Viking Supporters Co-operative

Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: Metalmicky on February 13, 2025, 04:13:27 pm

Title: Wellens
Post by: Metalmicky on February 13, 2025, 04:13:27 pm
On shortlist for Blackburn job apparently...

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/blackburn-rovers-shortlist-former-doncaster-rovers-and-leicester-city-man-following-john-eustace-exit-4989305
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: grayx on February 13, 2025, 04:34:30 pm
Be a good move that.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: The Dav on February 13, 2025, 06:26:58 pm
Makes you wonder what we could have achieved if he’d not had to entertain that clown Blunt, and instead had the same resources what Grants had?
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Sven Vath on February 13, 2025, 06:35:29 pm
There are a few on here with egg on their face.

Throwing dirt at him at every opportunity.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: sedwardsdrfc on February 13, 2025, 06:40:55 pm
Yeah we were a difficult club to manage with the tight attitude that seemed to prevail. Wonder what we told managers when interviewing for them to take the job on. They must have either thought the club would budge on money when they got through the door or were just naive to think they could produce on a shoe string.

For our budget back then we shouldn’t have been hiring anyone wanting to play football. Proper attrition managers are needed if you can’t afford the players.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: jmt23 on February 13, 2025, 06:41:33 pm
And the other managers we went through, people made personal attacks thinking it was all the managers doing. The actual reality is they were probably over achieving, and could have done decent jobs given the chances.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: sedwardsdrfc on February 13, 2025, 07:25:36 pm
I’d say some didn’t help themselves by trying to be a footballing side when we didn’t have the players. But if that was the brief from the top it’s understandable. For me the manager should try get 3pts by any means when the club is struggling.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Bentley Bullet on February 13, 2025, 07:29:59 pm
Wellens said he was specifically employed to return Rovers to the style of football created by SOD when we had an identity of being the Arsenal of the north.

He admitted he was often cutting his nose off to spite his face in his team selection and tactics.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: DonnyBazR0ver on February 13, 2025, 07:30:57 pm
Good manager, wrong time,. He was screwed by injuries but then didn't help himself with the Bogle and Williams situation.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Bentley Bullet on February 13, 2025, 07:49:27 pm
If the team needed Bogle and Williams to improve it, it just shows how poor the quality was.

Like Wellens said there have been far better players than Bogle and Williams who have been consigned to training away from first-team squads elsewhere.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: big fat yorkshire pudding on February 13, 2025, 08:16:38 pm
He's done brilliantly at Leyton Orient. But that doesn't mean he was poor here. Yea the budget wasn't great but he was a poor manager for us, signed poor players and didn't play his best team.  It didn't work, but good on him for making it work elsewhere.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Move DRFC on February 13, 2025, 08:47:39 pm
Barely had a pot to piss in when it came to signing players. Proven himself to be a top manager.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Bentley Bullet on February 13, 2025, 08:49:43 pm
He's done brilliantly at Leyton Orient. But that doesn't mean he was poor here. Yea the budget wasn't great but he was a poor manager for us, signed poor players and didn't play his best team.  It didn't work, but good on him for making it work elsewhere.
You don't often get good players by offering them poor pay. Of course, you can come across the odd bargain who turns out to be a steal, but it would be nye on impossible to fill a team up with such signings.

Wellens tried to do the nye on impossible.

Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Prez on February 13, 2025, 08:54:30 pm
If the team needed Bogle and Williams to improve it, it just shows how poor the quality was.

Like Wellens said there have been far better players than Bogle and Williams who have been consigned to training away from first-team squads elsewhere.

I thought he needed them off the wage bill although i could be wrong. He was dealt a poor hand but played it badly. Pleased for him to be doing well at Orient.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Bentley Bullet on February 13, 2025, 09:00:58 pm
If the team needed Bogle and Williams to improve it, it just shows how poor the quality was.

Like Wellens said there have been far better players than Bogle and Williams who have been consigned to training away from first-team squads elsewhere.

I thought he needed them off the wage bill although i could be wrong. He was dealt a poor hand but played it badly. Pleased for him to be doing well at Orient.
He did need them off the wage bill. Bogle turned down two offers, which meant there was no cash available for Wellens to buy another striker.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Chris Black come back on February 13, 2025, 10:37:07 pm
Difficult budget absolutely undoubtedly but he presided over the worst transfer window in our recent history. Absolutely diabolical business.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: pib on February 14, 2025, 09:48:39 am
Joe Wright being another case of someone being given 12 months contract for being injured who then promptly got himself fit and pissed off

That's not true. He made 39 appearances in his last season contracted with the club (2020/21), picked up an injury in the last game of the season and wasn't given a new deal. He just did his rehab with the club the following season.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: BobG on February 14, 2025, 09:56:19 am
Smyth strikes again! Lol

BobG
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: pib on February 14, 2025, 10:10:13 am
Joe Wright being another case of someone being given 12 months contract for being injured who then promptly got himself fit and pissed off

That's not true. He made 39 appearances in his last season contracted with the club (2020/21), picked up an injury in the last game of the season and wasn't given a new deal. He just did his rehab with the club the following season.
Ah, part of everyone's contract in football,  sorry I didn't know that.
Given a contract because he was injured playing,  you didn't write that but that's the inference of your post.
 
Of course were T.Bramall to say at the next M.T.O that getting better use of the budget is going to be central to the clubs decision making in future BobG would be first cheering and saying it's long overdue.
Smyth strikes again.

Eh? No inference, that's just what happened. He wasn't given a contract.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: BobG on February 14, 2025, 10:20:50 am
Smyth now vainly attempting to defend the indefensible...

BobG
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: TonySoprano on February 14, 2025, 10:32:24 am
Makes you wonder what we could have achieved if he’d not had to entertain that clown Blunt, and instead had the same resources what Grants had?

Wonder how the clowns who kept defending the board and blunt during that period feel now?  :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: DonnyBazR0ver on February 14, 2025, 10:56:45 am
Joe Wright being another case of someone being given 12 months contract for being injured who then promptly got himself fit and pissed off

That's not true. He made 39 appearances in his last season contracted with the club (2020/21), picked up an injury in the last game of the season and wasn't given a new deal. He just did his rehab with the club the following season.
Ah, part of everyone's contract in football,  sorry I didn't know that.
Given a contract because he was injured playing,  you didn't write that but that's the inference of your post.
 
Of course were T.Bramall to say at the next M.T.O that getting better use of the budget is going to be central to the clubs decision making in future BobG would be first cheering and saying it's long overdue.
Smyth strikes again.

Eh? No inference, that's just what happened. He wasn't given a contract.

My recollection was he wanted to leave at the end of the season and try pastures new. Unfortunately he got injured in the last game so Rovers allowed him to rehab with us as a gesture of goodwill, seeing as he  got injured wearing the red n white hoops.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: ForsolongaRover on February 14, 2025, 10:59:55 am
My Orient ST Holder friend is full of praise for him and what he has done there was basically what he was hired to do for us. What is probably not generally known is that he has done what he has despite big injury problems.

Although he did not really get the players he wanted here, he probably did not manage those he had as well as he could and perhaps that’s a lesson he took to Orient, but their situation when he took over was probably worse than what he inherited at Rovers.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: ncRover on February 14, 2025, 11:03:35 am
It’s interesting that we felt (maybe still do) feel wedded to the footballing philosophy of the SOD days. Particularly because 4 of our 5 promotions since the early 2000s have been achieved without it.
It was the brief given to Wellens, McSheffrey and Schofield. Why was it so important? Particularly when the budget and recruitment strategy wasn’t there for it.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Pancho Regan on February 14, 2025, 12:29:47 pm
I have mixed emotions regarding Richie. I am chuffed to bits for him that he's succeeding so well at Orient.
And in equal measure I'm sad and frustrated that it didn't work out for him with us.

He could / should have been the 'dream' appointment. One of the best players in the best team I've ever had the pleasure to witness during my 50+ years as a Rovers fan.
He spoke so well when he was appointed, about his desire to build something in the image of that SO'D team and his hope that this was a long-term project.

So sad that the wheels came off, but I would still have stuck with Richie (albeit I know I'm speaking with the benefit of hindsight).

So I'm delighted for him, but that will always be tinged by a feeling of what might have been.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: jmt23 on February 14, 2025, 12:43:26 pm
My take on why they wanted SOD style football was, potentially twofold.

1. It was a fantastic run up to the championship, and playing some of the most pleasing on the eye football I have witnessed at DRFC in my 40+ years attending. Essentially success and style.
2. SOD did it on a relatively low budget, he understood if we want to get where we wanted, we had to play differently. Other clubs could afford much better players at the “standard” style of play.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Plumbster on February 14, 2025, 03:53:26 pm
Agreed I think the SOD style, getting beautiful football from so-called lesser players, was the only way we could compete in the Championship for as long as we did,- it really was an amazing achievement.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: ForsolongaRover on February 14, 2025, 04:08:42 pm
My take on why they wanted SOD style football was, potentially twofold.

1. It was a fantastic run up to the championship, and playing some of the most pleasing on the eye football I have witnessed at DRFC in my 40+ years attending. Essentially success and style.
2. SOD did it on a relatively low budget, he understood if we want to get where we wanted, we had to play differently. Other clubs could afford much better players at the “standard” style of play.

It took SOD a long time to develop what we became and unlike Copps, Richie was never actually part of the finished product. It was probably an unrealistic ideal considering where we were (and still are). The model was for another time, faded into history.       
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: andyst79 on February 14, 2025, 04:40:32 pm
Didn't do himself any favors spunking a chunk of his budget on Ben Close!
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Bentley Bullet on February 14, 2025, 05:03:07 pm
Grant McCann signed a two-year contract extension for Ben Close in March 2024. This extension will keep Close at the club until the summer of 2026.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Ryaldinhio on February 14, 2025, 07:33:28 pm
This club was on a downward spiral for years, thank the lord Blunt has gone and TB has taken full control, now we can look forward again. This is our second season challenging for promotion, hopefully this one will be a success.

TB has taken over, backed GM and things are changing.

I know look back on the Schofield time and feel for the fella. The state we were in, with no support there isn't anything that anyone could've done, we could have just ruined his future career.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: drfchound on February 14, 2025, 08:37:18 pm
This club was on a downward spiral for years, thank the lord Blunt has gone and TB has taken full control, now we can look forward again. This is our second season challenging for promotion, hopefully this one will be a success.

TB has taken over, backed GM and things are changing.

I know look back on the Schofield time and feel for the fella. The state we were in, with no support there isn't anything that anyone could've done, we could have just ruined his future career.

I understand that DS is now doing well for himself and working as a coach in Australia.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Bentley Bullet on February 14, 2025, 08:43:03 pm
It appears Gary McSheffrey got a bad deal also. He seemed reluctant to take the manager's job and appeared content and secure in his job with the juniors. 
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Nudga on February 14, 2025, 08:44:21 pm
This club was on a downward spiral for years, thank the lord Blunt has gone and TB has taken full control, now we can look forward again. This is our second season challenging for promotion, hopefully this one will be a success.

TB has taken over, backed GM and things are changing.

I know look back on the Schofield time and feel for the fella. The state we were in, with no support there isn't anything that anyone could've done, we could have just ruined his future career.

I had to keep quiet at the time as I know the family really well but Danny told his dad that he was working with Sunday league players and only had a budget for Sunday league players.
His dad kept telling me "Donny haven't got any f**kin money, they want him to make a silk purse out of a sows arsehole".

My criticism of DS would be that he should have played a style to suit the division and the players he had. Then if he'd had a bit longer in charge, slowly implement his own style.
I think he tried the championship style too quickly for the players he had
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Pancho Regan on February 14, 2025, 10:01:11 pm
This club was on a downward spiral for years, thank the lord Blunt has gone and TB has taken full control, now we can look forward again. This is our second season challenging for promotion, hopefully this one will be a success.

TB has taken over, backed GM and things are changing.

I know look back on the Schofield time and feel for the fella. The state we were in, with no support there isn't anything that anyone could've done, we could have just ruined his future career.

I had to keep quiet at the time as I know the family really well but Danny told his dad that he was working with Sunday league players and only had a budget for Sunday league players.
His dad kept telling me "Donny haven't got any f**kin money, they want him to make a silk purse out of a sows arsehole".

My criticism of DS would be that he should have played a style to suit the division and the players he had. Then if he'd had a bit longer in charge, slowly implement his own style.
I think he tried the championship style too quickly for the players he had

Interesting insight Nudga
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: NickDRFC on February 14, 2025, 10:19:43 pm
This club was on a downward spiral for years, thank the lord Blunt has gone and TB has taken full control, now we can look forward again. This is our second season challenging for promotion, hopefully this one will be a success.

TB has taken over, backed GM and things are changing.

I know look back on the Schofield time and feel for the fella. The state we were in, with no support there isn't anything that anyone could've done, we could have just ruined his future career.

I had to keep quiet at the time as I know the family really well but Danny told his dad that he was working with Sunday league players and only had a budget for Sunday league players.
His dad kept telling me "Donny haven't got any f**kin money, they want him to make a silk purse out of a sows arsehole".

My criticism of DS would be that he should have played a style to suit the division and the players he had. Then if he'd had a bit longer in charge, slowly implement his own style.
I think he tried the championship style too quickly for the players he had

The criticism Schofield got/gets on here is way over the top in my opinion but look at some of the players he had to work with. In his first game he had Knoyle, Williams, Anderson, Clayton, Close, Biggins, Miller & Molyneux in the side - all players proven at League Two level. Olowu, Taylor, Rowe, Maxwell & Hurst also in the squad he inherited. He definitely didn’t have the resources (or the time) that McCann has had to allow him to build a squad, and Knoyle was inadequately replaced in January (“look at this PowerPoint, James Brown is miles better!”) but an 18th placed finish was still a poor achievement for me.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Usher wide. on February 14, 2025, 10:26:33 pm
This club was on a downward spiral for years, thank the lord Blunt has gone and TB has taken full control, now we can look forward again. This is our second season challenging for promotion, hopefully this one will be a success.

TB has taken over, backed GM and things are changing.

I know look back on the Schofield time and feel for the fella. The state we were in, with no support there isn't anything that anyone could've done, we could have just ruined his future career.

I had to keep quiet at the time as I know the family really well but Danny told his dad that he was working with Sunday league players and only had a budget for Sunday league players.
His dad kept telling me "Donny haven't got any f**kin money, they want him to make a silk purse out of a sows arsehole".

My criticism of DS would be that he should have played a style to suit the division and the players he had. Then if he'd had a bit longer in charge, slowly implement his own style.
I think he tried the championship style too quickly for the players he had

Interesting insight Nudga

Seems there’s always someone out there who can shine a better light on things after the fact.

Easy to say Nudga, but if I’d known what Danny Schofield was having to deal with at the time whilst taking flak from the supporters for ‘drawn on the back of a fag packet tactics’ & poor recruitment, I like to think that despite him & his family feeling you had misplaced their trust in you, I would like to think I would have found some way to shine a light on his dilemma on this forum.

I don’t think you ultimately did him any harm in not doing so because at that time the fans were ‘baying for blood’ but you didn’t do him any ‘favours’ either.

There’s a thin line between a perceived ‘betrayal of trust’ & a ‘light shone’ on a known truth.



Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Bentley Bullet on February 14, 2025, 10:48:38 pm
This club was on a downward spiral for years, thank the lord Blunt has gone and TB has taken full control, now we can look forward again. This is our second season challenging for promotion, hopefully this one will be a success.

TB has taken over, backed GM and things are changing.

I know look back on the Schofield time and feel for the fella. The state we were in, with no support there isn't anything that anyone could've done, we could have just ruined his future career.

I had to keep quiet at the time as I know the family really well but Danny told his dad that he was working with Sunday league players and only had a budget for Sunday league players.
His dad kept telling me "Donny haven't got any f**kin money, they want him to make a silk purse out of a sows arsehole".

My criticism of DS would be that he should have played a style to suit the division and the players he had. Then if he'd had a bit longer in charge, slowly implement his own style.
I think he tried the championship style too quickly for the players he had

Interesting insight Nudga

Seems there’s always someone out there who can shine a better light on things after the fact.

Easy to say Nudga, but if I’d known what Danny Schofield was having to deal with at the time whilst taking flak from the supporters for ‘drawn on the back of a fag packet tactics’ & poor recruitment, I like to think that despite him & his family feeling you had misplaced their trust in you, I would like to think I would have found some way to shine a light on his dilemma on this forum.

I don’t think you ultimately did him any harm in not doing so because at that time the fans were ‘baying for blood’ but you didn’t do him any ‘favours’ either.

There’s a thin line between a perceived ‘betrayal of trust’ & a ‘light shone’ on a known truth.




I suspect most people knew the truth anyway.

Accepting it is another story.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: BillyStubbsTears on February 15, 2025, 12:54:43 am
This club was on a downward spiral for years, thank the lord Blunt has gone and TB has taken full control, now we can look forward again. This is our second season challenging for promotion, hopefully this one will be a success.

TB has taken over, backed GM and things are changing.

I know look back on the Schofield time and feel for the fella. The state we were in, with no support there isn't anything that anyone could've done, we could have just ruined his future career.

I had to keep quiet at the time as I know the family really well but Danny told his dad that he was working with Sunday league players and only had a budget for Sunday league players.
His dad kept telling me "Donny haven't got any f**kin money, they want him to make a silk purse out of a sows arsehole".

My criticism of DS would be that he should have played a style to suit the division and the players he had. Then if he'd had a bit longer in charge, slowly implement his own style.
I think he tried the championship style too quickly for the players he had

The criticism Schofield got/gets on here is way over the top in my opinion but look at some of the players he had to work with. In his first game he had Knoyle, Williams, Anderson, Clayton, Close, Biggins, Miller & Molyneux in the side - all players proven at League Two level. Olowu, Taylor, Rowe, Maxwell & Hurst also in the squad he inherited. He definitely didn’t have the resources (or the time) that McCann has had to allow him to build a squad, and Knoyle was inadequately replaced in January (“look at this PowerPoint, James Brown is miles better!”) but an 18th placed finish was still a poor achievement for me.

He wouldn't have led us to 18th with anything like a fair run with injuries.

By early April, he had a choice between Goodman and a 30% match fit Agard up front. While having nowt but teenagers and a crocked Tommy Rowe to choose from at the back.

As for Wellens, I've made my point before. His arrogance turned a very difficult situation for us into a full blown disaster.

Bogle was shit, but he was the best striker we had. Playing Cukur, Dodoo and Hiwula for half a season instead of Bogle cost us our place in L1. Simple as that. f**king stupid management.
Title: Re: Wellens
Post by: Nudga on February 15, 2025, 06:46:55 am
This club was on a downward spiral for years, thank the lord Blunt has gone and TB has taken full control, now we can look forward again. This is our second season challenging for promotion, hopefully this one will be a success.

TB has taken over, backed GM and things are changing.

I know look back on the Schofield time and feel for the fella. The state we were in, with no support there isn't anything that anyone could've done, we could have just ruined his future career.

I had to keep quiet at the time as I know the family really well but Danny told his dad that he was working with Sunday league players and only had a budget for Sunday league players.
His dad kept telling me "Donny haven't got any f**kin money, they want him to make a silk purse out of a sows arsehole".

My criticism of DS would be that he should have played a style to suit the division and the players he had. Then if he'd had a bit longer in charge, slowly implement his own style.
I think he tried the championship style too quickly for the players he had

Interesting insight Nudga

Seems there’s always someone out there who can shine a better light on things after the fact.

Easy to say Nudga, but if I’d known what Danny Schofield was having to deal with at the time whilst taking flak from the supporters for ‘drawn on the back of a fag packet tactics’ & poor recruitment, I like to think that despite him & his family feeling you had misplaced their trust in you, I would like to think I would have found some way to shine a light on his dilemma on this forum.

I don’t think you ultimately did him any harm in not doing so because at that time the fans were ‘baying for blood’ but you didn’t do him any ‘favours’ either.

There’s a thin line between a perceived ‘betrayal of trust’ & a ‘light shone’ on a known truth.






If you'd have been on thr forum.at the time, you would have seen what I wrote without actually naming people.