WednesdayFan
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« on: January 23, 2014, 08:22:07 am » |
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Alright Lads!
Wednesday fan here; since it looks like Stuart Gray is about to be appointed full time manager at Wednesday I was wondering what any of you could tell me about his time with you.
Just from looking up the results for myself I can see that after taking over he finished 14th in his first season followed by 9th the season after and then what seemed like an unfortunate relegation the next season. I know he didn't last much longer afterwards before being sacked a month or so into the 09/10 season. The all-too-familiar record of a manager coming in and pushing things on to the point of leaving the fans hopeful of a promotion push only to inexplicably fail and go the other way towards relegation.
Or so it can seem that way anyway from the outside. What happened during that time though? How did you all generally feel about him as manager? What seemed to be his strengths and weaknesses? What were his signings like? Was he wasteful in the transfer market? Was he one to bring on young talent? etc. etc...
To be fair to him, he's had a positive effect since he's been handed the caretaker's role at Wednesday. Results have picked up and we've climbed from the foot of the table out of the relegation zone. Nevertheless, there does seem to be some concern about his ability to push us forward as a club from a reasonable number of the fan base. We've had too many false dawns now to get over-excited about a decent run of results, and there seems to be an expectation that results are going to turn badly again. I think because he's been at the club already for a year as a coach then we perceive him primarily as just that, and whatever differences there are between what a coach does and what a manager does, that Gray will be left wanting when it comes to making the step up. Personally, I think it may well be a bit unfair on him.
Anyway, the best of luck for the rest of your season. I know you're struggling adrift at the foot at the moment. Seems bizarre from the outside given how narrowly you missed out on promotion last season.
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Clint
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« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2014, 08:28:37 am » |
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We're in the mess we are because we got caught by a Yorkshire conman masquerading as a football manager
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SmithyNTFC
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« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2014, 10:01:40 am » |
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I thoroughly enjoyed Stuart Gray as our manager, the football was good and our home record, particular the season we finished 9th was very good beating some 'bigger' teams at home (i.e Leeds) .. its probably the only time I can remember arriving at Sixfields expecting a win and always coming away from Sixfields thinking 'that was a very good performance and win' (god I miss that feeling) He made some very good signings along with loan signings in the likes of Daniel Jones and Mark Little from Wolves, top loan signings they were. We were unlucky to go down under Gray and I would have liked him to stay on in League Two as with his ability, contacts and experience I believe we would have got promotion straight away, but its becoming the ever present occurrence where a manager gets a team relegated, faces the sack. I've been very impressed in the work Stuart Gray has done so far at Sheffield Wednesday and I did watch the league game on Sky vs Leeds, where you were very good. Stuart deserves a good job in football and a club the like and reputation at Sheffield Wednesday is what he deserves and I'm sure he will do a good job for you guys
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Montgomery Eypoke III
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« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2014, 10:07:12 am » |
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Stuart Gray is a very decent man. He did an exceptional job here steering us to 9th in League One on a budget that probably didn't warrant that kind of success. As a result though, his team was built mainly on exceptionally good loan signings, some good young talent from within the club that flourished under his guidance and taking a punt on players coming back from horrific injuries.
Throughout his tenure the club became very much a selling one and virtually all of his biggest assests were sold for less than their worth, the money seemingly not being ploughed back into the team at that time. He was a little unfortunate to say the least, although history seems not recognise this.
On the downside, he did struggle to match the quality of loan signings he brought in originally, but as I said the first batch were absolutely exceptional and many of them now play at a higher level. There were also question marks about his ability to control the slide when it started. Was he hard enough and ruthless enough etc. His coaching ability never seemed to be in any doubt though.
All in all, I'd be happy if I were you and hope that he is given time to build a side.
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Alfred
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« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2014, 10:16:49 am » |
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Very good coach..... poor manager
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Montgomery Eypoke III
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« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2014, 10:32:22 am » |
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Like I said History hasn't been kind.
He took us to our second or third highest placed finish in the last 35 to 40 years. On a very ordinary budget.
But he's a poor manager?
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Razor
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« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2014, 10:58:39 am » |
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Would have him back in a heartbeat. He built the best side we've had in the last 15 years only for the best players to be sold at a fraction of their value and never got the change to reinvest what money we did get. We've been in almost terminal decline since.
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Charlatan
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« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2014, 11:01:36 am » |
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Like I said History hasn't been kind.
He took us to our second or third highest placed finish in the last 35 to 40 years. On a very ordinary budget.
But he's a poor manager?
Monty your'e right he was a good manager for us. Atkins took us higher though 1997/98 season.
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Zen Master
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« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2014, 12:20:17 pm » |
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Giles Cokes defection at the 11th hour didn't help Stuart Gray in our relegation season. Who'd want to manage him again? Oh yes. I remember now!
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I think someone should just take this city of Peterborough and just... just flush it down the f***in' toilet
The Hotelend Grand National Sweepstake Champion 2022
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The 12th Marquis of Sixfields
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« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2014, 12:38:10 pm » |
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Monty your'e right he was a good manager for us. Atkins took us higher though 1997/98 season.
well thank the Lord he said 2nd or 3rd highest finish and not the highest finish
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The Hotelend Grand National Sweepstake Champion 2023
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TownOwl
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« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2014, 12:49:33 pm » |
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Fantastic talent spotter and coach. If you get good players in as Gray did, you will do well regardless of management ability to a certain extent. If you don't, you'll have the season we're having.
Tactically a bit poor in his time here though for me. Maybe he's improved since. I still remember a Boxing Day game away at Donny. We had 4ft Danny Jackman at left back against 6 and a half foot of Mark McCammon and Donny kept banging it up to the big man who obviously won everything in the air. The whole stadium could see the problem, but Gray never changed it. McCammon scored in the 11th minute and we lost 2-0.
Coke and Daniel Jones will be well known to Wednesday fans. Ian Hendon went that way too.
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GrangeParkCobbler
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« Reply #11 on: January 23, 2014, 12:55:49 pm » |
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Would have him back in a heartbeat. He built the best side we've had in the last 15 years only for the best players to be sold at a fraction of their value and never got the change to reinvest what money we did get. We've been in almost terminal decline since.
If only it had been "a fraction of their value".......I think all the sums received were pretty decent at the time! Chambers left in January 2007 for a reported 400k, we promptly signed Mark Hughes from Everton for 60k. Bradley Johnson left in January 2008 for a reported 250k, no money was spent on new permanent players. August 2008 saw Gabor Gyepes leave for Cardiff (60k having picked him up for nothing) and in September 2008 we sold Mark Bunn to Blackburn......nobody knows how much we got for him....Soccerbase lists the transfer as being worth £1m, but no money was spent on permanent replacements again. Cardoza always said at the time that money was available, but Gray didn't seem to use it...if there really was any to be used!
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« Last Edit: January 23, 2014, 13:12:33 pm by GrangeParkCobbler »
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Charlatan
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« Reply #12 on: January 23, 2014, 12:58:31 pm » |
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well thank the Lord he said 2nd or 3rd highest finish and not the highest finish
Good point apologies to all concerned.
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threeinabed
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« Reply #13 on: January 23, 2014, 13:07:41 pm » |
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If only it had been "a fraction of their value".......I think all the sums received were pretty decent at the time! Jacobs left in January 2007 for a reported 400k
7 years ago, mental. i could have sworn he played at anfield in the league cup.
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GrangeParkCobbler
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« Reply #14 on: January 23, 2014, 13:12:02 pm » |
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Doh....Chambers not Jacobs!!!
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The Hotel End GTA Champion 2006/07, 2007/08, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2018/19 and 2023/24
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WednesdayFan
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« Reply #15 on: January 23, 2014, 13:28:13 pm » |
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Thanks for the responses, fellas!
I feel encouraged that you've got mostly good things to say about him.
I think the comments about him being a good coach are something that most Wednesday fans are already agreed upon. He came in last year around about the time when we were losing week in, week out, and then all of a sudden, as if by magic, we began to win again and put in play-off-like form. He's also credited with rescuing Coke from the Wednesday scrap heap after he looked to be heading out of Hillsborough until Gray persuaded Dave Jones to give him a go - and he's been a (fairly) decent player for us ever since. He's also brought a few other players in from the cold since he took over to good effect. In short, the players have responded to him as boss really well. Could be the 'honeymoon period' that seems to greet the arrival of a new manager, or it could be something more substantial; time will tell, I suppose.
I think one problem for him is that given the level we play at we don't have a great deal of money to spend on players, so his performance in the transfer market will be key. There's a feeling amongst many fans that Gray lacks a certain pulling power to attract the calibre of player we're competing for. Personally, I think it's mostly down to the wages we offer, but still, there may be something in the notion that a manager's personality can swing a deal. Again, time will tell on this score.
Interesting to read some of your comments about Daniel Jones. His career never really took off at Wednesday, and for the most part he looked poor. He did have one or two decent games for us though, where he did actually look to be a decent prospect, but for every decent game there were about 10 sub-par ones. His confidence took a massive hit and it's difficult to recover once you've got 20k+ fans screaming at your every error.
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guest1269
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« Reply #16 on: January 23, 2014, 18:15:30 pm » |
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Thanks for the responses, fellas!
I feel encouraged that you've got mostly good things to say about him.
I think the comments about him being a good coach are something that most Wednesday fans are already agreed upon. He came in last year around about the time when we were losing week in, week out, and then all of a sudden, as if by magic, we began to win again and put in play-off-like form. He's also credited with rescuing Coke from the Wednesday scrap heap after he looked to be heading out of Hillsborough until Gray persuaded Dave Jones to give him a go - and he's been a (fairly) decent player for us ever since. He's also brought a few other players in from the cold since he took over to good effect. In short, the players have responded to him as boss really well. Could be the 'honeymoon period' that seems to greet the arrival of a new manager, or it could be something more substantial; time will tell, I suppose.
I think one problem for him is that given the level we play at we don't have a great deal of money to spend on players, so his performance in the transfer market will be key. There's a feeling amongst many fans that Gray lacks a certain pulling power to attract the calibre of player we're competing for. Personally, I think it's mostly down to the wages we offer, but still, there may be something in the notion that a manager's personality can swing a deal. Again, time will tell on this score.
Interesting to read some of your comments about Daniel Jones. His career never really took off at Wednesday, and for the most part he looked poor. He did have one or two decent games for us though, where he did actually look to be a decent prospect, but for every decent game there were about 10 sub-par ones. His confidence took a massive hit and it's difficult to recover once you've got 20k+ fans screaming at your every error.
Just another comment on SG - I certainly rate him but (like many managers) did have a blind spot in terms of playing players who simply should have been dropped - in our case a young inexperienced goalkeeper and a lazy good for nothing striker with a previous name for scoring goals in the mid and lower leagues - the persistent picking of these two contributed significantly to a relegation season on his cv Still some years ago, has undoubtably learned (unlike our last incumbent who never took advice from anyone else) and a good prospect to take you forward - I wish him well!
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guest48
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« Reply #17 on: January 23, 2014, 23:00:25 pm » |
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Just another comment on SG - I certainly rate him but (like many managers) did have a blind spot in terms of playing players who simply should have been dropped - in our case a young inexperienced goalkeeper and a lazy good for nothing striker with a previous name for scoring goals in the mid and lower leagues - the persistent picking of these two contributed significantly to a relegation season on his cv
Still some years ago, has undoubtably learned (unlike our last incumbent who never took advice from anyone else) and a good prospect to take you forward - I wish him well!
Spot on !
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