Paul Dickov

[Silkscarf]

“…I didn’t make it as a football manager” was his assessment on Radio5 this morning.

What do we think of his time at Rovers in comparison to others we’ve had?

[Bentley Bullet]

I think he was very unlucky. We were cheated out of the Championship with him, and with a mass exodus of quality players the following season and mediocre replacements due to the budget being dramatically reduced, he was destined to fail.

[Goole Rover]

Correct BB he never stood a chance. A very approachable bloke who spoke the truth.

[Fal]

Plus the club had him telling us that we had a top 6 budget despite that not being the case, as per his interview on undr the cosh. Start of the Blunt era and a sign of things to come!

[TonySoprano]

Likable guy.
Lightyears better than schofield, mcsheffrey, butler and moore.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Don't agree with the above. I'll grant you he didn't have it easy. Being a football manager isn't an easy task however, he had some really good players at his disposal and was backed by the board when you think about the likes of Gabriel Tamas who was brought in to bolster an already good squad by our standards.

I just think he lacked some tactical prowess  to keep us up when it was in our hands. After that, of course the budget was cut. It had to be.

I tend to agree with him.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

He wasn't the worst, but he was still utterly rubbish.  That we got relegated that season in the Championship was a travesty.  We needed 5 points from the last 9 games, we got 4.  We'd got 13 from the previous 6.  It was a huge collapse and wasn't a bad squad either.  But ultimately the league 1 performance was far worse.

[GazLaz]

I heard this also and laughed out load.

[Bentley Bullet]

Don't agree with the above. I'll grant you he didn't have it easy. Being a football manager isn't an easy task however, he had some really good players at his disposal and was backed by the board when you think about the likes of Gabriel Tamas who was brought in to bolster an already good squad by our standards.

I just think he lacked some tactical prowess  to keep us up when it was in our hands. After that, of course the budget was cut. It had to be.

I tend to agree with him.

Being a football manager isn't easy, and impossible when officials cheat you throughout the season. Using an example of the three penalties awarded against us that weren't even in the penalty area merely scrapes the surface. Even Gabriel Tamas and the like can't do owt about that sort of incompetence from officials.

Rovers never stood a chance from day one.

[GazLaz]

Don't agree with the above. I'll grant you he didn't have it easy. Being a football manager isn't an easy task however, he had some really good players at his disposal and was backed by the board when you think about the likes of Gabriel Tamas who was brought in to bolster an already good squad by our standards.

I just think he lacked some tactical prowess  to keep us up when it was in our hands. After that, of course the budget was cut. It had to be.

I tend to agree with him.

Being a football manager isn't easy, even more so when officials cheat you throughout the season. Using an example of the three penalties awarded against us that weren't even in the penalty area merely scrapes the surface. Even Gabriel Tamas and the like can't do owt about that sort of incompetence from officials.

Rovers never stood a chance from day one.

The one at Leicester away on the final day was outside the box for sure.

[LincsRover]

Very nice bloke, crap manager - the fact he admits he didn’t make it as a manager speaks volumes. I think he realises he didn’t quite have what it takes.

[Chris Black come back]

Did surprisingly well in the Championship but then had a huge budget in League One and we were not good, while the signings using that budget were not good. You have to give him credit for almost - almost - keeping us in the Championship but overall it was disappointing.

[Bentley Bullet]

Very nice bloke, crap manager - the fact he admits he didn’t make it as a manager speaks volumes. I think he realises he didn’t quite have what it takes.

Correct. He didn't have a magic wand.

[Bentley Bullet]

Did surprisingly well in the Championship but then had a huge budget in League One and we were not good, while the signings using that budget were not good. You have to give him credit for almost - almost - keeping us in the Championship but overall it was disappointing.

He had a huge budget in League One? Are you sure about that?

[pib]

He was awful. Especially when we were in L1. Terrible recruitment, no discernible style or tactics. Just insipid stuff.

Will never forget the ridiculous team selection in that crucial game at home to Millwall in the Champ. We might have stayed up if he'd picked a senior pro up front in that game. And the cup defeat at home to Stevenage was abysmal as well.

[Chris Black come back]

Did surprisingly well in the Championship but then had a huge budget in League One and we were not good, while the signings using that budget were not good. You have to give him credit for almost - almost - keeping us in the Championship but overall it was disappointing.

He had a huge budget in League One? Are you sure about that?

From memory it was over £4m the first season back in League One. That was a very good budget there a decade ago.

[Bentley Bullet]

He was awful. Especially when we were in L1. Terrible recruitment, no discernible style or tactics. Just insipid stuff.

Will never forget the ridiculous team selection in that crucial game at home to Millwall in the Champ. We might have stayed up if he'd picked a senior pro up front in that game. And the cup defeat at home to Stevenage was abysmal as well.

When we were relegated it seemed to me that the Heart of the club had been ripped out, not just the team.

Dickov was just a consequence of that situation.

[Bentley Bullet]

Did surprisingly well in the Championship but then had a huge budget in League One and we were not good, while the signings using that budget were not good. You have to give him credit for almost - almost - keeping us in the Championship but overall it was disappointing.

He had a huge budget in League One? Are you sure about that?

From memory it was over £4m the first season back in League One. That was a very good budget there a decade ago.

Was that £4m just for recruiting new players?

[Ian Nimmo]

He is correct with his own comment. He was another former player (a very good one)   who never make the grade as a manager.
The problem seems to be more enhanced when because they play at a high level, they get jobs at an higher level than their capabilities.

Currently Wayne Rooney is a perfect example.

[idler]

Don't agree with the above. I'll grant you he didn't have it easy. Being a football manager isn't an easy task however, he had some really good players at his disposal and was backed by the board when you think about the likes of Gabriel Tamas who was brought in to bolster an already good squad by our standards.

I just think he lacked some tactical prowess  to keep us up when it was in our hands. After that, of course the budget was cut. It had to be.

I tend to agree with him.

Being a football manager isn't easy, even more so when officials cheat you throughout the season. Using an example of the three penalties awarded against us that weren't even in the penalty area merely scrapes the surface. Even Gabriel Tamas and the like can't do owt about that sort of incompetence from officials.

Rovers never stood a chance from day one.

The one at Leicester away on the final day was outside the box for sure.

The one at Watford given against James Husband definitely was as well.

[Usher wide.]

He was up there as one of the worst managers (& we’ve had some!) of all time.

When he got the boot I came on here & said he’d never manage in the English league again (much to some disdain on here by some).

I rest my case.

[DonnyOsmond]

That team in the Championship was quality, and we got relegated.

Turnbull
Johnstone
Quinn
Khumalo
Meite
Tamas
Stevens
Jones
Wellens
Furman
Keegan
Cotterill
Coppinger
Duffy
Sharp
Brown
Macheda

[Bentley Bullet]

That squad was good enough to compete for a place outside the relegation zone, and it would have done on a level playing field.

[Prez]

Was very lucky to get the job in the first place, but its not what you know its who you know. Championship a tad unlucky, i recall we had a horrendous last few fixtures.

League 1 however the football was awful and he brought one of the worst ever players to the club Taylor-Sinclair.

Strikes me as a honest bloke however and seems to humble as well. (Dickov that is)

[Branton Rover]

After we won impressively at Elland Road, there was 6 games left from memory and we needed 4 points thereabouts. He maintained going for wins in every subsequent game apart from the last at Leicester. He was too cavalier for our own good, he should’ve been more conservative as SOD used to say any point picked up in the Championship was a good one.

In addition we didn’t have Wellens our most dynamic, creative midfielder at the time so we were diminished so a cautionary approach would’ve been better for our survival.

[Bentley Bullet]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Maybe if we hadn't gone for a win at Leeds we might have only drawn or lost.

[DearneValleyRover]

If he was any good as a manager why didn’t any other club give him a chance? The dodgy penalty decisions didn’t get us relegated, it was the poor tactical decisions of the manager, nobody else to blame with that squad.

[Bentley Bullet]

 https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/paul-dickov-opens-up-about-his-time-at-doncaster-rovers-and-makes-interesting-claim-3403546

[selby]

  WE were refereed out of that division in the majority of the last six games, the worst one was at Ipswich when we should have had a free kick, their player sent off for dangerous play and the move carried on and they scored the winner.
  Like Chesterfield in the semi final too many things for it not to be cheating. 

[Chris Black come back]

That Ipswich game was in no way evenly officiated.