability, then before dumping Holden, Ashton needs replacing ASAP and a high quality , highly experienced DOF is needed to upgrade and improve the scouting and recruitment (including head coach recruitment) . Ashton should have been shown the door with LJ. 

 

May I say, Psychopomp, whoever you are, I bloody love you. 
Spot on fella.
 

Edit - Fella or Lassie. I don’t want to assume gender.

[Sheltons Army]

15 minutes ago, Psychopomp said:

The summer change of coach was well documented as being a disaster and amateur in extreme. Sl , .....

.....never in a million years have been on any potential list of replacement for LJ. A professional operation would have a list of future coaches identified, and would have one lined up long before LJ left. We have a self appointed director of football, ........

Think you make an excellent point here , and one that’s not been at the forefront of the numerous threads and thousands of posts re Holdens appointment

 

Absolutely MA should have a constant target list of coaches , continually amended , in case we have a change of head coach for any reason 

A list of (realistic) coaches that we’ve identified , and researched throughly , as being a suitable fit and attractive head coach to take us forward , not wait to see who throws their hat in

[Harry]

Just now, Sheltons Army said:

Think you make an excellent point here , and one that’s not been at the forefront of the numerous threads and thousands of posts re Holdens appointment

 

Absolutely MA should have a constant target list of coaches , continually amended , in case we have a change of head coach for any reason 

A list of (realistic) coaches that we’ve identified , and researched throughly , as being a suitable fit and attractive head coach to take us forward , not wait to see who throws their hat in

Yep. I mentioned this back in the summer. Ashton had previously mentioned that he DOES have such a plan in place. Clearly he was talking bollox again when he said it. 

[petehinton]

1 minute ago, Harry said:

Yep. I mentioned this back in the summer. Ashton had previously mentioned that he DOES have such a plan in place. Clearly he was talking bollox again when he said it. 

I said before one thing that never really scrutinised by Twentyman at the time, was how MA said both him and JL interviewed the ‘final 3 candidates on 6 or 7 occasions’. 

Now either this was a lie to fit into his ‘rigorous process’ narrative, or it’s just blind stupid. Why do the same 2 People need to interview the same 3 people c7 times to make a decision?

[Davefevs]

13 minutes ago, petehinton said:

I said before one thing that never really scrutinised by Twentyman at the time, was how MA said both him and JL interviewed the ‘final 3 candidates on 6 or 7 occasions’. 

Now either this was a lie to fit into his ‘rigorous process’ narrative, or it’s just blind stupid. Why do the same 2 People need to interview the same 3 people c7 times to make a decision?

Pete....I genuinely think they would’ve liked Hughton....but not on his “terms”.  I can’t find the right words but imagine Father Ted and Mrs Doyle and her cups of tea, and you’ll get the gist of what I’m trying to say.  I think they thought they’d grind him down and he’d accept to work in their model.  He didn’t.

[exAtyeoMax]

2 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Pete....I genuinely think they would’ve liked Hughton....but not on his “terms”.  I can’t find the right words but imagine Father Ted and Mrs Doyle and her cups of tea, and you’ll get the gist of what I’m trying to say.  I think they thought they’d grind him down and he’d accept to work in their model.  He didn’t.

or SL & JL are genuinely naive and ignorant to MA's possible shortcomings and blinded by his bull…

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, exAtyeoMax said:

or SL & JL are genuinely naive and ignorant to MA's possible shortcomings and blinded by his bull…

Maybe that too.

[Tin Soldier]

2 hours ago, Psychopomp said:

The summer change of coach was well documented as being a disaster and amateur in extreme. Sl , again, got upset about being questioned and basically told everyone to shut up, he puts in the money, he will do what he wants. He has decided to put the most important role at the club in the hands of a poorly prepared and ill equipped person. No not Holden, Ashton. Holden should never in a million years have been on any potential list of replacement for LJ. A professional operation would have a list of future coaches identified, and would have one lined up long before LJ left. We have a self appointed director of football, who has nothing on his cv to suggest he is the person to build a modern, relevant, and successful football club. Nothing. Yet SL chooses to allow this person to guide the choice of coach and recruitment of players. I will not go into the nonsense of our recruitment processes, but there are gaping holes in it that on one side are laughable, on the other completely random. That Holden got the job is not the fault of Dean. He saw this as his chance, but sadly it is his Brian Tinnion moment. He should never have taken it, and gone  somewhere else to learn his role. Exactly like LJ . He came to us many years too early and minus any success. All this the fault of SL and MA. You can look at our injury list, and indeed , that is a factor this season. But it is not a factor for performances when you look at who is playing and who is fit and how we performed against Luton and others. Our centre back cost more than the whole Luton side. We had a 6m centre forward on the bench. Yes it is tough, and against the top sides you can see it would impact, but the awful, disjointed, aimless football is not about the injury list. At least SL cannot blame the fans for the atmosphere, this is self inflicted nonsense. 

Sl and MA have again lost any momentum and good will created by the LJ tenure. I can generously say it stabilised the club , and most assumed it made us an attractive proposition. They have history at missing opportunity, our best ever promotion and title win followed by total nonsense and recriminations. THis is where we come to the crux of the issue. What characterised that promotion was a team spirit.Not just on the pitch, but also off it. The whole club was as one and with belief. You knew how we were going to play, and we signed players to achieve it. 

Sl and his yes man have created , and continue to create ,a divide , a lack of unity, clarity and application. Dean Holden is just an unfortunate pawn in the charade. 

SL does not want , does not really really want a state of the art football club. It is not about money, he has spent more than enough. It is about real desire. He could do it if he wanted to. Just as we have seen with rugby, but with football, it is far more important other factors that only he knows but we can all surmise. 

If he wants to somehow regain some credability, then before dumping Holden, Ashton needs replacing ASAP and a high quality , highly experienced DOF is needed to upgrade and improve the scouting and recruitment (including head coach recruitment) . Ashton should have been shown the door with LJ. 

 

Absolutely nailed it. The nonsense going on currently has to STOP, and that means lancing the boil that festers this football club, which is Ashton. WTF was he doing recruiting DH? Feel sorry for DH TBF as he is completely out of his depth.

[mossey]

we want to get on the front foot, we want to play attacking exciting football, creating chances in the oppositions half of the pitch and when we haven't got the ball we want to win it back as quickly as we can and get our supporters out their seats" Oh dear, looks a bit stupid now, it’s been anything but, in fact quite the opposite 

[richyy66]

3 minutes ago, mossey said:

we want to get on the front foot, we want to play attacking exciting football, creating chances in the oppositions half of the pitch and when we haven't got the ball we want to win it back as quickly as we can and get our supporters out their seat

"We want to get on the front foot, we want to play attacking exciting football, creating chances in the oppositions half of the pitch and when we haven't got the ball we want to win it back as quickly as we can and get our supporters out their seats "-

That's what we would all like to see - but were not going to get it watching us this season - 

[Ska Junkie]

2 hours ago, richyy66 said:

"We want to get on the front foot, we want to play attacking exciting football, creating chances in the oppositions half of the pitch and when we haven't got the ball we want to win it back as quickly as we can and get our supporters out their seats "-

That's what we would all like to see - but were not going to get it watching us this season - 

Well, we're out of our seats (thanks covid). 1 out of 5 then! 

Sunday league Manager using £M players to play dire Sunday league football. If I watched Cadbury heath or Longwell green (I do at the moment as they're local) playing the same dirge, I would go home. 

Sorry Dean, ovely fella you may be and it was a good effort but this is too big a job for you. Time to admit it and go. 

I've heard Manchester is nice this time of year. 

[petehinton]

5 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Pete....I genuinely think they would’ve liked Hughton....but not on his “terms”.  I can’t find the right words but imagine Father Ted and Mrs Doyle and her cups of tea, and you’ll get the gist of what I’m trying to say.  I think they thought they’d grind him down and he’d accept to work in their model.  He didn’t.

Yep. I think a mixture of that, and Hughton being bigger and more experienced by them, ala not liking the home truths he would bring 

[054123]

Last night was the first time it dawned on me that it is the coaching that is the issue.

I watched 11 more talented players than their opponents, conduct themselves in a manner bereft of idea or direction.

I’m not saying the coaches sent them out there blind to a game plan, but whatever the plan is, or how it’s is communicated, is failing.

@Red-Robbosummed it up perfectly.

Luton and Wycombe are coached to perform in a way that the whole is greater than the sum of all individual parts.

Lee Johnson and now Dean Holden somehow contrive to to create a whole less than the sum of all individual parts.

HNM is a good footballer, so is Adam Nagy, so is Tyreeq Bakinson, so is Antoine Semenyo, Wells record prior to us is outstanding.

Dean and the boys need to sort this out.

[redsquirrel]

its like dead rubber end of season games every week