Grant McCann interview

[silent majority]

I came across this yesterday, interesting reading;

https://www.coachesvoice.com/cv/grant-mccann-interview-west-ham-hull-peterborough-doncaster/

[Cramby10]

Good interview that. Interesting when he said he didn’t have the players to suit his system so adapted to something else. Others could learn a thing or two from that.
To be honest I was livid when he left and often referred to him as the snake as many others have. However, the football is so unwatchable under DS I’d now take him back in a heartbeat.

[CJK]

Would absolutely have him back tomorrow. That was a great side we had that season. Shots on target, the lot!

[WantleyDragon]

"This was another League One side, but with an even smaller budget"

Don't think anyone's surprised by this 

[silent majority]

"This was another League One side, but with an even smaller budget"

Don't think anyone's surprised by this 

He was comparing it to Peterborough's. But to suggest they had a small budget in LG1 was incorrect.

[drfchound]

Great article that, interesting to get the view from inside.

[Chris Black come back]

He touches on a point that really hits home. Energy. We always look second best. Never in the face of the opponent. Always reacting. Never setting the pace. Sluggish, slow.

[roversdude]

I think that showed him up for the self important unloyal person he was/is
However I loved the homework he had done before his interview

[sedwardsdrfc]

I’d have him back in heart beat. The way Moore left was worse GM just got a better offer in a higher division.

Our team then attacked and has positivity since then, even under Moore, I think we’ve been generally negative. Thought Wellens would at least be a manager whose teams went for it but he never has the players to show anything

[roversdude]

I’d have him back in heart beat. The way Moore left was worse GM just got a better offer in a higher division.

Our team then attacked and has positivity since then, even under Moore, I think we’ve been generally negative. Thought Wellens would at least be a manager whose teams went for it but he never has the players to show anything

Didn’t Moore ?
What got me with GM was him preaching loyalty then did one

[steve@dcfd]

"This was another League One side, but with an even smaller budget"

Don't think anyone's surprised by this 

He was comparing it to Peterborough's. But to suggest they had a small budget in LG1 was incorrect.

In Grants first meeting with DRFC supporters trust he said Peterborough showed their budget in a different way. Transfer fees were not within the budget so their budget may not have been big but overall they may have more money to spend.

[mushRTID]

That season has to be the most exciting I have seen. The way I fell in love with the loan players. The energy. Miss feeling like that about us.

[roversdude]

That season has to be the most exciting I have seen. The way I fell in love with the loan players. The energy. Miss feeling like that about us.

Anyone recall the negativity around the loan players pre season when we got them

[Superspy]

That was a good read, thanks for sharing.

[idler]

Well he never said that he left because of the budget, which quite a few have cited as his main reason for leaving.

[roversdude]

Good point idler

[Branton Red]

The McCann season was one of the most entertaining and enjoyable seasons watching Rovers play I've experienced.

Plus his ambitious tactical approach led to the team over achieving in the League and FA Cup.

There couldn't be a starker difference to how Rovers are under Schofield.

[Rovers91]

The difference from now to then is disgusting. That season under McCann was fantastic I would look forward to going to games. Now the 90mins we have to watch spoils a good day. 

[Michael Shaw]

A sad read, only because it reminded me how good we once were. I can't see how we will ever get back there now.

[Campsall rover]

"This was another League One side, but with an even smaller budget"

Don't think anyone's surprised by this 

He was comparing it to Peterborough's. But to suggest they had a small budget in LG1 was incorrect.

Our Budget in 2018/19 was about 6/7th highest in league 1 as far as I am aware.

[Campsall rover]

Well he never said that he left because of the budget, which quite a few have cited as his main reason for leaving.

He left because Hull were in the Championship and it was a job he couldn’t really turn down.

The obsession with mangers leaving because our budget not being competitive is boring and not true.

Fergie maybe not happy he was not going to get an increased budget but imo he just used that as an excuse. His dad was ill and that I think was main reason for leaving.
Both GM and DM left to go to clubs in a league higher. Bigger clubs particularly Sheff Wed and from a career perspective they were never going to turn down that opportunity.
The way both went so suddenly left a bad taste with us supporters at the time, but that’s football there is no loyalty. It’s a very rare commodity unfortunately.

Would I have Grant McCann back? No brainier. In a heartbeat.
We would lose a few, concede a few goals but we would play fast attacking football, create lots of chances and score goals and be entertained.
I will tell you also, he would have this current squad we have right now knocking on the door of automatic promotion. I think that’s a certainty imo.

[arkseyrover]

Thanks SM. It was good to get his version of what happened which I suppose brings it into more of an understandable perspective. At the time it felt like he had completely shafted us but reading that highlights how it was probably a case of him bettering himself at a more high profile club. But could we have done more to dissuade him or didn't he give us the chance? I still don't forgive him!

[Thorney]

A good read. I wish he didn't get offered the hull job and stayed at rovers, but a young manager with a young family getting offered a bigger pay packet in a higher league. What would anyone else do. If he turned it down and we flopped the next season then where would that of left his career.

Hated him for it at the time, but over it now. Would I have him back. Yes but not right now. right now I'd rather see Danny schofield succeed than grant mccann.

Noticed that he didn't leave due to poor budgets and low ambitious owners.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

I do wonder what would have happened had he stayed.  We'll never know but it was a big shame as I felt like he fit here.

[TheFunk]

Frightening to think with how well we played that season and with the excellent players we had we only finished as the best of the also rans. We were a million miles away from the top 5 from memory.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Frightening to think with how well we played that season and with the excellent players we had we only finished as the best of the also rans. We were a million miles away from the top 5 from memory.

Aye.

For all the recollections of great times and great football under McCann, we had a very ordinary second half of the season, given the quality of the squad. P23 W9 D7 L7.

In that second half, it frequently felts like we'd lost our way, to the extent that the awful performance in the first leg of the play off semi was entirely predictable. The second leg was a very special night and I do think a lot of our memories of McCann's time are coloured by that, rather than by an objective assessment of the season overall.

[Chris Black come back]

Kane. Season worth it just to see him play.

[drfchound]

Irrespective of any negative thoughts that an individual might have, the McCann team was infinitely better to watch than what we are currently enduring.

[StocksArmy]

McCann inherited a squad which included experienced pros such as Butler, Copps, Matty Blair, Tommy Rowe who would all run through brick walls for the club. Add to that Joe Wright, Tom Anderson who played their best football of their career in that period. Add to that again we had a solid left back in Danny Andrew who still baffles me how hes never played in the championship, Ben Whiteman (say nomore) and Marquis who you could bank on being a nuisance in most games and guarenteeing he would score you 15+ goals per season. Im not saying McCann was amazing but what i will say is his recruitment adding to that squad with the loans of Downing, Kane and Wilks he got absolutely spot on. It was some squad yet didnt we finish with the lowest points tally to ever make the playoffs? Just shows how high the budgets of the rest must have been for us to have a squad with that much talent and not get promoted. And now look at us. To say the demise started shortly after that season to now. I know covid hit and everybody struggled but, it is pretty painful to read those names who were here not so long ago. We even conceded that we made a mess of recruitment, vowed to make a change in the running of the club to get it right and still proceeded to sign free agents who are complete tripe nobody else wanted. I hope those at the club arent questioning why fans have lost connection.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Stocks.

McCann certainly inherited a strong squad and added to it with excellent loan signings. My take is that, with that squad, 7th place was a bare minimum expectation.

In terms of squad strength we've certainly gone backwards since then, and he didn't help leaving when he did having got rid of Butler and not replaced him.

But in terms of results, Moore did far better for half a season. 48 points from the first 23 matches of 20/21 is the second or third best first half of the season we've ever had, albeit with a weaker squad. I know opinions differ, but I loved that half season under Moore. We were remorseless in pulling gaps in opponents then hitting them with rapier-quick attacks.

 The real collapse started when we lost Whiteman, who I still reckon is, in absolute terms, the best player we've ever had. The whole style of play depended on him protecting the defence and starting attacks. He was always going to be a huge gap to fill and we've come nowhere near doing that.