Manager of the Month for February

[ElstreeBlue]

6 games ago, a growing number of our fans were clamouring for a change of manager. They said Tilly and Brush were either "past it", "lost the plot" or had only ever got lucky with one or two players such as Eastwood. Once again, just as a similar thing happened last season (although last year we gave ourselves more chance of reaching the play-offs with a better timed run), Tilly & Brush have proved the doubters wrong and shown that they can turn the corner after an awful run of results.

And in my opinion, what they have achieved this season - in virtually now securing safety with 13 games still to go when I thought we'd do well to stay up after the pre-season turmoil, together with the excellent Cup feat - is one of their finest achievements....again!

So, with 4 wins out of 5, including impressive wins over 2 play-off chasing teams and an away win at our biggest rivals, is Tilly going to be voted current best manager in the whole division and win Manager of the Month for February?

 

[OldBlueLady]

Would he want it knowing the associated curse?!

 

[canveyshrimper]

I think the Crewe manager deserves it, after all they did win at fortress Roots Hall. ;)

 

[Alex]

6 games ago, a growing number of our fans were clamouring for a change of manager. They said Tilly and Brush were either "past it", "lost the plot" or had only ever got lucky with one or two players such as Eastwood. Once again, just as a similar thing happened last season (although last year we gave ourselves more chance of reaching the play-offs with a better timed run), Tilly & Brush have proved the doubters wrong and shown that they can turn the corner after an awful run of results.

And in my opinion, what they have achieved this season - in virtually now securing safety with 13 games still to go when I thought we'd do well to stay up after the pre-season turmoil, together with the excellent Cup feat - is one of their finest achievements....again!

So, with 4 wins out of 5, including impressive wins over 2 play-off chasing teams and an away win at our biggest rivals, is Tilly going to be voted current best manager in the whole division and win Manager of the Month for February?

It's actually 5 wins from 6. So its even more impressive

 

[ElstreeBlue]

It's actually 5 wins from 6. So its even more impressive

Agreed it's impressive but not all were in February.

And Canvey Shrimper - it looks like Crewe's also in with a shout, but we beat 2 play-off teams and they lost to Orient!

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

It'd be a great recognition of what they've achieved in recent weeks.

In many ways I think that this season is working out pretty well. It's clearly too soon for us to go back up and make a fist of it, but we're gathering momentum and have some very talented young players who are really starting to find their feet. You never know what will happen over the summer, but I'm quietly confident that we'll head into next season in much better shape than we did this time around. In the context of our history I think that mid-table in this division, a result at Stamford Bridge and inking a victory in the first ever derby at Cloud Cuckoo Land indelibly into the books is pretty damn acceptable. :)

Even if we maintain this form and finish a handful of points outside the playoffs, I fully expect the cries to throw away six years of continuity, with the prospect of many more to follow, to resume the next time we have a blip. Thankfully Ron's blog suggests that he sees the bigger picture and appreciates Tilly and Brush as much as most of us do.

 

[A Century United]

From another thread:

As a post-script to the Crewe match, and to perhaps put that result into its proper perspective, this is the latest form table:


.....................P.......W......D......L......F....A....GD......Pts
1. Crewe.........6........5......0......1.....12....3.....9.......15
2. Southend.....6........5......0......1......8....3.....5.......15

My money is on Crewe to get it.

 

[Csboy]

I wonder if all the posters on here who were saying TIlson should go will now come on here and admit they were wrong!

 

[canveyshrimper]

I wonder if all the posters on here who were saying TIlson should go will now come on here and admit they were wrong!

Only pboreham has had the good grace to hold his hands up, albeit with reservations, but he should be applauded for that. You won't see the usual suspects like TTK until we lose a few games in a row.

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

I wonder if all the posters on here who were saying TIlson should go will now come on here and admit they were wrong!

No chance. Where TTK when you need him?

 

[the_forgotten_man]

I wonder if all the posters on here who were saying TIlson should go will now come on here and admit they were wrong!

That's a fairly stupid thing to say. It's akin to saying "I wonder if all Tilly's supporters will admit he's ****" after we've lost 4 games in 5, as happens fairly frequently.

I'm delighted with our current form, and at no point said I actually wanted Tilson gone, only that I had some reservations about his management. Thankfully one of the largest of these misgivings, the fact that he seemed incapable of bringing in a solid central defender to partner Barrett or Clarke has been solved. That said, it does make you wonder where we'd have been had Tilson seen this problem 6 months, or maybe even 2 years, ago.

Winning 5 games out of 6 is wonderful, and puts a smile on every supporter's face, but it doesn't make all our problems go away. At the end of the season, after we probably won't make the play-offs, Dervite will go back to Spurs, Robinson back to Watford, and Clarke will leave - putting us back in a horrible position over the summer. Unless Tilson has more success this summer in bringing in the required quality, I fear that those calling for his head may be back by November next year.

 

[CC51DAS]

That's a fairly stupid thing to say. It's akin to saying "I wonder if all Tilly's supporters will admit he's ****" after we've lost 4 games in 5, as happens fairly frequently.

I'm delighted with our current form, and at no point said I actually wanted Tilson gone, only that I had some reservations about his management. Thankfully one of the largest of these misgivings, the fact that he seemed incapable of bringing in a solid central defender to partner Barrett or Clarke has been solved. That said, it does make you wonder where we'd have been had Tilson seen this problem 6 months, or maybe even 2 years, ago.

Winning 5 games out of 6 is wonderful, and puts a smile on every supporter's face, but it doesn't make all our problems go away. At the end of the season, after we probably won't make the play-offs, Dervite will go back to Spurs, Robinson back to Watford, and Clarke will leave - putting us back in a horrible position over the summer. Unless Tilson has more success this summer in bringing in the required quality, I fear that those calling for his head may be back by November next year.

Can't see any of those wanting to go after winning promotion :)

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

That's a fairly stupid thing to say. It's akin to saying "I wonder if all Tilly's supporters will admit he's ****" after we've lost 4 games in 5, as happens fairly frequently.

That's missing the point. Tilly's reputation has been built over the course of years, and to give greater weight to results over a handful of most recent games, good or bad, is (in my eyes) ludicrous.

Of course there are problems we need to address. The bottom line is that the team he has built, warts and all, is still good enough to command a position a division above where we were when he took over, and where we historically fit in to the grand scheme of things. Every time he faces these trials he seems to have a knack of turning them around, and as a manager with strong ties to the club, a good rapport with a sizeable majority of fans, and a great record of success we're simply not going to do better.

Let's also not forget that he's still a young manager with plenty of scope for improvement. Just witness the tactical nous over the past few weeks. If we were ever stupid enough to let him go he'd go on to bigger and better things - of that I have no doubt.

 

[Kent Shrimper]

Would he want it knowing the associated curse?!

Tilly has smashed the myth / curse to bits on previous occasions, Like Chuck Norris, Tilly played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun and won.

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

I was very critical of the management over the past few months, but my frustrations have been totally centered on Ron Martin, and not Tilly.

I have said all along that Tilly and Brush have worked miricles, however they have been forced by chairman (to some extent the current economic climate) to work on a tiny budget compared to our attenedances and "size" of club in this division.

My frustrations still stand as we are still relying on loan players too much and do not seem willing (or unable) to improve the squad on a permanent basis.

As mentioned on this thread, Robinson, Dervitte and probably Clarke will go at the end of the season, and another huge re-building will be required with no limited funds.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Would he want it knowing the associated curse?!

the curse is a myth kay.

 

[hindle_666]

I was very critical of the management over the past few months, but my frustrations have been totally centered on Ron Martin, and not Tilly.

I have said all along that Tilly and Brush have worked miricles, however they have been forced by chairman (to some extent the current economic climate) to work on a tiny budget compared to our attenedances and "size" of club in this division.

My frustrations still stand as we are still relying on loan players too much and do not seem willing (or unable) to improve the squad on a permanent basis.

As mentioned on this thread, Robinson, Dervitte and probably Clarke will go at the end of the season, and another huge re-building will be required with no limited funds.

spot on my sentiments exactly:clap: saved me posting

 

[Richard_Cadette]

I'd be dissapointed if some supporters used our recent upturn in form as a weapon for belittling the opinions of fellow supporters.

I think it's fair to say that the majority of supporters all backed Tilly, but were not happy with results, or certain aspects of his management. It would be nigh on impossible for a manager, no matter how successful hsi reign is, to go through his entire tenure without a poor spell of results, and criticism from supporters - it's part and parcel of football.

Not everything has to be so clear cut, or black and white - of course we were unhappy, I'd imagine everyone was unhappy with the form we were in, but for me anyway, that did not mean I wanted Tilly to leave.

Let's just rejoice in our current run of form, and maybe even allow ourselves to dream of what MAY, no matter how small the chances, happen at the end of the season.

 

[OldBlueLady]

the curse is a myth kay.

Might be a myth but it carries pretty strong expectations with it that seem to frequently be disappointed!

 

[Bluesmanager]

Myths, legends, folklore, all that jazz, they've all got a basis in fact, if you trace the trail back far enough.