I'm not looking for a bun fight but my thoughts are this.
I started going in 1981 aged 10. Since then the highest we have been in 40 years is under Ian Atkins and 90 mins from division 2 (Championship) at the lowest we've been fortunate to hang on to our league status, so in all that time somewhere between 45th and 92nd.
Despite appointing 24 different managers in all that time, never more than a 3/4th division team and any manager that has shown real potential has been off as quick as they can. In my opinion JB with Rico and Sammo could maintain a comfortable existence without this charade. How much have we spent over the years on manager contracts?
This time its different, I see JB as our Wilder, laugh if you wish! A county man through and through and this is his job, he's deeply connected to every level at the club and so are Marc and Sammo, we appoint A N Other manager again and guaranteed they will be off to a Birmingham, Charlton, Pompey etc at the first sign of success. JB wouldn't leave for some struggling bigger club he has too much invested here.
Of course there must be a caveat, should we be clearly bombing at the bottom of the league a change would need to be made but I doubt that would happen. Give them time and support and in a couple of years we might even go that step further. By the evidence of the last 40 years we wont by appointing another Cook, Tisdale, Barton, Cotterill, Sheridan, Gray or Lunghi for that matter.
Give him the job now and let's judge the football next season, not on what's happened this one. You'd hope there'd be little chance of being cut adrift leading up to Christmas (a Sheff Utd!) and would plenty of time if the owners wanted to bankroll a new manager in the Jan window.
Right with you on this one and remember your namesake well. I'm slightly earlier (1978) but essentially the same supporting experience. I maybe go a couple of extra seasons of us being really sh*t!
I think I want to stick to Brady as any alternative isn't going to fill us with excitement, will definitely add huge uncertainty and I don't trust the owners to back them anymore on the pitch. Moments like Graham Carr and Chris Wilder can't really be planned for and come along once in a blue moon. OK, KC got a promotion which was a great achievement but in freaky circumstances. The only other way is to do it with finance and that clearly isn't going to happen anytime soon.
At least see how it turns out and you have a decent idea after a dozen games which end of the table we are likely to end up.
If we are in the unlikely scenario of doing a 'Sheff Utd' and the owners really value our status, there would be plenty of time to bankroll a new manager and Jan window.
It is a tough one as JB has clearly been dealt a tough hand but has had a bit of time to show what he can do. He gets my vote for a clean slate next season and can't fault his passion and I think he is probably respected by the players that he's had to work with. We never really know that side of things.
