The Kraken

The Bullard gamble didn't pay off and made him look very daft. But he's a great player and maybe thought that it was worth the risk. The on-pitch half time talk was a mistake, and I'm pretty sure he's admitted that since. For every manager you'll be able to point out flaws that they had; all managers have made bad decisions at some point. I just think that, for where we are and where we want to get to, Brown has all the traits needed for the job and is just the man we need to come in and straighten out our under-performing "stars".

Was beating Arsenal at the Emirates an accident? Beating Tottenham at WHL an accident? Winning a manager of the month award in the Premier League was some accident too.

OK; I've done some research. As I posted on another thread, I asked my Hull supporting mate, who has seen many games in their push to the Premier League, what he thought of Brown. His response: "Would be a great signing in my opinion. Tactically really strong and would bring a great assistant in Brian Horton who knows the lower leagues - no money to really spend so no stupid signings, just a good squad to work with." An I thoroughly agree with him, I think it would be a great appointment. What "research" have you done that suggests he would be bad selection for us?

As would I; in fact, Brown would be my (realistic) favourite choice for the role.

It matters to the extent of the calibre of manager we get in. Pardew is the measuring stick for that. If the new manager is deemed as weaker than our previous manager, then you can makea logical conclusion that our chances of promotion have been diminished. I'm making the point that we should be looking to recruit a manager of equal or better standing than Pardew. Adkins is a risk because, in terms of his qualifications, he comes in weaker than Pardew. Also weaker than Phil Brown, who scceeded in promotion to the Premier League. It's a use for comparison, nothing more.

Exactly as I see it. His managerial record reads as follows: Took over Sc*nthorpe December 2006 Season 2006/07: League 1, finished 1st. Season 2007/08: Champ, finished 23rd (relegated) Season 2008/09: League 1, finished 6th (promoted via playoffs) Season 2009/10: Champ, finished 19th. So his best achievement was finishing top of this division, but he was only manager of the side for half of that season, he inherited the team that Brian Laws left behind. he was then instantly relegated. His next promotion came after his team finished a full 20 points behind the league champions. And his team stayed in the Championship courtesy of finishing above the relegated clubs and Crystal Palace, who were docked 10 points for going into administration. It's hardly a resume to hold up as an example of complete success. I would consider this appointment very uninspiring, and in my eyes leaves us a lot worse off than we would have been with Pardew at the helm.

It's a fair enough point but I'm not entirely sure why you felt the need for an entirely new thread to share your insights on this.

Thoroughly underwhelmed if this is the case. A simple question of "are we better off with Terry Nutkins than we were with Pardew?" leaves me saying "absolutely not", every time. This is clearly the type of appoitment to appease Lou Reed and the development centre side of affairs; whether that will be to the detriment of the first team, time will tell.

And all I'm saying is; don't go overboard in being critical. Man U supposeldy posess an incredible youth system yet we've kept up with it recently, despite having none of their history and certainly none of their worldwide power. Just be easy about what you criticiSe is alll I'm saying, because I think you do our youth development a discredit.

Listen, for the identification of world class players only from our youth system, I'll agree with you. We have had a rich tapestry of youth players go on to better things in days gone by. But compare these lists of players: Wallace R; Wallace R; Wallace D; Le Tissier; Shearer; Benali; Neville G; Neville P; Scholes; Butt; Beckham; Does our recent crop of Walcott, Bale, McGoldrick, Blackstock, Dyer, etc really stack up that badly againyst the country's, nay the world's, best youth system since then? Who were the last 5 amazing youth players that Man U, the "greatest club in the world" brought through. Mitigated against the fact that we'renow in the 3rd division, I think we do ok.

You're absolutely right. Well, not really. Gareth Bale...........his outstanding talent was evident from very early on, in particular his poise and left foot. It was while at this school he first came to the attention of Southampton at nine years old, when he was playing in a 5 a side tournament with his first club, Cardiff Civil Service Football Club.

A sincere exaggeration, and I just don't agree wih your appraisal of the differences.

Walcott and Bale are simply doing what those before them did, they are as exceptional as the Wallaces, Shearer, MLT in that they are performing at the highest English league level. You accuse me of glossing over it. Tell me which other massive luminaries I missed since the last of your's and the first of mine? We had a massive dearth of talent between Wayne Bridge and Theo. It doesn't mean our youth system is now defunct. Other clubs have caught up, rules meaning we can't recruit from all over England have come into force too. But we still have a very good youth academy, so it's unfair to suggest otherwise.

If he wanted to do it, I'd happily see Steve Grant occupy that space. I've never met him, but he always seems to talk a balanced sense about Saints and I more than often find it difficult to disagree with him when offering an overview opinion. Sadly, I think he wouldn't want the role. So we get the much less rational but much more vocal idiots.

Over how many years are you talking? Andrew Surman; Theo Walcott; Gareth Bale; David McGoldrick; Dexter Blackstock; Chris Baird; Nathan Dyer. Players who (all but one) left our club in the last 3 or 4 years for over a million pounds. It's hardly tailed off for goodness sake. And despite that, we're simply not going to produce another Shearer every single year. Our record for bringing kids through is amazing, and you will always have a year or two when you won't have a multi-million pound star sold on. Just because we "only" have Chamberlain knocking on the door, it doesn't mean our development system is in decline. Allied to the fact that Les Reed was brought in to oversee that side of affairs, I fail to see a problem.

If it is Adkins I will be totally underwhelmed. MoN would have beyond my wildest dreams, but I was expecting somewhere in between the two. All an Adkins appointment does for me is suggest someone who is happy to come to the club and be subservient to Clotese and Reed, which doesn't bode well at all.

You really think some random b0llo0cks spouted by someone so obsessed by the media is worth discussion? I don't. Take away his desire to be seen as an uber-fan, he is just a supporter like anyone else on this board. And while his opinion is as valid as the next man's, it hardly justifies a forum thread devoted to it.

I'm right, aren't I? It's Terry Hurlock. Seriously, put up or shut up. Ooooh, look what I know but won't tell you! It's childish.

How was your holiday in Marmaris?

Or Terry Hurlock; he'd be brilliant. He'd know all about the lower leagues and getting stuck in. Oooooh Terry 'urlock.

Just put up or shut up, Egg. Tedious.

I'm not sure it does though. I'm going along with the theory that the OS release on why AP was sacked is the true one, in that he couldn't / wouldn't work with the Development side of the club. Brown has already publically stated that he would work with Les Reed. Also, there's no denying that brown made quite a few errors when getting to the Prem, but if (massive if) he did end up getting the job and taking us up there there's no reason why he shouldn't at least be given the chance to have another go. I think an AP/Brown manager is exactly right for what we'll get; someone who has succeeded at lower leagues, had a modicum of success higher up but ultimately failed (hence they're not still up there) and are very keen to work hard to prove themselves again.

My Hull supporting mate would very much disagree; here's his words about Permatan Phil: "Would be a great signing in my opinion. Tactically really strong and would bring a great assistant in Brian Horton who knows the lower leagues - no money to really spend so no stupid signings, just a good squad to work with." I agree with him, I think it would be agreat appointment while we're in League 1 and the Championship. We would maybe need to re-assess if we get back to the Prem, but lets get the bloody job done first with a couple of guys who've been there and done it before, playing football the right way and with the ability to translate their tactical thinking to the pitch.

Nah, first one was a complete comedy howler by Davis. You're right that there was a defensive mix up but Davis has to take the blame for that one, it was a powder puff shot that went straight through him.

Poor old Dean Wilkins looks totally lost as the gaffer, and epitomises why we looked so rudderless today. For God's sake Clotese, please get a new man in asap. Beeb highlights certainly don't show the whole picture, but even still we look like a decent team and with a bit of authority in charge of a team feeling low at the moment we surely can make up the ground and make a go of this season.