Paul Keegan

[idler]

I liked the side Saunders built but I couldn’t give him too much credit for winning the title. I could be wrong but I think we were 4th or 5th when left and Flynn brought in some influential players after Saunders had left

We were 2nd when Saunders left. Level on points with Tranmere. Behind them by 3 GD.

Record under Saunders that season.

P26 W15 D5 L6 PPG1.92

Record under Flynn

P20 W10 D4 L6. PPG 1.70

It’s a myth that Flynn improved the side that Saunders left. We dropped from title-winning form to play-off form under Flynn. We won the title because:

a) The best side from the first half of the season (Tranmere) collapsed.
b) The best side in the second half of the season (Bournemouth) had had a shocking first half.
c) Everyone else was distinctly average.

So, although we faltered badly under Flynn, so did no side could take advantage of it. There was only one side that had title winning form over the last 20 games and they were coming from so far back that they couldn’t beat us to the title.

Flynn was a decent man I’m sure but he very, very nearly made a reight balls up of that season.

Look at Bournemouth's home form late in the season that year.
I went and I'm sure that they had lost about three on the trot before we beat them 1-2 with that late goal from James Husband.
A far better performance than the one I witnessed at MK Dons the previous Tuesday.

[BillyStubbsTears]

They lost five on the bounce including our rather fortunate win against them. But those were the only 5 they lost in the last 20 games. They won 14 and drew 1 of the other 15. Best form of the closing section of the season by far.

Shame about that one draw, eh?

[Bristol Red Rover]

With Saunders the plus was the team around him both on and off the pitch - eg JR, Jones, Flynn. Some of that was due to him. He himself was the right personality as manager even if lacking in some of the in game abilities. The trainer he brought in - forget his name - seemed to be a very big part of what was going on. I think he helped create a disciplined backbone and approach to the play.

Really interesting view on the experiment from Keegan, though hadn't realised it was SOD who brought us up from the Conference  thanks for that link 

[Bristol Red Rover]

As an aside, I just looked up the players who came in with "The Experiment" - apart from Diouf and Fortune they all practically disappeared off the football radar after being with us - Robert being the best of the rest with one season in League 1. There's no doubt McKay scammed us.

[wesisback]

With Saunders the plus was the team around him both on and off the pitch - eg JR, Jones, Flynn. Some of that was due to him. He himself was the right personality as manager even if lacking in some of the in game abilities. The trainer he brought in - forget his name - seemed to be a very big part of what was going on. I think he helped create a disciplined backbone and approach to the play.

Really interesting view on the experiment from Keegan, though hadn't realised it was SOD who brought us up from the Conference  thanks for that link 

Mal Purchase? Arguably the best thing about that season. We seemed to always have a full squad to choose from every week.

[Cantley Rover]

With Saunders the plus was the team around him both on and off the pitch - eg JR, Jones, Flynn. Some of that was due to him. He himself was the right personality as manager even if lacking in some of the in game abilities. The trainer he brought in - forget his name - seemed to be a very big part of what was going on. I think he helped create a disciplined backbone and approach to the play.

Really interesting view on the experiment from Keegan, though hadn't realised it was SOD who brought us up from the Conference  thanks for that link 

Dave Penney brought us up from the Conference didn't he?

[idler]

They lost five on the bounce including our rather fortunate win against them. But those were the only 5 they lost in the last 20 games. They won 14 and drew 1 of the other 15. Best form of the closing section of the season by far.

Shame about that one draw, eh?

I was there Billy and I'm not sure that it was fortunate. We gifted them a late goal courtesy of Jamie McCombe and then had the willpower to go to the other end and score. The only fortunate bit was the Husband tackle that won us the ball near the half way line in the build up. It was a good hard tackle but I expected the ref to blow, as did their guy that lost the ball.

[RedJ]

No not really, you say why you think he was a good manager. IMHO he wasnt


COYR

You were asked first as to why he isn't a good manager. Answer the man's question.

Okay, he over saw the failed experiment which was poorly handle due to his poor man mangerment skills, something that is essential to all good managers.

He allowed internal conflict to to be rife with a them and us attitude in the team.

He allowed personnel not to train fully

He played players that were not good enough when better players were on the bench or not even in the match day squad.

Personnel were signed and didn’t play, why allow this?

When he played Doncaster Rovers players the following season we saw a vast improvement in standards, but then he jumped ship and moved to Wolves, did nothing there and got sacked. He wasn’t able to turn them around.

Since then he has moved down the league and done absolutely nothing with the teams he went to.

Now you tell me why you think he was a good manager.

Happy now pal


COYR

So we totally ignore the fact that he completely rebuilt the squad in the space of one summer and would've won the league at a canter because he had a tough time in the Championship and got some decisions wrong? He would've likely had little say over who came in and I'd bet there was some hand in saying who had to play as well.

Wolves were a sinking ship in freefall when he took over, which was a daft decision, but he'd have been unambitious if he hadn't taken it on. Chesterfield were setting off up shit creek financially when he went in there and had started selling off their key players, and as we've seen since were a shit show behind the scenes. Crawley looked dead and buried when he went in, got it to the last day of the season and very nearly survived.

And if your "allowed personnel to not train fully" comment is regarding Habib Beye, Bobby Robson used to let Lauren Robert f**k off to Paris and not come back until part way through a week. Not that I'm comparing their abilities but it's a nonsense point.

[DonnyOsmond]

I thought we were first or second when Saunders left, but I could be mistaken

Second.

[DonnyOsmond]

With Saunders the plus was the team around him both on and off the pitch - eg JR, Jones, Flynn. Some of that was due to him. He himself was the right personality as manager even if lacking in some of the in game abilities. The trainer he brought in - forget his name - seemed to be a very big part of what was going on. I think he helped create a disciplined backbone and approach to the play.

Really interesting view on the experiment from Keegan, though hadn't realised it was SOD who brought us up from the Conference  thanks for that link 

Dave Penney brought us up from the Conference didn't he?

Yeah, Keegan got it wrong.

[pib]

I think with hindsight, every other job in his career since DRFC has shown Saunders to be a poor manager. As well as the amount of nonsense he spouts on TV/radio.

Can't deny that he had a very good half-season with us in 2012. Whether that was down to him, the players he brought in, luck, a temporary burst of genius/inspiration or what, I don't know. I liked him at the time but it's clear that he's a bit of a joke manager now.

As for Keegan, thought he was a decent player for us and a shame he was injured so much. He did everything that people wanted to think Mark Wilson did. Got his foot in and made simple passes.

[Cantley Rover]

I think with hindsight, every other job in his career since DRFC has shown Saunders to be a poor manager. As well as the amount of nonsense he spouts on TV/radio.

Can't deny that he had a very good half-season with us in 2012. Whether that was down to him, the players he brought in, luck, a temporary burst of genius/inspiration or what, I don't know. I liked him at the time but it's clear that he's a bit of a joke manager now.

As for Keegan, thought he was a decent player for us and a shame he was injured so much. He did everything that people wanted to think Mark Wilson did. Got his foot in and made simple passes.

If you think Keegan and Wilson were decent players it asks a lot of questions about your judgment of Dean Saunders.

[pib]

I think with hindsight, every other job in his career since DRFC has shown Saunders to be a poor manager. As well as the amount of nonsense he spouts on TV/radio.

Can't deny that he had a very good half-season with us in 2012. Whether that was down to him, the players he brought in, luck, a temporary burst of genius/inspiration or what, I don't know. I liked him at the time but it's clear that he's a bit of a joke manager now.

As for Keegan, thought he was a decent player for us and a shame he was injured so much. He did everything that people wanted to think Mark Wilson did. Got his foot in and made simple passes.

If you think Keegan and Wilson were decent players it asks a lot of questions about your judgment of Dean Saunders.

Read it again, I was saying quite the opposite to "Mark Wilson was a decent player"

Keegan, however, was OK. He put in some good performances in the Championship.

I'll let you know if I'm ever arsed what you think about my judgement of anything. 👍

[Cantley Rover]

I think with hindsight, every other job in his career since DRFC has shown Saunders to be a poor manager. As well as the amount of nonsense he spouts on TV/radio.

Can't deny that he had a very good half-season with us in 2012. Whether that was down to him, the players he brought in, luck, a temporary burst of genius/inspiration or what, I don't know. I liked him at the time but it's clear that he's a bit of a joke manager now.

As for Keegan, thought he was a decent player for us and a shame he was injured so much. He did everything that people wanted to think Mark Wilson did. Got his foot in and made simple passes.

If you think Keegan and Wilson were decent players it asks a lot of questions about your judgment of Dean Saunders.

Read it again, I was saying quite the opposite to "Mark Wilson was a decent player"

Keegan, however, was OK. He put in some good performances in the Championship.

I'll let you know if I'm ever arsed what you think about my judgement of anything. 👍

Fair enough. I did misread what you wrote.