Critchley on Short List

First time poster. Recently retired with a lot more time on me hands now.

Can't see this being a good idea, there's similar candidates out there like Wellens and Richardson that the fans could at least get behind at the start.

Can you imagine the the first game of next season with a load of boos and hisses ringing out. No thanks. Surely the board, who's reputation is now in tatters after this season wouldn't risk that.
 
Greennutmegsmoore said:
Sorry did I dream that this dreadful team got promoted?
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Of course we were promoted from Lge 1, but teams have to continually build and improve when promoted to stay in the higher division - I think we've gradually got worse. Poor managers, lack of confidence, players development going backwards.
 
I’d get Critchley no matter what division we end up in, anyone saying they wouldn’t is talking crap, the going back to old managers hasn’t worked nonsense can’t be said about it because the managers we’ve gone back to both managed us 10-15 years ago and one was a dino in Grayson and the other was out of his depth in this league, Appleton. It’s the equivalent to how Luton went back for jones in the past and how Coventry went back for robins and he’s been there six years now, end of the day it’s football and anybody would jump ship for likely 4x the wage they are on.

He’s not the reason we’ve gone down either that’s our own naivety to not have a backup plan incase this happened, we all know long contracts mean nothing these days. He still knows the club and players and how things are run and to get him back would be a very good appointment as you could argue if we are in league 1 he’d be dropping a level as he will still be on many championship radars. And just because he’s jumped ship once to Gerard doesn’t mean he’d do it again, maybe he’d choose not to after having a such a poor time with him at Villa.
Personally can’t think of any other manager better qualified that we’d actually be able to get
 
SeasideKurt said:
Exactly, so he's available.

Promoted at Salisbury twice. Bristol Rovers twice. Kept Walsall up against the odds. Got Port Vale promoted. And then got thrown under the bus by the board by not being backed to keep them in the league.

Has some great concepts of training and has been a success everywhere he has been as a manager. Time for him to go to the next step. Perfect candidate, young and knows what a winning squad looks like.
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Clarke is one I mentioned a while back. Promotion at Vale, back-to-back promotions at Bristol Rovers, also has two at Salisbury early in his career. Certainly seems to have an impact when he starts a job, but also seems to flame out.

Interesting thoughts from a Vale fan here

www.onevalefan.co.uk

Opinion: like many fans I'm shocked and surprised by the club's Clarke decision - onevalefan.co.uk

The OVF editor gives his thoughts on the news that Darrell Clarke has been dismissed by Port Vale and says it smacks of a "kneejerk" decision. Rob - Opinion: like many fans I'm shocked and surprised by the club's Clarke decision by onevalefan.co.uk
www.onevalefan.co.uk www.onevalefan.co.uk
 
I’m a big enough man to say….yep……come and have another go!!

My only concern is he needs a strong No2 once Calderwood left results went South.

How about a “Critchley/Thompson Dream Team” there is a bit of a fall back if it doesn’t work.

Life Really IS a gamble after all!!

Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained.

P.S. I think we are down despite Saturday but…… would love to be “grovelling profusely “ on this Forum” 🤣🤣🙏🙏🚌🧡
 
SeasideKurt said:
Exactly, so he's available.

Promoted at Salisbury twice. Bristol Rovers twice. Kept Walsall up against the odds. Got Port Vale promoted. And then got thrown under the bus by the board by not being backed to keep them in the league.

Has some great concepts of training and has been a success everywhere he has been as a manager. Time for him to go to the next step. Perfect candidate, young and knows what a winning squad looks like.
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At Port Vale 49.9 % win so not to shabby
 
TKL_Seasider said:
Clarke is one I mentioned a while back. Promotion at Vale, back-to-back promotions at Bristol Rovers, also has two at Salisbury early in his career. Certainly seems to have an impact when he starts a job, but also seems to flame out.

Interesting thoughts from a Vale fan here

www.onevalefan.co.uk

Opinion: like many fans I'm shocked and surprised by the club's Clarke decision - onevalefan.co.uk

The OVF editor gives his thoughts on the news that Darrell Clarke has been dismissed by Port Vale and says it smacks of a "kneejerk" decision. Rob - Opinion: like many fans I'm shocked and surprised by the club's Clarke decision by onevalefan.co.uk
www.onevalefan.co.uk www.onevalefan.co.uk
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I'm very on board with it, vast amount of success and the sort of manager fans can get behind.
 
The only reason he wouldn't be successful this time round is the fact that some of our fans wouldn't accept his return.

The only people with any loyalty in football are the fans.

That being said... I'm sure if someone came knocking on the door and offered pretty much any fan15k p/w to go and support another team, I'm sure we all know what their answer would be.
 
SwannDangerous said:
The only reason he wouldn't be successful this time round is the fact that some of our fans wouldn't accept his return.

The only people with any loyalty in football are the fans.

That being said... I'm sure if someone came knocking on the door and offered pretty much any fan15k p/w to go and support another team, I'm sure we all know what their answer would be.
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I’m in, I’ll pretend though
 
Darrell Clarke would definitely be a good candidate, with Pete Wild at Barrow another contender. Things went sour at Port Vale for Clarke when he was denied the opportunity to speak to Portsmouth when that job became available. He had signed a 5yr contract at Vale and quite rightly the club dug its heels in regarding compensation. So on one hand he is ambitious and determined but on the other we don't want someone who will be off at the first opportunity.

Back to Critchley and my thoughts are that may be he has got the Gerrard thing out of his system and did not think things through when taking the QPR job. The more I think about the Badlan appointment as Sporting Director the more it doesn't make sense. Badlan leaving has opened up a Sporting/Technical director role that might be more appealing and more suited to Critchley. Having said all this I am hoping Dobbie can do the impossible and keep us up!
 
Clarke yes I remember when he took over at Bristol Rovers and they were relegated to the Conference (as it was then )and he burst into tears whilst doing the after game TV interview. Done very well since apart from this season as Vale still need a couple of wins to be safe from relegation.
 
LA1 Seasider said:
This ‘struggled since leaving us’ rhetoric is nonsense. He was a joint no. 2 at Villa so his impact can hardly be judged - certainly not by anyone outside of that Villa bubble. His time at QPR didn’t go well, but the very highly rated Beale (who was offered the Wolves job and ended up at Rangers) started the drop off at that club, Critchley couldn’t steady the ship and the highly thought of Ainsworth has only seeming made it worse. Are those 3 managers all rubbish ?

The facts are Critchley is a talented coach and proven at working miracles in the exact set of circumstances he’ll potentially inherit at Blackpool. He knows the squad, coaches, board and facilities. He knows the budget and expectations. He’s proven to develop players from the pools we can shop in. We’ll struggle to find a better option.

Letting ego’s and pride get in the way of a solid appointment because some fans are acting like heartbroken teenage girls is ridiculous. I really hope he’s given consideration based on his ability and ability alone - as all managers should be
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He was getting found out and the chance of joining villa came at the perfect moment for him.
 
Will all the fans back a decision to bring back Critchley, thats the dilemma, Im not sure SS must make a decision that the fans will back !.
 
Possibly....

Critchley as DoF with special responsibility for development squad.

Dobbie as MANAGER with full authority, and...

Thommo as deputy x1.5 , with much respect.
If Dobbie ever wants to sack him, then Dobbie might consider his position as well.

Pay them all the same, make them work together.
Because each role is equally important. And if one fucks up, another can fill the role.
Get rid of hierarchical structure and graduated pay scales. That’s part of obsolete thinking.
We need a team across the key functions, all who are equally valued.

We have to get stability in development, coaching and the proper style of first XI football. Bottom to top within the club.
That is all.
 
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Archibald Knox said:
We have to get stability in development, coaching and the proper style of first XI football. Bottom to top within the club.
That is all.
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Which is why the MM decision was even more bizarre. Why would you employ somebody who's style of football was an anti-pattern to what we were trying to achieve as a club.
 
For once this Forum is speaking sense.
Dobbie,Critchley,Clark,Thompson & Wellens all good candidates I’d accept any two of them🚌🧡

There you are we’ve done the boards job for them!!🤣🤣

Now get them appointed as the last ball of the season is kicked👍👍👍
 
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TangerineBayern said:
After a winless 7 game run and after winning 2 from the last 18, sounds very familiar 🤔
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Fair comment TB but we all know that results going wrong on the pitch are not always ALL the managers fault……
Refs
Recruitment
Injuries
Bigger clubs poaching best players etc,etc
What I do agree with is there come a time when it simply looks like it will NEVER work again for both parties and that’s the time to part company. IMHO 🚌🧡
 
Torycorner said:
Fair comment TB but we all know that results going wrong on the pitch are not always ALL the managers fault……
Refs
Recruitment
Injuries
Bigger clubs poaching best players etc,etc
What I do agree with is there come a time when it simply looks like it will NEVER work again for both parties and that’s the time to part company. IMHO 🚌🧡
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Yep agree with that TC all sorts of outside influences affect results on the pitch in a results driven business and the manager is the one that cops it.
 
TangerineBayern said:
After a winless 7 game run and after winning 2 from the last 18, sounds very familiar 🤔
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Read the overall picture. He wasn't backed in January when he needed it. Fans unhappy with the board, not Clarke.

I'd take a manager who has 6 promotions on his CV in 10-12 years of management over Dobbie who has 2 games. Or Critchley who has substantially failed at his last two jobs and jumped ship when it got a bit hard.

Clarke is EXACTLY the manager we should be going for, similar credentials to Eddie Howe and he has all the right coaching badges.
 
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