POLL - Who do you want to be manager?

[londongull63]

Agree with posts saying Ling has almost 100% success rate with top signings - perhaps evidence that he worked as a scout, he's been around a bit and he's a popular guy who probably has many friends in the game. If Knill came anywhere near that I'd be pleased.
It's highly unlikely to happen (although I've read they are friends), but I'd like to see Knill AND Lingy under him in a less stressful capacity and player scouting to benefit from both their talents.

But with Chris Brass as Knill's right hand man probably can't happen. For all I know Brass may be the greatest assistant in football, but must admit his history of past clubs (quite a bit non-league) and success is totally uninspiring so let's hope that has no bearing.

[SteveDeckchair]

I think the results of the poll are fairly emphatic really.

It should be noted that nobody (apart from Mav!) is criticising Ling's signings, which I feel have actually been excellent and certainly as good as a club such as ours could hope for.

The problem is in how Martin Ling has moulded those players and set them up. In that department, you'd have to be bonkers to not want Knill to be our manager next year.

[Bloggy]

Perhaps someone with better knowledge can put me straight on this?
Obviously there is more that goes on behind the scenes at a club (budget for one) that might make this observation redundant but I'm not sure the 'fire fighting' manager ever goes on to be a good permanent fixture? I'm thinking back to Ian Atkins (but realise he was never able to fulfil his potential, although the brand seemed to change the following season) or Colin Lee.

Both came in and saved our club in difficult circumstances but neither, to my knowledge ever went on to offer the same once given the job full time! Knill is doing a great job at the present moment in time but will he actually be the best man for the job (assuming we stay up)? As for Ling, I really hope he makes a full recovery (if such a thing is possible - from whatever he's suffering) but the club needs to stay in this league and only then can it reflect on it's mistakes and look forward (older and hopefully wiser) to make the right decision regarding a management team. Whether that means buying out an incumbent or retaining their services with additional assistance of someone else...

[Gullscorer]

I don't think it necessarily follows that because something happened once or twice in the past that the same scenario will occur in the future, particularly in the field we are talking about. Thare are so many other variable factors here...

[Scott Brehaut]

I don't think it necessarily follows that because something happened once or twice in the past that the same scenario will occur in the future, particularly in the field we are talking about. Thare are so many other variable factors here...

So, with that in mind, surely we can use the same rule for Ling....?

[Gullscorer]

Absolutely..

[royalgull]

Paul Sturrock please.

[chunkygull]

no disrespect to you for asking for paul sturrock, but we would then be going from one manager who has health problems to another. indeed sturrock was on the radio saying how his parkinsons condition has been managed and what he has to do to control it and indeed southend and other clubs he has managed have been understanding and helpful.

by the sound of it there is more to him leaving southend than meets the eye. according to talksport on monday his son blair had been saying on twitter how his dad had been badly treated and the truth should be told and other things to that effect.

[exiledgull]

I think we have this all wrong. I was telling people this the day Knill was announced as manager. At Bury he was seen as arguably the best manager in league two. Teams were willing to pay for him to become there manager in the Championship!

He has now shown everyone you give him a team in league two he will turn you not just competitive in terms of results but bring fans on side with his positive attitude and platings style.

I would want Knill to stay but realistically he's too good for us.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I think we have this all wrong. I was telling people this the day Knill was announced as manager. At Bury he was seen as arguably the best manager in league two. Teams were willing to pay for him to become there manager in the Championship!

He has now shown everyone you give him a team in league two he will turn you not just competitive in terms of results but bring fans on side with his positive attitude and platings style.

I would want Knill to stay but realistically he's too good for us.

He was out of work before he came here like hundreds of managers are currently. If the package is right and he is willing to relocate then he'll come. He's not too good for us at all. There are only 92 managerial jobs in the football league and the calibre of manager we would be looking at wouldn't (yet) be good enough for Premier or even Championship level. So effectively that leave hundreds of unemployed managers PLUS lots of younger blokes wanting to get into management fighting over 50 or so jobs. He'll take it if everything is right.

[Dave]

Sturrock, Royal mate, have you gone completely bonkers, Paul Sturrock will take the club to brink of bankrupcy or beyond, by spending an awful lot of money on complete tat, see..Plymouth, Southend, for all the evidence needed.

[bigleigh]

Sturrock, Royal mate, have you gone completely bonkers, Paul Sturrock will take the club to brink of bankrupcy or beyond, by spending an awful lot of money on complete tat, see..Plymouth, Southend, for all the evidence needed.

Can't agree with that statement Dave. It's the people who give managers money to spend that puts a club in trouble. Take Sturrock when he was at Southend, he was allowed to bring in players such as Eastwood and Harris and pay them I would imagine above leage 2 wages and I expect above a lot of league 1 clubs. Who sanctions these moves? a manager doesn't. It all comes down to chairman and directors who think their club is bigger than what there are/were, these are the people responsible for clubs getting into financial difficulty. Also I believe Southend have had trouble paying their players recently. We're lucky at Plainmoor that we have a board of directors which will make sure this will not happen to us.

[gullno4]

well look what happened with ling in non league last time around, and I can't see why knill would want to drop down with us !! we'll be needing a totally new management team to keep us in the BSP next season !!

[tufcbrett]

What ever league were in next season i would be happy with knill in charge. He now knows the squad and the club and i feel he could do a good job.

But if we was to go down and say Knill was not to return i would like to see David Hockaday as manager. Hes been at FGR now for awhile and with a tought start, there now doing very well. Plus thats his first job. With the size of the club and the budget they have and its localish i feel he could do a good job here. He would know the BSP well and would be used to trying to attract players to the south west. yes i know there a lot closer to the midlands ect, but surley if we was to go down we would be more attractive despite being further down the M5.

Justin Edinburgh at Newport would also be simular to Hockaway but hes had more experience in the league. either way i would like to see one of them two if we was to go down.

[mike]

Settle for Chris Hargreaves