Sandy Pate Best Stag wrote:You can only judge a manager on progress made during his time in charge. It makes no difference if they start in League 1 or Conference North, it’s the distance travelled that counts. The fact Flitcroft achieved our highest league finish in 17 years is irrelevant in real terms.
Cox gained promotion and obviously improved our position in the world. Flitcroft spent a fortune and achieved nothing. His team were on a downward spiral when he was sacked and wouldn’t have achieved if we had kept him on.
To emphasise this point, read the comments about this year and how posters feel about our final league position. When it really really counted Flitcroft played Macca at full back, a position he had never played before and was totally out of his depth at.
OK, Evans spent a good portion of that budget. A bit like saying Clough should be judged on next season if he can't move on players he doesn't want that were on 2 year deals.
You could make a case that Clough plateaued in January and is on a downward spiral. Should we sack him now? You seem certain that we'd have had the same form as JD had should Flitcroft had stayed.
No progress? Evans got 12th. Flitcroft got 8th and then 4th. How do you define progress? We went from mid table to play off challengers to automatic challengers. That's progress in my book.
Cox gained promotion, this is true. It took him 4 transfer windows and 2 years. Flitcroft got 2 transfer windows and got play offs in his first full one.
Flitcroft played Macca at right back. A right winger at right back? Where have I seen that this season? I wonder.