BBC News: Kevin MacDonald positive on Swindon Town stay

[Reg Smeeton]

MacDonald?

Confused by the question, are we naming Town managers who won the first division as a player whilst at Spurs or any former Town manager who has won the first division as a player?

Yep and Les Allen...I've confused myself here. You'd have thought I'd know by now to do a bit of research before setting a question.

So we've 5 so far....Mackay, Allen, Todd, McMahon, MacDonald. Any other offers?

[Bewster]

Ince ?

[Samdy Gray]

Never managed us.

[dalumpimunki]

Fuck me! I almost hope that MacDonald just says fuck it and walks, and finds himself a cushy number running the youth set up at Wolves or somewhere. Why the fuck he should put up with the sort of shit support some of you lot provide I don't know.

I'm not sure what planet some of our fans live on. MacDonald should have "left the side alone and steered the ship home" apparently.

That's a fucking great idea genius! I'm sure he would have loved to. Shame that by the time he got here Ritchie, Martin, Hollands and Bostock had left the club, and Devera, Miller, Troy AH,  and a shit load more are out injured.

There's about five players that were making matchday squad during PDC's last month in charge, and at least three that were making the starting line-up each game that just weren't available.

Difficult to just keep things how they were.

[Batch]

Fuck me! I almost hope that MacDonald just says fuck it and walks, and finds himself a cushy number running the youth set up at Wolves or somewhere. Why the fuck he should put up with the sort of shit support some of you lot provide I don't know.
blah blah blah

I think the point people were making was not changing the formation of a team that had been playing a certain way successfully for 18 months. Yes we lost key squad members, but insistence on playing 4-5-1 ( particularly at home) when it clearly wasn't working isn't going to win you mass support. I don't think people were suggesting we play players who were injured/back at their parent clubs

That said, he got us to the playoffs which was about all we could achieve without quality re-enforcements. And we were unlucky to get knocked out.

This is probably the end of the PDC assembled squad. Now he deserves more time to prove himself with his own players. Expectations need to be set by Jed now to give him a chance.

[jonny72]

I think the point people were making was not changing the formation of a team that had been playing a certain way successfully for 18 months. Yes we lost key squad members, but insistence on playing 4-5-1 ( particularly at home) when it clearly wasn't working isn't going to win you mass support.

Kmac averaged 1.8 pts per home league game, compared to 1.67 pts pre Kmac.

Out of the 7 away games Kmac was in charge for, 5 were against teams in the top 8.

Really don't understand what basis there is for criticising him other than him not being an egotistical Italian twat.

[Riddick]

well said jonny72

[Costanza]

I'll for MacDonald until there's good enough reason not to.

Same as I do for all Town managers.

[Batch]

Kmac averaged 1.8 pts per home league game, compared to 1.67 pts pre Kmac.

Do your stats show goals per 4-5-1 v goals per 4-4-2

I was just pointing out what people I've spoken to largely thought. I still think KMac is worth ago over the Sanchez and Newell types.

[DiV]

Fuck me! I almost hope that MacDonald just says fuck it and walks, and finds himself a cushy number running the youth set up at Wolves or somewhere. Why the fuck he should put up with the sort of shit support some of you lot provide I don't know.

I'm not sure what planet some of our fans live on. MacDonald should have "left the side alone and steered the ship home" apparently.

That's a fucking great idea genius! I'm sure he would have loved to. Shame that by the time he got here Ritchie, Martin, Hollands and Bostock had left the club, and Devera, Miller, Troy AH,  and a shit load more are out injured.

Devera has been included in every single one of KMacs squads. TAH has been injured since November, Bostock went back in December. So lets not pretend all those options were there for Di Canio but suddenly disappeared when KMac arrived.

Regardless of players - was there any need to change the training? the pre-match preparation? was there any need to change from a 442 to a 451? and was there any need to play Simon Ferry as a right winger?

The last squad, Di Canio put out/prepared/left to his assistant, whatever you want to call it up at Tranmere, which won 3-1 to put is top of the league was as follows.

Foderingham, McCormack, Flint, Ward, McEveley, Roberts, Miller, Ferry, De Vita, Collins, Storey

Subs: Navarro, Thompson, Williams, Rooney, Smith, Bedwell,

Now how many of those were completely and utterly unavailable to KMac?

McEvelely played the first 4 games under KMac before getting injured - however, Devera has been back from injury.

Navarro has missed 4 games under KMac but been in the squad for 10.

Miller has featured in 8 of KMacs squads and missed out 6 times due to injury.

Storey has been the only one injured pretty much all the time, going off injured in that Tranmere game and only returning to squad for the play offs - now do you miss someone who didnt play a full game or season 2(+7)

...as for supporting the manager, not even going to go there.

[Dr Pierre Chang]

Arse handed.

[DiV]

Kmac averaged 1.8 pts per home league game, compared to 1.67 pts pre Kmac.

Lets do it properly though shall we

KMac average points per home game - 1.8

Ward/Miller average points per hame game - 0.5

PDC average points per home game - 1.75

Of course, PDC had to play all the top 8 at home and KMac have to play none of them - Walsall 9th, Notts County 12th, Crewe 13th, Stevenage 18th, Oldham 19th...

[Costanza]

This debate is going to rumble on forever isn't it?

[DiV]

This debate is going to rumble on forever isn't it?

Maybe, maybe not.

I think it will go away now for a bit - KMac has to do the business in the summer and he has to do it well.

Think most of us (apart from DMR) will give him a chance with his own team on whatever the hell our budget for next season will look like and ultimately KMac will get judged on his own results.

It also depends on how KMac and Jed set our expectations pre-season. How realistic they are or whether they talk our chances up (Like King did after Brighton, like Wilson and all our players did after Millwall) and we failed miserably.

Whilst the budget will be key, finishing outside the top 6 will ultimately be a regression regardless.

I do fear...however...in 5, 10 and even 15 years time we will all look back on this season and continually think 'what if'

Lets be honest, turn the year, we were on form, the league was weak and were looking a bloody good bet for promotion. Dont think there will be a weaker L1 for many years. I hope this wasnt our one shot.

[jonny72]

Devera has been included in every single one of KMacs squads. TAH has been injured since November, Bostock went back in December. So lets not pretend all those options were there for Di Canio but suddenly disappeared when KMac arrived.

Are you really claiming that the squad Kmac had available was just as strong as that available to PDC?

If so, that must mean you think Ritchie was shit and should have been sold sooner and that PDC was pissing away money when he signed Hollands, Martin and Bostock on loans. Plus it would mean PDC was talking shit when he said he needed to strengthen the squad shortly before he left?