Alan Sheehan-Manager for Next Season

[FearOfAJackPlanet]

This fascination with 'foreign' is weird to me as stick to beat Sheehan with. It's not that a manager has to be good, it's that first and foremost they must be foreign. Or at the very least, if you have 2 good managers, you must sign the foreign one. Just...odd. Technically, he IS a foreign manager anyway as a born and bred irishman

I also find it interesting that those who who view our manager search through a Sheehan v Foreign Manager lens also appear to line-up with those who frame it at 'short-term' thinking v 'long-term thinking'. Now, I find this a fairly pointless discussion anyway as there's no such thing as 'long-term' when it comes to Championship managers, especially for a club our size. Anyone does well at all, they'll be gone, foreign or not. Anyone doesn't do well, they'll be gone. So you're generally looking at 18-24 months max regardless.

If anything, a foreign manager with no roots here or any pre-existing connections to the club/area is far more likely to disappear at the first opportunity than someone like Sheehan, who has been eager to point out he loves it here and his family is settled here. Not saying he wouldn't also jump ship to a better offer, but there's at least some existing connection with the area that might make him more selective in some fantasy future scenario where other clubs are looking to poach him.

Football managers/Head Coach is a short-term revolving door position in 90% of cases, so any 'long-term' thinking should be directed to other areas of the club that we have more control over, such as recruitment, facilities, youth development etc. Those are not the responsibility of the first-team head coach.

 

[rockinj]

This fascination with 'foreign' is weird to me as stick to beat Sheehan with. It's not that a manager has to be good, it's that first and foremost they must be foreign. Or at the very least, if you have 2 good managers, you must sign the foreign one. Just...odd. Technically, he IS a foreign manager anyway as a born and bred irishman

I also find it interesting that those who who view our manager search through a Sheehan v Foreign Manager lens also appear to line-up with those who frame it at 'short-term' thinking v 'long-term thinking'. Now, I find this a fairly pointless discussion anyway as there's no such thing as 'long-term' when it comes to Championship managers, especially for a club our size. Anyone does well at all, they'll be gone, foreign or not. Anyone doesn't do well, they'll be gone. So you're generally looking at 18-24 months max regardless.

If anything, a foreign manager with no roots here or any pre-existing connections to the club/area is far more likely to disappear at the first opportunity than someone like Sheehan, who has been eager to point out he loves it here and his family is settled here. Not saying he wouldn't also jump ship to a better offer, but there's at least some existing connection with the area that might make him more selective in some fantasy future scenario where other clubs are looking to poach him.

Football managers/Head Coach is a short-term revolving door position in 90% of cases, so any 'long-term' thinking should be directed to other areas of the club that we have more control over, such as recruitment, facilities, youth development etc. Those are not the responsibility of the first-team head coach.

The last paragraph is incorrect.

A good manager will take an active part in all areas of the club that feeds directly into the future development of the first team.

All the best managers do this, they don’t just “coach” the team and pick the players they have finger prints over everything.

The disjointed approach is the reason for failure in so many cases.

One of the big reasons the swans have lost their way is because of the silos. The increasing “bottom line” approach to everything and not an ethos of investment and long term decision making.

The swans have been successful when we’ve had an approach that has every singing off the same hymn sheet.

The Manager should be instrumental in acquisitions and overseeing of the youth setup. When we were successful in the past this was endemic.

 

[rockinj]

Also this idea that if (if) Sheehan proved to be successful he wouldn’t jump at the first pay day is for the birds.

What is it with many swans fans do you never learn?

 

[rockinj]

“You’ll have to throw me out”

Haha. Ffs. Wake up

 

[FearOfAJackPlanet]

Said the ‘foreign long-term’ manager...

So, you're essentially agreeing that the head coach position is a revolving door regardless of what passport the manager has, yet you insist that this here today/gone tomorrow guy is handed the keys to football operations at the club for the 5 minutes he's here - when he and everyone knows he's got no long-term skin in the game, is that...it?

 

[rockinj]

Said the ‘foreign long-term’ manager...

So, you're essentially agreeing that the head coach position is a revolving door regardless of what passport the manager has, yet you insist that this here today/gone tomorrow guy is handed the keys to football operations at the club for the 5 minutes he's here - when he and everyone knows he's got no long-term skin in the game, is that...it?

Never said “foreign manager”

If a manager is successful and delivers then great. What is not to like?

When I say long term I mean in the sense they are committed to rebuilding the club and take an active interest in shaping the club while they’re here.

Martinez wasn’t here that long but his legacy endured. The same for Rodgers.

It’s not about them picking up a gold watch for length of service it’s what they put in while they’re here.

 

[bytholwyn]

For me Sheehan has proved his defensive credentials. The improvement collectively, and especially at full back, has been immense. We demonstrated against Leeds and Sunderland that we can nullify and disrupt the best in the league on their own patch. O'Brien is a big part of that, but the all round improvement is there as well, Eom in particular has upped his game. This defensive improvement is a big factor in Sheehan's favour.

In possession things are less clear cut. We were excellent against Plymouth and to a large extent against Blackburn too. We do however seem to be very reliant on winning the ball in the middle third and transitioning from there, especially against Blackburn. That and set pieces. What we haven't seen much of is playing through the thirds with quick passing movements. If we see more of that in the remaining 4 games that should seal the deal for Sheehan. Otherwise the likes of Kim Hellberg come into the picture.

 

[ABSwan]

I know nothing is guaranteed but who wouldn't want a foreign manager like the ones at Brighton and Bournemouth. I do think Sheehan has done an excellent job stabilising the club , and very recent results have been excellent, but there's been some shocking performances as well, Preston, Burnley and Derby. It really is a difficult one.

I always wonder about the fixation of a foreign manager. For every good one, there’s at least 10 not so good one.

I don’t care if the next permanent manager is a Brit or foreign, he just needs to be the right choice.

Right now Sheehan looks like the right choice.

 

[bytholwyn]

Is there a fixation on appointing a foreign manager? Everything else being equal a British manager will always be preferable, given their understanding of the footballing culture and the culture generally. If we're considering foreign managers it will be because they have stronger CVs relative to the British alternatives.

 

[cockett_jack]

I hope he gets it. Results have picked up, the football has been more positive and exciting to watch, he knows the club and it’s less of a risk than going to the market and rolling the dice again. When the captain is expressing desire for him to get a job that speaks some. We are on a bit of a wave so why disrupt it

 

[Gors Buster]

My boy has just cracked me up, describing Luke Williams as “Pwp Guardiola”.
Has this been said before? If not I’d like to claim his £5.

 

[cadleigh]

And he's right not to, they're not very good.

We've needed a dose of reality like this for some time. It's a welcome antidote to Williams and his happy clappy nonsense, suggesting Josh Key could be Gareth Bale. That was looney toons stuff.

This group of players has had far too long under coaches telling them they're capable of far more than they are. Sheehan has seen through that and is setting them up in a way that is stopping silly mistakes, quitting on the delusion that we can pass teams off the park and win, instead he's making us hard to beat and giving us a platform to win matches. Yup, it's crap to watch, but there's a job to do and he's doing it.

Bold post. Let’s see how it ages.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

Bold post. Let’s see how it ages.

So which part do you disagree with?

I was under the impression that you were amongst the most vocal that Martinball (and by extension Williamsball) was indulgent nonsense, and you were even one of the minority that said we were too quick to jettison Duff who had tried to change the culture, like Sheehan has.

So have you done a 180 on that now?

 

[JackSomething]

I'm at the point where Sheehan has almost certainly earned the job, barring a disastrous run over the remaining games.

I am still wary this is all just a new manager/not Williams bounce though and that we'll be back in the same position by the end of the year looking for a new manager.

 

[magicdaps10]

Bog swing, it's now gone past 60% in yes to him being manager for next season.