Buckle for Luton

[oxgull]

It's closer to where he hails from so that would suit him. I think Luton could do worse as PB was one of our most cuccessful managers in recent history and has a lot going for him. His ego would need to be kept under control and, like Forever said, he would need to get his natural leaders onside (instead of kicking them out the door) very quickly to build a solid base of players to work with. No new broom attitude needed there so I would hope he has learnt a lesson or two from the Bristol failure. If he gets appointed then I for one would wish him all the best.

And as I drive past Kenilworth Road on my way to the airport for a flight to Faro for a holiday in Albufiera I'll say "Paul Buckle manages them" and she will say "What? oh football thingy again!!" She doesn't understand me!!!!!

[harpenden gull]

But isnt that just the point .....PB's arrogance will continually be his undoing. Yes he does have coaching ability and he could certainly outhink a fair proportion of other team's tactics given the team that he had. But when the chips are down (as they rarely were in his TUFC days......few months in the BSP maybe) he reosrts to blaming every one except himself.
I was talking to a clued up,placid intelligent PE master this morning who is also a Rovers supporter.................and the conversation degenerated into a vile viscious condemnation of PB.............honestly I wouldn't wish him onto Luton.

[royalgull]

Managers learn more from failures than they do successes. Or at least they should do.

Bukcle's way of doing things worked here, they obviously didn't work at Rovers but before he started the season all he knew was his way and it had done well for him before. There was no reason for him to be anything different at Rovers. Brendan Rodgers is the favourite to be LMA manager of the season in the Premiership this year, he was an utter disaster at Reading. A very similar character to Buckle actually. His way or the highway and trying to make a rolls royce out of skoda parts was never going to work at Reading for Rodgers. he's found his perfect fit at Swansea. Martin Ling was good for Orient but an utter disaster at Cambridge, I think it's safe to say he learnt lessons and has used them for his benefit here. Basically what I'm getting at is, it doesn't always work.

The second favourite for the award is Alan Pardew who has been sacked by his last 3 clubs, the last one being in League 1, and the previous one they were bottom of the Championship. Pardew again was very like Buckle in his early years as a manager. he made decisions you just thought 'Huh?!' i.e playing strikers at right back and centre back, playing a centre half in midfield, bringing someone on, then subbing them again 10 mins later, playing Jamie Cureton who at the time was the best CF in the league on the wing, playing Darius Henderson a big brute of a striker on the left wing, all sorts. He was very confrontational and he upset a lot of people (ask Sammy Igoe or Phil Whitehead). I very much doubt he's the same sort of person at Newcastle as he was back then. Pardew like Buckle got away with it because his team won more than it lost but there are definitely huge similarites between the two. First job, brash and arrogant.

Young managers without a lot of experience (in terms of managing different clubs and scenarios) make mistakes, lots of them it's how you learn from those. If Buckle gets the Luton job not only do I think that seems a good fit it'll be interesting to see how he does. Being sacked after what 5 months? if that, can't exactly do wonders for the ego and you'd think he'd learnt some lessons, maybe a different approach is needed sometimes but we'll see.

[northyorkshiregull]

I think there is a very strong chance that he has the job it was mentioned a couple of weeks ago.I am not his biggest fan for the way he left the club last summer but in his defence with regards players that he moved on from Rovers he was told to get rid of all the big wage earners a lot of who were on wages between 3-4k a week hence you end up with players that he rejected ending up at a club like Wednesday.Part of his remite was to get the player budjet down from over 3 million down to 1.2

[Gullscorer]

I suspect that if some other manager instead of Buckle had taken on the Bristol Rovers job last year, whoever it might have been would still have had problems with the Campbell situation, and would have needed longer than the few months that Buckle was given there. Campbell also has an ego, as do most people! And many of those people have been hurling undue criticism and vilification in Buckle's direction. As Royalgull says, young managers do make mistakes, as do we all, and hopefully learn from them. So give the guy a chance..

[chippygull]

Another joker for Luton?

[goldenblue]

Currently 11/10 favourite with the bookies

[Regiment]

he'll probably be looking to sign muzzy at least - another step closer to london for the boy - he'll get there eventually.

[bobby93]

I do not buy in to this Buckle failed at Rovers because of baggage left behind from the previous season, he had no choice but to put together his own squad with us, as we only had 5 players, he had a squad already thier at Rovers, and made in my view 2 major mistake's.

He walked into Rovers with the "I am the new broom , and Iam going sweep clean" attitude, and changed to much to soon, he wiped out almost thier entire squad with out giving them a second to prove thier worth, one prime example is Chris Lines, who now plays for Sheffield Wednesday, was not good enough for Buckle, seems to be doing o.k for a team a league higher and sat 3rd.

His second and maybe biggest mistake, was failing to reconize the influence of Stuart Cambell, Cambell took over as caretaker manager, and after Rovers had look doomed very nearly kept them up in League 1, this earnt cambell a lot of respect around Rovers, and made him a favourite with the gashead fan's.

It's widely believed that Buckle wanted Cambell out from the start, what he should have done was get Cambell on his side, hit a poor run of results with cambell on side , he would have brought himself some time.

Now onto this luton thingy, I have seen Buckle coaching a number of times, got no problem saying, Buckle is a very good football coach, who does know his onions, if he does end up Luton manager, he needs to drop this "Iam the dog thats wags the tail" Style of management, for once put that ego to one side, take on board the opinions of people already at Luton, judge the players they have, get rid of the dead wood, and keep the good stuff, and he will do very well.

Their lie's the problem, not sure he can or will.

Agree with all that. I always thought, right up until his departure, that despite his faults he was by and large a good manager for us, and I even now still believe it was partly his lack of experience and fresh approach (and maybe a touch of arrogance) that got us out of the BSP so soon. He had to start from scratch and wrongly tried to replicate that at Rovers. Wherever he ends up, he will need to realise that some situations call for different approaches (this is also often evident in his tactics).

I think if he really took a step back, looked in the mirror and realised he needs to not just be a good coach, but a good man manager, he could learn a lot from his mistakes through the past couple of years and be a good appointment at any lower league club. But that first part needs to happen and I agree with forever, I'm not sure if he can or will.

[happytorq]

so...wait...does this mean that him staying in the UK will leave the delightful Ms. Lowe to depart for US shores, alone in a strange country, looking for a shoulder to cry on?

I'll volunteer.

[stratfordgull]

he'll probably be looking to sign muzzy at least - another step closer to london for the boy - he'll get there eventually.

It is London Luton Airport after all. You ask Easyjet.

[Plymouth Gull]

Funny where ambition can take you, isn't it?!

[Gullscorer]

It didn't get me anywhere..

[Glostergull]

I think Buckles main problems have been fairly accuratly portrayed on here. Having talked to 2 or 3 Rovers Players it seems he walked into the club and began dictating which wound up most of the playing staff. having got his start here he could get away with it after a while as it was his first job and he probably didn't do it straight away so the players got used to it as it more than likely happened gradually. But at Rovers he just walked in and Bang. Straight in their faces. It remind me very much of One of Eglands greatest managers they never had. Brian Clough. Straight talking. Brash and arrogant. it got him the boot at Leeds. But Hartlepools, Derby County and Nottinghan Forest wouldn't say a bad word about him. in fact he is hero worshiped at the latter two. I wouldn't be surprised to see him rise up again and manage a bigger club. Look at old Cloughie. He matured and became one of the games most loved managers.

[diamondgirl]

he'll probably be looking to sign muzzy at least - another step closer to london for the boy - he'll get there eventually.

Ha Ha Thats funny Regi.