| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' 22:19 - Dec 2 with 576 views | Zx1988 |
A question after the showing of the last 1.5 seasons...
Is/was McKenna genuinely one of the best young managerial talents in English football?
Or was the impression of his talent somewhat inflated by having, essentially, a Championship squad in L1, which then steamrollered through the championship on a mixture of talent and confidence/team spirit alone?
Since then, when it's come to competing at the highest level, or building a new squad in rather different circumstances, I'm beginning to fear that he's been found wanting.
Maybe not quite as bad, but is it the same sort of way in which managers that do well at Celtic are perhaps seen as better than they are? |  |
| |  |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:21 - Dec 2 with 531 views | JakeITFC |
This is utterly pointless drivel, please stop. |  | | |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:24 - Dec 2 with 489 views | Zx1988 |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:21 - Dec 2 by JakeITFC |
This is utterly pointless drivel, please stop. |
It's a point for discussion.
If you're truly one of the brightest young talents in English football, you don't suddenly fall to bits once faced with having to manage in adversity.
I believe there were signs of it in the L1 and Championship seasons as well. Mid-season slumps that we looked to have no idea how to arrest, until we hit a run of easier games.
I worry that McKenna is ace when the going is good, but doesn't have the experience/ability/adaptability/whatever to manage effectively in a more trying situation. | |
| |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:25 - Dec 2 with 447 views | ITFCSG |
If he wants to go to Brighton or Brentford I'll drive him there now.
Although I doubt that any PL club would want him after this season. | | | |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:26 - Dec 2 with 412 views | Cheltenham_Blue |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:24 - Dec 2 by Zx1988 |
It's a point for discussion.
If you're truly one of the brightest young talents in English football, you don't suddenly fall to bits once faced with having to manage in adversity.
I believe there were signs of it in the L1 and Championship seasons as well. Mid-season slumps that we looked to have no idea how to arrest, until we hit a run of easier games.
I worry that McKenna is ace when the going is good, but doesn't have the experience/ability/adaptability/whatever to manage effectively in a more trying situation. |
"I believe there were signs of it in the L1 and Championship seasons as well. Mid-season slumps that we looked to have no idea how to arrest, until we hit a run of easier games."
That implies luck. You don't get points totals like we got in L1 and the Championship by having to rely on luck |  |
| |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:27 - Dec 2 with 399 views | JakeITFC |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:24 - Dec 2 by Zx1988 |
It's a point for discussion.
If you're truly one of the brightest young talents in English football, you don't suddenly fall to bits once faced with having to manage in adversity.
I believe there were signs of it in the L1 and Championship seasons as well. Mid-season slumps that we looked to have no idea how to arrest, until we hit a run of easier games.
I worry that McKenna is ace when the going is good, but doesn't have the experience/ability/adaptability/whatever to manage effectively in a more trying situation. |
Even if that was proven to be the case, your revisionism of a truly exceptional spell of management is unhelpful. You can complain about what’s happening in the here and now without the need to make stuff up or exaggerate on past achievements. | | | |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:28 - Dec 2 with 358 views | Blue_Heath |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:24 - Dec 2 by Zx1988 |
It's a point for discussion.
If you're truly one of the brightest young talents in English football, you don't suddenly fall to bits once faced with having to manage in adversity.
I believe there were signs of it in the L1 and Championship seasons as well. Mid-season slumps that we looked to have no idea how to arrest, until we hit a run of easier games.
I worry that McKenna is ace when the going is good, but doesn't have the experience/ability/adaptability/whatever to manage effectively in a more trying situation. |
I agree with your last paragraph.
If we are brutally honest finishing second in L1 with that team was a failure. Look at what Brum did.
The championship promotion was amazing no doubt but since then it's been woeful 90% of the time even if we did expect to come straight back down and again being brutally honest it was a Lambertesque relegation. | |
| |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:29 - Dec 2 with 332 views | Zx1988 |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:27 - Dec 2 by JakeITFC |
Even if that was proven to be the case, your revisionism of a truly exceptional spell of management is unhelpful. You can complain about what’s happening in the here and now without the need to make stuff up or exaggerate on past achievements. |
I'm not sure it's making stuff up. I feel more like it's looking back at old data/information with the benefit of additional modern information.
Let's face it, pre-Birmingham, our L1 squad was probably one of the strongest squads that division has ever seen. | |
| |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:32 - Dec 2 with 293 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
Let me rephrase the question.
Was McKenna better than Paul Hurst, Paul Cook and Paul Lambert? Has he proven to be better than Joe Royle and Mick McCarthy? Will he be as good as George Burley?
But even more importantly, would whoever we appointed to replace him if we sacked him be any better? |  |
| |
Login to get fewer ads
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:32 - Dec 2 with 275 views | Zx1988 |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:28 - Dec 2 by Blue_Heath |
I agree with your last paragraph.
If we are brutally honest finishing second in L1 with that team was a failure. Look at what Brum did.
The championship promotion was amazing no doubt but since then it's been woeful 90% of the time even if we did expect to come straight back down and again being brutally honest it was a Lambertesque relegation. |
In hindsight, I think it's a good point about the second-place finish.
At the time, getting out of the division, and doing it how we did were the be all and end all.
But it was a Championship squad, assembled at great expense, using the looser FFP rules for L1/2 to spend money we wouldn't be able to spend upon promotion. In that context, a Birmingham-style storming of the league should have been the expectation, even despite a freakishly good Plymouth side. | |
| |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:34 - Dec 2 with 220 views | Zx1988 |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:32 - Dec 2 by Nthsuffolkblue |
Let me rephrase the question.
Was McKenna better than Paul Hurst, Paul Cook and Paul Lambert? Has he proven to be better than Joe Royle and Mick McCarthy? Will he be as good as George Burley?
But even more importantly, would whoever we appointed to replace him if we sacked him be any better? |
Two answers, I suppose.
Simple answer - yes.
Nuanced answer - it's comparing (perhaps with the exception of Cook) apples with oranges. None of the others had the Gamechanger money. Royle famously said that he could have guaranteed promotion with £2m, and I'd certainly have fancied McCarthy's chances with real backing as well. | |
| |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:36 - Dec 2 with 199 views | Blue_Heath |
| McKenna - the 'bright young talent' on 22:32 - Dec 2 by Zx1988 |
In hindsight, I think it's a good point about the second-place finish.
At the time, getting out of the division, and doing it how we did were the be all and end all.
But it was a Championship squad, assembled at great expense, using the looser FFP rules for L1/2 to spend money we wouldn't be able to spend upon promotion. In that context, a Birmingham-style storming of the league should have been the expectation, even despite a freakishly good Plymouth side. |
Agree, getting out of L1 glossed over a few things but that said at least we got up.
I just don't see any evidence that KM will adapt his tactics and any half decent manager now can get a result against us. | |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
