Critch part 2

NO WAY signed a long term deal then walked out. His last few games as Manager of us were shocking and then he took QPR into freefall after being dismissed from Villa.
He has been exposed as ordinary at best, and none of my family will be renewing season tickets again if he was to return. Sadler needs to look forwards and realise that reappointing past managers is a recipe for failure as he has already learned not once but twice in recent years.
 
JJpool said:
If he had some decency when he left things may be slightly different. The way it happened annoyed a lot but tbh losing him to a number 2 role made us look daft so that was a factor too.

I don't think many would have argued at him going to a better number 1 role.
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I'm really not the slightest bit arsed about how he left, I was just extremely disappointed when he did.
 
Our most successful manager in recent times
However a better coach than manager as he realised and probably why he left
Head coach under a new manager
 
voyeur said:
Last ten games included draws with Sheff Utd, Blackburn and Luton, an away win at Barnsley and a 6-1 win against Birmingham. That's half the last ten games. And a last minute defeat away to WBA. Talk about focusing on the negatives. And we had stayed up comfortable, with players now deemed not good enough for the Championship.

So you are talking complete and utter bollocks, with all due respect.
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🤣🤣 maybe i am because i dont want him back.

I think getting Critchley back will divide the fans again like appleton did, time for a fresh approach
 
The way he left says to me that something at the club stank back then and with what’s happened since it would seem no air freshener has been purchased since.

Was decent for us but highly unlikely he would want to come back imo…
 
cside said:
Lots of people acting like they are in the Godfather and they must never forgive a great betrayal. 🙄

He is a strong candidate, knows the club and has worked with a large proportion of the players. And has pedigree getting promoted from League 1. Would be a good decision.
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Grayson got us promoted from league one and his return worked out…..
 
I'd have him back in a heartbeat. He didn't say bye, so what. Let's not let the fact there was a period where the club asked him to keep schtum and afterwards it was just too late anyway get in the way of your faux outrage.
1st choice though Richie Wellens but I'd happily have Critch back.
 
The idea of returning managers has been completely tainted by Grayson and Appleton.

This is despite fans saying “he got promotion etc.” so did Grayson and Appleton with other clubs. But you look at Critchley’s last few games with us and last 10 with QPR. He got hammered and this must be a massive red flag.

We need a new manager, new vision, fresh ideas and really get this fan base back in unity.

Never go back …..
 
tangomonkey said:
The idea of returning managers has been completely tainted by Grayson and Appleton.

This is despite fans saying “he got promotion etc.” so did Grayson and Appleton with other clubs. But you look at Critchley’s last few games with us and last 10 with QPR. He got hammered and this must be a massive red flag.

We need a new manager, new vision, fresh ideas and really get this fan base back in unity.

Never go back …..
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Why though ?

Look at Warnock and Udders
 
We either think Grayson and Appleton or Eddie Howe and Nathan Jones. Just in case it wasn't obvious...NOTHING IS GUARANTEED IN FOOTBALL! You have to decide 1st and then play, not wait until it hasn't worked then look back and point out what the right decision 'was'.

Personally, I'd have him back.
 
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I wouldn't be as annoyed if he did return as I was when we appointed Appleton. With Appleton there was a kind of feeling of dread and I thought it wouldn't work out.

If I did see Critchley announced, I think I would actually be a bit excited again. Once he explains why he left, admits he should have left us a letter and tells us of his ambition for the future, promotion and getting back on with the project etc then I think the mood around the club would be much better again.
 
I think we’ve seen this season how important recruitment of players is? Some managers can squeeze that little bit extra out of a squad but if the squad is downright rank then no amount of tactics or coaching can change it.

QPR are just poor. He left and they’re still poor. We are poor, Appleton left and we are still poor.
Premier League this season is exactly the same. Most of the bottom teams have changed their manager and they’re still down there.

I would say out of the 10 or 12 new managers brought in half way through a season, 1 maybe 2 improve the results significantly. Sometimes non at all.

Our squad is woeful. There’s pockets of talent but not enough and not in all positions. No strikers, no quality defensive midfielders available and no top quality centre backs available.

Pep couldn’t have changed our outlook even if he got them passing the ball to each other
 
Hazi said:
I think everything post Critch shows we weren’t found wanting under him. I’d take him back like a shot the players would too
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He left us with a mismatched squad, gave contracts like confetti to sicknotes and we had 28? squad players, so Appleton was struggling to shift players out rather than buying better quality.
Has failed in his last 2 roles
 
kuriousoranj said:
Is that a yes or a no? 😃
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I think it would be wrong to bring him back given the fans we have as a section would be very quick to turn on him. Some might turn on him immediately. But people dissing his time at the club are ridiculous. Compare and contrast with Grayson before and Appleton and McCarthy since. Light years ahead of all of them.
 
voyeur said:
Obviously. That's a different issue to the one I commented on.
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Not really, because we do have weak minded people so that's the point.

It wouldn't bother me, I'd get behind the team just as much.

But I wouldn't want to go back again, as it's not the right decision given it'll be repeating a similar mistake we keep making.

He's not as disliked as Appleton, but some do dislike him now.

We need a fresh appointment or a popular ex player, not an ex manager.
 
Bamber said:
He's objectively one of the best available candidates.
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Only if we limit ourselves to the half dozen names that have been mentioned on here. There are hundreds of very capable coaches up and down the country who are waiting for their chance at management. We just need to put some thought and effort into it.
 
I'm not sure we will pay enough to bring better in. That has been the problem all along with recruitment & getting crocks in. All the hopeful's we brought in to develop 😂 most were shit. I've given up worrying about it.
 
Through the looking glass for a moment:

Ben: ‘HI Hi Simon - I’ve put a lot of effort in and thought how about phoning Critch and seeing if he’s available?’

Simon: ‘Sounds like a plan I might come up with I’ll phone him right now - be sure to leak it to the Press as usual, but not a word to that rabble we have to deal with!’

Ben: ‘The Board?’

Simon: ‘No that’s not it’

Ben: ‘Oh god not AVFTT?? I can’t there’s a bloke called Phil on there who puts the shits up me - he runs the whole thing you know!’

Simon: ‘Nah but you’re getting closer I think’

Ben: ‘oh you mean the fans - well I couldn’t speak with them without having it all in writing first and agreeing what we’re going to say before the meeting takes place. Anyway I’ll leave this plate of cold, tasteless pies here for you to choose next seasons fillings. Thank god for this cost of living crisis as we can blame that on price rises even though we’ve been relegated. I’ll leave you to it as I think I’ve done more than earn my £300k today’

Simon phones Neil (aka Critch) and after the pleasantries and confirming that Critch did indeed have a mobile signal this time Simon eventually got to the point:

Simon: ‘Look Critch, let’s face it I can’t afford to fund Championship football yet, so this time pleeaasse take a bit longer to get us promoted - say a decade or so. With all the work on new stands, community regeneration, training ground and youth academy to be compléted I’m not sure football is the priority.’

Critch?

Neil?

Ah he’s gone.

‘Ben didn’t you say you met a guy in the changing rooms at Lytham Golf club who might want to take this on. Big Sam was it? Well whoever it is just don’t put any more imagination into it than looking at former players or managers because that always works so well.’

Closes door and goes back to detailed model of new East stand and trying to work out how many more away fans could be rammed into it.

End Scene.
 
Sooty59 said:
I'm not sure we will pay enough to bring better in. That has been the problem all along with recruitment & getting crocks in. All the hopeful's we brought in to develop 😂 most were shit. I've given up worrying about it.
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This ☝️
 
JJpool said:
Not really, because we do have weak minded people so that's the point.

It wouldn't bother me, I'd get behind the team just as much.

But I wouldn't want to go back again, as it's not the right decision given it'll be repeating a similar mistake we keep making.

He's not as disliked as Appleton, but some do dislike him now.

We need a fresh appointment or a popular ex player, not an ex manager.
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You said losing him to a no. 2 job made us look daft. It didnt. Insecure people worry about things like that. And he went to a big club and multiplied his wages. We didn't look daft at all. Except in some people's imaginations.
 
voyeur said:
You said losing him to a no. 2 job made us look daft. It didnt. Insecure people worry about things like that. And he went to a big club and multiplied his wages. We didn't look daft at all. Except in some people's imaginations.
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Yet people said at the time and other fans mocked. It's a move you don't often see.

Like it or not, it was a factor. Not as big as the way he left though.
 
Ormergod said:
Critchley is largely responsible for the total loss of confidence this squad is now going through.I wouldn’t want him back anywhere near the place.

Putting that aside,would things be like they were?im not sure.The players wouldn’t respect him now like they did then.That betrayal would always be present and a couple of losses the fans will quickly turn on him.

Not for me.Take some time to identify how we want to play as a club,what is our style and philosophy,what players do we need to bring in to play that style and who is the right man long term for that project.Sadler won’t want to gain this sacking reputation that is creeping in and the sackings he has made were totally justified but on paper they start indicating that Sadler is trigger happy when he really hasn’t been.If anything he is reluctant to pull the trigger but only we know that by living it every week.
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'Critchley is largely responsible for the total loss of confidence this squad is now going through.I wouldn’t want him back anywhere near the place'.

Nothing to do with Appleton saying they'd massively overachieved to be 16th and survival was the goal?

I'd take him back no problem at all. I want a manager who knows the limitations of the job and is happy to work within those constraints, getting more from the squad than the perceived individuals in it.
 
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