Molesley In or out. (Poll added)

[Clarky176]

No one knows that he looked at Barratt and decided against offering him a deal. It still hasn’t been widely considered that the club did in fact offer him a deal but Barratt himself decided it wasn’t suitable for him and opted to accept an offer from another club....possibly one which was better financially and personally.....

True, didn't think of that. Assumed that because we were a higher division and he was already with us that he wanted to stay. Perhaps not.

 

[Rob1920]

You just can't keep firing managers. It seems some on here would happily give any new manager 3 to 6 months to turn us into promotion material or get sacked. And again. And again. And again. Its crazy, particularly when those managers have got naff all to work with. In what less than 3 years we've sacked Brown, Powell, Bond, Waddock (sort of) and Campbell (mutual consent). So we now sack Molesley as well. Who the hell would want the job with that track record? Who would want to come here, get no tools to do the job, take all the abuse, quite possibly not get paid, then have a relegation & sacking on their CV. The only people who would touch us would be those who are so deperate for a job they can't get one anywhere else down to levels below us. No one with any kind of successful record would go near us right now. I bet if MM could turn the clock back he'd still be on the South Coast flitting between his good job at Bournemouth and his succesful side-gig at Weymouth. MM is our manager, he is committed, he knows a lot more about football and the players at his disposal than any of us, let the bloke get on with it. If and when we go down, it will not be his fault. I hope he sticks it out whatever and gets a chance to build the side he really wants, capable of challenging in whatever league we're in next year.

As an aside, i will just mention the guy who was manager at Bristol Rovers when they went down, Clark? They kept him, and got promoted back the following year. And that doesn't happen often nowadays. Sacking MM would be madness.

 

[blues exile]

Yes. Wycombe persisted with Gareth Ainsworth a few years ago in exactly the same league position, without the constraints that MM is under. It’s worked out ok for them hasn’t it? There will be many others too.

The facts are these. Ainsworth took over from Gary Waddock in Sept 2012 when they had taken 4 points from their first 7 games. They started to pick up almost straightaway and by the end of December of that year were out of the relegation zone, finishing 15th so comparisons with Molesley just don't tally. Possibly you are thinking of the following season where after a bright start they hit a bad patch and only just saved their status on the last day of the season. By then of course he had already proved his capabilities which is why they stuck with him and of course we all know what happened the following season.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

The facts are these. Ainsworth took over from Gary Waddock in Sept 2012 when they had taken 4 points from their first 7 games. They started to pick up almost straightaway and by the end of December of that year were out of the relegation zone, finishing 15th so comparisons with Molesley just don't tally. Possibly you are thinking of the following season where after a bright start they hit a bad patch and only just saved their status on the last day of the season. By then of course he had already proved his capabilities which is why they stuck with him and of course we all know what happened the following season.

I am talking about the second season. I am also very familiar with the progress of that season, the fan debate and the narrative around the club at the time. This is thanks to my long-standing close friendship with someone who has intimate knowledge of that club over decades and indeed had a stake in the ownership until the recent American takeover. The situation has a direct read across - I’m sorry this is inconvenient, but it is nevertheless true.

 

[rigsby]

Ainsworth would have never survived at Southend with the same record. Even when we stayed up on the last day, Wycombe only finished 2 places above us. The following season they get promoted.

For anyone finishing bottom half in L1 its very rare to go up the following season in recent times. Sheffield Wednesday did it a while back but they have an obvious reason why. Can't think of others of the top of my head, clubs up form L2 on double promotions don't count.

 

[blues exile]

I am talking about the second season. I am also very familiar with the progress of that season, the fan debate and the narrative around the club at the time. This is thanks to my long-standing close friendship with someone who has intimate knowledge of that club over decades and indeed had a stake in the ownership until the recent American takeover. The situation has a direct read across - I’m sorry this is inconvenient, but it is nevertheless true.

The difference is fairly obvious that by that second season Ainsworth had already proven to be a good manager who could get results which is why they stuck by him, having got them out of trouble before. Moleseley by comparison has no goodwill or credit in the bank, having got his league management career off to an appalling start, whatever the extenuating circumstances. Ainsworth of course was also still playing when he took over and had vast experience as a league professional. There really is no comparison.

 

[Shrimper]

Barnsley kept their manager didn't they when they were struggling in League One? Then they got promoted after 16 of their last 24.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

The difference is fairly obvious that by that second season Ainsworth had already proven to be a good manager who could get results which is why they stuck by him, having got them out of trouble before. Moleseley by comparison has no goodwill or credit in the bank, having got his league management career off to an appalling start, whatever the extenuating circumstances. Ainsworth of course was also still playing when he took over and had vast experience as a league professional. There really is no comparison.

Cobblers. This is exactly why I referenced my understanding of how that played out at the time. You’re just reading a few internet stats and overlaying your own narrative.

Ainsworth had never been a manager before (apart from two very short stints as caretaker at QPR) and had no record at all, unlike MM who has promotions to his name. His appointment in September the previous season included his final stint as a player - an absolutely central factor in the team’s progress that year, where they ended only 9 points clear of relegation. The following year he was no longer a player and they were as close to relegation as its possible to get. There were huge calls among certain sections of the fan base for him to be sacked - but not among all supporters, and certainly not among the hierarchy at the club who have consistently recognised that managers need to be given time and support to implement their ideas and culture - and that club (like Ron, to be fair) always tries their level best to provide that time. It had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with some nonsense notion of ‘credit in the bank’.

MM has been here 4 months, under an embargo the entire time, with an available squad of almost entirely kids (which is slowly changing, marginally), a curtailed pre-season, on the back of two horrendous years for the club in total free fall and with covid and no fans at all in attendance. To claim that this somehow puts MM in a position where his record requires closer scrutiny and harsher judgment than Ainsworth in 2013 is just plain wrong and bears no relation to the realities of Wycombe in 2013 or Southend in 2020.

 

[blues exile]

Nice to get a reasoned response like 'cobblers' and 'just plain mental'. Pleased to see you maintaining such a high level of civilised debate.

 

[blueblueblue]

I think MM is getting off very lightly on here, yes the financial situation hasn't helped but neither do some of his tactics of transfer choices. He has signed/loaned in three wingers but is playing one of our better players on the left wing out of position and chose to let Barrett go without looking at him. Anybody looking at our squad at the start of the season knew we needed some physical presence as the back and he brought in a ball playing center half to a dog fight.

We are also still letting the same type of goals in each week so staying late looking at the stats is not working either, maybe they should try to coach the players more and improve what we have.

I have to agree, even his tactics with this squad is wrong.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Nice to get a reasoned response like 'cobblers' and 'just plain mental'. Pleased to see you maintaining such a high level of civilised debate.

Fair enough. I’ve swapped out mental for wrong, but ‘cobblers’ isn’t offensive IMO.

 

[Stuart W]

Barnsley kept their manager didn't they when they were struggling in League One? Then they got promoted after 16 of their last 24.

Quite right. Lee Johnson in 2015/16. They had had a reasonable start of 4 wins in their first 9 games, but then went on a run of 8 straight league defeats. After 20 games they were bottom (but still had 18 points), but after Christmas as Shrimper rightly says, they won 16 of their remaining 24 games and ended up finishing 6th, and defeating Millwall in the play-off final.
Incidentally we got the double against them that season, winning 2-1 at home and 2-0 away.
Also gut-wrenching when you think of the quality of the goalscorers, Anthony Wordsworth, Luke Prosser, Jack Payne and Michael Timlin. All players who would stroll into our current side, probably even now!

 

[Fairport]

Quite right. Lee Johnson in 2015/16. They had had a reasonable start of 4 wins in their first 9 games, but then went on a run of 8 straight league defeats. After 20 games they were bottom (but still had 18 points), but after Christmas as Shrimper rightly says, they won 16 of their remaining 24 games and ended up finishing 6th, and defeating Millwall in the play-off final.
Incidentally we got the double against them that season, winning 2-1 at home and 2-0 away.
Also gut-wrenching when you think of the quality of the goalscorers, Anthony Wordsworth, Luke Prosser, Jack Payne and Michael Timlin. All players who would stroll into our current side, probably even now!

I agree that Timlin, Wordsworth and Payne would as you say, stroll into our team right now. Especially Wordsworth who did quite a bit of strolling when he was here.

 

[Stuart W]

I agree that Timlin, Wordsworth and Payne would as you say, stroll into our team right now. Especially Wordsworth who did quite a bit of strolling when he was here.

Please don't tell me you think Hobson would keep Prosser out of the team? Oh well, we will see on Saturday.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Scunthorpe put 5 past Harrogate tonight, that’s another team pulling away. We badly need wins, soon.

 

[Shrimper]

Scunthorpe put 5 past Harrogate tonight, that’s another team pulling away. We badly need wins, soon.

Bradford appear to be getting dragged into it. Mansfield and Stevenage playing tomorrow. If they both win then we're 8 points adrift before we even play on Saturday. Worrying times ahead. Could be too far adrift before we even get to the January window and these so called "players" that Ron says we will try and sign.

 

[AustScullyPriorPowell]

Scunthorpe put 5 past Harrogate tonight, that’s another team pulling away. We badly need wins, soon.

What! we're down, end of!
Ron's manager selection after Sol had to be right, so he employed a young manager with no football league experience!!!

Its not fair on MM to be in this situation, he's miles out of his depth, working with this illness and depression through the bones of this sad and tired football club of ours!!

There is honestly nothing good, positive and enjoyable, we're adrift and it will get worse, we're down!!

 

[londonblue]

Bradford appear to be getting dragged into it. Mansfield and Stevenage playing tomorrow. If they both win then we're 8 points adrift before we even play on Saturday. Worrying times ahead. Could be too far adrift before we even get to the January window and these so called "players" that Ron says we will try and sign.

Whoever is being dragged into it is pretty much an irrelevance at the moment: We're 7 points adrift and still under an embargo. And as you point out, it could be worse before the weekend.

 

[londonblue]

What! we're down, end of!
Ron's manager selection after Sol had to be right, so he employed a young manager with no football league experience!!!

Its not fair on MM to be in this situation, he's miles out of his depth, working with this illness and depression through the bones of this sad and tired football club of ours!!

There is honestly nothing good, positive and enjoyable, we're adrift and it will get worse, we're down!!

The only person out of their depth is Ron.

 

[mattytheshrimper]

The only person out of their depth is Ron.

majorly, the rot set in when so many office based workers left the club and Ron thought he could save a buck or two by taking on their jobs themselves OR giving some of their responsibilities to much younger and inexperienced existing staff. I mean no disrespect to those staff members who took on this work as its not their fault.