CEO and Owners appear to accept two seasons of mediocrity.

[steve@dcfd]

It appears the CEO and boards ambitions and goals have been different in the public arena to what they have accepted in private.

The CEO appears now to have come out in today's programme for exciting plans of PD next season. When written did he think we were getting in the playoffs or as accepted consolidation was always the norm.

It appears that silver tongue of PD as convinced him and the owners to retain his services next season.


@paulgoodwinDFP: Backing for Paul Dickov in Gavin Baldwin's programme notes (1/2) #drfc


@paulgoodwinDFP: "Paul has some exciting plans and a vision for the playing staff next season and the board are fully supportive of this." (2/2) #drfc

[Dare to dream!]

I don't agree with keeping PD but I think its better now we know where the owners stand on PD'S future.

[Cramby10]

Ffs! What is the f**king point! There's 3 men and a dog here to watch today. Surely they can't tolerate they. They're having the wool pulled over their eyes!

[grayx]

Brilliant..
So the genius could probably go to the end of the season without another win and he'll still be here next season.

[Drover]

AH! but wait,don't boards have a history of giving an under fire manager a public statement of backing just before they Fire him??    

[Glyn_Wigley]

AH! but wait,don't boards have a history of giving an under fire manager public statement of backing just before they Fire him?? 

I refer the honourable gentleman to the case of JR and SOD.

[PDX_Rover]

Plans can change.

[Bristol Red Rover]

If this is the position of the club, for now, I back them and look forward to the close season's developments. I'm not excusing Dickov for some of his failings but don't see it as all down to him. IMO, the past two seasons have been messy behind the scenes, forwards we go 

[steve@dcfd]

4pts from the last six home games, 9pts from the last ten games and the CEO and owners appear to be satisfied that PD will change it around, bring back supporters after two years of none improvement under his leadership.

[colincramb]

Would another manager improve on our performance this season with the players we've got? Not so sure they would. Relatively happy with a season of consolidation after another disastrous pre-season. However, my opinion on dickov might change, judging on where we are at Christmas next season. If he's allowed to improve the squad and we are still not performing then he won't have any excuses

[Jenny]

GB, TB & DW might be good business men, but the footballing knowledge seems to be a bit lacking...

[Jenny]

I'm also fed up of hearing the excuses of pre season, Dickov has had the backing and wasted it.

[colincramb]

So jenny, your saying the pre-season debacle hasn't had any impact?

[PDX_Rover]

And how would you know that? Because they don't have their coaching badges?

[Jenny]

So jenny, your saying the pre-season debacle hasn't had any impact?

I don't think it had as big an impact as everyone says. Dickov has been able to bring in players all season and he has wasted it.... Clarke Harris, Razak...

[Dare to dream!]

How pre season can affect the second half of a season is beyond me. You could account the first 10 games or so but since then Dickov has had plenty of breaks to work on things in training and a transfer window to sort out his team.

[ss1953]

This season we actually reached the playoffs, before tailing off. We have played some exciting football, at times. Both of Kyles goals last week, featured on Football Focus.

We have got it, although we can't keep it!

My analysis of good performing businesses are those that take the long term view, and are prepared to build a strong foundation , before trying to expand too quickly are the most successful.

Do we really want to be a Blackpool or Portsmouth?

I believe the current board and CEO are trying to build a strong base.  It's a bit disappointing for supporters who want instant gratification, but I still think we are in good hands with people who have our long term as a high priority.

Let's be patient and give them all a chance for next season. S'OD and Fergie were not instant successes and had to build their success.

With a bit of luck we can have a thought through close season and get in the players that will plug the gaps in what, I think is a potentially good team.

[colincramb]

Disagree. Hardly having enough players to field a first 11 just a few weeks before the season starts would affect a Sunday league team, never mind a professional outfit competing in a tough division

[Jenny]

Comparing Dickov to Ferguson or So'D is laughable.

[ss1953]

Jenny,

I never mentioned PD

[Dare to dream!]

Disagree. Hardly having enough players to field a first 11 just a few weeks before the season starts would affect a Sunday league team, never mind a professional outfit competing in a tough division

But hes had a lot more time since the start of the season sort it and he hasn't.

[Copps is Magic]

ss1953 makes a good point, we were in the play-offs at a healthy time of the season. People can't say we weren't good enough. We were. The injuries to Copps and Keegan and the fact that Forrester only turns up to half the games hurts us badly. The squad doesn't have enough depth to cope with this.

But the fact is also that Dickov has not got us playing well on a consistent basis for 2 years now. He's lucky to get a 3rd year if that is what is happening.

[colincramb]

How pre season can affect the second half of a season is beyond me. You could account the first 10 games or so but since then Dickov has had plenty of breaks to work on things in training and a transfer window to sort out his team.

I will tell you how. The man was prevented from making any signings for god knows how long, which by then whatever targets he had were probably gone. He was then left with whatever he could get.

January window is an awful time to do business. Players prices shoot up, you end up with loans which are a gamble and free agents no one else really wants.

I think it's fair to say it's had an impact

[Copps is Magic]

How pre season can affect the second half of a season is beyond me. You could account the first 10 games or so but since then Dickov has had plenty of breaks to work on things in training and a transfer window to sort out his team.

I will tell you how. The man was prevented from making any signings for god knows how long, which by then whatever targets he had were probably gone. He was then left with whatever he could get.

January window is an awful time to do business. Players prices shoot up, you end up with loans which are a gamble and free agents no one else really wants.

I think it's fair to say it's had an impact

It had an impact - but somehow he managed to get us into the play-offs after the event. And we've slumped ever since.

[colincramb]

How pre season can affect the second half of a season is beyond me. You could account the first 10 games or so but since then Dickov has had plenty of breaks to work on things in training and a transfer window to sort out his team.

I will tell you how. The man was prevented from making any signings for god knows how long, which by then whatever targets he had were probably gone. He was then left with whatever he could get.

January window is an awful time to do business. Players prices shoot up, you end up with loans which are a gamble and free agents no one else really wants.

I think it's fair to say it's had an impact

It had an impact - but somehow he managed to get us into the play-offs after the event. And we've slumped ever since.

Probably because we haven't had enough depth of quality to get us over the line when we've played the better teams in the league in the last month or so. I don't know how people can't see that. Not sure the lack of quality is dickov's fault

[steve@dcfd]

Quote

I believe the current board and CEO are trying to build a strong base.  It's a bit disappointing for supporters who want instant gratification, but I still think we are in good hands with people who have our long term as a high priority.


The CEO and board have never in public talked about consolidation this season. They have said returning to the Championship some have said at the first time of asking.

This preseason argument, look at Chesterfield and even Rochdale both sold their top scorers yet have recovered and are above us.

Since we achieved the playoffs we have capitulated one reason we did not replace Keegan in a formation that was working, we moved Furman from a position where he was playing his best football.

[colincramb]

Yeah, it's easy to replace an experienced pro in a specialised position with a young loan player, isn't it?

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

It's the tactics that I don't like they just don't add up. I changed my view mid season as I thought PD was learning but I was wrong. Same old mistakes and clear lack of structure in the team.

He will take us nowhere, he has to go.

[Bristol Red Rover]

It had an impact - but somehow he managed to get us into the play-offs after the event. And we've slumped ever since.

Come on, that argument is rubbish. You can equally say he managed to overcome all odds and even momentarily get us to the level of play offs.

We aren't good enough, and Dickov is to blame to some degree but there's more to it than that. Anyone thinking different is going to slip on that same banana skin next season.

Top half (well, nearly ) of League 1 in a "bad season" is freeeeeeekin good going for the likes of Donny.

[Dare to dream!]

We've been in the play off spots briefly this season and haven't shown at all this season we were genuine contenders in performances or results.

The three wins in a row when there was all the talk of play offs Crawley, Yeovil, Crewe really?