Who are the Final Four?

[Remi_Moses]

Who actually selects the new manager?
As Dowling has extensive history with Appy, it doesn't appear to be fair he is involved?
I believe Appy appointed him (Dowling) at Blackburn, after previously being together at Portsmouth.

[Derek Hardballs]

A list of 4 and a lack of urgency worry me.

Unless the managers/coaches on the list are of a similar ilk then I would argue that the club still lack a plan, a culture or an identity.  The DoF should have a plan of what he wants alongside the type of scouting that’s being undertaken.  The choice of manager should be one that fits the club, not just a random  “old and experienced”, “up and coming” and “Johnny foreigner” round of interviews.

Will the new man be someone that wants experienced brutish based players, will it be someone to promote youth or someone who knows the foreign markets?  

DA had a plan of who would fit the remit of what the club wanted, we don’t appear to have this.  The club appear to be doing it arse about face.  Find the identity of the club and then pick the man to carry that out, we’ve lurched aots for a while now.  Fuck knows what remit our scouting dept. have.  I bet it didn’t include Kyle Bartley and passing out from the back though.

Our identity was pretty but weak football under DA that experiment ended when RDM got the sack and Roy came and saved us from another potential relegation. DA did a lot well but when it came to the crunch the best thing he did was bring in the best manager we’ve had for years and have never properly replaced.

I thought that may entice you out.  What experiment?

I happen to think that Roy becoming available was one of the reasons we acted so quickly in ending RDMs reign.  That sounds decisive and like a plan to me.

We had a scouting network that worked together and actually found those mythical (to some) players from the  continent on the cheap.  We also put in place the academy and youth program that we’re now starting to see the fruits of. 

I suppose it’s all a coincidence that happened under DA, in the same way as St. George’s Park and the England youth set-up under DA too.  

Be interesting to see what happens at Brighton over the next couple of years. 

We could always of course just sign players we think may do a job and then a manager and coaches that may or may not play to their strengths.

I’m not arguing that DA didn’t do well at the club, I am questioning the almost God like status he has with some fans, when you consider it was more luck that RH became available more than any other reason that we stayed in the Prem.

[Fido]

+1, DH

[Stratfordbaggie]

Michael ONeill......

[CA Baggie]

A list of 4 and a lack of urgency worry me.

Unless the managers/coaches on the list are of a similar ilk then I would argue that the club still lack a plan, a culture or an identity.  The DoF should have a plan of what he wants alongside the type of scouting that’s being undertaken.  The choice of manager should be one that fits the club, not just a random  “old and experienced”, “up and coming” and “Johnny foreigner” round of interviews.

Will the new man be someone that wants experienced brutish based players, will it be someone to promote youth or someone who knows the foreign markets?  

DA had a plan of who would fit the remit of what the club wanted, we don’t appear to have this.  The club appear to be doing it arse about face.  Find the identity of the club and then pick the man to carry that out, we’ve lurched aots for a while now.  Fuck knows what remit our scouting dept. have.  I bet it didn’t include Kyle Bartley and passing out from the back though.

Our identity was pretty but weak football under DA that experiment ended when RDM got the sack and Roy came and saved us from another potential relegation. DA did a lot well but when it came to the crunch the best thing he did was bring in the best manager we’ve had for years and have never properly replaced.

I thought that may entice you out.  What experiment?

I happen to think that Roy becoming available was one of the reasons we acted so quickly in ending RDMs reign.  That sounds decisive and like a plan to me.

We had a scouting network that worked together and actually found those mythical (to some) players from the  continent on the cheap.  We also put in place the academy and youth program that we’re now starting to see the fruits of. 

I suppose it’s all a coincidence that happened under DA, in the same way as St. George’s Park and the England youth set-up under DA too.  

Be interesting to see what happens at Brighton over the next couple of years. 

We could always of course just sign players we think may do a job and then a manager and coaches that may or may not play to their strengths.

I’m not arguing that DA didn’t do well at the club, I am questioning the almost God like status he has with some fans, when you consider it was more luck that RH became available more than any other reason that we stayed in the Prem.

I would say his “gold like status” is because of what followed.  It was clear he was the man with the plan.   We’ve just been fumbling around since with a poor selection of DA replacements, poor coach selections and a player recruitment policy that’s left us one paced, too many old players and players with no coherent style of play. 

I wasn’t knocking the potential CH appointment, if that’s the plan.  I suggest that we’re doing it with no plan and in 12 months we’ll be looking again, maybe for someone looking to play a different way entirely, with a different emphasis and we’ll continue with a squad of players that has an unworkable mixture, much like this squad.  Everyone should be pulling in the same direction, to a blue print of how we’re going to do it.

[Derek Hardballs]

A list of 4 and a lack of urgency worry me.

Unless the managers/coaches on the list are of a similar ilk then I would argue that the club still lack a plan, a culture or an identity.  The DoF should have a plan of what he wants alongside the type of scouting that’s being undertaken.  The choice of manager should be one that fits the club, not just a random  “old and experienced”, “up and coming” and “Johnny foreigner” round of interviews.

Will the new man be someone that wants experienced brutish based players, will it be someone to promote youth or someone who knows the foreign markets?  

DA had a plan of who would fit the remit of what the club wanted, we don’t appear to have this.  The club appear to be doing it arse about face.  Find the identity of the club and then pick the man to carry that out, we’ve lurched aots for a while now.  Fuck knows what remit our scouting dept. have.  I bet it didn’t include Kyle Bartley and passing out from the back though.

Our identity was pretty but weak football under DA that experiment ended when RDM got the sack and Roy came and saved us from another potential relegation. DA did a lot well but when it came to the crunch the best thing he did was bring in the best manager we’ve had for years and have never properly replaced.

I thought that may entice you out.  What experiment?

I happen to think that Roy becoming available was one of the reasons we acted so quickly in ending RDMs reign.  That sounds decisive and like a plan to me.

We had a scouting network that worked together and actually found those mythical (to some) players from the  continent on the cheap.  We also put in place the academy and youth program that we’re now starting to see the fruits of. 

I suppose it’s all a coincidence that happened under DA, in the same way as St. George’s Park and the England youth set-up under DA too.  

Be interesting to see what happens at Brighton over the next couple of years. 

We could always of course just sign players we think may do a job and then a manager and coaches that may or may not play to their strengths.

I’m not arguing that DA didn’t do well at the club, I am questioning the almost God like status he has with some fans, when you consider it was more luck that RH became available more than any other reason that we stayed in the Prem.

I would say his “gold like status” is because of what followed.  It was clear he was the man with the plan.   We’ve just been fumbling around since with a poor selection of DA replacements, poor coach selections and a player recruitment policy that’s left us one paced, too many old players and players with no coherent style of play. 

I wasn’t knocking the potential CH appointment, if that’s the plan.  I suggest that we’re doing it with no plan and in 12 months we’ll be looking again, maybe for someone looking to play a different way entirely, with a different emphasis and we’ll continue with a squad of players that has an unworkable mixture, much like this squad.  Everyone should be pulling in the same direction, to a blue print of how we’re going to do it.

I agree but the reason for the lack of direction was an owner who wanted to sell and a new owner who clearly knows nothing about the game. It stands to reason the club needs to employ s clear way of operating and playing that doesn’t jump from one style to another. However at first team level that isn’t always possible or desirable as we have seen numerous times. Rigidly sticking to a plan for years if it’s failing to produce results where it matters achieves no more than lurching from one decision to the next. We need to find the very best people for the key positions, but it isn’t an exact science as we have seen when we jumped from RDMs openish style to the pragmatic Hodgson style.

[TartanRug]

At 10/11 with Sky Bet, Cowley has to be the bookies biggest favourite to take over as our manager in a long while doesn’t he?

We've had at least five odds on favourites since Darren Moore got the sack. Bookies have no idea they just react to the latest name linked.

On the final four I'd guess on Danny Cowley, Chris Hughton, Lee Bowyer and A.N.Other.

I remember a few managers back Rangnick was about 1/33 at one stage!