| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… 00:46 - Apr 27 with 5254 views | charlie1 |
…. then what an inspired, and brave, choice.
You’d think he would have had a decent (for League 1) amount of money available to make the appointment. Could have easily thrown that money at a high-profile old head to try and appease his bosses with a higher likelihood of promotion than a largely unheard of young coach who had never managed before.
He bought vision, clarity, calmness, passion, intelligence, an abundance of talent and, from everything I’ve seen so far, a huge amount of potential.
Hindsight tells us what an excellent appointment McKenna has been, but the courage to take the gamble in the first place can’t be understated. |  | | |  |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 03:03 - Apr 27 with 3783 views | Illinoisblue |
I think the ruthlessness shown in how quickly we got rid of Cook helped set the tone for the new era. Strong “we’re not fking around here” energy. Whether it was Ashton or somebody got a whisper, whoever it was who got KMAc here deserves a medal. We should enjoy him while we have him. He’s going all the way. Hopefully he can drag us with him. [Post edited 27 Apr 2023 3:04]
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 03:28 - Apr 27 with 3755 views | Stenvict |
Surely it was the next logical step for the club. The majority of our previous managers were brought in to do exactly what they had experience of doing; getting promoted from the division we were in. Unfortunately, they all failed, some miserably.
We bought all the right players, but Cook was a terrible manager that didn't know how to properly coach them. We needed an actual coach, and you can't really go wrong if you're going for a coach of one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Ashton has previous with giving managers their first managerial job, he knows what he's doing. | |
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 06:33 - Apr 27 with 3551 views | LegendofthePhoenix |
We absolutely need to sing a song for Ashton on Saturday. This transformation of our club wouldn't have happened without him. |  |
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 06:36 - Apr 27 with 3528 views | ITFC_Forever |
Of all the contract renewals and signings we can make in the summer, McKenna’sis the most important.
And to think ME gave Fraud Lambert a five year contract….. |  |
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 06:55 - Apr 27 with 3456 views | Pendejo |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 06:33 - Apr 27 by LegendofthePhoenix |
We absolutely need to sing a song for Ashton on Saturday. This transformation of our club wouldn't have happened without him. |
Your own sentence scans in the nursery rhyme about 4 and 20 blackbirds named in a pie.
Sing a song for Ashton, promotion in a pie(?)
I'm sure someone can improve on that. |  |
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 07:42 - Apr 27 with 3268 views | Churchman |
From interviews with Ashton it’s clear he did the legwork on recruiting KM, though of course it would have to have been sanctioned by the owners. Great decision.
I think Ashton said that they had lots of candidates and options and none of them felt right. They had, I believe, done their homework on McKenna and MA knew on meeting him that he fitted what they were after. I suspect O’Leary’s influence and experience was a factor too.
Tried and trusted, big name or a young coach making their way in the game? Of course, while McKenna is young in years, he’s very experienced in coaching roles at MU and Spurs but management is a different skill set.
The type of manager KM is (young, hungry, thoughtful, measured) looked and felt right to me at the time, not that I know anything. So much better than an old retread, sacked roundabout merchant or ‘big name’.
So yes, it was a brave decision to appoint him and a skilled one. They clearly did their homework and tbf, so did McKenna. What an opportunity for him, but it was still the other side of the country, in L1. |  | | |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 07:44 - Apr 27 with 3252 views | Help |
We've got Super Mark Ashton
he knows exactly who we need
he spends the cash
buys quality not trash
now we're gonna win the football league |  | | |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 07:48 - Apr 27 with 3244 views | Westcountryblue |
I think there is quite a lot of unfair criticism levelled at Cook.
He ruthlessly removed the dead wood in our squad and brought in some exceptional players, many of which dropped a division to play for him. His style of football was very naive, but basic foundations for some of the attacking and possession based football we play now were laid during his tenure. Cook's fatal error was in appointing a very inexperienced backroom team, whereby he essentially hired rookies and his mates. [Post edited 27 Apr 2023 7:49]
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| Likewise on 07:52 - Apr 27 with 3212 views | Dyland |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 07:42 - Apr 27 by Churchman |
From interviews with Ashton it’s clear he did the legwork on recruiting KM, though of course it would have to have been sanctioned by the owners. Great decision.
I think Ashton said that they had lots of candidates and options and none of them felt right. They had, I believe, done their homework on McKenna and MA knew on meeting him that he fitted what they were after. I suspect O’Leary’s influence and experience was a factor too.
Tried and trusted, big name or a young coach making their way in the game? Of course, while McKenna is young in years, he’s very experienced in coaching roles at MU and Spurs but management is a different skill set.
The type of manager KM is (young, hungry, thoughtful, measured) looked and felt right to me at the time, not that I know anything. So much better than an old retread, sacked roundabout merchant or ‘big name’.
So yes, it was a brave decision to appoint him and a skilled one. They clearly did their homework and tbf, so did McKenna. What an opportunity for him, but it was still the other side of the country, in L1. |
I was cockerhoops when we appointed McKenna, because it really was the proverbial breath of fresh air. It was genuinely exciting, and still is. It's about the only call/reaction I've got right, except thinking Hurst would see us relegated after seeing his ridiculous team in action the first few times. Couldn't understand why fans were going on about him being a breath of fresh air. He wasn't at all. This is notwithstanding blame being firmly placed on Evans, more than Hurst, who was totally out of his depth and had fack all proper support. What a sh1tshow that was ffs. |  |
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 07:54 - Apr 27 with 3202 views | Dyland |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 07:48 - Apr 27 by Westcountryblue |
I think there is quite a lot of unfair criticism levelled at Cook.
He ruthlessly removed the dead wood in our squad and brought in some exceptional players, many of which dropped a division to play for him. His style of football was very naive, but basic foundations for some of the attacking and possession based football we play now were laid during his tenure. Cook's fatal error was in appointing a very inexperienced backroom team, whereby he essentially hired rookies and his mates. [Post edited 27 Apr 2023 7:49]
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"basic foundations for some of the attacking and possession based football we play now were laid during his tenure"
I don't see that at all. He kept chopping and changing, and was never going to be given the time he needed to get it right. He's such an old school manager and it was never going to work with the curernt owners. I remember one of his last matches at PR him running on to the pitch before the game waving like Mr Blobby.
I totally agree with your last point, that was indeed his biggest fook up. | |
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 08:36 - Apr 27 with 3037 views | N2_Blue |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 07:48 - Apr 27 by Westcountryblue |
I think there is quite a lot of unfair criticism levelled at Cook.
He ruthlessly removed the dead wood in our squad and brought in some exceptional players, many of which dropped a division to play for him. His style of football was very naive, but basic foundations for some of the attacking and possession based football we play now were laid during his tenure. Cook's fatal error was in appointing a very inexperienced backroom team, whereby he essentially hired rookies and his mates. [Post edited 27 Apr 2023 7:49]
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Cook was a mess.
I think any manager coming in would have got rid of the dead wood. It was clear the squad was stale, aging and demotivated.
He brought in some good players but that’s not that difficult when given a reasonable budget for this level but everything else was a total mess. |  |
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 08:44 - Apr 27 with 2987 views | Dubtractor |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 07:48 - Apr 27 by Westcountryblue |
I think there is quite a lot of unfair criticism levelled at Cook.
He ruthlessly removed the dead wood in our squad and brought in some exceptional players, many of which dropped a division to play for him. His style of football was very naive, but basic foundations for some of the attacking and possession based football we play now were laid during his tenure. Cook's fatal error was in appointing a very inexperienced backroom team, whereby he essentially hired rookies and his mates. [Post edited 27 Apr 2023 7:49]
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Cook made a complete mess of things, no point pretending otherwise. |  |
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 08:45 - Apr 27 with 2977 views | Jon_456 |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 06:33 - Apr 27 by LegendofthePhoenix |
We absolutely need to sing a song for Ashton on Saturday. This transformation of our club wouldn't have happened without him. |
Mark Ashton had a dream
To build a football team
We needed a coach so we signed the best in the world
We built from the back
With Hirst in attack
We’re Ipswich Town
We’re on our way back | | | |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 08:51 - Apr 27 with 2939 views | Darth_Koont |
In the end, Cook has turned into a convenient fall guy and given McKenna more breathing space.
But there’s little doubt after seeing what it’s taken this season that we were a long way off last campaign (although we should have been in the play-off mix more than we were).
It wasn’t the plan to fail last season. But it’s worked out well for McKenna who probably needed a year and a couple of transfer windows to really create HIS team and get his ideas across. And if and when we’re officially promoted, we’ve laid a lot of the foundations for a competitive season next year. |  |
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 08:52 - Apr 27 with 2940 views | CityBlue |
hindsight tells us what a great appointment Ashton was! |  |
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 09:12 - Apr 27 with 2863 views | NeedhamChris |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 07:48 - Apr 27 by Westcountryblue |
I think there is quite a lot of unfair criticism levelled at Cook.
He ruthlessly removed the dead wood in our squad and brought in some exceptional players, many of which dropped a division to play for him. His style of football was very naive, but basic foundations for some of the attacking and possession based football we play now were laid during his tenure. Cook's fatal error was in appointing a very inexperienced backroom team, whereby he essentially hired rookies and his mates. [Post edited 27 Apr 2023 7:49]
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Not for me - I think he deserves every bit of it.
I will never forgive him for preferring Nsiala to Woolfenden, and had Cook had his way the latter would be off somewhere else. He did a lot else wrong and I think was a terrible appointment (hindsight!).
He's failing again with Chesterfield in the National League - hardly a damning success since either. | |
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 09:20 - Apr 27 with 2816 views | Swansea_Blue |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 03:28 - Apr 27 by Stenvict |
Surely it was the next logical step for the club. The majority of our previous managers were brought in to do exactly what they had experience of doing; getting promoted from the division we were in. Unfortunately, they all failed, some miserably.
We bought all the right players, but Cook was a terrible manager that didn't know how to properly coach them. We needed an actual coach, and you can't really go wrong if you're going for a coach of one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Ashton has previous with giving managers their first managerial job, he knows what he's doing. |
The model maybe was logical, but it still needed someone with judgement to make the right call specifically abut McKenna. Evans had AWFUL judgement. Although Aston has got some wrong in the past, so he's far from infallible. But yes, he knows what he's doing which is a nice change. |  |
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| Judgement is the thing on 09:29 - Apr 27 with 2769 views | Dyland |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 09:20 - Apr 27 by Swansea_Blue |
The model maybe was logical, but it still needed someone with judgement to make the right call specifically abut McKenna. Evans had AWFUL judgement. Although Aston has got some wrong in the past, so he's far from infallible. But yes, he knows what he's doing which is a nice change. |
Ashton's no genius but he has good football knowledge and nous. He's also ambitious and those ambitions match the owners. It's a good fit, and is clearly going well for the time being.
Does he have a bit of an ego? For sure, but I don't mind that, as long as there are checks and balancing acts, which there seem to be in O'Leary etc.
I like Ashton. He's got balls, gives a sh1t, and is thus far doing a cracking job chief execing our footy club. I don't care if he comes across a bit cheese roll, I don't live or work with the bloke. | |
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 09:30 - Apr 27 with 2736 views | Darth_Koont |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 07:48 - Apr 27 by Westcountryblue |
I think there is quite a lot of unfair criticism levelled at Cook.
He ruthlessly removed the dead wood in our squad and brought in some exceptional players, many of which dropped a division to play for him. His style of football was very naive, but basic foundations for some of the attacking and possession based football we play now were laid during his tenure. Cook's fatal error was in appointing a very inexperienced backroom team, whereby he essentially hired rookies and his mates. [Post edited 27 Apr 2023 7:49]
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Tend to agree. And none of that detracts from the view that McKenna is a clear upgrade, especially if we’re looking beyond the short-term of just getting out of League One.
But Cook came into a club on its @rse. Then with the new money and ambition had an almost completely new squad, let alone first team, to fashion into an instant promotion-chasing outfit. But that just doesn’t happen that often – even when spending more than our rivals.
It looks like it’s worked out in the end. But generally our expectations last season were a little OTT as soon as Gamechanger came in. Cook turned into a convenient scapegoat to carry the can and give McKenna more time and less pressure. We probably would have done better with McKenna from the start of last season – or he and the team could quite easily have been under a lot more pressure for not having us firing on all cylinders earlier. Our astonishing run that’s taken us to the brink of automatic promotion has thankfully helped us avoid the recriminations if we were now looking at the play-offs and, more than likely, another season in League One.
Even with managerial ability, skill, competence, whatever we want to call it, you still need some luck and the right things happening at the right time to move a club forward. | |
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 09:35 - Apr 27 with 2618 views | Freddies_Ears |
It was Ashton"s appointment.
Keep any song simple:
Oh Ashton, woh oh oh oh
Oh Ashton woh oh oh oh
He came here from the West
To make the Town the best! | | | |
| Don't disagree with the sentiment on 09:36 - Apr 27 with 2624 views | Dyland |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 09:30 - Apr 27 by Darth_Koont |
Tend to agree. And none of that detracts from the view that McKenna is a clear upgrade, especially if we’re looking beyond the short-term of just getting out of League One.
But Cook came into a club on its @rse. Then with the new money and ambition had an almost completely new squad, let alone first team, to fashion into an instant promotion-chasing outfit. But that just doesn’t happen that often – even when spending more than our rivals.
It looks like it’s worked out in the end. But generally our expectations last season were a little OTT as soon as Gamechanger came in. Cook turned into a convenient scapegoat to carry the can and give McKenna more time and less pressure. We probably would have done better with McKenna from the start of last season – or he and the team could quite easily have been under a lot more pressure for not having us firing on all cylinders earlier. Our astonishing run that’s taken us to the brink of automatic promotion has thankfully helped us avoid the recriminations if we were now looking at the play-offs and, more than likely, another season in League One.
Even with managerial ability, skill, competence, whatever we want to call it, you still need some luck and the right things happening at the right time to move a club forward. |
Cook was a bit a patsy if you look at what's gone down in hindsight, and possibly a necessary one to give McK the best possible chance.
I certainly feel no ill will towards Cook for what went down here, notwithstanding some allegedly poor treatment of certain players shown the door.
As commented though, his backroom staff ethos was as prehistoric as it comes. | |
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 09:47 - Apr 27 with 2555 views | itfc_bucks |
Remember when all those bitter Bristolians kept banging on about how he was a failure and a fraud? | | | |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 09:48 - Apr 27 with 2551 views | Churchman |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 08:44 - Apr 27 by Dubtractor |
Cook made a complete mess of things, no point pretending otherwise. |
He did make a complete mess of things. He had an eye for a player and saw what was obvious to all - that it was an overblown, unfit squad in need of radical overhaul. In a club in bits.
After that it was all down hill. The wasteful and ultimately idiotic ‘bomb squad’, the losing his rag publicly after the players shamefully gave up at Northampton and Wimbledon, the recruitment of players that reminded me at chucking mud at the wall and hoping some of it sticks. Shambles. His selection of coaches didn’t help him on this occasion either.
Cook is a hard working, seemingly decent, honest man and did his best. But for me, he didn’t have the faintest idea what he was doing when he was here. He was well meaning but out of his depth and blew one of the best opportunities a lower league manager could have.
Ultimately it all goes back to Evans. Appointing him when he did in the midst of a takeover left the new owners in a stick or twist position. I think they had to run with Cook in the circumstances but it cost us a season. Oh well, onwards and upwards. | | | |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 09:48 - Apr 27 with 2546 views | Steve_M |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 06:33 - Apr 27 by LegendofthePhoenix |
We absolutely need to sing a song for Ashton on Saturday. This transformation of our club wouldn't have happened without him. |
Nah. |  |
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| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 09:51 - Apr 27 with 2535 views | Steve_M |
| If Ashton was the one to ultimately choose McKenna… on 07:48 - Apr 27 by Westcountryblue |
I think there is quite a lot of unfair criticism levelled at Cook.
He ruthlessly removed the dead wood in our squad and brought in some exceptional players, many of which dropped a division to play for him. His style of football was very naive, but basic foundations for some of the attacking and possession based football we play now were laid during his tenure. Cook's fatal error was in appointing a very inexperienced backroom team, whereby he essentially hired rookies and his mates. [Post edited 27 Apr 2023 7:49]
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Nope, he blamed the players already here when we ended up further from the playoffs than we were when he arrived and, by the time he was sacked, had started blaming the players signed in the Summer.
With the money we spent we should have been bringing in very good players for this level. | |
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