Over in York for a business meeting at a college out in the sticks and who walks in the door but Phil Parkinson his missus and son. Had a nice chat. Strange old world.

Relief is the correct description. The pressure on results in the last 2 years has been unprecedented and combined with our financial situation PP will in future years be remembered as a saviour.

It’s unlikely he will be revered like SA and BR but I think the wrong appointment in 2016 and we could have gone the way of the likes of Pompey,Coventry and Luton and slid further

100%

 

It was absolute shit or bust it came off.

Allardyce Rioch Greaves

 

Parkinson similar to Armfield in terms of picking up an ailing team & turning things around with no dosh.

 

Todd deserves a mention just for that one memorable season.

 

Neal was a good talent spotter but didnt have the big bollocks of Bruce Rioch

 

Bill Ridding didnt even pick the team but still outshines the likes of Coyle Freedman McFarland .

 

Finaly Megson not the best but certainly not the worst & better than the three above.

Is parkys football any better than megsons?

 

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Allardyce Rioch Greaves

 

Parkinson similar to Armfield in terms of picking up an ailing team & turning things around with no dosh.

 

Todd deserves a mention just for that one memorable season.

 

Neal was a good talent spotter but didnt have the big bollocks of Bruce Rioch

 

Bill Ridding didnt even pick the team but still outshines the likes of Coyle Freedman McFarland .

 

Finaly Megson not the best but certainly not the worst & better than the three above.

 

Broadly agree with this except I would go with Armfield over Greaves.

 

Armfield was our first modern day thinking manager in my opinion, he brought in quality players who were probably at the end of their careers at the teams they were at, into the team - Peter Thompson, Tony Dunne (just like Allardyce went on to do nearly 30 years later!) - to sprinkle a bit of stardust to mix with the players that were already there such as Roy Greaves, John Byrom, Ronny Phillips and brought through probably the best crop of youngsters we've ever produced with the likes of Reid, Paul Jones, Neil Whatmore, Allardyce, Siddall, Gary Jones, Don McAllister and Alan Waldron.  Not to forget he also brought along Peter Nicholson from Blackpool when he became our manager.  These youngsters developed and learned the game under Armfield, only Siddall if memory serves even came through to play until Armfield was in his second season with the rest coming through in his third.

 

This gave Ian Greaves the so solid platform he built from.

 

I rate Greaves and don't believe I'm doing him a disservice but he added to Armfield's team in such the same way as Todd added to Rioch's team in later years.

 

I really rate Parkinson too and see no reason why he shouldn't be considered one of our greatest managers in living memory if he carries on as he has over the next few seasons.

Is parkys football any better than megsons?

 

????????????????????

Cunt off

Broadly agree with this except I would go with Armfield over Greaves.

 

Armfield was our first modern day thinking manager in my opinion, he brought in quality players who were probably at the end of their careers at the teams they were at, into the team - Peter Thompson, Tony Dunne (just like Allardyce went on to do nearly 30 years later!) - to sprinkle a bit of stardust to mix with the players that were already there such as Roy Greaves, John Byrom, Ronny Phillips and brought through probably the best crop of youngsters we've ever produced with the likes of Reid, Paul Jones, Neil Whatmore, Allardyce, Siddall, Gary Jones, Don McAllister and Alan Waldron. Not to forget he also brought along Peter Nicholson from Blackpool when he became our manager. These youngsters developed and learned the game under Armfield, only Siddall if memory serves even came through to play until Armfield was in his second season with the rest coming through in his third.

 

This gave Ian Greaves the so solid platform he built from.

 

I rate Greaves and don't believe I'm doing him a disservice but he added to Armfield's team in such the same way as Todd added to Rioch's team in later years.

 

I really rate Parkinson too and see no reason why he shouldn't be considered one of our greatest managers in living memory if he carries on as he has over the next few seasons.

Surely our “best crop of youngsters “ was the team that won the Cup in ‘58?

Parky one of our greatest managers??

 

Bit of a stretch that really, had a decent enough two years but we’re talking about top league 1 / bottom championship level. We’ve been in promotion chases with Fleetwood and relegation fights with Burton during his two years here

 

We were 5 minutes away from being at the same level as Accrington Stanley

 

If he gets us in the championship play offs this season or next then we can have a conversation, until then, nah!

Edited September 5, 20187 yr by birch-chorley

Parky one of our greatest managers??

 

Bit of a stretch that really, had a decent enough two years but we’re talking about top league 1 / bottom championship level. We’ve been in promotion chases with Fleetwood and relegation fights with Burton during his two years here

 

We were 5 minutes away from being at the same level as Accrington Stanley

 

If he gets us in the championship play offs this season or next then we can have a conversation, until then, nah!

 

Context of the scenario he has been working in though. You can't just look at where we are, but the situation and resources available.

 

And also where we might have ended up otherwise. 

Parky one of our greatest managers??

 

Bit of a stretch that really, had a decent enough two years but we’re talking about top league 1 / bottom championship level. We’ve been in promotion chases with Fleetwood and relegation fights with Burton during his two years here

 

We were 5 minutes away from being at the same level as Accrington Stanley

 

If he gets us in the championship play offs this season or next then we can have a conversation, until then, nah!

flogging a dead horse

Parky one of our greatest managers??

 

 

 

No but the greatest since Sam Allardyce. His achievements with the budget he has had to work with have been excellent in my view. The promotion; the survival and now what looks like the consolidation. He deserves great credit for this but the ethereal dreamers expect Premier League and Europe. Now!

 

There is no way to manage unrealistic expectations so I have learned to just ignore them.

flogging a dead horse

Thing is I started going at the end of the Phil Neal era so aside from Rioch and Sam none of our other managers bar perhaps Todd come close to being a success.

For me at the moment that 3rd spot is down to Parky or Todd. I'd probably chose Todd only because we don't know how the parky era will pan out.

Ask folk the week before the stoke debacle and Coyle would be in there.

Thing is I started going at the end of the Phil Neal era so aside from Rioch and Sam none of our other managers bar perhaps Todd come close to being a success.

For me at the moment that 3rd spot is down to Parky or Todd. I'd probably chose Todd only because we don't know how the parky era will pan out.

Ask folk the week before the stoke debacle and Coyle would be in there.

same I started around 87/88, didn’t mind Todd tbh should of got promotion back though

Context of the scenario he has been working in though. You can't just look at where we are, but the situation and resources available.

 

And also where we might have ended up otherwise.

We had some of the best available resources in league 1

 

You’d expect a competent manager to be able to work with what we had and deliver a top 6 finish as a minimum

 

Last season, granted our resources had us down the bottom end of the table and that’s where we ended up

 

He’s done a good job don’t get me wrong but it’s nothing remarkable in my opinion

Agree Birch.

Some very decent players for league one.

Hats off to parky for delivering the goods then and for keeping us going in troubled times.

 

If we can develop from here on in then he'll have earned the sort of accolade others are getting, and fair play for it.

 

Bit early for me currently.

We had some of the best available resources in league 1

 

You’d expect a competent manager to be able to work with what we had and deliver a top 6 finish as a minimum

 

Last season, granted our resources had us down the bottom end of the table and that’s where we ended up

 

He’s done a good job don’t get me wrong but it’s nothing remarkable in my opinion

 

Nah. That league one team, where are they all now? Apart from Madine, most are in league one (or worse) What he inherited was a league one side. That was in a mess, under an embargo without a pot to piss in, and a club as low as it can get morale and spirit wise.

 

It was the worst situation any of the managers we are discussing came to the club in. By quite a distance. 

I don't know, the basket case that Phil Neal took over was not a lot better

Nah. That league one team, where are they all now? Apart from Madine, most are in league one (or worse) What he inherited was a league one side. That was in a mess, under an embargo without a pot to piss in, and a club as low as it can get morale and spirit wise.

 

It was the worst situation any of the managers we are discussing came to the club in. By quite a distance.

he also had championship players playing in a league 1 side

50 years as a Wanderer ...

 

Big Sam : Some of the football with youri , Jay Jay, Ivan Campo was sublime . For a couple of seasons it was like watching Barca, everyone loved us until Souness tagged us long ball.

 

Armfield / Greaves : First time I'd seen us play open expansive football. Decent crowds at Burnde . Great going on away grounds with big followings .

 

Rioch : the cup runs , the teamwork , sat on his plastic seats on the grass .

he also had championship players playing in a league 1 side

Bollocks. He had League 1 standard players who had been lucky to previously been contracted to a championship club.

Where are they now???

he also had championship players playing in a league 1 side

Bollocks. He had League 1 standard players who had been lucky to previously been contracted to a championship club.

Where are they now???

Bollocks. He had League 1 standard players who had been lucky to previously been contracted to a championship club.

Where are they now???

So Alnwick beevers wheater and Taylor are not championship players. That back line was solid in league one and contributed to many points

 

He had the players end of

John McGovern is the manager I feel most sorry for, he had a right shower of shit and kids to work with. Parky didn't have the worst of squads to work with but it was vital we came back up and quickly. Job done, stayed up and hopefully we are starting to leave the dark days behind once again.

 

I started in 1980/81 watching Bolton. BSA has been our best manager with Rioch 2nd (even though I loved Rioch and never much cared for BSA), no 3 for me is Todd simply because of 1996/97 season.

So Alnwick beevers wheater and Taylor are not championship players. That back line was solid in league one and contributed to many points

 

He had the players end of

Aye. Plenty of players had played in the premier League too. Certainly not world beaters clearly, but more than capable of getting out of league one.

Aye. Plenty of players had played in the premier League too. Certainly not world beaters clearly, but more than capable of getting out of league one.

They should have been more than capable of staying in the Championship too, and yet...

They should have been more than capable of staying in the Championship too, and yet...

Quite. But are you absolving Lennon of blame?

Mood in the camp then was rock bottom. I'll say that for parky, he seems that have managed to get a pretty fine spirit in the squad, and that's essential.