This post is dedicated to the King of Stats Johnny H.
Wellings thumping 5-0 win against Oxford City at the start of September had us all purring and dreaming of might be to come in the forthcoming months though unfortunately since then the wheels have come off and then some.
Since the day after that result (September 4th 2002) there have been twice the number of British Home Secretaries than there have been Welling United league victories, there have been more British Prime Ministers then there have been Welling United league victories and we have had as many British Monarchs since the Oxford City match as we have witnessed The Wings taking 3 points in the league!!!!!
Since September 4th 2022:
Home Secretaries 4
Prime Ministers 3
British Monarchs 2
Welling League Wins 2
Warren Feeney excuses 1 (Same one over and over again)
I dont know if that reflects worse on our country or our club to be honest!!!! What I do know is that change is now a must and we must select our next manager wisely and not waste both resources and opportunities.
Lets here your ideas on who is next for the Welling hot seat in an ideal world.
Ooph. I started watching Warren's post match interview, but gave up half way through as I have heard it all before, many times by now.
But I don't duck a challenge (unlike a certain manager who sees himself as a lion, and fans like me as stupid sheep not worth even talking with, when 1 win in 13 games shows if he is a lion he is a toothless lion, and if the fans are sheep they sure as hell know more than the delusional lion.)
So yeah, in an ideal world who would be next for the Welling hot seat.
OK, let me give some context to this answer. And apologies in advance for the length of this answer, but you have asked a genuine question, so I will respond with a genuine answer, even if it takes me time to give it (so please be patient!) I have worked in recruitment picking leaders for senior roles, so I can spot leadership talent. When Warren arrives I was really impressed with him, as he has a very high hard work ethic. But as time went on, I realised that is all he seemed to offer. So tactics, communication, continuous improvement, responding to setbacks, taking responsibility when things go wrong, zero. Then I had a closer look at his track record as a manager. As far as I could see he has been sacked from all but one managerial role after going on a long losing run. I have no first hand knowledge of any of his previous roles, but assuming this so called lion sticks to his way of managing, he will have demoralised every team he manages by very publicly saying they are not good enough, loses the dressing room, results deteriorate, and he gets sacked.
So that is the background to my answer, which is very straightforward. Sam Cox. I saw Sam manage our win against Cray Valley PM, and there was none of Warren's self protective screaming at players, Sam was encouraging the players during the matches, giving guidance, but unlike Warren not angrily. I saw Sam again give players encouragement against Bath, and for the very first time heard Warren give positive feedback ("Well done Paynee").
I am in a weird phase right now, unemployed, sacked from two recent roles, and looking back to see where I went wrong. I watched a recent Frank Lampard interview, where he has been in that same frame of mind after his disappointment over being sacked from his dream job at Chelsea. He has realised (just like I have done, just like I really hope for his own long term good Warren does too) that his communications were wrong.
Don't get me wrong, I know Sam has no track record as a manager, and may be a disaster. But 1 win in 13 league games, the 6th worst defensive record in the league, apart from Ade, Stefan and Taylor, only 5 goals scored by the whole team in 21 league games is not exactly hard to better. If it works for Sam in the short term, great, if not there is time to get someone else more experienced in. But my eye for talent tells me Sam could be the answer, and deserves a chance to show his abilities, maybe with someone more experienced beside him to give him support.
In games, our on pitch communication was non existent, apart from players bitching at each other. Sam has played games, encouraged and communicated. Someone said "Football will find you out". It certainly has with Warren. It may find Sam out, but I think it could be one of life's lucky breaks, he happens to be in the right place at the right time.
There aren't any obvious other candidates out there, the best ones are already in secure roles, the dodgy available ones aren't worth having.
I've thought all this privately ever since that Cray Valley win, as there was such a different atmosphere in that game compared to the gloom of a Warren struggle. But I am just another fan, so it is silly asking me specifically what I think, the fans here have followed the team much longer than me and have a really valuable perspective.
Just to put that in context, I was recently saying we would do well if promoted this season. Someone here, a long term fan who unlike me has actually seen us up in the national league, had a private word with me and politely told me they disagreed, as they said the standards higher up are so much more demanding, one has to be more accurate shooting as there are less chances. I loved that advice, as it was practical, based on personal experience, rather than my newly arrived theoretical. So I say Sam, but am interested in others' views, and totally respect them, as this is a long term project, so the manager has to be a right fit long term.
Id approach someone like Ben Strevens to see if hed fancy the job. Young hungry guy in his early 40s, extensive lower league playing and then managerial experience and would have decent contacts around the game. Done a really decent job at Eastleigh on a budget smaller than a host of what a lot of his rivals wouldve been spending. UEFA A coach and he speaks very very well about the game in an open, honest and engaging way. Would he want to come manage in the national south?? I dunno but if we have genuine ambitions of eventually progressing and trying to get back out of this league then we need to be asking the questions plus hes proven he can do a job in the National League should we ever get back there.
-- Edited by Jamo on Wednesday 7th of December 2022 10:17:02 PM
-- Edited by Jamo on Wednesday 7th of December 2022 10:17:56 PM
Is it possible to change the title of this thread to something about possible future managers, as I'm just another fan here, who like everyone else here wants the best for the club, so having a thread with my name in feels a bit excessive and misleading about what is being talked of.
My son is 11, and at that age things seem so uncomplicated, so as he's heard me talk about the solutions to the team's problems he asked me if I would like to be the Welling manager. The question amused me, as like other fans it would be amazing to actually be able to pick the players and formation. But managing a football team is so difficult as you must keep things fresh and constantly changing to keep players interested, and that is very hard to achieve, and management is a young person's game and I'm too old for it now, and my coaching qualifications would not be high enough, so all things considered my answer was no. But it will be a great job for whoever gets it after Warren, as the Welling area has so many potential fans to tap into that the club could end up so much bigger.
The Ebbsfleet manager is doing an amazing job with them, he is German so will have arrived without any knowledge of the South league but quickly overcome that, so having someone with a knowledge of the league isn't necessarily essential, although obviously it would be handy to have if possible.
Is it possible to change the title of this thread to something about possible future managers, as I'm just another fan here, who like everyone else here wants the best for the club, so having a thread with my name in feels a bit excessive and misleading about what is being talked of.
My son is 11, and at that age things seem so uncomplicated, so as he's heard me talk about the solutions to the team's problems he asked me if I would like to be the Welling manager. The question amused me, as like other fans it would be amazing to actually be able to pick the players and formation. But managing a football team is so difficult as you must keep things fresh and constantly changing to keep players interested, and that is very hard to achieve, and management is a young person's game and I'm too old for it now, and my coaching qualifications would not be high enough, so all things considered my answer was no. But it will be a great job for whoever gets it after Warren, as the Welling area has so many potential fans to tap into that the club could end up so much bigger.
The Ebbsfleet manager is doing an amazing job with them, he is German so will have arrived without any knowledge of the South league but quickly overcome that, so having someone with a knowledge of the league isn't necessarily essential, although obviously it would be handy to have if possible.
Sack Warren now there is no point in delaying the inevitable.
Id make Johnny Hartley caretaker manager until we find THE ONE in the ilk of a Day, King, Strevens, Oldfield etc
Football has a hell of a lot of jealousy and backstabbing, there actually aren't that many football management jobs out there, so everyone is fighting to get one. One teams in our division had 100 applicants for their manager role, and it is safe to say all were better qualified than me, so definitely no caretaker manager role for me! I see everything that is going wrong, I see everything that needs to be changed to fix them, but have largely kept those things to myself, but would be happy to share those with whoever manages in future.
Warren's undoing is his arrogance, thinking he is some sort of lion, and that people without his football background are ignorant sheep not worth his precious time. Wiser people than him know one can learn unexpectedly from anyone. So yet again he will get sacked after a losing run putting his team in danger of relegation, and he won't learn anything from this experience, and just repeat it at any other job. It's all very sad to observe.
He reminds me of two people I worked with. One was a really rude very senior line manager of mine, and I was complaining to a colleague about my boss's behaviour. The colleague insightfully said, "She has got where she is by being that way, and she isnt going to change now." Warren has got where he is by screaming and abusing his players and losing dressing rooms and he isnt going to change that now.
The other person he reminds me of is another senior manager who upset the staff and unions at a local office I worked in, when he said he saw the office as a sausage factory to turn work around. No one liked to be seen like that. I spoke to someone about him, who told me, "The problem is he is a waste of space, but he interviews well". Again, that reminds me of our manager, who is a Big Time Charlie, no doubt interviewing well about his time as an international football and manager at higher levels, but when you dig below the surface you see he has failed in his previous roles. So when thinking of any new manager the Board need to improve background checks on any new manager, checking out with ex players and owners what is the person really like as a manager. Again, this is why Sam Cox stands out in my book, as he is known to us already, is a great communicator, gives encouragement in matches, not abuse, so apart from the lack of experience as a manager there are few risks associated with him.
Finally on this, it is scary how this is all reminding me of Peter Taylor, as he kept moaning about our player mistakes leading to goals conceded, did nothing to change that, and that is exactly what is happening again with Warren.
Feeney didn't need to 'interview well' to get the Welling Job. As he has described himself he was going for a walk one Sunday morning when MG called him and offered him the job.
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OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh When the Wingssssss
Football has a hell of a lot of jealousy and backstabbing, there actually aren't that many football management jobs out there, so everyone is fighting to get one. One teams in our division had 100 applicants for their manager role, and it is safe to say all were better qualified than me, so definitely no caretaker manager role for me! I see everything that is going wrong, I see everything that needs to be changed to fix them, but have largely kept those things to myself, but would be happy to share those with whoever manages in future.
Warren's undoing is his arrogance, thinking he is some sort of lion, and that people without his football background are ignorant sheep not worth his precious time. Wiser people than him know one can learn unexpectedly from anyone. So yet again he will get sacked after a losing run putting his team in danger of relegation, and he won't learn anything from this experience, and just repeat it at any other job. It's all very sad to observe.
He reminds me of two people I worked with. One was a really rude very senior line manager of mine, and I was complaining to a colleague about my boss's behaviour. The colleague insightfully said, "She has got where she is by being that way, and she isnt going to change now." Warren has got where he is by screaming and abusing his players and losing dressing rooms and he isnt going to change that now.
The other person he reminds me of is another senior manager who upset the staff and unions at a local office I worked in, when he said he saw the office as a sausage factory to turn work around. No one liked to be seen like that. I spoke to someone about him, who told me, "The problem is he is a waste of space, but he interviews well". Again, that reminds me of our manager, who is a Big Time Charlie, no doubt interviewing well about his time as an international football and manager at higher levels, but when you dig below the surface you see he has failed in his previous roles. So when thinking of any new manager the Board need to improve background checks on any new manager, checking out with ex players and owners what is the person really like as a manager. Again, this is why Sam Cox stands out in my book, as he is known to us already, is a great communicator, gives encouragement in matches, not abuse, so apart from the lack of experience as a manager there are few risks associated with him.
Finally on this, it is scary how this is all reminding me of Peter Taylor, as he kept moaning about our player mistakes leading to goals conceded, did nothing to change that, and that is exactly what is happening again with Warren.
Suggesting you as Caretaker was a joke by the way!!!!!
Don't worry I got the joke, so was doing a straight faced joke back, my earlier comment that I was holding out for the Liverpool job, rather than the Welling one kind of sums up how seriously I see myself as a managerial option for Welling!
But the Welling manager job is no laughing matter right how, October to December we have had one really good game, the cup win against Havant, the rest has by and large been poor draws and losses. Last night Cheshunt and Dulwich won, so closed some of the gap between us. We are 10 points off a play off spot, and 7 points off a relegation spot. If the teams below us get 3 more points than us a month for several months, which seems likely, as we have just 1 league win in our last 13 games, and many of the teams below us are winning regularly, by February March ish we may be in serious trouble. 5 of our last 7 league games are against Bath, Eastbourne, St Albans, Ebbsfleet and Havant, and I dont see us getting many points from those games. Another early ending cup run, dropping like a stone down the table, using Warren's players, coaching and tactics, with him saying poor results these days are all the players' fault.
Ill raise you boht; How many times does he say their a good side and the insert manager name has done a fantastic job and has them playing the right way
My favourite Warren moment is when he did his interview after the heavy Dartford loss, saying in a interview on the Welling channel that to him it was just another game, and there is bigger pressure in other footballing situations he was involved with. Understandably fans were upset by that, then Warren defended himself saying he had been misquoted, which was so funny, as the interview was there for all to see, and showed he had said exactly what people said he had said! It still amuses me how irresponsible he was about this and how inaccurate his self defence was.
But a close runner up is when ahead of a game he was all sad and serious about the likelihood of Ade being fit for a match, sending out the message he isn't likely to play, which is fair enough, as one doesn't want to give the opposition too much advance info. Then before the match there was online film of the players walking into the ground, and the player at the front was Ade, with his boots in his hands, all ready to play!
But there was another challenger for best quote, one of the Welling players did a poor cross, and Warren complained about the player to those around him, "He couldn't cross a fking street!"
Just two days until maybe we next hear, "I think we deserved something from the game..."
