Next Manager - Ivic Confirmed

If we'd have wanted Mourinho, Gino would've got him.
The fact is it will turn out that we always wanted, and got, our #1 target, Ian Allinson of St Albans City.

 

Get Pochettino in, he wanted a step up from Spurs.

 

Great preparation as usual!

 

What's the panic. Nothing has really started happening yet, players on holiday, even though most of ours looked like that from the restart.
Sir Eddie is having a relax before coming home.

 

I don’t think there’s a panic. That said, if we want a new coach to come in and have more sway over matters, I’d rather he isn’t appointed just before pre-season starts - or worse, after it starts. My opinion is that I’d like him to be in place a week or so before so he can properly have what he wants in place - by all means, take our time to get the right person...but we need to balance that against not taking so long that we are chasing our tails from the beginning. We have seen what can happen when a pre-season goes wrong already...

 

The longer he's in place the better. He will have his own ideas about formation, tactics, which players he likes, what he expects, where he thinks he needs us to strengthen. Ok we know he won't get it all his own way but if he rocks up 2 weeks before the first game that won't be ideal prep for getting his ideas across and the first few games will set the tone for the season. I'd be very disappointed if it was HRH Eddie but 95% certain it won't be....

 

True. But I'd rather they took their time, which it looks like they are. No rash decisions. They will be here at the latest next week I'd imagine, giving plenty of time to shoehorn the rubbish out of the squad.

 

They will be here no later than next week.

 

Promise ?

 

I am not sure why you were confused when I wrote that I thought Struber would be an enormous gamble, although he might be successful. The reason is his very limited experience (eighteen months) as a manager of league clubs. He spent 6 months at FC Liefering, where his record was not impressive (6 wins, 1 draw and 8 defeats) in a relatively weak league. He spent only 4 and 1/2 months at Wolfsberger AC, who won 11, drew 4 and lost 6 games (52.38% win percentage). They were in 3rd place in the Austrian Bundesliga when he left, which was the same position where they had finished in the previous season. He has been 8 and 1/2 months at Barnsley (12 wins, 7 draws and 13 defeats), where he has a 37.5% win percentage.

Most Barnsley fans are positive about Struber, but I have also read comments such as these: "I know it was great what happened in the Forest and Brentford games but up until then, there were some myself included that wouldn't care one way or the other (if he left). I don't see him as hot property at all." and: "If I was Watford and was looking towards the Championship, I would be looking at those (managers) in and just below the playoffs. The only appeal Struber would offer me would be he would be cheap in comparison."

I read an article (but - unfortunately - I can not re-find the link) which suggested that Maximilian Senft, his assistant manager, at Wolfsberger AC and Barnsley has played an important role in developing the style of play of Struber's teams. Senft was responsible for the analysis and was a successful professional poker player when he was younger, although he had been assistant manager at Austria Wien before he joined Struber. I do not know how important Senft's influence has been, but he decided to return to Austria for family reasons at the end of this season.

I gave the example of George Kirby (albeit from a different era) who was appointed as Watford manager in the Championship in 1971. He was regarded as an up-and-coming manager, who had completed just one successful season at Halifax in Division 1. His team played attractive, attacking football and they had just missed out on promotion to the Championship, but it turned out badly for Watford resulting in relegation. The appointment of any coach carries a degree of risk, but Struber's lack of experience (compared to even Vladimir Ivic) does concern me if Watford intend to return immediately to the Premier League.

 

Will a pinky swear suffice?

 

I know very little about Struber. Yes he kept Barnsley up just but if it wasnt for Wigan they'd be gone. Resulting in me thinking what is it that makes this fella such hot property to some supporters on here.
I like the look of Ivic myself. An unbelievable record in Israel and he looks frightening as fook.

 

Had to google it. Based on this, yes, and I will PM you an address to post your finger if no-one has signed.
"It is said that the “pinky promise” or “pinky swear” originated in Japan where it is known as yubikiri, which means “finger cut-off.” This is because in Japan the person that broke the "pinky promise" had to cut off their pinky finger."

 

Got Nolan mixed up with Kewell lol, but still, raw stats aren't the be all and end all, and we'll be getting someone better than Nolan anyway

 

Well I've learnt something new today. On that note you can just make do with a promise.

 

Context is needed though. He won 11 games in 21 games for WAC - the next coach that came in won 7 in 20. Struber has also been coaching for over a decade. He’s not inexperienced in this field.

 

They were 7 points adrift when he was appointed, and according to many Barnsley fans, playing awful football. He came in, quickly changed their style, gave younger players a chance to shine and crucially, improved them massively defensively. These are all things that should make him attractive to us.

Its a bit odd to dismiss Struber because you don't know much about him - and then say you like Ivic who I'm sure nearly none of us had even heard of last week. I wouldn't be disappointed with him either having looked closer at him - but I think Struber is a better candidate given the factors above. And that he has already been in England/Championship for a while and nows what it's about. The Israeli league is nowhere near the overall standard of the Championship, impeccable record or not.

 

Didn't dismiss him. As I said knew nothing about him. If he comes he will get my full support.
No I wouldn't even try and compare leagues. I just, as you did have researched a little about Ivic and like what's been written.

 

I think going back 50 years for an example is perhaps pushing the boundaries personally!

 

Swap deal with Deeney?

 

I would say we're fast approaching 'urgent' territory. The players will be back in 2 weeks.

 

That's enough for a couple of managers

 

Agreed but I would rather we take our time and identify the right person for the job if Mullins has to take some of pre-season it is not ideal but it won't be the end of the World. However, I imagine it's all being done as we speak in private and we will have someone in charge before the players come back for pre-season.

 

Just looked at the odds again and who is listed - all the usual names etc, some sensible, some wild.

But one name really sticks out as just very very odd.

Bo Henriksen. Hasn’t managed a team since AC Horsens in 2014 and is a former Kidderminster player. He’s just an odd name to even place there? Someone putting money on randomly? Or something we should worry about - we’ve appointed some left-field names before but this guy literally has no place being even mentioned.

 

Should add, I did the ask the question of the person I know who works at London Conley if they had heard of any interesting news...

All he said was that the powers that be were at LC most of last week but haven’t been seen there since Thursday - but that there was minimal presence at the training ground anyway now as it’s post-season and not unusual - and the training ground had been handed over to Harrogate Town on Tuesday last week so wouldn’t have been used for negotiations even if any were happening.

 

Eusebio Di Francesco likely going to Cagliari. Was always a long shot after relegation...

 

He has been in Horsens since 2014 untill now. Chosed not to extend contract. Its time for a new challenge. Maybe one of the poorest sides in the danish Superliga, and he have done miracles with the team.

 

Actually has contract to 2021, but will not extend

 

Yes. A random bet. A friend of mine requested a price on him. Not entirely sure why.

 

Ahhh everything I looked at said he left the same season as he joined in 2014 - my mistake.

 

Bo Horse?

Maybe they were a fan of the show:

 

Well I hope they all have a lovely time. Hopefully maybe some of them might pop back in a week or two just before the season starts and have a bit of a kickabout ?

 

The point I was making was that there is a considerable risk appointing a first team coach on the basis of one successful season and I chose an example from Watford's past history. Aidy Boothroyd was appointed without any past experience as a manager, but I suspect that the appointment of the experienced Keith Burkinshaw as assistant manager was an important factor in his initial success.

 

I feel like myself a few others have explained why it can’t be considered an ‘enormous’ gamble.

So on that basis, throw a few names out that you don’t feel like would be such big gambles? Who will also quench the thirst the fans have for a better style and introduce the younger elements of the squad.