Why is Clark the right man?

[davidpgowinghtafc]

Apart from the obvious, that Town needs stability and therefore we MUST keep Clark, why do you think he is the right man?

I have been looking at all managers since Jacko Version 1.
Jacko Version 2 had the best overall record from 177 games at just under 57%. Version 1 was just under 49%. He had 9 games without a win and 9 games without a loss as his worst and best periods. His best winning run was 6 in Version 2 and he had 2 runs of 3 losses in Version 1 but none worse than 2 losses in Version 2. I think we all agree that in Version 1 he should not have been fired. I seem to recall that in Version 2 many were calling for his head. Overall he was a tad under 55% from 260 games.

Lou Macari was next best at just over 54% from 83 games with runs of 4 wins and 4 losses, 8 games without a win and 10 without a loss. Fans did not like his style of play, but his record was not bad considering that he inherited an abysmal side after Mr. X ran it into the ground.

Wadsworth was clearly the worst of all at 35% from 40 games and he deserved the order of the boot.

Mr. X was second worst at just over 43% from 67 games and his firing was wanted by the fans..

Ritchie(44 games) and Ternent(16) had similar records at 46.6% and 46.9% respectively and I think we all agreed with their firings.

Interim manager Mel Machin 50% from 6 games did fairly well and Murphy had an incredible overall record from his 3 tries at over 70% from 17 games with only 2 home losses and none away. He also had a run of 6 wins which matched Jacko's best run in Version 2.

Lee Clark so far from 18 games has a record of just over 47% and he has never managed 2 wins on the bounce but has had 2 losses in a row. He has had 4 games without a loss, but of far more concern he is in a current run of 7 without a win.

As I said we MUST persevere but what other reasons have we to feel optimistic about his chances of success?

[Yorkie]

The backroom staff he has and the fact he has a summer to assess the squad and get his own players in. Jacko had Yorath and was lucky enough to get barry horne in straight away. Also if we're not optimistic then we're just plain miserable and there's no point in that is there!! UTT

[davidpgowinghtafc]

Mar 24, 2009 7:33:05 GMT 1 Yorkie said:

The backroom staff he has and the fact he has a summer to assess the squad and get his own players in. Jacko had Yorath and was lucky enough to get barry horne in straight away. Also if we're not optimistic then we're just plain miserable and there's no point in that is there!! UTT

Fair reply, any other reasons?

[kleverboy]

This isn't said in any hostile fashion but is just asking a straight question of you, David

If you feel we 'MUST keep Clark'... then isn't your post just stirring it for him?

[boxster2700]

he needs stirring dont you think kleverboy the results dont sugest to me that we have anything to look forward to,he took over a team on a good run and in my opinion hes slowly messed us right up

[kleverboy]

Mar 24, 2009 8:31:25 GMT 1 boxster2700 said:

he needs stirring dont you think kleverboy the results dont sugest to me that we have anything to look forward to,he took over a team on a good run and in my opinion hes slowly messed us right up

Well, we could try giving him more than just a few months, maybe.

A novel idea, I know!

[HD8 Blue & White]

We need to keep all of this in proportion and not forget that Lee inherited a midfield heavy squad, with our main strike threat being a guy about to retire.
He clearly needs the Summer to re-align the squad,them he can be judged fairly on his own results with his own squad.

[bro600]

Mainly because if HTAFC fail Lee Clark fails.
If he doesn't make a success it's a backward step down into a coaching role and amongst a large list of ex-footballers who failed to make it.
Clark doesn't have the safety net of a pension, work at MUTV or life of a T.V pundit and experienced Leeds fan that Ternent, Macari and Ritchie had so i believe he'll be hell bent on making HTAFC a success. Therefore giving 100% to the cause.
As we are a 1st division club and hardly on the radar of most interesting managers i'd settle for someone like Clark giving 100% over a much travelled manager everytime.
It's a case of sitback and see with me and if we fail it'll be just like 80% of the rest of my Huddersfield Town supporting experience, if we succeed then great.

[Deleted]

Mar 24, 2009 9:04:28 GMT 1 @kleverboy said:

Mar 24, 2009 8:31:25 GMT 1 boxster2700 said:

he needs stirring dont you think kleverboy the results dont sugest to me that we have anything to look forward to,he took over a team on a good run and in my opinion hes slowly messed us right up

Well, we could try giving him more than just a few months, maybe.

A novel idea, I know!

I can't see anyone reading it Reece.


David, the way he goes about his business on the touchline, to me is spot on. I'd just like to see a bit more input from those around him.

[mids]

Chuffing hell I can't believe some people seriously think we should get rid of Lee Clark

Aint it about time that our club looked for a bit of stability and put its faith behind one manager for a prolonged period of time!

Give him 180 matches rather than the 18 he's had!!

In May we will have a new progressive boardroom and management team. They will both look to hone the playing squad to have a good go at promotion next season.

How anyone can fail to see the positivity going forward is beyond me! This is real life, not Football Manager 2009!!

[terracesider]

Ian Greaves - appointed June '68 -
68/69 consolidation
69/70 best season in my lifetime

Mick Buxton - appointed Oct '78
78/79 consolidation
79/80 mullered everbody in the 4th division

The two most successful managers, in terms of consistancy over a season, since the glory days of pre - WW2

It takes TIME....

UTT

[AndyM]

The bottom line is that we don't know whether Clark will turn out to be good, bad or indifferent as a manager. On the evidence so far I expect he will follow the majority of managers into the indifferent category but we'll be able to make a more balanced judgement in a year's time.

[Deleted]

Mar 24, 2009 9:12:57 GMT 1 @mids said:

Chuffing hell I can't believe some people seriously think we should get rid of Lee Clark

Aint it about time that our club looked for a bit of stability and put its faith behind one manager for a prolonged period of time!

Give him 180 matches rather than the 18 he's had!!

In May we will have a new progressive boardroom and management team. They will both look to hone the playing squad to have a good go at promotion next season.

How anyone can fail to see the positivity going forward is beyond me! This is real life, not Football Manager 2009!!

I agree with mids.

If you don't want Clark, who do you want?

There has to come a time where a Town manager is given time to make an impact. Stop being so f*cking impatient and let the man get this token season out of the way.

Results have been poor but so what? We were never going to really get into the play offs without a goal scoring striker, never mind win the play offs. We were never going to get relegated so its not really a catastrophe that we haven't torn up trees for the remaining fixtures.

[Deleted]

Nobody can say for definite that Clark is the right man.

He lacks experience, but he has all the hallmarks of somebody who will make a good manager. A good playing career that never quite reached the top, means he still has somethign to prove. A desire to become a manager that started when he was an 18/19 year old. Undoubted passion for the job. Good contacts and well respected in the game. Coaching experience at Newcastle and Norwich. An experienced backroom staff to help in along.

There are never any guarantees, but Lee Clark ticked all the right boxes when he took over, and now we've got to give him the time to prove himself.

[Captainslapper]

Mar 24, 2009 9:56:24 GMT 1 AndyM said:

The bottom line is that we don't know whether Clark will turn out to be good, bad or indifferent as a manager. On the evidence so far I expect he will follow the majority of managers into the indifferent category but we'll be able to make a more balanced judgement in a year's time.

My thoughts too. Im very confident when we actually have some strikers worth playing, the whole picture will look a lot rosier than it does now.
I have my doubts about him and disagree with quite a few things hes done, but you can't even begin to judge him until hes had a summer to piece together his own side.

[dugnet]

There are many more positives under LC than ever there were under ST. He needs at least a full season and the opportunity to buy in his own players.

Although things have been inconsistent LC has tried to play football and has brought in a player (Pilks) who was considerably better than what we already had. Ainsworth has shown flashes of ability too.

What this last 6 weeks has shown is that we do lack quality and possibly some fitness. LC knows this and will look to address in the summer.

The other issue, and I am sorry for being very boring on this, we have no credible strikeforce and this is our priority. One thing that was very evident on Saturday was that teams know we are light up front and can sit deep and force us wide. Unless Roberts or Pilks come up with something special from the flank we are pretty lightweight.

I listened to O'Regan on Saturday after the game and I thought his criticism was well over the top. Yes we were poor, but how much does our inability to threaten teams impact this? I think greatly.

Give Clark a full season, if we languish in 10th or lower by then something is not right. He deserves at least a full season.

[iangreaves]

You assume we all agree with the previous sackings. I don't. We shouldn't have sacked Macari. We shouldn't have sacked Jacko because he was working with his hands tied. Ritchie wasn't really in charge. In fairness, any manager should be given full control and the time to make his mark. Ternent had the background to insist on having control, but the old school at the club had him forced out because he realised the academy wasn't producing the goods. It seems that Lee Clark has also come to the conclusion that the academy is not producing the goods. Will the chairman back him or sack him? I don't know. I hope so, because sacking managers every few months has helped get us into the position we are now. I have said before that this club has needed a complete shake-up for some time. No manager has ever been given the authority or time to carry it out. I hope that Lee Clark is.

[Deleted]

Agree 100% with iangreaves. The only sacking that felt right to me was the Ritchie one. Clark simply HAS to be given the time to put his own side together and get his own ideas in place. We have to get out of the cylce of sacking managers without giving them time. At least give them the period of their contract.

[alexdire]

Mar 24, 2009 7:10:50 GMT 1 davidpgowinghtafc said:

Apart from the obvious, that Town needs stability and therefore we MUST keep Clark, why do you think he is the right man?

I have been looking at all managers since Jacko Version 1.
Jacko Version 2 had the best overall record from 177 games at just under 57%. Version 1 was just under 49%. He had 9 games without a win and 9 games without a loss as his worst and best periods. His best winning run was 6 in Version 2 and he had 2 runs of 3 losses in Version 1 but none worse than 2 losses in Version 2. I think we all agree that in Version 1 he should not have been fired. I seem to recall that in Version 2 many were calling for his head. Overall he was a tad under 55% from 260 games.

Jackson version 2 played 46 games in the 4th division of course he is going to have the best record! As Buxton said if you can't get a team out of division 4 you should quit management (or something to that effect).

The thing with Lee Clark is that we have no strikers. If we had strikers how many of the draws would have been converted to wins. We have had 5 1-1 draws under Clark where we were on top. Which with a decent striker could have been converted to victories.

[Dell12]

I think alot of the the things he did when he came in were looked at positevely by alot of fans (not hard after Ternant I know!) Since then he's struggled, but it is only his first season in management. His saving grace I think is the type of football we are playing (or trying to play). In general we're keeping the ball on the ground instead of attempting to play hoofball.

However he is the first manager in Town's recent history (Ternant asside) who's going to have money to spend which is pritty rare in these lower leagues. he does not have any excuses if he fails, but I don't believe he will.

[ksne]

Clark will get it right.Trust me.I like what I see and hear from him.He just needs us to keep backing him and let him sort out the team that HE wants through the summer.

[fredcarno]

We've got to stick with someone just once and seen as Dean Hoyle has probably shelled out X thousands to get this management team and in all probability will back him in transfer fees in the summer well beyond what 99% of this league will spend. Do you expect him to pay another management team and squad off in order to start again, it's great spending someone elses money.

Lee Clark might fail but it won't be through the want of efffort I'm sure, a young hungry manager who seems genuinely passionate and wants to suceed as a manager. I'll take that over the passionless journeyman manager / pundit Richie and the dinosaur Ternent with p*ss head 3rd divsion backroom staff.
Hopefully Clark has learned what most of this squad is about with this poor run of form we've had as I feel a good run with no pressure on as last season would have once again papered over the cracks and fooled us into thinking a lot of this squad is good enough to get promotion.

As for o'regan why some people hold him up as some kind of tactical genius is beyond me, to me he can't wait to jump on anything that isn't Gerry Murphy linked. It's very easy to be nagative and offer nothing constructive, let's face it his side would have a defence with Aaron hardy at the heart of it and Boothy would start every game.

[Nickhudds.UTT]

Clark is hungry for it, he will make this club a success.... Im convinced, give the bloke a bloody chance all next season at least.. some comments are absolutely pathetic !

[betsvigi9]

Mar 24, 2009 10:35:22 GMT 1 dugnet said:

There are many more positives under LC than ever there were under ST. He needs at least a full season and the opportunity to buy in his own players.

Although things have been inconsistent LC has tried to play football and has brought in a player (Pilks) who was considerably better than what we already had. Ainsworth has shown flashes of ability too.

What this last 6 weeks has shown is that we do lack quality and possibly some fitness. LC knows this and will look to address in the summer.

The other issue, and I am sorry for being very boring on this, we have no credible strikeforce and this is our priority. One thing that was very evident on Saturday was that teams know we are light up front and can sit deep and force us wide. Unless Roberts or Pilks come up with something special from the flank we are pretty lightweight.

I listened to O'Regan on Saturday after the game and I thought his criticism was well over the top. Yes we were poor, but how much does our inability to threaten teams impact this? I think greatly.

Give Clark a full season, if we languish in 10th or lower by then something is not right. He deserves at least a full season.

I agree re: O'Regan, he was over the top in his criticism, especially when he kept going on and on about not taking a defender off. Yeah, well OK, going to a back 3 would have been one way of approaching it, but if the full backs had pushed right up, then it would have the same effect.

With a bit better finishing (how many times have I said that this season) we could and probably should have won 4-2 and no doubt people would have been raving about the comeback.

At least Clark must by now be fully aware of what the teams failings are. If we are languishing mid table this time next year, then criticism of Clark might be justified perhaps, but it's way too early to start slagging him off. Some football supporters are just too impatient, but it seems to be the world we live in at the moment, they want everything NOW....

[ritchie]

Mar 24, 2009 8:31:25 GMT 1 boxster2700 said:

he needs stirring dont you think kleverboy the results dont sugest to me that we have anything to look forward to,he took over a team on a good run and in my opinion hes slowly messed us right up

Ok then smarty pants please do tell who you would have hired if you were the chairman to manage our Division 3 side? Yes Gerry did a great job but he has been at the club for YEARS longer than Lee, do you expect Lee to do as well as him straight away?

[Grandfather Berty of Cleck]

Version 1 of me says give him time,
and version 2 of me says give him time.
Therefore BOTH my schizophrenic sides agree that we should give him time.
Till the end of the season at least

[leedsterrier]

Mar 24, 2009 10:40:23 GMT 1 iangreaves said:

You assume we all agree with the previous sackings. I don't. We shouldn't have sacked Macari. We shouldn't have sacked Jacko because he was working with his hands tied. Ritchie wasn't really in charge. In fairness, any manager should be given full control and the time to make his mark. Ternent had the background to insist on having control, but the old school at the club had him forced out because he realised the academy wasn't producing the goods. It seems that Lee Clark has also come to the conclusion that the academy is not producing the goods. Will the chairman back him or sack him? I don't know. I hope so, because sacking managers every few months has helped get us into the position we are now. I have said before that this club has needed a complete shake-up for some time. No manager has ever been given the authority or time to carry it out. I hope that Lee Clark is.

Absolutely agree the sacking of Macari was criminal. Given the fact the place was falling apart around him and he still managed to get us to the play offs was nothing short of a miracle.

The thing that did for Macari was the fact we weren't playing pretty football, but we were playing winning football and I enjoyed that season a whole lot more than I've enjoyed this one.

Obviously I think we need to give Clark some time but I think he's made some major mistakes - the biggest one being trying to impose a style of play that is not suited to the majority of the team. If you look at the squad make up we'd be best grinding results out rather than trying to play teams off the park. If we did this we'd be a lot closer to the play offs than we are now.

[shawsie]

Mar 24, 2009 13:17:56 GMT 1 ritchie said:

Mar 24, 2009 8:31:25 GMT 1 boxster2700 said:

he needs stirring dont you think kleverboy the results dont sugest to me that we have anything to look forward to,he took over a team on a good run and in my opinion hes slowly messed us right up

Ok then smarty pants please do tell who you would have hired if you were the chairman to manage our Division 3 side? Yes Gerry did a great job but he has been at the club for YEARS longer than Lee, do you expect Lee to do as well as him straight away?

He wont do that fella - thats being positive!!!
This Gerry "love in" from some people makes me laugh - yes the guy has done a good job for us in a variety of roles but during the run of good results we beat.................brighton, leeds (who were not playing well and minus beckford), walsall, southend - none of these teams are in the top half except leeds!!! We also lost to a league 2 side in the cup and a bottom six team at home so lets put some reality into it. I grant you the football was easier on the eye than Stanley's, but to paint it that we suddenly went from being grimsby to man utd when GM's took over is nonsense!!!
As for is Clark the right man - only time will tell, providing we dont knee jerk every time we lose a game and want him out!
The current and recent lot havent been nor are good enough - give this mgmt team and chairman who has backed his man all the way the time they deserve to sort it.

[Deleted]

Mar 24, 2009 13:49:20 GMT 1 shawsie said:

Mar 24, 2009 13:17:56 GMT 1 ritchie said:

Ok then smarty pants please do tell who you would have hired if you were the chairman to manage our Division 3 side? Yes Gerry did a great job but he has been at the club for YEARS longer than Lee, do you expect Lee to do as well as him straight away?

He wont do that fella - thats being positive!!!
This Gerry "love in" from some people makes me laugh - yes the guy has done a good job for us in a variety of roles but during the run of good results we beat.................brighton, leeds (who were not playing well and minus beckford), walsall, southend - none of these teams are in the top half except leeds!!! We also lost to a league 2 side in the cup and a bottom six team at home so lets put some reality into it. I grant you the football was easier on the eye than Stanley's, but to paint it that we suddenly went from being grimsby to man utd when GM's took over is nonsense!!!
As for is Clark the right man - only time will tell, providing we dont knee jerk every time we lose a game and want him out!
The current and recent lot havent been nor are good enough - give this mgmt team and chairman who has backed his man all the way the time they deserve to sort it.

Also, Gerry's not at the club so in threads about Lee Clark, we should all pack in about "GERRY did this and GERRY did that and the sun shone out of GERRY'S @rse when he was in temporary charge".

Save that for a thread about why Gerry Murphy was a good man for Town and accept that he isn't coming back to manage us.

[ritchie]

Mar 24, 2009 13:53:46 GMT 1 @rjs said:

Mar 24, 2009 13:49:20 GMT 1 shawsie said:

He wont do that fella - thats being positive!!!
This Gerry "love in" from some people makes me laugh - yes the guy has done a good job for us in a variety of roles but during the run of good results we beat.................brighton, leeds (who were not playing well and minus beckford), walsall, southend - none of these teams are in the top half except leeds!!! We also lost to a league 2 side in the cup and a bottom six team at home so lets put some reality into it. I grant you the football was easier on the eye than Stanley's, but to paint it that we suddenly went from being grimsby to man utd when GM's took over is nonsense!!!
As for is Clark the right man - only time will tell, providing we dont knee jerk every time we lose a game and want him out!
The current and recent lot havent been nor are good enough - give this mgmt team and chairman who has backed his man all the way the time they deserve to sort it.

Also, Gerry's not at the club so in threads about Lee Clark, we should all pack in about "GERRY did this and GERRY did that and the sun shone out of GERRY'S @rse when he was in temporary charge".

Save that for a thread about why Gerry Murphy was a good man for Town and accept that he isn't coming back to manage us.

Spot on. He was never a long term solution, If he had stayed out this season then retired in the summer we would be in a worse situation because the new manager would have no time to settle in.