BBC News: Kevin MacDonald positive on Swindon Town stay

[corner]

If k mac is staying on I think we need to get some better back room staff, wes for example, hes really struggled lately, especially in penaltys. We need a decent goalkeeping coach, no offence to digby but he ain't no coach.

[Bewster]

There are plenty of smaller clubs with smaller budgets and unheard of managers that do well, why shouldn't that extend to us

[Nick Bamosomi]

Agreed.

I'm probably in the minority, but I'd quite like MacDonald to stay and build his own squad. As much as that bloke who's now at Sunderland instilled a real desire and passion back into the club, he didn't give any chance to youth players. If our budget is to be cut (quite understandably, unless we want to end up in the shit again) then a policy of bringing through youth players is exactly what we need and I think Kevin MacDonald is better qualified for that job than some also-ran that's been knocking around the lower leagues for decades and would only get the job because of their willingness to work with a small wage budget over some bigger name managers.

Well said Samdy.

[Reg Smeeton]

Agreed.

I'm probably in the minority, but I'd quite like MacDonald to stay and build his own squad. As much as that bloke who's now at Sunderland instilled a real desire and passion back into the club, he didn't give any chance to youth players. If our budget is to be cut (quite understandably, unless we want to end up in the shit again) then a policy of bringing through youth players is exactly what we need and I think Kevin MacDonald is better qualified for that job than some also-ran that's been knocking around the lower leagues for decades and would only get the job because of their willingness to work with a small wage budget over some bigger name managers.

The problem here Samdy, is that if the use of youth is to be the future, then it needs to be very loudly shouted out to te fan base, as Town fans are notoriously quick to jump onto the backs of local youngsters.  You have fans like JTR who consider their investment in a season ticket a risk, as it appears, we might not have the hoped for expensive promotion chasing squad.

Steve Davis at Crewe has said, that if you use a lot of kids, you're just as likely to go down as up, and have to be prepared to accept this.

Done properly, youth development is expensive, and only a cheap option if not done properly. Unfortunately we're still waiting for clarity from the Board, as to what we might expect from next season.

[Dr Pierre Chang]

I think many have already made thier mind up about MacDonald.

I see a stuttering start to next season followed by calls for his head in October before the season peters out into midtable obscurity.

This season was our chance to get out of League 1 - it can't be this weak again for a while.

I fear that the 5 kids being offered deals when we could have been in The Championship next season speaks volumes sadly.

[Samdy Gray]

The problem here Samdy, is that if the use of youth is to be the future, then it needs to be very loudly shouted out to te fan base, as Town fans are notoriously quick to jump onto the backs of local youngsters.  You have fans like JTR who consider their investment in a season ticket a risk, as it appears, we might not have the hoped for expensive promotion chasing squad.

Agree with that too. You posted t'other day that Fitton set his stall out early and said that youth would be the way forward and to some extent we did manage to balance the books until we went and got relegated and Jezza Wray decided to borrow from the bank of Andrew Black to get us back into League One.

[Batch]

If the budget really is so low we need to pad with 5 youngsters MacD is hamstrung from the start. He's going to have to be a managerial genius to survive the crowd, though in a strange way maybe a shit budget would buy him more time.

[Honkytonk]

I think many have already made thier mind up about MacDonald.

I see a stuttering start to next season followed by calls for his head in October before the season peters out into midtable obscurity.

Oh sweet, champions next year then. Thanks Dr. Chang!

[Dr Pierre Chang]

Oh sweet, champions next year then. Thanks Dr. Chang!

Dream on.

[nochee]

Kmac is pressured by the stfc fans, not a good trait in a football manager. Yesterday fans were singing for Storey, and he put him on. At Yeovil, fans sang for 442, he changed the formation. I'm not able to attend many games but I'm sure these are not the only cases where kmac has not been able to think for himself.

I'm in the get rid gang, personally

[Dr Pierre Chang]

If his deal is up as reported, then he shouldn't be given a new one.

His aim was to get us up - he didn't. Failure shouldn't be rewarded with a new contract.

I assume he is under contract, in which case I'm all for him having a shot at it and building his own squad.

[Abrahammer]

A man of your calibre should know for a fact whether his contract is up or not

[Arriba]

If the club are putting faith in youth then we need academy status. That will take significant increases in funding to achieve it. The current model will not produce what anyone desires often enough.

[jimbob]

When pdc departed,kmac was surely not simply intended as a short term appointment ie if you're looking short term you get someone in with experience to continue the promotion push not someone who can develop our youth system.I guess what I'm getting at is I'd be very surprised if his contract was only 3-4 months.

[Batch]

KMac in a youth based squad I suppose has the credentials. But part of me can't help but think of the 4-5-1 bollocks at home, and persisting with Ferry on the right.

Very much undecided on him, however he deserves longer to try and prove himself.