Who'd be a football manager?

[Christies Child]

So it's official, those players rumoured to have been released have now been confirmed.

It's that time of the season that I'd hate to be a football manager. Having to tell certain players that their services are no longer required. But the life of a manager is always surrounded by controversy; unable to satisfy everybody with the judgements that are made.

I for one don't agree about O'Carroll but to be a successful manager one has to be ruthless and make judgements sometimes based on information that fans are not aware of.

To those who have gone, I'm sure we wish all the best. To those who are left, it's up to them to 'fuc*ing well go for it' next season to quote a certain Mr Lillis last night!

[get your book out]

releasing o'carroll is a joke. he hardly got a chance all season and when he did he did well when we played to his sort of game; playing the ball into his feet and letting him link the play up rather than hoofing it to him. dont we want to be playing this sort of football? dont we want to be getting a player of above average technical ability for this league involved? just remember that goal at barnet, theres probally only a handful of other players in this league who could of scored that. at rotherham, a game we played very well in and shouldnt of lost, he showed exactly what he could do given the chance, placing a good finish to score and linking up well all day with howe and the midfield. i know moneys tight but how can mcilroy not appreciate talent like that

[Christies Child]

Couldn't agree more about the guys ability to link up the play. For me a player who will prove to be one we shouldn't have let go. Will develope into a forward midfield player of rare quality. A sad loss and a bad judgement call in my opinion.....but that's Sammy's call and one we have to respect.

[P/T Indie]

He was just never given a chance would have been intresting to see what he would have done had we given him a run in the team.

The same thing applys to what we were saying about Taylor we need to get the service into them it is no good expecting them to run the channels and drop deap to hold the ball up they aren't that type of player we need to get the ball to their feet and crosses in the box for them. We always seem to have our strikers running all over the place but never in the box so when a cross comes in there is noone there.

[campdave]

Disappointed to lose O'Carroll and Yates.

I guess we won't know whether or not it's a good decision until replacements are signed and we get to see them in the flesh.

[shrimper]

We're clearly going to get a lot of this sort of comment as the 'comings and goings' continue before the start of the new season.

I hope people would bear a few things in mind.

We all have our preferences for individual players but none of us is completely aware of finances.

Some players are on much more money than others.

Some players are out of contract. Others - to get rid of them - would demand a pay-off because they have a year left on their contracts.

The club is negotiating with all the players and is aware of the budgets we have to play with.

It's not as simple as 'I'd have kept player A instead of player B'.

Player A may be on much more than player B and may also be out of contract, may be demanding more money etc.

WE don't know all that.

Wrong judgments will occasionally be made - clubs have dozens of player decisions to make each season and can't get them all right.

All I'll say is we've shown steady progress as a club throughout the last 20 years and the manager, with whatever errors people say he's made, has got our team to it's highest position in its entire history - and then kept us there against most people's expectations.

Not getting at any individual - just a general point I think people should bear in mind over the next few months because we're going to get more and more comings and goings which will prompt debate.

[Keith]

Damn you Shrimper, with your sensible comments! They were just shaping up for an old fashioned bun fight!

When are the fixtures out?

[Shrimpsscene]

Damn you Shrimper, with your sensible comments! They were just shaping up for an old fashioned bun fight!

When are the fixtures out?

usually mid june keith

[Keith]

usually mid june keith

Yes, but usually early May when people start asking... I was subtly suggesting this is the usual forum talk at this time of the year, but thank you for the sensible answer anyway!

[james456]

Disappointed to see Yates and O'Carroll go. Seems like Sammy is choosing to keep poor players who are in contract and get rid of good ones who are out of contract. Fair enough, its expensive to pay off contracts but we're just going to end up with a poor squad.

10 steps back to release Yates and O'Carroll imo. Whether he can make that up (and then some) with his new signings, I don't know but we'll see.

[Keith]

Disappointed to see Yates and O'Carroll go.

I agree with you, I was disappointed in their release, and to an extent, Howard too, who could still do a job for us IMO. But...

Seems like Sammy is choosing to keep poor players who are in contract and get rid of good ones who are out of contract. Fair enough, its expensive to pay off contracts but we're just going to end up with a poor squad.

we're going to lose something like £200,000. We may indeed end up with a poor squad compared to this but in doing so, we may end up with a balanced budget. I'd rather that than be a fan of Darlington or Southampton right now, who are close to not having a club to support.

[Howe Magic]

Maybe we should wait and see who sammy brings in pre season instead of having a go regarding players who have gone - they will have been released for a reason

[simmy]

I am sorry that both O'Carroll and Yates have been released. In my opinion both players are unlucky and neither of them could ever be faulted for their effort and attitude. Hopefully both will find new clubs before too long.

Unfortunately the injuries suffered by Howard and Blinkhorn may have counted against them. As we will most likely be operating with a smaller playing squad next season it is vital that the players within the squad do not have a history of ongoing injury problems. Again hopefully they will both be able to find another club for next season.

Thankfully the directors manage our clubs finances in a sensible manner, but as a result the options available to Sammy are limited when it comes to bringing in new players. Whilst it is part of his job I am sure that Sammy will not enjoy telling players that they are being released and are no longer required.

If Sammy is able to bring in 3 or 4 good signings during the close season, and we continue to move forwards next season, then the debate of who has been released will be forgotten.

It is pretty certain that we will be having the same discussion and expressing differing views over who is retained and released in 12 months time.

[campdave]

we're going to lose something like £200,000. We may indeed end up with a poor squad compared to this but in doing so, we may end up with a balanced budget. I'd rather that than be a fan of Darlington or Southampton right now, who are close to not having a club to support.

I agree. I had to listen to someone behind me who was talking to his friend on Saturday saying how we should break the bank and wage structure to secure Rene Howe permanently, as he "would score the goals that would get us promoted and that would pay back his transfer fee quickly". Thankfully, the fourth goal we conceded saw him lose his temper and go home.

[james456]

we're going to lose something like £200,000. We may indeed end up with a poor squad compared to this but in doing so, we may end up with a balanced budget. I'd rather that than be a fan of Darlington or Southampton right now, who are close to not having a club to support.

I agree. I had to listen to someone behind me who was talking to his friend on Saturday saying how we should break the bank and wage structure to secure Rene Howe permanently, as he "would score the goals that would get us promoted and that would pay back his transfer fee quickly". Thankfully, the fourth goal we conceded saw him lose his temper and go home.

Well he doesn't have much of a case mainly because Howe isn't that good.

[Pandashrimp]

The only reason i can think of Sammy has let Yatsey and O'C go is the wage bill. On footballing ability i cannot believe we will find a player of Dairmuids style and ability at this level for a long time. He was a great snatch by Sammy from Celtic and now hes let him go. Yatesy is for my money one of the best RBs in the league. Fair play we want to give Parrish a chance but i cannot see him becoming as good a player as Yates.

For me two shocking decisions. If Sammy brings in some quality on lower wages than these two, than fair enough he will have proved many of us wrong, but he will have to be very very shrewd in the market in the summer, to replace and find much needed quality at a good price and not to bring in fringe players (like Carr and Mccann) which is not the priority.

[outsider]

If Rene was half as good as he thinks he is he would be playing a lot higher than league 2

[campdave]

The only reason i can think of Sammy has let Yatsey and O'C go is the wage bill.

Maybe he'll use Blinkhorn's and O'Carroll's wage to fund one striker?

[Christies Child]

Judging by the comments re:O'Carroll many feel that Sammy has made the wrong call. Only time will tell.

Interestingly 12 months ago the same was said of a certain John Newby and to this day many ask 'what if....'?

Maybe we could have saved the £1500 per week on Howe and never have needed to have had the embargo.

Football is certainly full of 'ifs and buts' especially in the silly season.

[Howe Magic]

Sammy will now have money freed up from release of Howe.ocarroll.Howard,yates and blinkhorn - so there should be some money in the pot to bring in some decent players

[marky No.1]

A managers tenure is now at an all time low on average of 1.5 years

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 216247.ece

[get your book out]

Interestingly 12 months ago the same was said of a certain John Newby and to this day many ask 'what if....'?

i think the people who didnt rate jon "super shin" newby have been proved right and the decision to release him was a good one. 22 appearances and no goals for burton albion this year isnt exactly great in a team who finished top of the league

[P/T Indie]

Newby has been playing on the wing though for Burton.

[shrimper]

Judging by the comments re:O'Carroll many feel that Sammy has made the wrong call. Only time will tell.

Interestingly 12 months ago the same was said of a certain John Newby and to this day many ask 'what if....'?

Maybe we could have saved the £1500 per week on Howe and never have needed to have had the embargo.

Football is certainly full of 'ifs and buts' especially in the silly season.

Again - all part of the balancing act. We let Newby go (who didn't have a contract to hold us to) as part of the budget-juggling that allowed us to bring in O'Carroll and Howe.

Whatever we may think about individual 'player in -v- player out' comparisons, the end result was a league position beyond the expectations of most people, particularly as we knew we were going to lose Baker and Thompson.

[Christies Child]

A managers tenure is now at an all time low on average of 1.5 years

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 216247.ece

An article that brings to reality the life and times of a manager (albeit short) and the difficulty in coming to terms with life as we mere mortals know it.

The reference to 'takes 4 years to build a foundation' applies so adequately to our club and what Sammy and the Board are building.