Andy Morrell

[GiggityGiggityGiggityGoo]

Originally Posted by dixienormous

Morrell had one hell of a squad to play with, remind me who we had in that team? Danny Wright, Harris, Keates, Ashton, Creightom etc
They all suited the sytem already in place for him and you'd have to be someone like Bryan Hughes to mess that team up. He did really well when he first took over, I'd go as far as saying he actually improved the squad with regards to motivation and a more direct style of play.

Keates isn't my cup of tea at all and his style is beyond shiiite....However, I thought he did an outstanding job at rebuilding the squad post Mills, and if he'd stayed on I think he'd have finished the job off, the same with Ricketts.

Also, Morrell's tactical nightmare at Luton in the play offs still haunts me to this day.

I'd bet the budget Keates had first time round wasn't far off a few of Morrell's. Some forget how the steered the ship during a takeover, had star players get sold and despite a budget that kept getting smaller still had the club pushing for promotion.

The budget now is far bigger than Morrell's final season, he certainly is deserving of more respect and sould have us pushing for promotion no doubt.

[KingBuxton_Forever red]

I was a big supporter of Keates first time round. I rated him as a player and a leader and he did an excellent job or making chicken salad out of chicken sh*t. The players we had on the books under Mills were some of the worst we have had since we have been in this division. The brand of football and all that doesn't bother me in the slightest, if it works I don't care.

My chief concern with Keates is that he doesn't appear to have the same success this time around. Nor did he have it at Walsall. So either he either fluked it in the first place or Walsall has broke him. Either way he should never have been brought back against the wishes of so many fans, cheap or not. Was never going to work.

I honestly feel bad slating Morrell because as people have pointed out we had the FA Trophy out of him, and a 98 point season. I just feel how it went after that points to the fact he wasn't upto it. I am of the opinion cream rises to the top in the end so if he is as good as most say I would expect him to be managing higher up before long (like Ricketts.)

[Haruki]

Originally Posted by GiggityGiggityGiggityGoo

I'd bet the budget Keates had first time round wasn't far off a few of Morrell's. Some forget how the steered the ship during a takeover, had star players get sold and despite a budget that kept getting smaller still had the club pushing for promotion.

The budget now is far bigger than Morrell's final season, he certainly is deserving of more respect and sould have us pushing for promotion no doubt.

Yep especially when you consider that Keates budget was artificially inflated by the fans raising £100k

[Bagger Vance]

This was the manager who accepted a reduction in his first team budget to save the youth team because he saw the bigger picture, last one we had. He never announced it or used it as an excuse.

His mistake was being too loyal to some of the players who lost the playoff - a few had mentally gone and it needed a mini overhaul but he stayed loyal to give the group a chance to go again. They failed him.

[KingBuxton_Forever red]

Originally Posted by Bagger Vance

This was the manager who accepted a reduction in his first team budget to save the youth team because he saw the bigger picture, last one we had. He never announced it or used it as an excuse.

His mistake was being too loyal to some of the players who lost the playoff - a few had mentally gone and it needed a mini overhaul but he stayed loyal to give the group a chance to go again. They failed him.

From his own personal perspective, that's two mistakes then isn't it?

We've established he is a top bloke but that isn't the debate.

[ruthinred]

Probably the best of a bad bunch , but Tamworth got rid ,, so..

King of the Ditherers when it came to wheeling & dealing,, his transfer windows were dull as dishwater

[borntobered]

Originally Posted by ruthinred

Probably the best of a bad bunch , but Tamworth got rid ,, so..

King of the Ditherers when it came to wheeling & dealing,, his transfer windows were dull as dishwater

And look what happened to Tamworth after he left them - playoff contenders to relegation

[ruthinred]

Originally Posted by borntobered

And look what happened to Tamworth after he left them - playoff contenders to relegation

Fair one

It's probably a bit unfair to condemn his recruitment skills after only 2 seasons in FT management ,, maybe he's improved in that area


With what's happened since he left, it's hard to argue it was the right decision letting him go

[GiggityGiggityGiggityGoo]

If anybody needed someone like Barrow or Flynn as his right hand man it was Morrell. I think he'd have secured promotion with that experience beside him.

He also kept the reserves going and knew the importance of competition for places, how that drives up standards and performances. Whether it was a youngster or a more seasoned pro.

Of all the managers we've had down here, I feel he got the club. Wasn't resting on his laurels in going for promotion, he wanted to ensure it's future in making sure the reserves and CoE were backed as best as possible.

We are supposed to be a big club, so perhaps it's time to start acting like one, not the disjointed one we see today.