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Comment | Soca Warriors Request Edwards Release
at 10:38:56
Agreed Carlos shouldn't be employed as a right back in a 4-man defence - he's not a true leader, either, but he does at least try, & has been one of the better players going forward in quite a few games this season, although he also has his fair share of 'mares.
It might sound a bit perverse, but I would leave it up to him to decide whether to join up with T&T - it would be a good test of where his loyalties/ambitions really lie, & I'm sure MM will take this into account when deciding who he wants to keep on board going forward. |
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Comment | McCarthy Era Starts at Birmingham
at 10:12:09
By the way, before anyone points out that there are 4 loan players in my suggested team, more than the max. of 3 that I said ought to be used at any one time, I'm afraid that's the legacy of what Jewell has left, heightened by the fact that at the moment JET & Chopra can't be relied upon to do a job. If I was rigidly sticking to a max. of 3 then Scotland would probably come in for Murphy, but I think I'd rather start in this particular game with Murphy. |
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Comment | McCarthy Era Starts at Birmingham
at 10:00:27
Will be interesting to see how MM goes about building his team. I would like to see him start by considering what formation(s) he wants to employ, and then which of the current staff that are committed to the end of the season are the best bets to fulfil the roles within that formation. He should then analyse where the weaknesses are within that team, and whether any of the copious loan signing options currently on the books can paper over those cracks in the short term, making permanent signings in those positions the priority in January.
One of the major problems for ITFC over the last 4 years or so is that they seem to have been trying to build on ever-shifting foundations. Keane had no patience whatsoever, & Jewell's over-reliance on loan signings smacked of a lack of fundamental forward planning. Loan signings should primarily be to cover the loss of key players through injury - I'm not averse to bringing one or two in to guard against complacency and provide options, but 8 is frankly rediculous, and no more than 2 or 3 should ever be on the pitch at the same time unless the squad is seriously decimated with injuries.
It should be glaringly obvious to MM that the defence lacks height & dominance, and that if Carlos is playing at right (wing) back then extra defensive cover is needed. For these reasons I think Mohsni may need to be employed alongside, or just in front of, Chambers and Higginbottom. Failing to sign an adequate partner for McCauley was one of Keane's main failings, and failing to adequately replace McCauley (who himself took a while to demonstrate that he could be an adequate replacement for De Vos) has to be seen as the biggest of Jewell's many errors.I saw Mohsni at Southend & to be honest didn't like his attitude, but he can at least bring some height & physical presence to the side, and at the moment these qualities are urgently needed in and around the defence.
On balance I would go with the following starting line up this afternoon:- Loach, Edwards, Chambers, Mohsni, Higginbottom, Cresswell, Hyam, Carson, Martin, Murphy, Campbell.
I'm not expecting miracles whatever side MM goes with, but it would be nice to see them demonstrate some character, commitment & concentration - I'll take a 1-1 draw for starters (but am hoping for more). |
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Comment | Lengthy Deals for New Duo
at 23:40:10
Agree with Hatman - Curbishley would have been a much better bet to rebuild the club in a manner befitting of the club's traditional values. I do expect MM to be reasonably successful in the short-medium term - any manager worth his salt ought to do better than the last 2 incumbents, and although I'm not 100% sure he'll keep ITFC up this season, I would certainly expect him to have the club back amongst the challengers for a Premiership place within 3 years (maybe sooner if Championship status is retained come May). Where I think the club are missing out is the potential legacy that Curbishley could provide - I really can't see it with McCarthy, but if he ultimately delivers just one season in the Premiership then I guess everyone will be eternally grateful.
Anyway, it now looks like its all water under the bridge, so I agree that the bickering must stop and everyone must get behind Mick & his team. No barracking, please, not even for Chopra if Mick ever gives him a shirt - getting on the backs of any of the players isn't going to help the cause. Lets just give our full support to whoever represents the club on and off the pitch in order to give them the best possible chance of turning things around sooner rather than later.... |
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Comment | McCarthy Set to Be Named New Town Boss
at 21:18:06
.... but Stuart, he hasn't managed anybody in the Championship who were in the same mire as ITFC - only the biggest ex-Premiership clubs with the biggest parachute payment-influenced budgets!I guess he did OK at Millwall all those years ago, but he left them sinking like a stone, too! I hope it works out, I really do, and if AC hadn't been available then maybe I wouldn't be quite so sceptical / dissapointed. But AC is available, and in my view a far better candidate. |
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Comment | McCarthy Set to Be Named New Town Boss
at 21:01:33
Sorry but I really don't understand everyone's enthusiasm for McCarthy. Have you studied his track record? Sunderland - failed to save them from relegation, got them back up at the second attempt (with the unfair benefit of parachute payments), then departed the following season with them hopelessly marooned at the bottom of the table. Wolves - failed to save them from relegation, got them back up at the third attempt (with the unfair benefit of parachute payments), then, after a few seasons of mediocrity, struggle and deterioration, departed with them hurtling towards inevitible relegation.
Sadly it seems as if Clegg & Evans are set to spurn the opportunity to make possibly the club's best appointment since Bobby Robson by ignoring the far superior record of Alan Curbishley in favour of a manager who, if he lives up to his most recent achievements, is likely to take the club down, bring it back up, and then leave with it struggling in exactly the same position it is in now! Sadder still, if the poll on here is to be believed, a vast majority of Tractor folk endorse this decision, apparently on the basis that McCarthy is more likely to do a passable impression of Mr Angry!
Rant over - if it is to be McCarthy then naturally we must all get behind him, give him time, turn a blind eye to any primitive methods employed and pray that he can produce the goods. It will, however, be interesting to look back in 5 years time and compare the interim records of McCarthy/ITFC with Curbishley/who ever he ends up managing (I've no doubt another Championship club will bite his hand off before the end of the season - could be Palace, if not then Birmingham or even a return to Charlton). Whose record will be the more impressive? - I know who my money's on.....
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Comment | Holland Tight-Lipped on Town Role
at 11:43:05
mannos6 - fully agree that the priority has to be someone who is capable of producing the goods in this division (and maybe the one below) and its a hell of a long time since Curbishley was a Championship manager, but he didn't exactly make a bad job of it when he last operated in this division. McCarthy took quite a while to get Wolves upwardly mobile - if not Curbishley then I would much prefer Billy Davies |
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Comment | Holland Tight-Lipped on Town Role
at 11:31:19
If Holland was average, what does that make the current bunch? There seems to a has left many clubs in a clamour for someone considered as "tough", but it didn't exactly work with Keane did it? What's required is a good, firm, man-manager, and yet again Curbishley fits the bill. The "Harry" link continues to worry me - he might turn things around on the pitch and even get the club into mid-Premiership, but he always wants more, pushes his Board to overspend, and leaves most of the clubs he has managed in a parlous financial state (Spurs probably got rid of him just in time). I don't want ITFC to become another Portsmouth. |
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Comment | Holland Tight-Lipped on Town Role
at 10:42:11
Curbishley, Holland & Mervyn Day makes perfect sense to me. How many clubs has McCarthy saved from relegation? How many has he established in the Premiership? I rest my case...... |
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Comment | Quartet Linked With Blackpool Boss
at 09:57:21
Bond would be the ultimate nightmare appointment - just look how he fared at Bournemouth. Sure, Holloway would be exciting but ITFC have been conceding far too many daft/avoidable goals for a long time now, and I can't see him being the man to address this fundamental problem.
For me Curbishley remains the outstanding candidate by a mile, and if he hasn't already been formally approached then I can't understand why not. He's done it all before and unlike all the other "experienced" candidates he's never failed to deliver. I also sense that if successful he would stick with the club, unlike Keane who only ever saw it as a stepping stone. Clegg talks about having "34 applications" to sift through, but in all likelihood the bulk of them will be from recent failures at other clubs - what's wrong with being pro-active and going after the right man for the job, particularly if he isn't already contracted to someone else.
I know its only been a few days, but the dithering is giving me bad vibes, and I sense another "crass" appointmens is on the cards. Clegg's record to date isn't exactly great - Keane was never the right appointment for a homely club like ITFC, although I was surprised just how spectacularly he failed. His man management was appalling (Garvan, Miller, Stead, Counago, Lisbie to name but 5 examples), as was his judgement of a player (Rhodes, Trotter, Priskin, Martin, Delaney spring to mind). As for Jewell, there was plenty of evidence available from his spells at Wednesday & Derby to suggest that he was always likely to fail at ITFC.
One last thought ... Magilton was dumped because the fans got on his back when he failed to deliver instant promotion with Marcus' cash. I bet the club wouldn't be in this mess if they had stuck with him! Be careful what you wish for......
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Comment | Town Linked With McCarthy Talks
at 10:33:01
McCarthy isn't quite the worst option but to my mind ITFC should do whatever it takes to get Curbishley in, as they should have done 2 years ago when it was clear Keane wasn't going to turn things around.
Curbs has the experience, ability & know-how to not only steer the club clear of relegation but also build a team capable of establishing itself at Premiership level, as he showed at Charlton. Remember he also managed to save WHU from relegation when they were all but down (admittedly with a bit of illegal help from Tevez) and had them comfortable in mid-table the following season before his spat with them.
I don't think any of the other candidates being mentioned come close to matching his credentials, and after being out of management for so long he will be determined to prove the likes of Wolves & Villa wrong not to offer him acceptable terms. I would give him a 5 -year contract & get Matt Holland & Mervyn Day in to assist him - the club needs an overhaul followed by some continuity, & I would stick with this crew even if they ultimately failed to avoid the drop. Many clubs (i.e. Norwich, Southampton, Leicester) have bounced back quickly and far stronger, and there's no reason why ITFC couldn't do the same under Curbs, although my gut feeling is he would manage to turn things around this season, so a season in Div 1 would not be necessary.
If Curbs can't be pursuaded then I'd probably go for Billy Davies - Sean Dyche might also be worth considering if he doesn't get the Burnley job. For me, though, Curbs would be both the safest and most exciting appointment in terms of getting ITFC back where they belong. |
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