New manager

[IfYouTolerateThis]

I think RH will be here next season if he is I hope his recruitment is better,

Or longer....

[brandyball]

Kevin Soheety passes his Audition?

[barry]

Reasons to Sack vs Reasons to keep Higgins

Keep
- 150k plus pay off

Get Rid
- failed to achieve 3 year plan
- Recruitment of staff and players
- Results and performances
- Fan apathy and next years ticket sales
- Loss of European money (POD reminded us it was a basic annual requirement)
- No plan B
- Defeated by part time minnows- Drogs & Magpies
- Paddy McLaughlin saga
- Depletion of academy players and structures

[Paddydcfc2010]

Think there's an inevitability about Higgins going now. Will probably be announced some time next week.

[Keyser Soze]

He'll have to be sacked, cos he ain't for walking.

[PauliAlonso]

Reasons to Sack vs Reasons to keep Higgins

Keep
- 150k plus pay off

Get Rid
- failed to achieve 3 year plan
- Recruitment of staff and players
- Results and performances
- Fan apathy and next years ticket sales
- Loss of European money (POD reminded us it was a basic annual requirement)
- No plan B
- Defeated by part time minnows- Drogs & Magpies
- Paddy McLaughlin saga
- Depletion of academy players and structures

Keep:
First real title challenge in over 20 years;
Aside from SK, most successful performances (based on league position) over the duration of any manager's contract;
Has closed the gap on Rovers every year;
Has been massively let down by his players.

Release:
Didn't qualify for Europe.

- "depletion of academy structures" is not the responsibility nor fault of the manager.
- "No Plan B" has been thrown at him throughout the season and it's a lie. I've seen us setup in three different systems throughout the year - sometimes from KO and sometimes switching during the game (injuries and the availability in certain positions determine how effective those changes will be).
- The Paddy McLaughlin "saga" - big whoop. He thought he was getting someone who would work out as an AM but didn't.
- "Recruitment of staff and players" has been on point over the last three years, except for the summer window. We had signed one player early on and then nothing until after the Irish transfer window closed. Fans got restless and I think the manager panicked and signed players to pander to the fans. Big mistake. In order to sign those players, he had to free up room in the budget, and players ended up leaving who could've done a better job. Hindsight is great.
- "Failed to achieve a 3 year plan", it was a target and targets move. We were right up in this title race until the 2nd last game. He shouldn't be sacked based on that. Not making Europe, however, is a different story. POD has been clear in the past that this is a minimum requirement.
- And as for "fans apathy", I guarantee you this: if RH stays and fans stay away, if we win the first 4-5 games or are up around the top of the league, all those moaners will be back in their seats. 100%.

[Keyser Soze]

So can we just clarify something, you think we should definitely start new season with RH as the manager?

You appear to think we had a successful season and shown enough to give him another year. Am I right?

[BrandywellRedMariner]

David for me

Healy or Jeffery?
Which Healy?

[Nige92]

Pauli, if you think that we've 'closed the gap' on Rovers then I suspect you'll be in a for a big shock next season. The two clubs couldn't be going in more opposite directions. Rovers are a professional outfit on and off the pitch with an academy that is producing players. Add in the €€€ they'll be making off this European run.

You seem to think that RH is absolved from all sins. The team has been constructed by him and for him and yet the performances and results have been dire. You say the players have let him down, but maybe he has failed to get the best out of the group or they feel unmotivated by him?

I really can't get past the performances and results of this season. I'm sure Higgins is a great fella and loves the club but I don't think that is enough to warrant more time. I feel it would be better for everyone to go separate ways. Let him take a break and refresh and give us some renewed optimism with someone else.

[BrandywellRedMariner]

I'll clear up the mystery then son. The fella who has won 9 league titles and is available

Neil Lennon.

[barry]

Reasons to Sack vs Reasons to keep Higgins

Keep
- 150k plus pay off

Get Rid
- failed to achieve 3 year plan
- Recruitment of staff and players
- Results and performances
- Fan apathy and next years ticket sales
- Loss of European money (POD reminded us it was a basic annual requirement)
- No plan B
- Defeated by part time minnows- Drogs & Magpies
- Paddy McLaughlin saga
- Depletion of academy players and structures

Keep:
First real title challenge in over 20 years;
Aside from SK, most successful performances (based on league position) over the duration of any manager's contract;
Has closed the gap on Rovers every year;
Has been massively let down by his players.

Release:
Didn't qualify for Europe.

- "depletion of academy structures" is not the responsibility nor fault of the manager.
- "No Plan B" has been thrown at him throughout the season and it's a lie. I've seen us setup in three different systems throughout the year - sometimes from KO and sometimes switching during the game (injuries and the availability in certain positions determine how effective those changes will be).
- The Paddy McLaughlin "saga" - big whoop. He thought he was getting someone who would work out as an AM but didn't.
- "Recruitment of staff and players" has been on point over the last three years, except for the summer window. We had signed one player early on and then nothing until after the Irish transfer window closed. Fans got restless and I think the manager panicked and signed players to pander to the fans. Big mistake. In order to sign those players, he had to free up room in the budget, and players ended up leaving who could've done a better job. Hindsight is great.
- "Failed to achieve a 3 year plan", it was a target and targets move. We were right up in this title race until the 2nd last game. He shouldn't be sacked based on that. Not making Europe, however, is a different story. POD has been clear in the past that this is a minimum requirement.
- And as for "fans apathy", I guarantee you this: if RH stays and fans stay away, if we win the first 4-5 games or are up around the top of the league, all those moaners will be back in their seats. 100%.

First real title challenge in 20 years -
You don't get no trophies for a title challenge. He has had the biggest budget in the club's history. His points tallies and performances have reduced year on year.

Aside from SK, most successful performances - see above

Has closed the gap on Rovers every year; we are light years off Rover, they finished above us despite European distractions. The rest of the league has also caught up on Rovers - Shels, St Pats, Sligo, Galway etc.


Has been massively let down by his players.-. Buck stops with the manager he signs and picks the squad, no one else to blame. He has openly reminded us that the buck stops with him as manager.

Academy Structure are indeed part of his remit maturing and developing our youth. He's on record saying this. Other than the odd cameo from Barr or McCourt we have seen no pathway for first team players. Instead we chose to "invest" in mercenaries like Wisdom, spending a fortune per week on a short term contract. Same said for Davenport, Robertson etc.

Paddy Mac Saga - big whoop. Cost the club 10s of thousand and were no better for it. Did Higgsy work out? Ill make a prediction is Higgins isnt sacked by POD hell create a few backroom scapegoats.

Targets don't move- the plan from the Chairman and Manager was a title in 3 years. He's had the budget to do it and failed. One FAI Cup to show and few rounds in Europe is not a good enough return for the investment. Same return as Declan Devine.

Plan B - I'll keep it simple what formations did he change in the game yesterday.. why is our record of 1st half goals so bad? Why has our pattern of plays changed? Ask any football person with limited knowledge will tell you Derry are predictable.

Re signings: Higgins had a brilliant first transfer window, which I largely attribute to Reynolds input and Higgins links with Dundalk. Hes signed 26 players.

Maher, Connolly, Shane, Fats, Dummigan, Diallo, McEneff, Patching, B Kavanagh, Duffy, Whealan, O Reilly.

Post 2022:
Graydon, C Kavanagh, Ryan, Doherty, Todd, Wisdom, McMullan, Mullan, Kelly, Robertson. Idehen, Wisdom, Davenport, Hoban.

How many of these signings have been developed or become a success? Maher, Connolly, Diallo, Dummigan, Graydon, O''Reilly and possibly Ben Doherty.

I would argue that Duffy, Patching, Hoban, have all regressed from their previous levels at Dundalk. Fats still has the talent but cant stay fit.

[marcoloco]

Plastic pitch and no Europe.

I think we need to lower our expectations. Like, really lower them.

Higgins has left us in a perilous position. Unfortunately I think it’ll be another young manager with no or very limited experience.

If we’re honest. We’re not considered a top 5 job in a 10 team league.

[PauliAlonso]

So can we just clarify something, you think we should definitely start new season with RH as the manager?

You appear to think we had a successful season and shown enough to give him another year. Am I right?

*big dramatic pause before I say something I've been saying repeatedly here for weeks on end*...yes I think RH should start the new season as manager.

We have not had a successful season; I can read league tables, I went to school. But as I (again) have repeatedly mentioned, I find context is important. We were 1st/2nd for the whole season up until the last two weeks then we shit the bed. Massively. I won't hang the manager for that, considering where he has taken us from, when he first took over. And I don't think it's about "giving him another year". He has a contract for next season already, he's our manager.

[PauliAlonso]

Pauli, if you think that we've 'closed the gap' on Rovers then I suspect you'll be in a for a big shock next season. The two clubs couldn't be going in more opposite directions. Rovers are a professional outfit on and off the pitch with an academy that is producing players. Add in the €€€ they'll be making off this European run.

Come on Nige, you know full well that I'm talking about closing the points, I've talked about it enough recently. Stop twisting my words to make your argument look better.

Rovers are a professional outfit who have a local council that backs them. They now have a stadium used regularly by multiple Ireland teams (€€€), and other LOI teams that can't use their own grounds for UEFA games (€€€). Whereas our chairman is building stands with his own money and handing them to our council - how f*cking backward is that??!! That we aren't as professional an outfit as Team X, Y or Z isn't on Higgins. He's responsible for results on the pitch and this year hasn't been good enough. But I don't subscribe to the notion of tossing him out for a bad half-season. You want better performances too, I get it and in your opinion they haven't been good enough for a longer period. But a manager has to win titles and we've never been closer (since SK, even though he also didn't win one) than under Ruaidhri.

[Andy Bernard]

Dundalk won plenty of titles on a plastic pitch.

[barry]

So can we just clarify something, you think we should definitely start new season with RH as the manager?

You appear to think we had a successful season and shown enough to give him another year. Am I right?

*big dramatic pause before I say something I've been saying repeatedly here for weeks on end*...yes I think RH should start the new season as manager.

We have not had a successful season; I can read league tables, I went to school. But as I (again) have repeatedly mentioned, I find context is important. We were 1st/2nd for the whole season up until the last two weeks then we shit the bed. Massively. I won't hang the manager for that, considering where he has taken us from, when he first took over. And I don't think it's about "giving him another year". He has a contract for next season already, he's our manager.

Maybe you should read the league table this morning for further Context!

We finished 4th in a 10 team league. We won 14 games out of 36. That means we failed to win almost 2/3s of our games with the 2nd largest budget in the league. We have won 3 leagues games since the end of June (Drogs (H), Waterford and Dundalk (A)). We finished EIGHT points off the leaders. We didn't qualify for Europe (the minimal standard as highlighted by POD And RH) Surely these are sackable offenses?

[PauliAlonso]

So can we just clarify something, you think we should definitely start new season with RH as the manager?

You appear to think we had a successful season and shown enough to give him another year. Am I right?

*big dramatic pause before I say something I've been saying repeatedly here for weeks on end*...yes I think RH should start the new season as manager.

We have not had a successful season; I can read league tables, I went to school. But as I (again) have repeatedly mentioned, I find context is important. We were 1st/2nd for the whole season up until the last two weeks then we shit the bed. Massively. I won't hang the manager for that, considering where he has taken us from, when he first took over. And I don't think it's about "giving him another year". He has a contract for next season already, he's our manager.

Maybe you should read the league table this morning for further Context!

We finished 4th in a 10 team league. We won 14 games out of 36. That means we failed to win almost 2/3s of our games with the 2nd largest budget in the league. We have won 3 leagues games since the end of June (Drogs (H), Waterford and Dundalk (A)). We finished EIGHT points off the leaders. We didn't qualify for Europe (the minimal standard as highlighted by POD And RH) Surely these are sackable offenses?

Rovers also failed to win 2/3 of their games (we both have 27 wins/draws), they have a larger budget than us, much bigger attendances but also won nothing - should Rovers sack Bradley?

[barry]

Possibly but Rovers are not my concern. Their European run and 4 previous league titles may buy him some time though. Just like a win yesterday might have papered over the cracks for Higgins. Unlike Bradley however he doesn't have 4 league titles in the last 4 years to cash in on for extra patience or proof he can make the leap from rookie to title winner.

[marcoloco]

Rovers won the money league.

[PauliAlonso]

Possibly but Rovers are not my concern. Their European run and 4 previous league titles may buy him some time though. Just like a win yesterday might have papered over the cracks for Higgins. Unlike Bradley however he doesn't have 4 league titles in the last 4 years to cash in on for extra patience or proof he can make the leap from rookie to title winner.

Okay, so you agree that context is important when deciding the fate of a manager. Thanks.