I do have a bit of sympathy for Neil Smith. Not good for anyone to lose their job and I was always one who would give a new manager time (that time passed in November for me).
I think the main problem is that unlike other clubs, Welling United is not the best place for inexperienced managers. There isn't a reserve manager or coach who has been at the club a while who he could have got help/feedback from and the youth set up seems a bit distant from the day to day running of the club. What is our scouting set up and training facilities? Does the club have enough profile these days to attract the attention of young players, ex-pros, good loan signings? (this goes back to marketing/pr/commercial activities). I think the whole structure of the club (I'm excluding finances on this at the moment) doesn't lend itself to new managers. I'm not saying Smith would have got it right elsewhere - but it might have been a damn lot easier.
I do have a bit of sympathy for Neil Smith. Not good for anyone to lose their job and I was always one who would give a new manager time (that time passed in November for me).
I think the main problem is that unlike other clubs, Welling United is not the best place for inexperienced managers. There isn't a reserve manager or coach who has been at the club a while who he could have got help/feedback from and the youth set up seems a bit distant from the day to day running of the club. What is our scouting set up and training facilities? Does the club have enough profile these days to attract the attention of young players, ex-pros, good loan signings? (this goes back to marketing/pr/commercial activities). I think the whole structure of the club (I'm excluding finances on this at the moment) doesn't lend itself to new managers. I'm not saying Smith would have got it right elsewhere - but it might have been a damn lot easier.
Agree with most of your post Gary , what I do know is that at times Neil had to pay for the training facilities and the ex GK coach (Stannard) out of his own pocket. Not a nice start to a managerial career and it seems he may have been p*****g against the wind from the beginning . He is a nice bloke though and I wish him well wherever he goes.
Doesnt surprise me the above. As i know that some of our recent managers have had to do the same!!
As ive said before you cant blame it all on Neil. heres hoping the club really are going to shape up now as everyone will be watching them for the "same old" mistakes.
Any other managers above pub level pay for training? kit? coaching? hmmmm
-- Edited by JgFc at 13:58, 2008-01-08
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Alexander O'Neal 1987 "I'm fed up cos all you wanna do is criticize "
