SeasideEssexXile
Vital Football Legend
And their second
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Exactly mate. Never too high, never too low. It's only a game.I have words Bob.. We will come good. I have a lot of time for NC. It is still early days. Never go overboard after a good win and keep setbacks in perspective. I have played and watched enough sport to know that one lucky break can turn the season around. Keep the faith.
Exactly mate. Never too high, never too low. It's only a game.
When Larry was appointed caretaker manager after Hendry went, he won two of his first ten games in charge.
Indeed, he won 9 games from 31 in charge that season - a win rate below 30%.
The following season, after ten games, we'd won once. Grayson took us up that year and went on to establish us in the division above.
Larry had 10 wins in his first 41 games in charge. A win rate of 24%. He went on to win 50 of his remaining 122 games in charge - a win rate of 41%.
Now, I realise that there were and are differences between Larry and NC (Larry an ex pro who did, on the whole, bring in more experienced players to name a couple) but he was afforded time to learn on the job and definitely made mistakes along the way. NC is definitely learning on the job and will (and has) made mistakes along the way.
When Ollie took over he did not win any of his first four league games. In fact, that season, we recorded the following defeats: 4-1 to Palace, 3-1 to Ipswich, 3-0 to Sheffield United, 4-1 to Newcastle.
People forget those defeats and horrible defensive performances because we won promotion that season playing attacking football (like NC is trying to do).
People also forget that we weren't in the playoff places until full time in the penultimate game of the season. People also forget that we had a run of 1 win in 9 games during that season.
Again, there are some clear differences between Ollie and NC and I'm not trying to say there aren't (how they can captivate an audience being perhaps the most glaring one), but even in our PL promotion season there were bumpy periods.
What about the last Blackpool manager to win promotion? Well we were 15th at the end of February under Bowyer, but went on to win promotion from L2 that season.
Again, people forget that because of the job that Bowyer did during all of the boycotts. If you look closely at Bowyer and NC, there are definitely similarities (differences too!), just like with Larry and Ollie.
What if we go a little further back to another manager who also got us promoted and also played attacking football?
Under Steve McMahon we lost 18 league games in 2000/1. At one point we were 23rd in what was then Division Three. We lost 7-0 to Barnet that season.
Again, easy to forget all of that because we went on to win promotion that year and subsequently 2 LDVs under Macca. And again, there are similarities (and differences!) between Macca and NC.
I know that we're all desperate for success, particularly after the lack of legacy from the PL season, but the point that I'm trying to make is that even under the last four Blackpool managers to win promotion, it wasn't plain sailing and there were bumps in the road along the way. But we forget that because how the seasons ended.
There were times when people doubted all four managers along the way, and perhaps the best example of that is posts on here calling for Ollie to go after he didn't win any of his first four games and questioning the style of play he was trying to achieve.
We're five games into a forty six game league season. Has it been a good start? No. But should we react by sacking the manager? No.
I do think NC is entering a key run of games with five of our next six against Crewe, MK Dons, AFC Wimbledon, Burton and Wigan and if we're struggling after those games (I'd expect to win all five) then I'll be concerned. But I'm going to back him in the meantime, and so should everyone else (in my opinion).
When Larry was appointed caretaker manager after Hendry went, he won two of his first ten games in charge.
Indeed, he won 9 games from 31 in charge that season - a win rate below 30%.
The following season, after ten games, we'd won once. Grayson took us up that year and went on to establish us in the division above.
Larry had 10 wins in his first 41 games in charge. A win rate of 24%. He went on to win 50 of his remaining 122 games in charge - a win rate of 41%.
Now, I realise that there were and are differences between Larry and NC (Larry an ex pro who did, on the whole, bring in more experienced players to name a couple) but he was afforded time to learn on the job and definitely made mistakes along the way. NC is definitely learning on the job and will (and has) made mistakes along the way.
When Ollie took over he did not win any of his first four league games. In fact, that season, we recorded the following defeats: 4-1 to Palace, 3-1 to Ipswich, 3-0 to Sheffield United, 4-1 to Newcastle.
People forget those defeats and horrible defensive performances because we won promotion that season playing attacking football (like NC is trying to do).
People also forget that we weren't in the playoff places until full time in the penultimate game of the season. People also forget that we had a run of 1 win in 9 games during that season.
Again, there are some clear differences between Ollie and NC and I'm not trying to say there aren't (how they can captivate an audience being perhaps the most glaring one), but even in our PL promotion season there were bumpy periods.
What about the last Blackpool manager to win promotion? Well we were 15th at the end of February under Bowyer, but went on to win promotion from L2 that season.
Again, people forget that because of the job that Bowyer did during all of the boycotts. If you look closely at Bowyer and NC, there are definitely similarities (differences too!), just like with Larry and Ollie.
What if we go a little further back to another manager who also got us promoted and also played attacking football?
Under Steve McMahon we lost 18 league games in 2000/1. At one point we were 23rd in what was then Division Three. We lost 7-0 to Barnet that season.
Again, easy to forget all of that because we went on to win promotion that year and subsequently 2 LDVs under Macca. And again, there are similarities (and differences!) between Macca and NC.
I know that we're all desperate for success, particularly after the lack of legacy from the PL season, but the point that I'm trying to make is that even under the last four Blackpool managers to win promotion, it wasn't plain sailing and there were bumps in the road along the way. But we forget that because how the seasons ended.
There were times when people doubted all four managers along the way, and perhaps the best example of that is posts on here calling for Ollie to go after he didn't win any of his first four games and questioning the style of play he was trying to achieve.
We're five games into a forty six game league season. Has it been a good start? No. But should we react by sacking the manager? No.
I do think NC is entering a key run of games with five of our next six against Crewe, MK Dons, AFC Wimbledon, Burton and Wigan and if we're struggling after those games (I'd expect to win all five) then I'll be concerned. But I'm going to back him in the meantime, and so should everyone else (in my opinion).