Breaking News Mark Molesley appointed as manager

[gazza]

Congratulations, I think you've got a diamond of a manager. He may not be the finished article yet but if you cut him a little slack I think you'll reap some very valuable rewards. Having said that, there's also a chance he may smash it right from the start.

In his AFCB interviews, possibly more than anyone, he's mentioned how much he has learnt from Howe. I would call him the closest thing we've produced to Howe's apprentice, especially since his meticulous approach to everything and use of stats and analysts are integral to how he prepares. I know that's much more common amongst managers these days but it certainly wasn't the norm in L2 when Howe was doing it 12 years ago and MM has been nurtured in an environment where it is seen as a given.

I said on the other thread that he was cruelly robbed of more a league playing career by injury and had a relentlessness to his play on the pitch that you rarely see in the more skillful players. He was never someone you could accuse of not giving his all and I think that's followed him through into his coaching career. Repeating myself again but his has been the name whispered to fans from insiders down at AFCB as the man out of all the backroom team with the most potential.

I'll be honest in that I was unaware of the trouble you've been having with finances and embargoes, wallowing as I have been in my own misery this past turgid season. However, I hope a few parallels can bring you some more cheer.

Kevin Bond was our manager when we got relegated from L1 (due to a points deduction but still relegated). We appointed a new manager the next season (-17 one in L2) but he didn't last long and out of desperation and lack of funds we promoted the youth team manager Eddie Howe.

As I understand it, Kevin Bond was your manager in the season you got relegated from L1 and you've since had another manager that didn't last long only to now turn to MM. Seems pretty similar to me.

Then for the good bit. In his first full season as our manager Howe had a transfer embargo in place for the entire season. In fact, we had a squad of 20 and asked the FL if we released one of the 3 keepers included in that number if we could sign a replacement. They said yes so we released the youngest keeper and the FL then changed their minds leaving us with 19. The gits. To me, this season was Howe's greatest achievement with AFCB. He took that imbalanced squad and forged them into a team that came 2nd in the league, even though when injuries kicked in we were starting some games with 5 players playing out of position. It was insane but a joy to watch. I simply don't know how he did it.

Onto you, you're under an embargo. I know you hope it will be lifted soon but if it isn't, well MM was part of that aforementioned AFCB squad so he's seen and lived a manager taking what he has and making it work not just to mediocrity but to success.

It's almost spooky for me looking at the aspects of history repeating. I'm going to be watching you pretty closely this season and cheering you on as I would love MM to get on well. I really hope MM does for you what Howe did for us.

Good luck! The only other thing I'll say is please show a bit of patience if it doesn't gel immediately. He's going to have his own ideas and approach and sometimes the results aren't instant.

Thanks for the insight. Does seem to be a lot of similarities to your previous seasons. I agree he needs time. I listened to his interview yesterday and I liked what he said. No grandiose statements just basic facts and how he intends to work hard for results. I think he will change the whole ethos of the club and boy we need that!

 

[thenobster]

Looking forward to seeing a review of his first days’ training sessions.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Looking forward to seeing a review of his first days’ training sessions.

Fry up down the Arches then every pub along the seafront to The Shorehouse.

 

[thenobster]

Fry up down the Arches then every pub along the seafront to The Shorehouse.

If that’s what it is, so be it

 

[Rob1920]

I think we have enough of our own good young players to require any other clubs, we shouldn't be a breeding ground for other clubs loanees. We need 3 or 4 experienced players to guide them. The spine of the team is awful at the moment- how Lennon and Dieng are still at the club I don't know. Full backs and forwards are ok (if they stay) but the central positions in defence and midfield are lacking.

Thing is players like Lennon and Dieng aren't awful. They wouldn't have made it this far in the pro game if they were. Its far more likely to be down to how they've been utilized or coached. I was listening to Jermaine Beckford on Talksport yesterday talking about the foreign coach Bielsa at Leeds, saying how he made every player there better by a considerable margin. I'm hoping MM will be that kind of manager and will start getting the best out of the players. we'll see I guess.

 

[wakes123]

Do you feel better after a good nights sleep?

Lol yeah I may have had a beer last night.

Good luck Mark hope he does a great job ?

 

[Willie Coulson's Red Cheeks]

Congratulations, I think you've got a diamond of a manager. He may not be the finished article yet but if you cut him a little slack I think you'll reap some very valuable rewards. Having said that, there's also a chance he may smash it right from the start.

In his AFCB interviews, possibly more than anyone, he's mentioned how much he has learnt from Howe. I would call him the closest thing we've produced to Howe's apprentice, especially since his meticulous approach to everything and use of stats and analysts are integral to how he prepares. I know that's much more common amongst managers these days but it certainly wasn't the norm in L2 when Howe was doing it 12 years ago and MM has been nurtured in an environment where it is seen as a given.

I said on the other thread that he was cruelly robbed of more a league playing career by injury and had a relentlessness to his play on the pitch that you rarely see in the more skillful players. He was never someone you could accuse of not giving his all and I think that's followed him through into his coaching career. Repeating myself again but his has been the name whispered to fans from insiders down at AFCB as the man out of all the backroom team with the most potential.

I'll be honest in that I was unaware of the trouble you've been having with finances and embargoes, wallowing as I have been in my own misery this past turgid season. However, I hope a few parallels can bring you some more cheer.

Kevin Bond was our manager when we got relegated from L1 (due to a points deduction but still relegated). We appointed a new manager the next season (-17 one in L2) but he didn't last long and out of desperation and lack of funds we promoted the youth team manager Eddie Howe.

As I understand it, Kevin Bond was your manager in the season you got relegated from L1 and you've since had another manager that didn't last long only to now turn to MM. Seems pretty similar to me.

Then for the good bit. In his first full season as our manager Howe had a transfer embargo in place for the entire season. In fact, we had a squad of 20 and asked the FL if we released one of the 3 keepers included in that number if we could sign a replacement. They said yes so we released the youngest keeper and the FL then changed their minds leaving us with 19. The gits. To me, this season was Howe's greatest achievement with AFCB. He took that imbalanced squad and forged them into a team that came 2nd in the league, even though when injuries kicked in we were starting some games with 5 players playing out of position. It was insane but a joy to watch. I simply don't know how he did it.

Onto you, you're under an embargo. I know you hope it will be lifted soon but if it isn't, well MM was part of that aforementioned AFCB squad so he's seen and lived a manager taking what he has and making it work not just to mediocrity but to success.

It's almost spooky for me looking at the aspects of history repeating. I'm going to be watching you pretty closely this season and cheering you on as I would love MM to get on well. I really hope MM does for you what Howe did for us.

Good luck! The only other thing I'll say is please show a bit of patience if it doesn't gel immediately. He's going to have his own ideas and approach and sometimes the results aren't instant.

I hope you decide to stay part of SZ. Yours is one of the best posts I've read on here for a long time.

By staying on SZ, you will be able to:

1. Keep track on how MM is doing.
2. More importantly, bring a degree of perspective when results aren't going well and some fans decide to immediately blame the new manager.

Our club has been rotting for 2 years + and any new manager needs time to sort this out!

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

In the interview from February this year, one of the things MM says (19:40) is that Weymouth have a code of morals and values that the players have to adhere to, and these are non-negotiable (both on and off the pitch). He says that players have to buy into his philosophy and I think he has a great sense of building a team spirit.

To be honest I think we got a glimpse of that in the last game we played on 7th March, and there seemed to be a good team spirit and bond between our group of young players who will, let's face it, be the nucleus of our squad for next season:

Bwomono, Mitchell-Nelson, Clifford, Egbri, Kinali, Gard, Kelman - all youth team players who started that game. Kyprianou, Hutchinson, Seaden, Rush and Howard from the same group were on the bench. Add to this Harry Phillips, Kenny Coker, Richard Taylor, Callum Taylor and the other young lads who have just signed their first pro deals

Then you've got the players who would seem to be ones who might buy into this mentality - White, Dieng, Goodship and you've got a good group.

It will be interesting to see where others fit in too - Oxley (seems a quiet chap, who just gets on with things), Lennon, Ralph, Humphrys.

Will those yet to sign like the sound of the new regime? I reckon Sam Barratt will, a manager who understands the transition from Non-League to Professional. Macca? Who knows - maybe the money's not quite right for him but he's not gone anywhere else yet and Mansfield must be getting close to their salary cap now - they signed another one yesterday.

MM seems to be a good man manager and will quickly suss out the squad - he hasn't got long before the first game, which is a bit of an issue. However he sounds like a real hard worker and so will I'm sure be doing everything in his power to turn this ship around. This has got a real sense of the Cowley brothers at Lincoln about it.

Despite relegation, transfer embargoes, lack of signings and everything else, it's been a long time since I felt this enthusiastic to be be supporting Southend - and we've got a great new kit too!

 

[bluesfansince1952]

Thing is players like Lennon and Dieng aren't awful. They wouldn't have made it this far in the pro game if they were. Its far more likely to be down to how they've been utilized or coached. I was listening to Jermaine Beckford on Talksport yesterday talking about the foreign coach Bielsa at Leeds, saying how he made every player there better by a considerable margin. I'm hoping MM will be that kind of manager and will start getting the best out of the players. we'll see I guess.

I suspect that if MM thinks a player is not trying to improve himself he will soon find himself plying his trade elsewhere.
Lennon is physical and has ability. I do not doubt his potential and think he could be very useful in League 2. If MM can get his head right, and, he can avoid injury (yes two very big ifs I will concede) I think he could even be our player of the season.
Dieng is also talented but is mercurial, and, has a tendency to 'disappear' during games especially when playing in midfield. He also has a physical presence which helps in League 2 and I think there is much for MM to work with there.
Ultimately, it will ultimately up to both players to develop consistency and do justice to their undoubted talent. I suspect MM has more chance of bringing out the best in them than some of our other recent managers.
If they could both put in and if some of the younger brigade are able to make significant progress we might do much better than expected this season.
Time will tell but now is surely the time for a little optimism!

 

[Jai]

I'd be wary of casting Harry Lennon aside. He has been tremendously unlucky with injuries (not saying he's not injury prone, but every bone he's broken has been a different one) and he's the closest thing we have to a big nasty physical centre half. I hope most people have got over his stupidity after Dover - we all make mistakes and in the two games after he was recalled, he was our best player before his season was once again cut short.

We are not drowning in experienced players, Lennon is still young enough to improve, he's an Essex lad and when he makes it onto the pitch, he has looked pretty good at times. Dover incident aside, I haven't seen any question marks about his attitude.

If we were in a position where we could get someone else in to replace him, that's different - but we're not and personally I think we'd be weaker without him at the moment.

 

[palexander]

I suspect that if MM thinks a player is not trying to improve himself he will soon find himself plying his trade elsewhere.
Lennon is physical and has ability. I do not doubt his potential and think he could be very useful in League 2. If MM can get his head right, and, he can avoid injury (yes two very big ifs I will concede) I think he could even be our player of the season.
Dieng is also talented but is mercurial, and, has a tendency to 'disappear' during games especially when playing in midfield. He also has a physical presence which helps in League 2 and I think there is much for MM to work with there.
Ultimately, it will ultimately up to both players to develop consistency and do justice to their undoubted talent. I suspect MM has more chance of bringing out the best in them than some of our other recent managers.
If they could both put in and if some of the younger brigade are able to make significant progress we might do much better than expected this season.
Time will tell but now is surely the time for a little optimism!

I like what MM said about your first point. He only wants players that want to improve personally, or help improve the position of the club upwards. Anyone that wants to 'coast' or cant improve can go elsewhere.

That said, I would assume thats much easier to do at a non-league level where players are part time and you'd assume on contracts easier to be released from, than say have a 'coaster' sitting on a 2 year deal at a Pro club... I dunno, maybe I'm wrong.

But yes, super positive about this appointment!

 

[palexander]

I'd be wary of casting Harry Lennon aside. He has been tremendously unlucky with injuries (not saying he's not injury prone, but every bone he's broken has been a different one) and he's the closest thing we have to a big nasty physical centre half. I hope most people have got over his stupidity after Dover - we all make mistakes and in the two games after he was recalled, he was our best player before his season was once again cut short.

We are not drowning in experienced players, Lennon is still young enough to improve, he's an Essex lad and when he makes it onto the pitch, he has looked pretty good at times. Dover incident aside, I haven't seen any question marks about his attitude.

If we were in a position where we could get someone else in to replace him, that's different - but we're not and personally I think we'd be weaker without him at the moment.

If I remember correctly - I'm sure there was an interview with John White (set bizarrely in a sponsors car?!) where he said Lennon was the toughest and most physical player he's played with and that we have and he's an absolute beast.

As you say, clean slate - put Dover in the past and hopefully we can keep a fit Lennon as part of a decent back 4 for this season.

 

[Ricey]

If I remember correctly - I'm sure there was an interview with John White (set bizarrely in a sponsors car?!) where he said Lennon was the toughest and most physical player he's played with and that we have and he's an absolute beast.

As you say, clean slate - put Dover in the past and hopefully we can keep a fit Lennon as part of a decent back 4 for this season.

Didn’t he say he was the fastest player too?

 

[Supernaut]

Fry up down the Arches then every pub along the seafront to The Shorehouse.

Funny you should say that - the morning after Bond was announced I saw him, Clarkson and a bunch of players having breakfast together at the Arches. Don't know if there was a pub crawl afterwards mind...

 

[Harry Bullocks]

Looking forward, as always, to the start of the season.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

If I remember correctly - I'm sure there was an interview with John White (set bizarrely in a sponsors car?!) where he said Lennon was the toughest and most physical player he's played with and that we have and he's an absolute beast.

As you say, clean slate - put Dover in the past and hopefully we can keep a fit Lennon as part of a decent back 4 for this season.

I'm going to be in a minority for this, but I'm not even convinced he did anything wrong after the Dover game. It was just everyone taking out their frustrations over the result and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and so became the lightning rod for dissatisfaction.

I hope he is the beneficiary of the clean slate that MM is giving everyone because there is a real player in there and he can be a real asset for this club and the type of player that - if he can stay healthy - we can build around.

He's definitely tough - I remember him trying to play on with a broken leg - I just hope he isn't as brittle.

 

[bluesfansince1952]

I like what MM said about your first point. He only wants players that want to improve personally, or help improve the position of the club upwards. Anyone that wants to 'coast' or cant improve can go elsewhere.

That said, I would assume thats much easier to do at a non-league level where players are part time and you'd assume on contracts easier to be released from, than say have a 'coaster' sitting on a 2 year deal at a Pro club... I dunno, maybe I'm wrong.

But yes, super positive about this appointment!

And, let there be no doubt, a bad atmosphere in the workplace can negatively impact the motivation of some or even many of the employees. Those of you on SZ living closer to the action, or, having contacts within the club, would have a better idea than I would about when was the last time there was positive 'vibe' around the club.
From what I have read on here it seems that at times last season the atmosphere around the team was not just bad but was positively poisonous.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I'm going to be in a minority for this, but I'm not even convinced he did anything wrong after the Dover game.

There is no excuse for wearing a tracksuit - any tracksuit - in a pub.

 

[Chalky]

Don't get me wrong. I hope he gets us out of this dire situation we are in. I do though have my concerns. He was succeeding at Weymouth largely due to the access he had to the Bouremouth under 23s. He cannot get hold of them here. None of them will want to come to a sinking ship. I am not being negative and really do hope he is our saviour.
Lets be realistic we will be nowhere near promotion this season. Its going to take time.

By the way, Weymouth only had 1 player on loan on from Bournemouth u23s for the whole of last season.

So that is just not true.

 

[Ricky Otto]

If I remember correctly - I'm sure there was an interview with John White (set bizarrely in a sponsors car?!) where he said Lennon was the toughest and most physical player he's played with and that we have and he's an absolute beast.

As you say, clean slate - put Dover in the past and hopefully we can keep a fit Lennon as part of a decent back 4 for this season.

Think that was the one with Zak at trade price cars. They have some great content for fans, well worth following on all social media platforms.