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Throughout this Premiership season so far, we've seen a fair number of big-name managerial-types come-and-go between some of our country's biggest clubs, with the majority of those failing to please the club's fans, and save the side from the outstanding problems still in-place from the last man who was in-charge. Sunderland now seen set for Relegation to Division 1, after THREE men have come in, but not one of them having succeeded in getting the team, and Kevin Phillips, back onto its feet. Leeds United have had a surprisingly awkward season, and with their second gaffer of the season in-place, their Premiership survival still isn't yet 100% guarrenteed. But in theory, they should be pushing for a Champions' League place - again! But when you look at each man's reputations, there isn't a potentially bad manager in-sight...
Now, it seems these positions were jobs these men were, obviously, never destined to have, and that 'the right man' is out-there, somewhere else, waiting for his chance...
Sunderland and Leeds United - these are big-names in Bristish - and European - Football. They clearly don't deserve to be where they are right now, down the wrong-end of the table. But despite what they've done for other teams in the past, the chairmen made some bad choices for appointing new managers...
Terry Venables is one of the most well-known and respected British gaffers to have graced the beautiful game - especially after what he'd done for England, up untill the dissapointing Glenn Hoddle was wrongly given full-control. So, when appointed as the new Leeds United manager to succeed David O'Leary, at the start of the season, chairman Peter Ridsdale, and 'United's fans, were all expecting to see a few improvemtns on the last campaign, thanks to old "Venners'" years of experience.
But clearly, they have only been dissapointed, and realised that "El Tel" was not the man for the job (even if he had previously worked with Leeds players during his time as Australia coach). The way I see it, Terry Venables would be better-suited to a more experienced team, with a wider-range of players (old-and-young; foreign-and-home-grown), instead of a youthfull side, like Leeds United, with a long-way-to-go.
Howard Wilkinson is hardly a man you won't have heard of if you take an interest in the English game. The wonders he has done for the future of our game, off-the-pitch, do nothing to compensate for what he has done in the past as a manager - especially this season with Sunderland -- only TWO wins in over-20-games!!
He wasn't too-smart in his time as Leeds manager, back in the early-90s, either... Sure, he may have convicned us all that Leeds were (once) a side to be reckoned with in the push for the League Title, but selling Eric Cantona to bitter-rivals Manchester United, and for less-than TWO-million.... Well, you can see why he hasn't been in a permanent managerial position since then, can't you!!
Bringing in "Wilko" - a manager who hasn't been worthy of the name "Gaffer" for over a decade, to come in and save your side before it's all too-late... Surley 'someone' must've realised this was a gamble even Michael Owen wouldn't have been able to turn into a fortune?! Like Terry Venables, the... "experienced" Howard Wilkinson would be better-off in charge of team full of "golden-oldies", and players who play the game the "old-skool" way. Nothing too-modern.
Or should he just give-up on the idea of club football management, altogether...?
But Sunderland and Leeds United fans can fear-no-more, as these 2 have now left their posts, and will (possibly) now move-on to bigger-and-better things (well, the club's certainly will, anyway!).
And only days after each man was "Cheerioed" away by the fans, new replacements have been found, in the form of former-Ireland coach Mick McCarthy, and ex-Sunderland boss Peter Reid. So, what about these 2, then...?
Well, as far as the Sunderland situation goes now, they are as-good-as-down, and there's hardly anything anyone will be able to do about it -- not even the World Cup "miracle-worker", Mick McCarthy. And when you look at his lack of managerial experience away from anything other than the Republic of Ireland's national side, I find it hard to believe that even he is the man to bring Sunderland back-up next-season, with so-little experience. Peter Reid was the ONLY man for the Sunderland job, and I highly doubt the board at the Stadium of Light will find anyone as-good as him for a reasonabley long-time. We're talking a few-years, here! Despite how badly he may have started this season, he's worked wonders for the club, and should not have been shown-the-door so quickly. Every good manager deserves time, and within the space of 7-full-years, 'monkey-head' "Reidy" has taken the "Black Cats" from an average Football League team, to a 'proper', Premier League team - with star-players like Kevin Phillips on-show.
Sure, McCarthy may've worked with Jason McAteer, Kevin Kilbane, and Phil Babb all-before, but this is club football -- "Premiership" football, now, where there is no 'second-chance'.
To tell you the truth, I think that someone like Bryan Robson - one of the original candidates to succeed Peter Reid - would've been better for the job than either Howard Wilkinson or Mick McCarthy. He's been in this kind of situation before, with Middelsbrough. And although he may've lost his place to Steve McClaren, he knows how to deal with his team and players when faced with such a threat - and even how to bounce-back, also. The 2 should've put their North-East "differences" aside, and come together to save the club, and keep Phillips in-place past the Summer.
And then there's the Leeds situation, with a job anyone would've originally thought David O'Leary would have 'secured', for years. But things didn't work-out that way, mainly due to financial matters, and - again - Peter Ridsdale.
I believe that O'Leary did so well as a manager with "no" managerial experience, purely because he was in a similar position to that of the young-blooded squad of Harry Kewell's, Ian Harte's, and Lee Bowyers he was left to deal with. And because of that, both the players and manager had a great understanding between each other. Not once had we heard any "bust-up stories" regarding David O'Leary and a player, during his time in-charge at Elland Road. And ontop of that, the team with an average-age of less-than-25 were able to progress through the Champions' League, towards the final stages, showing the likes of Real Madrid and AS Roma that they were not ones to be put-down too-easily!
The squad today remains almost identical to the one O'Leary progressed with (aside from a few "controversial" Venables-buys, minus Jonathan Woodgate, Lee Bowyer, and a few others). So, I still believe that another `O'Leary` would quite easily be able to come in and take control with ease, as the results begin to poor-in, in Leeds' favour (for once!).
Sadly (for any Leeds fans reading this), I do not believe that Peter Reid is the right man for the job, even if he is only here on a "caretaker" basis untill the end-of-the-season. If I was Peter Ridsdale (and I'm damn glad I'm not!!), then I'd have done all-I-could to have persuaded Mick McCarthy to come in and take control, as possibley the only 'available' man around who could do O'Leary's job as good as him. But it seems that the "wanted-out" Leeds chairman didn't even lift a finger to get him, as he barely even thought about the team, before agreeing to take-over at the Stadium of Light. McCarthy's worked with a team of youngsters before - and just look at where they go to in Japan and South Korea, WITHOUT Roy Keane...! And having worked with the likes of Ian Harte, Gary Kelly, and others with Ireland before, you can easily see how 'perfect' McCarthy would've been for the vacancy.
If only Ridsdale could open his eyes with a care for Football, taking his hands away for all that Money - just for one-second....
It's fair to say that none of these men have had a reputation as "bad" managers, untill they came into their latest jobs, of course, while putting a huge-dent into their reputations. They're all good in their own, individual ways... It's just that they've all been in the wrong places, at the wrong clubs, doing neither side any good.
Do they even look at the team before agreeing to take the job anymore??
Or are they really THAT desperate?!?
We'll just have to see what awaits all clubs and managers envolved in the future, then, won't we...
Now, it seems these positions were jobs these men were, obviously, never destined to have, and that 'the right man' is out-there, somewhere else, waiting for his chance...
Sunderland and Leeds United - these are big-names in Bristish - and European - Football. They clearly don't deserve to be where they are right now, down the wrong-end of the table. But despite what they've done for other teams in the past, the chairmen made some bad choices for appointing new managers...
Terry Venables is one of the most well-known and respected British gaffers to have graced the beautiful game - especially after what he'd done for England, up untill the dissapointing Glenn Hoddle was wrongly given full-control. So, when appointed as the new Leeds United manager to succeed David O'Leary, at the start of the season, chairman Peter Ridsdale, and 'United's fans, were all expecting to see a few improvemtns on the last campaign, thanks to old "Venners'" years of experience.
But clearly, they have only been dissapointed, and realised that "El Tel" was not the man for the job (even if he had previously worked with Leeds players during his time as Australia coach). The way I see it, Terry Venables would be better-suited to a more experienced team, with a wider-range of players (old-and-young; foreign-and-home-grown), instead of a youthfull side, like Leeds United, with a long-way-to-go.
Howard Wilkinson is hardly a man you won't have heard of if you take an interest in the English game. The wonders he has done for the future of our game, off-the-pitch, do nothing to compensate for what he has done in the past as a manager - especially this season with Sunderland -- only TWO wins in over-20-games!!
He wasn't too-smart in his time as Leeds manager, back in the early-90s, either... Sure, he may have convicned us all that Leeds were (once) a side to be reckoned with in the push for the League Title, but selling Eric Cantona to bitter-rivals Manchester United, and for less-than TWO-million.... Well, you can see why he hasn't been in a permanent managerial position since then, can't you!!
Bringing in "Wilko" - a manager who hasn't been worthy of the name "Gaffer" for over a decade, to come in and save your side before it's all too-late... Surley 'someone' must've realised this was a gamble even Michael Owen wouldn't have been able to turn into a fortune?! Like Terry Venables, the... "experienced" Howard Wilkinson would be better-off in charge of team full of "golden-oldies", and players who play the game the "old-skool" way. Nothing too-modern.
Or should he just give-up on the idea of club football management, altogether...?
But Sunderland and Leeds United fans can fear-no-more, as these 2 have now left their posts, and will (possibly) now move-on to bigger-and-better things (well, the club's certainly will, anyway!).
And only days after each man was "Cheerioed" away by the fans, new replacements have been found, in the form of former-Ireland coach Mick McCarthy, and ex-Sunderland boss Peter Reid. So, what about these 2, then...?
Well, as far as the Sunderland situation goes now, they are as-good-as-down, and there's hardly anything anyone will be able to do about it -- not even the World Cup "miracle-worker", Mick McCarthy. And when you look at his lack of managerial experience away from anything other than the Republic of Ireland's national side, I find it hard to believe that even he is the man to bring Sunderland back-up next-season, with so-little experience. Peter Reid was the ONLY man for the Sunderland job, and I highly doubt the board at the Stadium of Light will find anyone as-good as him for a reasonabley long-time. We're talking a few-years, here! Despite how badly he may have started this season, he's worked wonders for the club, and should not have been shown-the-door so quickly. Every good manager deserves time, and within the space of 7-full-years, 'monkey-head' "Reidy" has taken the "Black Cats" from an average Football League team, to a 'proper', Premier League team - with star-players like Kevin Phillips on-show.
Sure, McCarthy may've worked with Jason McAteer, Kevin Kilbane, and Phil Babb all-before, but this is club football -- "Premiership" football, now, where there is no 'second-chance'.
To tell you the truth, I think that someone like Bryan Robson - one of the original candidates to succeed Peter Reid - would've been better for the job than either Howard Wilkinson or Mick McCarthy. He's been in this kind of situation before, with Middelsbrough. And although he may've lost his place to Steve McClaren, he knows how to deal with his team and players when faced with such a threat - and even how to bounce-back, also. The 2 should've put their North-East "differences" aside, and come together to save the club, and keep Phillips in-place past the Summer.
And then there's the Leeds situation, with a job anyone would've originally thought David O'Leary would have 'secured', for years. But things didn't work-out that way, mainly due to financial matters, and - again - Peter Ridsdale.
I believe that O'Leary did so well as a manager with "no" managerial experience, purely because he was in a similar position to that of the young-blooded squad of Harry Kewell's, Ian Harte's, and Lee Bowyers he was left to deal with. And because of that, both the players and manager had a great understanding between each other. Not once had we heard any "bust-up stories" regarding David O'Leary and a player, during his time in-charge at Elland Road. And ontop of that, the team with an average-age of less-than-25 were able to progress through the Champions' League, towards the final stages, showing the likes of Real Madrid and AS Roma that they were not ones to be put-down too-easily!
The squad today remains almost identical to the one O'Leary progressed with (aside from a few "controversial" Venables-buys, minus Jonathan Woodgate, Lee Bowyer, and a few others). So, I still believe that another `O'Leary` would quite easily be able to come in and take control with ease, as the results begin to poor-in, in Leeds' favour (for once!).
Sadly (for any Leeds fans reading this), I do not believe that Peter Reid is the right man for the job, even if he is only here on a "caretaker" basis untill the end-of-the-season. If I was Peter Ridsdale (and I'm damn glad I'm not!!), then I'd have done all-I-could to have persuaded Mick McCarthy to come in and take control, as possibley the only 'available' man around who could do O'Leary's job as good as him. But it seems that the "wanted-out" Leeds chairman didn't even lift a finger to get him, as he barely even thought about the team, before agreeing to take-over at the Stadium of Light. McCarthy's worked with a team of youngsters before - and just look at where they go to in Japan and South Korea, WITHOUT Roy Keane...! And having worked with the likes of Ian Harte, Gary Kelly, and others with Ireland before, you can easily see how 'perfect' McCarthy would've been for the vacancy.
If only Ridsdale could open his eyes with a care for Football, taking his hands away for all that Money - just for one-second....
It's fair to say that none of these men have had a reputation as "bad" managers, untill they came into their latest jobs, of course, while putting a huge-dent into their reputations. They're all good in their own, individual ways... It's just that they've all been in the wrong places, at the wrong clubs, doing neither side any good.
Do they even look at the team before agreeing to take the job anymore??
Or are they really THAT desperate?!?
We'll just have to see what awaits all clubs and managers envolved in the future, then, won't we...
I agree with you about Graham Taylor there. And also how John Gregory seems to have been the wrong-choice for Derby County.
I still believe that Taylor was only handed the 'Villa job - again - just because of his strong-connections and love for the club - which is (or "was") also shown back at him, from the fans.
But he was better off in his Director of Football role.
I believe Doug Ellis made a mistake in bringing him back into management so-soon after he had taken up his new role. The 2 jobs are far-apart from each other, and I think it will have effected his managerial skill and knowledge, from taking up that new role.
They should've given it to someone else; someone already without a past-history at the club. I can't think of a sinlge manager who's returned to one job for a second time, to have succeeded, just as well.
I still believe that Taylor was only handed the 'Villa job - again - just because of his strong-connections and love for the club - which is (or "was") also shown back at him, from the fans.
But he was better off in his Director of Football role.
I believe Doug Ellis made a mistake in bringing him back into management so-soon after he had taken up his new role. The 2 jobs are far-apart from each other, and I think it will have effected his managerial skill and knowledge, from taking up that new role.
They should've given it to someone else; someone already without a past-history at the club. I can't think of a sinlge manager who's returned to one job for a second time, to have succeeded, just as well.
I agree with you that Sunderland won't find anyone better than Peter Reid. All the greif and death fret letters he received was truly a disgrace. Peter Reid was the only manager that I think could of kept them up.
Also, look at John Gregory who is managing Derby County. He did a great job for Aston Villa and is now fighting a relegation battle in Division 1. I'm just hoping Villa will get rid of Graham Taylor, as he has ruined Villa football club. He got rid of some of the best players we had (with some going on a Free) and never replaced them.
Also, look at John Gregory who is managing Derby County. He did a great job for Aston Villa and is now fighting a relegation battle in Division 1. I'm just hoping Villa will get rid of Graham Taylor, as he has ruined Villa football club. He got rid of some of the best players we had (with some going on a Free) and never replaced them.
Mick McCarthy's club track record is less than stellar.
Throughout this Premiership season so far, we've seen a fair number of big-name managerial-types come-and-go between some of our country's biggest clubs, with the majority of those failing to please the club's fans, and save the side from the outstanding problems still in-place from the last man who was in-charge. Sunderland now seen set for Relegation to Division 1, after THREE men have come in, but not one of them having succeeded in getting the team, and Kevin Phillips, back onto its feet. Leeds United have had a surprisingly awkward season, and with their second gaffer of the season in-place, their Premiership survival still isn't yet 100% guarrenteed. But in theory, they should be pushing for a Champions' League place - again! But when you look at each man's reputations, there isn't a potentially bad manager in-sight...
Now, it seems these positions were jobs these men were, obviously, never destined to have, and that 'the right man' is out-there, somewhere else, waiting for his chance...
Sunderland and Leeds United - these are big-names in Bristish - and European - Football. They clearly don't deserve to be where they are right now, down the wrong-end of the table. But despite what they've done for other teams in the past, the chairmen made some bad choices for appointing new managers...
Terry Venables is one of the most well-known and respected British gaffers to have graced the beautiful game - especially after what he'd done for England, up untill the dissapointing Glenn Hoddle was wrongly given full-control. So, when appointed as the new Leeds United manager to succeed David O'Leary, at the start of the season, chairman Peter Ridsdale, and 'United's fans, were all expecting to see a few improvemtns on the last campaign, thanks to old "Venners'" years of experience.
But clearly, they have only been dissapointed, and realised that "El Tel" was not the man for the job (even if he had previously worked with Leeds players during his time as Australia coach). The way I see it, Terry Venables would be better-suited to a more experienced team, with a wider-range of players (old-and-young; foreign-and-home-grown), instead of a youthfull side, like Leeds United, with a long-way-to-go.
Howard Wilkinson is hardly a man you won't have heard of if you take an interest in the English game. The wonders he has done for the future of our game, off-the-pitch, do nothing to compensate for what he has done in the past as a manager - especially this season with Sunderland -- only TWO wins in over-20-games!!
He wasn't too-smart in his time as Leeds manager, back in the early-90s, either... Sure, he may have convicned us all that Leeds were (once) a side to be reckoned with in the push for the League Title, but selling Eric Cantona to bitter-rivals Manchester United, and for less-than TWO-million.... Well, you can see why he hasn't been in a permanent managerial position since then, can't you!!
Bringing in "Wilko" - a manager who hasn't been worthy of the name "Gaffer" for over a decade, to come in and save your side before it's all too-late... Surley 'someone' must've realised this was a gamble even Michael Owen wouldn't have been able to turn into a fortune?! Like Terry Venables, the... "experienced" Howard Wilkinson would be better-off in charge of team full of "golden-oldies", and players who play the game the "old-skool" way. Nothing too-modern.
Or should he just give-up on the idea of club football management, altogether...?
But Sunderland and Leeds United fans can fear-no-more, as these 2 have now left their posts, and will (possibly) now move-on to bigger-and-better things (well, the club's certainly will, anyway!).
And only days after each man was "Cheerioed" away by the fans, new replacements have been found, in the form of former-Ireland coach Mick McCarthy, and ex-Sunderland boss Peter Reid. So, what about these 2, then...?
Well, as far as the Sunderland situation goes now, they are as-good-as-down, and there's hardly anything anyone will be able to do about it -- not even the World Cup "miracle-worker", Mick McCarthy. And when you look at his lack of managerial experience away from anything other than the Republic of Ireland's national side, I find it hard to believe that even he is the man to bring Sunderland back-up next-season, with so-little experience. Peter Reid was the ONLY man for the Sunderland job, and I highly doubt the board at the Stadium of Light will find anyone as-good as him for a reasonabley long-time. We're talking a few-years, here! Despite how badly he may have started this season, he's worked wonders for the club, and should not have been shown-the-door so quickly. Every good manager deserves time, and within the space of 7-full-years, 'monkey-head' "Reidy" has taken the "Black Cats" from an average Football League team, to a 'proper', Premier League team - with star-players like Kevin Phillips on-show.
Sure, McCarthy may've worked with Jason McAteer, Kevin Kilbane, and Phil Babb all-before, but this is club football -- "Premiership" football, now, where there is no 'second-chance'.
To tell you the truth, I think that someone like Bryan Robson - one of the original candidates to succeed Peter Reid - would've been better for the job than either Howard Wilkinson or Mick McCarthy. He's been in this kind of situation before, with Middelsbrough. And although he may've lost his place to Steve McClaren, he knows how to deal with his team and players when faced with such a threat - and even how to bounce-back, also. The 2 should've put their North-East "differences" aside, and come together to save the club, and keep Phillips in-place past the Summer.
And then there's the Leeds situation, with a job anyone would've originally thought David O'Leary would have 'secured', for years. But things didn't work-out that way, mainly due to financial matters, and - again - Peter Ridsdale.
I believe that O'Leary did so well as a manager with "no" managerial experience, purely because he was in a similar position to that of the young-blooded squad of Harry Kewell's, Ian Harte's, and Lee Bowyers he was left to deal with. And because of that, both the players and manager had a great understanding between each other. Not once had we heard any "bust-up stories" regarding David O'Leary and a player, during his time in-charge at Elland Road. And ontop of that, the team with an average-age of less-than-25 were able to progress through the Champions' League, towards the final stages, showing the likes of Real Madrid and AS Roma that they were not ones to be put-down too-easily!
The squad today remains almost identical to the one O'Leary progressed with (aside from a few "controversial" Venables-buys, minus Jonathan Woodgate, Lee Bowyer, and a few others). So, I still believe that another `O'Leary` would quite easily be able to come in and take control with ease, as the results begin to poor-in, in Leeds' favour (for once!).
Sadly (for any Leeds fans reading this), I do not believe that Peter Reid is the right man for the job, even if he is only here on a "caretaker" basis untill the end-of-the-season. If I was Peter Ridsdale (and I'm damn glad I'm not!!), then I'd have done all-I-could to have persuaded Mick McCarthy to come in and take control, as possibley the only 'available' man around who could do O'Leary's job as good as him. But it seems that the "wanted-out" Leeds chairman didn't even lift a finger to get him, as he barely even thought about the team, before agreeing to take-over at the Stadium of Light. McCarthy's worked with a team of youngsters before - and just look at where they go to in Japan and South Korea, WITHOUT Roy Keane...! And having worked with the likes of Ian Harte, Gary Kelly, and others with Ireland before, you can easily see how 'perfect' McCarthy would've been for the vacancy.
If only Ridsdale could open his eyes with a care for Football, taking his hands away for all that Money - just for one-second....
It's fair to say that none of these men have had a reputation as "bad" managers, untill they came into their latest jobs, of course, while putting a huge-dent into their reputations. They're all good in their own, individual ways... It's just that they've all been in the wrong places, at the wrong clubs, doing neither side any good.
Do they even look at the team before agreeing to take the job anymore??
Or are they really THAT desperate?!?
We'll just have to see what awaits all clubs and managers envolved in the future, then, won't we...
Now, it seems these positions were jobs these men were, obviously, never destined to have, and that 'the right man' is out-there, somewhere else, waiting for his chance...
Sunderland and Leeds United - these are big-names in Bristish - and European - Football. They clearly don't deserve to be where they are right now, down the wrong-end of the table. But despite what they've done for other teams in the past, the chairmen made some bad choices for appointing new managers...
Terry Venables is one of the most well-known and respected British gaffers to have graced the beautiful game - especially after what he'd done for England, up untill the dissapointing Glenn Hoddle was wrongly given full-control. So, when appointed as the new Leeds United manager to succeed David O'Leary, at the start of the season, chairman Peter Ridsdale, and 'United's fans, were all expecting to see a few improvemtns on the last campaign, thanks to old "Venners'" years of experience.
But clearly, they have only been dissapointed, and realised that "El Tel" was not the man for the job (even if he had previously worked with Leeds players during his time as Australia coach). The way I see it, Terry Venables would be better-suited to a more experienced team, with a wider-range of players (old-and-young; foreign-and-home-grown), instead of a youthfull side, like Leeds United, with a long-way-to-go.
Howard Wilkinson is hardly a man you won't have heard of if you take an interest in the English game. The wonders he has done for the future of our game, off-the-pitch, do nothing to compensate for what he has done in the past as a manager - especially this season with Sunderland -- only TWO wins in over-20-games!!
He wasn't too-smart in his time as Leeds manager, back in the early-90s, either... Sure, he may have convicned us all that Leeds were (once) a side to be reckoned with in the push for the League Title, but selling Eric Cantona to bitter-rivals Manchester United, and for less-than TWO-million.... Well, you can see why he hasn't been in a permanent managerial position since then, can't you!!
Bringing in "Wilko" - a manager who hasn't been worthy of the name "Gaffer" for over a decade, to come in and save your side before it's all too-late... Surley 'someone' must've realised this was a gamble even Michael Owen wouldn't have been able to turn into a fortune?! Like Terry Venables, the... "experienced" Howard Wilkinson would be better-off in charge of team full of "golden-oldies", and players who play the game the "old-skool" way. Nothing too-modern.
Or should he just give-up on the idea of club football management, altogether...?
But Sunderland and Leeds United fans can fear-no-more, as these 2 have now left their posts, and will (possibly) now move-on to bigger-and-better things (well, the club's certainly will, anyway!).
And only days after each man was "Cheerioed" away by the fans, new replacements have been found, in the form of former-Ireland coach Mick McCarthy, and ex-Sunderland boss Peter Reid. So, what about these 2, then...?
Well, as far as the Sunderland situation goes now, they are as-good-as-down, and there's hardly anything anyone will be able to do about it -- not even the World Cup "miracle-worker", Mick McCarthy. And when you look at his lack of managerial experience away from anything other than the Republic of Ireland's national side, I find it hard to believe that even he is the man to bring Sunderland back-up next-season, with so-little experience. Peter Reid was the ONLY man for the Sunderland job, and I highly doubt the board at the Stadium of Light will find anyone as-good as him for a reasonabley long-time. We're talking a few-years, here! Despite how badly he may have started this season, he's worked wonders for the club, and should not have been shown-the-door so quickly. Every good manager deserves time, and within the space of 7-full-years, 'monkey-head' "Reidy" has taken the "Black Cats" from an average Football League team, to a 'proper', Premier League team - with star-players like Kevin Phillips on-show.
Sure, McCarthy may've worked with Jason McAteer, Kevin Kilbane, and Phil Babb all-before, but this is club football -- "Premiership" football, now, where there is no 'second-chance'.
To tell you the truth, I think that someone like Bryan Robson - one of the original candidates to succeed Peter Reid - would've been better for the job than either Howard Wilkinson or Mick McCarthy. He's been in this kind of situation before, with Middelsbrough. And although he may've lost his place to Steve McClaren, he knows how to deal with his team and players when faced with such a threat - and even how to bounce-back, also. The 2 should've put their North-East "differences" aside, and come together to save the club, and keep Phillips in-place past the Summer.
And then there's the Leeds situation, with a job anyone would've originally thought David O'Leary would have 'secured', for years. But things didn't work-out that way, mainly due to financial matters, and - again - Peter Ridsdale.
I believe that O'Leary did so well as a manager with "no" managerial experience, purely because he was in a similar position to that of the young-blooded squad of Harry Kewell's, Ian Harte's, and Lee Bowyers he was left to deal with. And because of that, both the players and manager had a great understanding between each other. Not once had we heard any "bust-up stories" regarding David O'Leary and a player, during his time in-charge at Elland Road. And ontop of that, the team with an average-age of less-than-25 were able to progress through the Champions' League, towards the final stages, showing the likes of Real Madrid and AS Roma that they were not ones to be put-down too-easily!
The squad today remains almost identical to the one O'Leary progressed with (aside from a few "controversial" Venables-buys, minus Jonathan Woodgate, Lee Bowyer, and a few others). So, I still believe that another `O'Leary` would quite easily be able to come in and take control with ease, as the results begin to poor-in, in Leeds' favour (for once!).
Sadly (for any Leeds fans reading this), I do not believe that Peter Reid is the right man for the job, even if he is only here on a "caretaker" basis untill the end-of-the-season. If I was Peter Ridsdale (and I'm damn glad I'm not!!), then I'd have done all-I-could to have persuaded Mick McCarthy to come in and take control, as possibley the only 'available' man around who could do O'Leary's job as good as him. But it seems that the "wanted-out" Leeds chairman didn't even lift a finger to get him, as he barely even thought about the team, before agreeing to take-over at the Stadium of Light. McCarthy's worked with a team of youngsters before - and just look at where they go to in Japan and South Korea, WITHOUT Roy Keane...! And having worked with the likes of Ian Harte, Gary Kelly, and others with Ireland before, you can easily see how 'perfect' McCarthy would've been for the vacancy.
If only Ridsdale could open his eyes with a care for Football, taking his hands away for all that Money - just for one-second....
It's fair to say that none of these men have had a reputation as "bad" managers, untill they came into their latest jobs, of course, while putting a huge-dent into their reputations. They're all good in their own, individual ways... It's just that they've all been in the wrong places, at the wrong clubs, doing neither side any good.
Do they even look at the team before agreeing to take the job anymore??
Or are they really THAT desperate?!?
We'll just have to see what awaits all clubs and managers envolved in the future, then, won't we...