Evening
So as we dont seem any closer to a new manager and following on from one more vacant post we have to compete with its got me thinking about managers. I was interested in looking at the managerial changes this season and where the team is now. Below I list the managers sacked in the regular season, the position at the sacking and their position now:
Team | Manager | Date Sacked | Position at Time | Position Now |
Blackburn Rovers | Steve Kean | 28 September 2012 | 3rd | 13th |
Bolton Wanderers | Owen Coyle | 9 October 2012 | 18th | 20th |
Burnley | Eddie Howe | 12 October 2012 | 16th | 7th |
Crystal Palace | Dougie Freedman | 23 October 2012 | 4th | 5th |
Ipswich Town | Paul Jewell | 24 October 2012 | 24th | 19th |
Blackpool | Ian Holloway | 2 November 2012 | 12th | 15th |
Nottingham Forrest | Sean O’Driscoll | 26 December 2012 | 8th | 11th |
Blackburn Rovers | Henning Berg | 27 December 2012 | 17th | 13th |
Barnsley | Keith Hill | 29 December 2012 | 24th | 22nd |
Wolverhampton Wanderers | Stale Solbakken | 5 January 2013 | 18th | 21st |
Blackpool | Michael Appleton | 11 January 2013 | 14th | 15th |
Bristol City | Derek McInnes | 12 January 2013 | 24th | 23rd |
Huddersfield Town | Simon Grayson | 24 January 2013 | 18th | 17th |
Nottingham Forrest | Alex McLeish | 5 February 2013 | 11th | 11th |
So Forrest and Blackburn make up a large part of that list and Blackpool have had managers poached rather than sacked but it makes for interesting reading. Apart from Burnley no team have significantly improved their fortunes following the sacking. Ipswich are crawling from the bottom so they have done well but they are not yet out of danger and the Blackburn position is better but only 4 points separate us in 17th from them in 13th so it doesnt really signify a new dawn, especially when you consider they were 3rd when Kean left.
So it begs a few questions:
How much difference does a new manager really make mid season?
Are clubs just settling to their “natural position" as the media likes to call it whenever a clubs sacks a manager and people are ‘outraged’ by the ‘joke of a club’? (Which the snivelling media love to do to knock any club that dares to not want to languish in the lower leagues and whilst the media types enjoy their prawn sarnies in press boxes in Premier League clubs)
What is the cost of all these changes?
I am beginning to think that we might aswell keep Lillis until the end of the season unless someone special becomes available and interested as otherwise I doubt the replacement will make any difference to our fortunes this season.
What do you think?