TheGoat
Set-Piece Specialist
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2013
- Messages
- 206
Have seen quite a few comments over the last few weeks comparing the job that Phil Brown is currently doing to the job and relative success that Paul Sturrock achieved in equally difficult circumstances. I was personally a fan of Sturrock, not his football per sae but as a man he always came across as a top bloke and somebody that always had time for the fans of the football club. Saying that though, I feel that we as a club are now heading in a much more promising direction, not only with the entertaining football we have played in the majority of games the season but also taking into account the strong characters that we are now producing in our team, Leonard, Prosser, Hurst, Bentley etc. These are players that are committed to the club and are all on long term contracts bar Prosser(surely must be offered a new one this summer). A main reason we were able to achieve the back to back promotions that we did under Tilson was by having players in our team such as Maher, Gower, Barrett, Flahavan...Players that were bedded into the team and knew the club inside out.
My point is I suppose, that Phil Brown is managing to do this with far less money than either Tilson or Sturrock were afforded. He has taken an out of favour left back (straker) and transformed him into a decent winger at this level (although he still often plays like an out of favour left back). We essentially have one winger (hurst) at our football club and we are somehow in a play off position. Instead of buying aging, experienced players, he has prioritised in signing up our youngsters to pro contracts and improving the players that were already at the club before him, Leonard being the prime example, also he has improved Prosser more than I ever thought was possible, when he first came to the club I couldn't wait for him to leave, he was slow, indecisive, and seemed incapable of passing the ball to a team mate. He is now without doubt our best centre back, surely in contention for player of the season and dare I say it a future captain if he carries on progressing at this rate. Brown hasn't had the finance to even go and spend on a flop like Benyon and has had to sign players that weren't exactly on most teams shortlist at the beginning of the season. White, Coker and Atkinson have all been top signings.
You always felt under Sturrock that even though we were lucky enough to have some exciting players, Hall, Ferdinand, Mohsni etc, these were players that were always on the lookout for a move and there was never the settled group that we seem to have atm.
My point is that even if we don't manage to get promoted this season, if this guy can carry on building the way he has done so far, then the next few years have all the makings of being successful ones for our football club!
My point is I suppose, that Phil Brown is managing to do this with far less money than either Tilson or Sturrock were afforded. He has taken an out of favour left back (straker) and transformed him into a decent winger at this level (although he still often plays like an out of favour left back). We essentially have one winger (hurst) at our football club and we are somehow in a play off position. Instead of buying aging, experienced players, he has prioritised in signing up our youngsters to pro contracts and improving the players that were already at the club before him, Leonard being the prime example, also he has improved Prosser more than I ever thought was possible, when he first came to the club I couldn't wait for him to leave, he was slow, indecisive, and seemed incapable of passing the ball to a team mate. He is now without doubt our best centre back, surely in contention for player of the season and dare I say it a future captain if he carries on progressing at this rate. Brown hasn't had the finance to even go and spend on a flop like Benyon and has had to sign players that weren't exactly on most teams shortlist at the beginning of the season. White, Coker and Atkinson have all been top signings.
You always felt under Sturrock that even though we were lucky enough to have some exciting players, Hall, Ferdinand, Mohsni etc, these were players that were always on the lookout for a move and there was never the settled group that we seem to have atm.
My point is that even if we don't manage to get promoted this season, if this guy can carry on building the way he has done so far, then the next few years have all the makings of being successful ones for our football club!