sue_donym wrote:Find this argument that Wright 'failed' in the summer recruitment and can't take credit for loan signings completely baffling.
Firstly it's questionable whether he 'failed' with his signings. So far he has three successes in Nicholson, Elliott and Hughes. Three failures in Henshall, Ainge and Burn. Don't really know where to put Maddison, he's been largely competent but made some mistakes as any young lad will at this level. Roughly 50/50 hit rate, bit higher if you take into account other players he has brought in albeit not in the summer that have been good like Trotman and O'Hanlon. That's perfectly respectable - no manager has a 100% record on signings and plenty have a far worse track record than 50% working out.
First, Elliott isn't a success at all, not in the same way Nicholson is. He's not been terrible but I fail to see how he can be described as a surefire hit. Is Hughes a success? Some will say yes, but if you remember Wright signed him to be a midfielder, ditched him, then moved him to CB in an emergency, it certainly suggests more luck than judgement. And let's be fair, his defending can cause palpitations at times too. Jury is out for me.
So in my opinion that's one in six. Not quite as good. As for Trotman and O'Hanlon - neither of them have hit the heights of last season. So does one good half of the season, then one average half of the season make you a "good" signing. Not for me. O'Hanlon's been dropped in favour of Kokolo, so he hasn't been doing that well.
Moreover, TW clearly wasn't getting the most of his players, given we were just above the relegation zone. TW got the balance wrong in the summer, hence our struggles and need to bring in loan players.
Now given that the squad has had to be trimmed and was paper thin, and that Ainge isn't pulling his weight (and Collins never pulled his weight, don't forget TW probably counted on him playing more of a role), he has turned to the loan market, and brought in some excellent players. It's called adapting to circumstances, and our form has turned around.
Why aren't players pulling their weight? Surely part of the manager's job is to motivate the players too. I won't deny players have a responsibility, but at the same time saying TW has no role whatsoever would be incorrect.
As for bringing in loan players - again he has made some decent signings here. But again, it suggests the summer didn't go well. Why was he so reluctant to make loan signings in the first place? Why not do it in the summer?
It's just as easy to describe it as "bailing himself out" rather than "adapting to circumstances".
We're going to finish mid-table this season. That's about right. Those that are saying we should jettison Wright after that better have an extremely good idea of who is going to come in and do a better job, why they're better.
Eh? TW and DJ both said we should be competing in and around the play-offs. Mid-table would be below expectations and certainly "not about right" at all. Why keep a manager who under-performs?
As for replacement, there's loads we could go for. Hardy, McGurk, R.Moore, C.Moore, Flanagan. There are more. All would be better than TW, and would in my opinion get more out of a comparatively small squad with a lower budget.
The myth that no one could achieve more than TW has previously been shot down.
Can we now please stop banging on about Wright for a bit.
No.
theoriginalfatcat wrote:
Wright also brought in Heaton and Styche - 2 players that were subsequently moved on for a profit.
Styche wasn't sold for a profit. And MG was the person who initially wanted to sign Heaton, but he got injured in pre-season.