Most liked posts in thread: Graham Alexander

Brian Clough did a brilliant job at Leeds

 

Hi all. MK fan here. I'm not here to try and spoil your optimism or crush the hope that comes with a new manager. We've had our fair share of head coaches over the last few years and, if you're anything like me, you'll try and convince yourself each one is going to be the one that finally pays off. I'll just simply explain what our experience of Alexander was like.

When he was appointed, I think there was general optimism around the fanbase. The club was at the lowest point it had been in our short history, and most of us wanted an experienced head to come in, steady the ship and get us promoted back to League 1 at the first time of asking. All of the interviews, especially early on, were genuinely quite impressive. He's really good at talking the talk and speaks with real authority.

Throughout pre-season, there was a general focus on fitness. He wanted the players to be able to run further and work harder than any other team in the league. The season got off to a dream start when we hammered Wrexham 5-3 at their place. You could evidently see the work he'd put into fitness paying off, as our midfield was brilliant that day. The intense pressing was really clear to see. However, this game turned out to be the exception rather than the rule. In hindsight, we were a club who had just been relegated from League 1 against a side who were back in the EFL for the first time in a long time and the quality of our players probably pulled us through.

Throughout the rest of August, we continued to pick up results but the performances were unconvincing to say the least. There was a clear pattern that we would start fast, score early, and then sit back on our leads and allow the opposition to dominate the ball. Home games against Tranmere and Doncaster spring to mind. By the end of the month, we were sat top of the league and Alexander won Manager of the Month, but I was beginning to have some doubts - and I wasn't the only one.

That Doncaster game that I mention was his last league win for us. We went the best part of 2 months without a victory - and without even looking like getting one. The performances didn't get any better, and the early goals dried up. Suddenly we weren't managing to scrape points out of games that we were before. The day I knew it was over was at home against Harrogate. We lost 1-0 to the most comical of own goals and our fans completely turned on the manager. Singing songs slagging off the style of football and even shouting "Off! Off! Off!" when the ref went over to book GA. The club gave him another week but after a 0-0 draw at Walsall and blowing a 2-0 lead in injury time at home to Barrow, he lost his job. He lasted 13 games, and frankly, that was generous.

I'll finish with a warning about the style of play. It will not be enjoyable to watch, it will not be exciting, and even if you're winning games, it probably won't be convincing. Get used to putting 11 men behind the ball at home. Prepare yourself for aimless long balls into the channel that gift the ball straight back to the opposition. I'm not some football hipster that wants my team to have 90% possession every game. I'm not even against playing long ball, there just appeared to be absolutely no plan to it. We weren't hitting the big man and winning the second balls. It was just hoof it and hope.

He may well come and do a decent job for you, and to be honest I hope he does. He seems like a thoroughly decent bloke even if his football was some of the worst I've seen. I've always liked coming to Bradford and hope we'll both be back in League 1 someday soon. Good luck for the season, I think you'll need it.

 

Best of luck Graham, may not be everyone’s choice for what that’s worth (very little). He’ll get my full backing as all new managers do when they arrive.

I don’t back those above him though, time for them to go at the earliest opportunity.

 

Welcome Graham & Chris. Hopefully you deliver the success that the fans richly deserve. Personally I am very happy with the appointment, I have a gut feeling that this will be another PP scenario with good times ahead

43% win ratio out of over 450 games? You’ll do for me son

 

In a way I feel sorry for Alexander. His arrival at the club greeted with more of a sigh than a positive fanfare due to a recruitment process where it's clear he wasn't first choice. Add that to the general feeling of apathy around the club after yet another failed appointment in Hughes and it's clear a lot of the fan base simply have no faith in either Rupp or Sparks to get a manager appointment right. It's only fair GA gets time to turn this shitshow around, I'd argue it's gonna take him a while with the squad he's inherited.

 

So GA isn’t the greatest manager now we’re not scraping a few wins? What’s a surprise…

I said the same when Hughes was in charge and Adams before, blaming and sacking managers is just a plaster on the titanic. Until those two muppets at the top are gone we will never get where we want to be. For those defending Sparks on here, look at the total contrast in style of play yet again, that’s a sackable offence at any well run club marketing deals or not.

 

Things I've noticed in the early days of Alexander's tenure. Quickly realised we didn't have the set up squad wise for 4-4-2 which he started in his first two games. Went to a 3 and didn't play Stubbs and Taylor together, instead opting for Kelly and Platt to partner Taylor.
Gone from starting off defending deep with little to no press. Now has them pushing from the off.
Noticed he gets his centre backs to go down the channels even if no one is there, gives Halliday and Richards chance to push up after into the opposition half rather than it look like we are defending with a 5 like it did under Hughes.
Dropping Walker into a deeper central midfield role is getting the best out of the fiery Scotsman. Was my motm last night, seems to revel in the extra space afforded being the extra man with Smallwood and Gilliead.
Small steps so far but the players seem happier than they have for some time. Their body language showing a distinct improvement under the hapless Hughes. A plus for me is I don't think we've played that well yet, just stuck to the basics showing league 2 football shouldn't be over complicated. Devise a plan, have the players on board and press players of limited ability straight from the opening minute.

 

Listened to this weeks press conference with GA today.

Very in depth answers given without pauses. He has really impressed me with all his interviews. Comes across very well indeed.

I sincerely hope he can bring us some success over the coming 2 or 3 years and he is here for a while, and we have finally got a manager like Parky that is a good fit for us.

 

We’ve been here numerous times in the recent past so it’s what we are used to.

Good luck from me.
Maybe,just maybe he’s the answer to our recent woes.

 

If the CEO of Bradford City can't oversee an operation that gets into League One at least, then he is failing at his job. The CEO can't turnaround and shrug his shoulders mumbling about delegation when he is ultimately accountable.

Ultimately, if a business ends up with a workforce that is not delivering and losing ground to competitors over time, then the senior leadership has to be accountable.

I'm not suggesting that Ryan Sparks is responsible for day-to-day football decisions. However, challenging the football side to make sure that money is well spent absolutely is. I don't think Ryan Sparks has got to grips with this, hence a large squad again that appears short on quality.

 

What a shit show, to not have even had a quick phone call with him is a disgrace that even his biggest defenders can’t defend.

Go watch the Wrexham documentary, when Parky turns the job down the owners phone him from Hollywood for 2 hours to convince him to come. Now that’s how you make a manager feel wanted and have them out in every hour under the sun for you. If superstars like that can find the time when on set then he absolutely can, that’s the difference between having an owner who cares and strives for the best and one who’s not interested in anything other than a spreadsheet.

No class.

 

Good luck Graham. He arrives with a blank slate, lets see what he can do. I'm not convinced, but time will tell. My biggest criticism here, again, is of Rupp/Sparks. Stylistically, Alexander is about as far away from Hughes as you can get. It belays the complete lack of strategy and necessitates another overhaul of the squad, which we'll presumably leave down to the manager alone, and and then if (or when) it goes wrong again, we're back to square one. There's a complete lack of any sort of long term plan.

 

I think Trueman gets an unfair press he was caretaker when the club was second bottom and we finished safely since he was replaced he has been coaching but not responsible for decisions made. Give him a break

 

6pts off the play offs and 90pts at stake. Hopefully a new manager bounce, then get Pattison and Oliver back in the squad and January window will be here before we know it. Trim the fat, a couple of additions and a Jake Young recall - Im feeling hopeful.

Its a solid 7/10 appointment for me.

 

Ahh... the old empty stadium comment. I knew it wouldn't be long before that one came up.

In terms of what it's like going to the matches, I don't really see it as a big issue. Obviously the atmosphere isn't exactly raucous but the idea that there can't be an atmosphere at Stadium:MK is a myth. When we're playing well, we can make a good noise. If you were there a couple of Tuesdays ago you'll have seen that. Equally, when we're not playing well it can be pretty depressing.

The club is pretty stable financially because the majority of the money isn't brought in from ticket sales. Pete Winkelman built and owns the whole retail park on which the stadium is located so generates plenty of money from that. In addition, there's a huge arena tagged on to the side of the stadium which hosts loads of darts, snooker, concerts, conferences and all sorts of other events that bring in money.

Every time somebody comes here for the same time they comment that the club has the setup of a Premier League club. In fairness, the stadium was built with that kind of ambition. Sadly, the football side of things has been nowhere near that level.

 

You aren't seriously backing Rupp? May I remind you we are currently 16th.in league 2 and have flirted with the playoffs once with Hughes, even then we hardly looked convincing. The bloke hardly ever turns up, he hadn't even spoken to Graham Alexander before Radio Leeds spoke to him last night.what sort of owner wouldn' t speak to the new manager before he was employed to tell him what he was looking for in a manager?

 

Can @Rcbantam just be banned already @Moderating

Constant WUM nonsense and never engages in any debate productively.

 

100% wasn’t. I understand we offered the role to at least one other, who declined, as well as Cowley. As I understand, promotion this season is the target given to any successor of Hughes, which seems completely unrealistic despite how many points are left to play for - all in all it’s been a bit of a shambles since it was clear Hughes couldn’t resolve the situation we were in.

That said, I welcome Alexander to the club and he has my full backing and support. Let’s hope for his sake improvements and changes at top level on the football side are around the corner, in order to support him.

 

In regards to the people banging on about his record at MK Dons. Brian Clough failed at Leeds. Despite that, hes seen by many as the greatest english manager of all time. Jose Mourinho didn't win any silverware at Spurs, yet people refer to him as the special one. These are Division 1/Premiership managers but the principle remains the same, you can't be a walking success everywhere you go. Just because you fail at one club, does not make you a bad manager. Give the man a chance