Stuart McCall

Well I was hoping for 4 points from our next two games, so go on we'll share the point with Stuart and kick Sunderlands arse at Stadium of Light.

 

regardless of what happens next week, I don't think they should sack McCall yet.
swapping managers every couple of month isn't going to help anyone. his predecessor wasn't there long, do they really want to sack the new man after another couple of months before he's even had January to put his stamp on the team?
if it gets to february and they are still in the mire then fine, make a change to try and stay up, but at this stage the best they can hope for is to stay in League 1, Stuart needs more time.

 

I feel like ours and Scunthorpe's course has been fairly similar. They've lost a core of players to Championship teams or expired loans in a similar way to we did following the play off final defeat. They also trusted a promoted from within manager this summer and it has damaged them further.

We have seen first hand how a handful of signings can add a bit of steel for a new manager. You look at Scunthorpe's squad and you don't see relegation material so maybe they need to trust Stuart to add a Paul Caddris, a Karl Henry or a Jim O'Brien.

 

Didn't he get appointed before Hopkin? He could have brought players like that in if he thought steel was a problem for Scunthorpe.

 

He was but most of the reaction I've seen from Scunthorpe fans has been aimed at the chairman, maybe he isn't getting the right backing. That said, he has brought in three players himself - a keeper from Rangers then two young lads. A slightly different approach to Hopkin who has certainly targeted a certain type of player for that short term fix.

 

I can't think of the right word, maybe it's character or "steel" but it was something McCall's teams at City always seemed to lack; in sharp contrast to his own characteristics as a player.

I think it is one of the reasons he has always struggled to get teams out of bad runs - as we saw last season, the further we moved away from having players from the Parkinson era the more spineless we became, resulting in that abysmal run from December.

 

are we still pretending that poor run was down to McCall and his shortcomings and not the glaringly obvious truth that the problem was Edin Rahic?

 

No we're pointing out that, in two spells as City manager, under different chairmen McCall's teams have lacked a spine and he's been unable to do anything to turn round bad runs of form.

It also happened at Motherwell, and looks like it's happening at Scunthorpe.

 

if you say so. it's complete rubbish, but don't let facts get in the way of your witch hunt.

 

Point out where he has got his facts wrong then

 

well because I refute what he's saying. it's not true. we were a basket case of a club in January, and it was nothing to do with him that he couldn't get a tune out of that team after December, neither could the messiah Grayson, and neither could Collins, and for a long while until the actual problem was removed Hopkin couldn't either. the fact he kept us up there so long despite the obvious major glaring issues is quite frankly an unbelievable achievment, and that should be what's remembered, not that the egotisitical prick above him tied his hands and left him completely hamstrung.

at Motherwell - he had his budget cut every single summer, and had his best players depart, every single summer - they are/were broke and operating on one of the lowaest budgets in that division - the fact he managed to rebuild and achieve what he did in consecutive seasons there again should be commended, not over looked because eventually it became a task too big. I notice they have done absolutely nothing since McCall resigned from that post.

at Scunny he has got into a poor side, and after an initial bounce, is now suffering similar results to that of his predecessor - to me that suggests its not just him, and that they aren't good enough at this moment in time and he deserves more time, and the small matter of the transfer window to try and turn it around.

 

oh and I suppose both of you have watched a lot of Motherwell and Scunthorpe under McCall to be qualified to say they 'lack a spine' ???

 

I don't think its unfair to point out that Stuart's first squads were tame. When they clicked it was fantastic to watch but when it was tough they often rolled over. Again, I don't think its unfair to highlight that Stuart added flair to the grit that was inherited from Parky's squad. When some of those players moved on through no fault of Stuart's, he struggled to replace it. Again, we know that was probably no fault of Stuart's as well.

Its why I'll be keeping a close eye on matters there, not just because Scunthorpe are rivals but I want to see Stuart prove that he can get a club out of a rut. Obviously not at our own expense of course!

 

I've no doubt he can, and I hope he's given the time he needs to prove it. he needs to prove a few folk on here completely and utterly wrong. although some of them do a surprisingly good job of making themselves look idiotic without McCall's help.

 

What about the first time he was here as manager. In his second season he had a massive budget for that league and was going well until the slump which he couldn’t turn round.
You should try and understand people can have high regard for a person without rating them as a manager.
Nothing would give me greater pleasure than seeing Stuart go and save Scunthorpe as long as it is not at our expense and further I hope he progresses in his career.

 

and you would do well to understand that he's actually done a terrific job at both Motherwell and here in his latest spell, and that he actually does have some management acumen.

 

***WINNER***

 

He did a terrific job, to an extent.

If he had developed the ability to turn around slumps, and move his team's forward from such positions, he'd likely be managing at a higher level than he's got to so far.

 

He's never left a club in a better league position than when he took over them.

That says it all doesn't it?

I thought Scunthorpe was nailed on to change that given they were aiming for the play offs and he was starting at such a low position. It's not looking automatic any more though incredibly.

 

I thought we were still in the top six when Edin sacked him, after taking us to Wembley the previous season something the great Phil Parkinson couldn't do ?.