Tag: Michael Appleton

FootballOpinion

Patience and Loyalty

David Stringer

In football, it’s an unargued truism that managers deserve loyalty, that the best course of action is to back the man in charge.

But what if the man in charge has spent over a year in charge with no definite sign of forward progress (Martin O’Neill) and there’s a danger of relegation. Should he be allowed more time?

Martin O'Neill looking slightly sad. He probably cheered himself up by attending a murder trial or two.
Martin O’Neill looking slightly sad. He probably cheered himself up by attending a murder trial or two.

When a boss who’s got a good reputation as a coach, but hasn’t done much as a manager, and is taking the team down the table (Michael Appleton), should they be persisted with? Even when the former caretaker manager had a better record, and is still on staff?

I wrote about this dilemma on Friday for Bornoffside.

Click here to read Have Recent Managerial Sackings Been Fair?

FootballOpinion

Billionaire Owners are Passe, Knights Are Cool Now

David Stringer

The latest Lower League Week is now up at Born Offside.
Port Vale and Portsmouth are both on the verge of takeovers, and I’ve been slightly mystified by reports that Portsmouth manager Michael Appleton is the favourite for the Burnley vacancy.
Swindon have replaced their chairman (with a knight who was ambassador to Afghanistan – pretty imperial), Oxford insist on being inconsistent, Hartlepool have parted ways with manager Neale Cooper, and York’s Matty Blair managed to get himself injured by a training ground mannequin.

In his defence, these guys can be absolute thugs

All that and more can be found in The Lower League Week: Owners and Managers