Liam Manning - CONFIRMED NEW HEAD COACH

[East Londoner]

12 minutes ago, Selred said:

Is it cheap? 6 figures release clause, plus he'd bring his own team with him as we sacked everyone else.

What "big name" did you want?

‘Not necessarily a big name’ i just wanted us to try something different, we’ve gone for apparently up and coming managers before with the likes of McInnes and LJ and we’ve then gone to more old school managers like SOD, Cotts and Pearson 

We’ve done those and haven’t progressed further than where we are now. But still we try the same things.

Look at Norwich or Huddersfield in the not so distant past they were nowhere and tried something different and appointed two different managers from Germany and both then got promoted.  I’m sure there’s other non German recent examples too.

[OliOTIB]

1 hour ago, ollywhyte said:

All football fans are fickle, win his first home game, couple fist fist pumps to S82 and he will be the second coming of Jesus Christ.
 

*until he loses the couple after that 

Pearson sacked cause he never started the east end bounce

[Major Isewater]

1 hour ago, Homer Simpson said:

Who's Phew managing at the moment?

The Blue Phew? 

[Bazooka Joe]

24 minutes ago, Ian M said:

The Oxford fans seem angry. I'm taking that as a good sign.

I believe they were angry when Mark Ashton left them to join us.

That didn't turn out well.

Will this be a case of . . .

"Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me"  ?

[Ian Pople]

52 minutes ago, nebristolred said:

No offence to the bloke at all and I wish him the absolute best, but whatever happens this is still one of the most ridiculous, unnecessary and stupid decisions in the whole tenure of the Lansdown's.

Whichever way you look at it, to sack a manager who had been doing pretty well, a manager with a proven record of promotion from League One AND the Championship and with a history of building good teams, to then decide that what would be an upgrade is a manager who has done not much more than turn around MK Dons to an extent and have a good start to the season with Oxford.... it's a totally stupid and unnecessary risk and defies all logic whichever perspective you take.

A completely unnecessary and ridiculous appointment, but that isn't Manning's fault. He has a good win % and there are reasons for optimism, and he'll get my full backing. But he is anything but an upgrade on Pearson, and we shouldn't be anywhere near this place of having to consider him in the first place.

Spot on

[Merrick's Marvels]

8 minutes ago, Southport Red said:

I'm sticking £20 on hearing the phrase "Sleeping Giant" sometime soon

When you do, can you get me a price for "front-foot football", although I fear this might be odds-on by now.

[W-S-M Seagull]

One of my big concerns is that him and Nige both have very different perspectives on the game. 

Nige has been at an elite level. He knows what we were missing and what was required to get to that level. 

Manning doesn't have that elite perspective. He's coming from League One. The step up is huge. 

The quality of players is much higher and our facilities are much better. 

Is he going to walk in and think wow all this is absolutely fantastic? Compared fo where he's come from? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[W-S-M Seagull]

4 minutes ago, Spud21 said:

What system does he emply that won't suit our players? always difficult to tell from highlights but I've been watching some and they seem to get a good few goals by moving from back to front very quickly with 2-3 passes to move the ball from defenders to forwards, which could easily be made to suit our players I think. 

They also look like they can retain possession and dominate teams when necessary, so from what I have seen he looks to be exactly the type of manager we want.

As I've said many times I think the timing of all this is a massive risk and bloody stupid but that doesn't mean I think someone like Manning is anywhere near a bad appointment and I am actually quite excited to see qyt he can do but at the same time concerned that he might be on a hiding to nothing because of the boards decisions. 

From what I've read 3 at the back possession football? That's not what we are set up for.

[Bazooka Joe]

28 minutes ago, Dan11 said:

Ipswich fan here...

Manning is a very impressive coach with quite a similar background to McKenna. He has spent years learning his craft, specialising as a coach after retiring from football young. He started coaching at Ipswich in his 20's and was very highly thought of before going to West Ham where he did an excellent job. He was then poached by and progressed through the ranks with the 'City Group' who don't just take any mug! His MK Dons side were fantastic (we played them a couple of times in L1) and they were extremely unfortunate not to get promoted with 89 points. If he hadn't lost everyone half decent from that side, he would have challenged again last year (thankfully for us he did and they didn't!). It is no surprise to me he has got Oxford playing great football and competing at the top of the league this year.

If McKenna were to go tomorrow, I can guarantee he would be most Ipswich fans choice to take over. He shares the same footballing principles and also has a lot of the same personality qualities - very emotionally intelligent and players will love playing for him. His assistant (assuming he comes too) Chris Hogg is also a fantastic coach that was highly thought of here too and he ended up spending time at Newcastle as U23s coach. 

And tonight Matthew, I'm going to be . . . . .

 

Mark Ashton !!!

[Southport Red]

1 minute ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

When you do, can you get me a price for "front-foot football", although I fear this might be odds-on by now.

They have closed the betting on 'Front Foot football".  I can get you evens on 'High-press" if that is of interest?

[38MC]

8 minutes ago, NewquayRed said:

What excites me about this is that he obviously sees plenty of potential in this squad to make what is a pretty high risk move for him, ballsy decision when he's plane sailing at Oxford presently.  Get's my vote that 

I'm not sure you can draw that conclusion, or think it's high-risk or ballsy. He got MK Dons to the playoffs in May, and sacked in December. I'm not surprised he'll jump at the chance to climb the ladder, he has direct experience of how quick it is to go from hero to P45. 

[Akira]

I'm so done with our club right now. 

Need a new owner with both Lansdowns gone along with Tinnion. Feel so disillusioned with City it's unreal, and it's all because of our owner and the stupid decisions he makes regarding our managers time and time again. 

 

[Johnr1986]

I fail to see how this is deemed a better option to take us to the next level, a really disappointing appointment. 

[QuedgeRed]

Excuse me while I’m NOT *UCKING EXCITED!

[Major Isewater]

14 minutes ago, cityred2000 said:

Is it not a tad odd that Manning has done an interview, seemingly today ahead of their match in midweek? 

 

Perhaps this is the Emad Moteb equivalent of doing just one more presser for old time’s sake? 

[Northern Red]

5 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

One of my big concerns is that him and Nige both have very different perspectives on the game. 

Nige has been at an elite level. He knows what we were missing and what was required to get to that level. 

Manning doesn't have that elite perspective. He's coming from League One. The step up is huge. 

The quality of players is much higher and our facilities are much better. 

Is he going to walk in and think wow all this is absolutely fantastic? Compared fo where he's come from? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He spent several years at West Ham, so I doubt it.

[Sir Colby-Tit]

1 hour ago, RedM said:

I'm hearing it's Manning.

 

[Dan11]

4 minutes ago, Bazooka Joe said:

And tonight Matthew, I'm going to be . . . . .

 

Mark Ashton !!!

If he does half as much good for you as Ashton has done here, it will be fantastic appointment!

[Southport Red]

10 minutes ago, NewquayRed said:

What excites me about this is that he obviously sees plenty of potential in this squad to make what is a pretty high risk move for him, ballsy decision when he's plane sailing at Oxford presently.  Get's my vote that 

Just for clarity, I don't get the sense that anyone one here blames Liam  If offered the job, he would have to be insane to not accept it.  I'm sure he is a talented coach with plenty of potential and have no doubts he will bust his guts to do the best he can here.

My anger is at the ownership.  Just when most of us felt we had an identity and a real connection to the team, they throw everything up in the air again.  Good pal of mine is a Brum fan, very similar parallels between supporters of BCFC's.

Good luck Liam, we ARE all behind you and want to see you succeed, we just do not like the way your predecessor was removed and many of us cannot shake the feeling that the chairman was not being honest when giving his reasons.

[Redrascal2]

10 minutes ago, Big C said:

Cameron Brannagan finally

Saw him play this season against Stevenage. To my untrained eye he looked a really good player.

[Lew-T]

Never trust a bloke who’s hiding his receding hairline.

[Slack Bladder]

5 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

From what I've read 3 at the back possession football? That's not what we are set up for.

Have we even got 3 defenders???

[Redrascal2]

Some are saying on the Oxford forum that he is staying with them. Be nice to find out what is happening.

[Port Said Red]

23 minutes ago, Nugget said:

Anyone from Oxford player wise he’d wanna bring I wonder 

I liked the look of Brannagan against us although he is probably the wrong side of 25 to interest us, but I would suggest that @Harry would be the best person to let us know who might be a good fit here.

[Midred]

No official announcement yet then?

[KnowleUtd City]

36 minutes ago, Dan11 said:

Ipswich fan here...

Manning is a very impressive coach with quite a similar background to McKenna. He has spent years learning his craft, specialising as a coach after retiring from football young. He started coaching at Ipswich in his 20's and was very highly thought of before going to West Ham where he did an excellent job. He was then poached by and progressed through the ranks with the 'City Group' who don't just take any mug! His MK Dons side were fantastic (we played them a couple of times in L1) and they were extremely unfortunate not to get promoted with 89 points. If he hadn't lost everyone half decent from that side, he would have challenged again last year (thankfully for us he did and they didn't!). It is no surprise to me he has got Oxford playing great football and competing at the top of the league this year.

If McKenna were to go tomorrow, I can guarantee he would be most Ipswich fans choice to take over. He shares the same footballing principles and also has a lot of the same personality qualities - very emotionally intelligent and players will love playing for him. His assistant (assuming he comes too) Chris Hogg is also a fantastic coach that was highly thought of here too and he ended up spending time at Newcastle as U23s coach. 

Great to hear, sounds like we've got a good 'un! ... good luck to the lad. COYR.

[Southport Red]

1 minute ago, Lew-T said:

Never trust a bloke who’s hiding his receding hairline.

It's so important to have a mantra to live by isn't it Lew? 

[BS15_RED]

Not very excited by this at all, I hope I’m wrong, but feel this is a strange time to make such a huge change. If they’d waited until the summer I could of understood it, but feel this is going to be a disaster doing it mid season.

[nebristolred]

43 minutes ago, Tafkarmlf said:

Can absolutely be incredulous at some of the responses.

The blunt truth

NP wasn't getting the results on field as was his KPI too.

The football wasn't great ( Niges greatest matches thread is conspicuous by it's absence)

Out of contract and not going to be renewed.

Lots of cultural shift sure.

That ship sailed.

Again with the responses all sense of nuance is lost and large swathes of replies begin with an approximation of ' but nige' or any other ever increasing bizarre rants against a person who's yet to coach a game for us.

'As was his KPI too'.

It's a very selectively chosen time to hold him against KPI's though isn't it? He and other managers have both missed position targets before and been given far longer, so why not here? And also, it was only the board who expected promotion. Anyone else who knows an ounce about football had very little actual expectation of promotion this season. So why the change in ruthlessness? It's because deep down it had nothing to do with league position, and we can all see it.

Anyways, we've now 'upgraded' to Liam Manning, so let's see how it goes. But still, a decision that should never, ever have had to be made, and coming out of it with Liam Manning, as promising as he may be, just makes it look even more stupid.

[Bazooka Joe]

1 minute ago, Dan11 said:

If he does half as much good for you as Ashton has done here, it will be fantastic appointment!

McKenna deserves the credit.