#GiveEvattAChance

AClockworkTangerine

AClockworkTangerine

Well-known member
Disappointed that the board has apparently ruled Evatt out just like that. We've just sacked Grayson, an experienced manager who has the best track record for getting teams promoted from this level. Experience and past achievement don't guarantee success. It would probably mean waiting until the summer, but why not take a chance on Evo?
 
Out of Jones Evatt and Heckingbottom
I would prefer Evatt
He has more experience than Jones when he started at Luton and Same for Heckingbottom at Barnsley
Managers have to start somewhere and with his way he wants to play football suits what Sadler wants.
Evatt is very passionate and will put everything in to the job.
I say give him a go.
 
At the end of the day it's easy for us to sit here deciding how to spend Sadler's money. He doesn't want to get stung again. But I don't understand the experience argument, really, especially when you apply it to Nathan Jones, who had no experience when he started at Luton. I think Sadler needs to accept that it's a gamble whoever you take on really, and look for someone who looks like a good gamble. Has the right attributes, wants the job, is positive, has some success behind him, possesses a strong mind and character, and is up to speed with modern coaching. Few if any managers do well in every job. A lot start off well and fade. The job is draining and demanding and takes a lot out of people, and some are more resilient than others. Look at Larry, worn down by it all really. Look for the energy and the ideas and the strength of character and the communication skills.
 
BlackpoolFC said:
It's not happening so let's look forward to appointing an actual contender.
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Maybe not but its everything Sadler wanted and would generate the most money from crowds and I'd argue with that football could be the best chance for promotion.

But yeah lets look at some uninspiring candidates.
 
BlackpoolFC said:
It's not happening so let's look forward to appointing an actual contender.
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True but not much is happening! Seems folly to have ruled Evatt out so early. We should be approaching him now, but I can't see our people wanting to admit they made a mistake. They should though, it's important to get somebody in who will create a positive atmosphere and get things moving. Just give Evo a call and say, sorry mate, we weren't thinking straight. Come on down to the seaside!
 
One big thing also overlooked about evo is that in playing the pep style he wants his teams to press and use the 6 second rule to win the ball back asap. It often works as players are spread and pressing forcing opponents into errors.

The without the ball is forward thinking too not just sit back and defend.
 
The "He's too inexperienced for and interview" line is one used a lot by naive businessmen and companies who can't be arsed to give anyone a chance. They'd rather go for experience, which could be a jaded old has been (Grayson), but this is football, it isn't some financial investment group who may well need experience. But this is about passion, fire in the belly and someone who is doing it now. In fact a fresh up and coming manager is exactly who they should be looking at, not slamming the door in their face before they have even had a proper interview. Remember Ollie practically forced Oyston to interview him, he wouldn't take no for an answer and look how that turned out.

Don't miss a trick and not even give Evo a chance, it could be a massive mistake.
 
JJpool said:
One big thing also overlooked about evo is that in playing the pep style he wants his teams to press and use the 6 second rule to win the ball back asap. It often works as players are spread and pressing forcing opponents into errors.

The without the ball is forward thinking too not just sit back and defend.
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Agreed. And this would benefit our players so much, imo.

Anyone who listened to that interview with him that was posted last week can't seriously not be disappointed that he's not even been given a chance to interview.
 
The thing with Evatt is that in his first job he arrived at a club with 4 players and no money, that had just avoided relegation by one point, and within a few weeks they were passing the ball around and pressing and stuff. Allegedly. It suggests he knows what to do on the training ground, and can motivate players as well as coach them. He was making things work straight away. So he was prepared already, he'd studied and planned and made things happen very quickly.
 
voyeur said:
The thing with Evatt is that in his first job he arrived at a club with 4 players and no money, that had just avoided relegation by one point, and within a few weeks they were passing the ball around and pressing and stuff. Allegedly. It suggests he knows what to do on the training ground, and can motivate players as well as coach them. He was making things work straight away. So he was prepared already, he'd studied and planned and made things happen very quickly.
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But he can't do it here just like he wasnt supposed to be able to there. Not enough experience 🙄
 
It's easy to talk Evatt up, but on what basis? He is doing well at Barrow, but if the Board feel he would be a big gamble at L1 level, it is hard to argue that this would be unreasonable.

Far too many people seem to want us to base our recruitment policy on the basis of going for someone that they have heard of, or someone who played for us. When the guy in question has umpteen promotions under his belt, it is justifiable on those grounds. But otherwise it's a bloody juvenile way of doing it.
 
basilrobbie said:
It's easy to talk Evatt up, but on what basis? He is doing well at Barrow, but if the Board feel he would be a big gamble at L1 level, it is hard to argue that this would be unreasonable.

Far too many people seem to want us to base our recruitment policy on the basis of going for someone that they have heard of, or someone who played for us. When the guy in question has umpteen promotions under his belt, it is justifiable on those grounds. But otherwise it's a bloody juvenile way of doing it.
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Who has umpteen promotions under their belt? Grayson? That didn't work well. It's message board talk Robbie, heart over head stuff, you can't deny Evo is popular amongst the fan base on here. No manager has a god given right to do well, Any manager could do well or cock it up and I'm not sure there is anyone available at the moment who will fit the bill, so caution is the word. At the end of the day it's down to one man and his board, this is just a bit of fun and talking about what we love, it's been missing from the board for too long.
 
Go for Evatt, which is of course a risk as all choices are but with lots of promise and potential to turn things round, or choose some more experienced candidate like Grayson with a good chance of sinking without trace the way we are currently already heading.

In any business as I`m sure you know Mr Sadler, carefully calculated risks can profit a business greatly when there is the courage to take them and we already know what so called "safe" choices can lead to..
 
basilrobbie said:
It's easy to talk Evatt up, but on what basis? He is doing well at Barrow, but if the Board feel he would be a big gamble at L1 level, it is hard to argue that this would be unreasonable.

Far too many people seem to want us to base our recruitment policy on the basis of going for someone that they have heard of, or someone who played for us. When the guy in question has umpteen promotions under his belt, it is justifiable on those grounds. But otherwise it's a bloody juvenile way of doing it.
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All of that is true.

but...

EVO IN!
 
Funny that 1950's, as I told you all what Holloway was like years before people cottoned on. But I'm glad you are paying such close attention to what I think.
 
Every manager is a risk. With the information available to us, who do you think is a better option than Evatt, Robbie? I'd be happy with him or Jones tbh. I just think the decision to not even interview him is very short-sighted.
 
Whatever Holloway was or wasn`t Robbie he was certainly our most successful manager in the last 50 years,something one would never guess from reading your posts.
 
voyeur said:
At the end of the day it's easy for us to sit here deciding how to spend Sadler's money. He doesn't want to get stung again. But I don't understand the experience argument, really, especially when you apply it to Nathan Jones, who had no experience when he started at Luton. I think Sadler needs to accept that it's a gamble whoever you take on really, and look for someone who looks like a good gamble. Has the right attributes, wants the job, is positive, has some success behind him, possesses a strong mind and character, and is up to speed with modern coaching. Few if any managers do well in every job. A lot start off well and fade. The job is draining and demanding and takes a lot out of people, and some are more resilient than others. Look at Larry, worn down by it all really. Look for the energy and the ideas and the strength of character and the communication skills.
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Yep attributes should be a major consideration over lack of experience. Setting a team up and getting them to play is experience Evo has shown much more recently than Jones.
 
1950`spoolfan said:
Whatever Holloway was or wasn`t Robbie he was certainly our most successful manager in the last 50 years,something one would never guess from reading your posts.
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I paid tribute to Holloway's success at the club at the time - it was remarkable, by anyone's standards, and I write as someone who saw practically every game in which he was in charge. It doesn't change the fact that I did not like him or his personality, and still don't. The two are not mutually exclusive.

In terms of the next manager, of all the people currently in jobs that might be available in the summer, I think Gareth Ainsworth is the pick of them. Of course he played for PNE and has long hair, so our Neanderthals would never accept him. I also think if you want to look at people who are able to get something out of not much in terms of resources, then Keith Curle or John McGreal would be worth considering. Wellens too, probably. I don't think we HAVE to appoint right away, if our caretaker can be prevailed upon to stay.
 
Some interesting names there Robbie. Ainsworth is a shout, as is Wellens, I would still like to see Lowe pursued too. I also agree that we certainly don't have to rush.
 
The truth is we don't know who is on the shortlist or even if there is one. I am surprised if they are rejecting Evatt purely on the basis of inexperience and if I was Evatt I wouldn't accept it. The plain facts are that Evatt at this point in time has more managerial experience than Simon Grayson had when he started out at Blackpool and that one didn't turn out too badly. What he doesn't have experience of is being sacked which most of the other candidates probably have on their CV.

Evatt would be a popular appointment and would bring with it renewed enthusiasm for a season that is already flagging. Also there would not be massive pressure to get results as we probably need only three or four more wins to be safe and would be a useful period to gauge the squad of players.
 
We knocked back Holloway and he still got the job
There are no rules in this
Jones would be interesting as would the enigmatic Spaniard ( still prefer the promise of Evo ) but if Heckingbottom is in the driving seat that’s going to be a difficult one to understand
 
basilrobbie said:
It's easy to talk Evatt up, but on what basis?
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on the basis that he’s got a team with a bottom-five budget, in an area that it’s notoriously difficult to get players to, top of the league and playing good football.

If we don’t give him the opportunity someone else will. How are we going to feel if Evo comes here in someone else’s dugout to wave as he moves up the league? This might be our one chance to grab one of the most progressive young managers in the lower leagues ... who happens to have a strong bond with the club. Why blow it for ‘experience’/dinosaurball
 
basilrobbie said:
It's easy to talk Evatt up, but on what basis? He is doing well at Barrow, but if the Board feel he would be a big gamble at L1 level, it is hard to argue that this would be unreasonable.

Far too many people seem to want us to base our recruitment policy on the basis of going for someone that they have heard of, or someone who played for us. When the guy in question has umpteen promotions under his belt, it is justifiable on those grounds. But otherwise it's a bloody juvenile way of doing it.
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TBH, I think ruling IE out due to inexperience feels to me like the board lacks confidence in their own judgement....In other words, they lack the capability to make sound judgement through a competent interview process and so instead they are simply relying on 'track record'....Maybe they've been reading The Dummies Guide to Appointing a Football Manager?

We ought to be capable of judging an individuals competence for the role, based upon their attributes, given the supposed 'experience' of our board and it's a concern if we can't, because essentially we are significantly limiting the possibilities.

As I mentioned elsewhere, it's not uncommon for Clubs at the very highest level of the game to appoint ex-players with absolutely no Managerial Experience.

I'm also struggling to understand quite what is wrong with appointing an individual who has a strong and very positive association with the Club? It's a massive positive surely? and it ought to be a factor in the decison making process....Firstly, a Manager with a genuine passion for working at our Club is likely to be hugely motivated by the job, which will translate into the dressing room and secondly, the fans are likely to be motivated and buoyed by the appointment....Why are we also so keen to try and dismiss the success at Barrow as insignificant or almost irrelevant.?....As I said, Clubs appoint with zero experience, yet Evatt has already demonstrated himself capable of transforming a Club, with limited resources....His experience is not something to be sniffed at or underplayed, it's a significant achievement.

As a Club we are also very well aware of the Character and resiliance of the individual, we know that he has first hand experience of playing a key role in the type of system he promotes as a Manager. So he has clear belief in the way we want to play the game, he's made a success of that both on the field and off it...We know that he's an intelligent bloke, clearly someone who studies the game...Clearly someone who is motivated to progress and play the game in a progressive and modern way.

So for me, it's all too easy to palm him (and those who support his appointment) off with the usual platitudes, but it feels to me like the lack of competence or experience is not with Ian Evatt, but with those who have so quickly dismissed him.
 
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Never mind #GiveEvattaChance, if the board don't make the right decision, then whoever they appoint won't have a hope in hell because from the start the people who didn't want Grayson won't want him either.
 
Spot on Daz, perfectly put. I worry about Sadler and his board putting their "Business head" on rather than their football heads, because at the end of the day that's what they know and it doesn't cross over.
 
hertfordseasider said:
Spot on Daz, perfectly put. I worry about Sadler and his board putting their "Business head" on rather than their football heads, because at the end of the day that's what they know and it doesn't cross over.
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It's probably unfair to judge, because we haven't yet made the appointment, but putting so much weight into 'experience' smacks of a board with no confidence in their own capability.

It's not a good place to be...I've been there myself a good few years ago when appointing IT personnel...Ultimately if the existing board aren't capable of assessing individuals beyond their track record, then they need to bring in that expertise (even if it's as a trusted consultant)...It's the equivalent of having a Manager or Scout who relies on players who have already proved their ability at a level, rather than being capable of recognising talent for what it is.
 
If Simon Sadler or any of the board are at the Wimbledon match on Saturday maybe after the game they could nip along the road to Sutton and see Barrow play for themselves. It’s a 1720 ko and also on the BT sport schedule.
 
hertfordseasider said:
Spot on Daz, perfectly put. I worry about Sadler and his board putting their "Business head" on rather than their football heads, because at the end of the day that's what they know and it doesn't cross over.
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basilrobbie said:
I paid tribute to Holloway's success at the club at the time - it was remarkable, by anyone's standards, and I write as someone who saw practically every game in which he was in charge. It doesn't change the fact that I did not like him or his personality, and still don't. The two are not mutually exclusive.

In terms of the next manager, of all the people currently in jobs that might be available in the summer, I think Gareth Ainsworth is the pick of them. Of course he played for PNE and has long hair, so our Neanderthals would never accept him. I also think if you want to look at people who are able to get something out of not much in terms of resources, then Keith Curle or John McGreal would be worth considering. Wellens too, probably. I don't think we HAVE to appoint right away, if our caretaker can be prevailed upon to stay.
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Keith Curle or Gareth Ainsworth?? I know you’ve been watching lower league football for decades Basil but most of us would rather watch some football played on the deck. If these are the first choices I’d rather we stuck with Grayson.
 
Keith Curle surprised me. He's done ok in some difficult situations but so had Michael Appleton.
 
basilrobbie said:
It's easy to talk Evatt up, but on what basis? He is doing well at Barrow, but if the Board feel he would be a big gamble at L1 level, it is hard to argue that this would be unreasonable.

Far too many people seem to want us to base our recruitment policy on the basis of going for someone that they have heard of, or someone who played for us. When the guy in question has umpteen promotions under his belt, it is justifiable on those grounds. But otherwise it's a bloody juvenile way of doing it.
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That's outright disrespectful. Many will be basing their assumptions on Evatt being a forward thinking, passionate manager who can spread positivity and motivate as he has demonstrated already.

Grayson ended up as a (bad) gamble following his recent exploits pretending to be a football manager.
 
Grayson failed at Bradford and Sunderland, as a number of other managers have before him. Before that he racked up an impressive number of successes - I suppose they don't count to someone who just wants to write him off as "pretending to be a football manager".

if that is the standard of debate we are going to have, there isn't much point in it.
 
basilrobbie said:
Grayson failed at Bradford and Sunderland, as a number of other managers have before him. Before that he racked up an impressive number of successes - I suppose they don't count to someone who just wants to write him off as "pretending to be a football manager".

if that is the standard of debate we are going to have, there isn't much point in it.
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The relevant thing is that he failed here, on this occasion, surely?
 
I just hope the press haven't done him over and comments like this "despite his eagerness to enter talks with his former club" don't cause unrest at Barrow and they go on to blow promotion!!
 
basilrobbie said:
Funny that 1950's, as I told you all what Holloway was like years before people cottoned on. But I'm glad you are paying such close attention to what I think.
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You're just so right all the time. Always. What must it be like to be perfect?
 
basilrobbie said:
It's easy to talk Evatt up, but on what basis? He is doing well at Barrow, but if the Board feel he would be a big gamble at L1 level, it is hard to argue that this would be unreasonable.

Far too many people seem to want us to base our recruitment policy on the basis of going for someone that they have heard of, or someone who played for us. When the guy in question has umpteen promotions under his belt, it is justifiable on those grounds. But otherwise it's a bloody juvenile way of doing it.
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I think this is one of your worst posts I've come across tbh, Robbie.

For a start, some of the more thoughtful posters on here are keen on Evatt, TAM and TD53 spring to mind.

You say umpteen promotions, like what Larry had. Like what Nathan Jones doesn't have, in fact very few managers do. And there are many examples of managers achieving promotions in their first jobs, like both Jones and Grayson. Karl Oyston could see that Larry was a better prospect than Hendry, despite his lack of experience, and did what needed to be done. He actually made some good judgement calls in that respect, pre Premier League, employing McMahon, Grayson and Holloway.

You argue elsewhere that Grayson was removed too soon. What you need to do is to assess the situation, look at what's happening, and make a judgement call. Not just apply your conservative values. Actually analyse the situation and assess the people and what they are doing and how they are behaving. You've been bragging about being right about Holloway years before everyone caught on. Actually, you were wrong about him in the important sense, like you were about the Oystons. And Ollie arrived with a very dodgy reputation behaviour wise, it was common knowledge

Grayson was not in a good place at all this time round and it clearly showed. Evatt has some strong attributes, which are plain to see, which he is using successfully at a level not far below us. We have the advantage of knowing a lot about Evatt, we've seen his professionalism and determination first hand. It's not juvenile at all to flag it up and suggest he would be a good candidate, worthy of an interview.

Who are all these multiple promotion winning managers we should be looking at?
 
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Like I said we don't know who's on the short list or if there is one. However, I don't like the "leaked" information on Evatt it is disrespectful and a slap in the face for a well regarded ex-player. It also smacks of arrogance and may be the recruitment process is just window dressing until Heckingbottom is announced as manager. I seem to remember that as a player Heckingbottom once snubbed Blackpool preferring to go to Bradford instead, maybe he should follow the same path again.
 
Also, Robbie dismisses the idea of Evatt as juvenile, but suggests Wellens. With very little experience and no promotions. How juvenile!
 
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