Paul Wilkinson's Black and White Army

Quoted from Grim74

Wilkinson is a town legend he deserves his chance I really hope he succeeds, and as for being dour well he can't be any more dour than Hurst and it didn't do him any harm.

Why does he?. read the statement we're recruiting a new manager, he may get a couple of games but that should be it.

Personally just give Wilko it till the end of the season, as poor as this squad is, unless we're as bad in the last 13 games as we were in the previous 12, we should just about stay up. That gives us plenty of time to get the right man in place for June, and with most of those out of contract (apart from maybe 1 or 2) being released anyway, the new manager will then be more or less in a position to build his own team. The most important thing, apart from staying in the league, is to make sure we get the right man to take the club forward this time....UTM

I have no inside info but it's my opinion that Wilkinson is nothing like Slade. I'm expecting him to have the team playing a different way once he's had a bit of time to impart is thinking on them.

We might get glimpses of it at Cambridge.

I certainly have no problems him taking caretaker charge. He's been in football forever so knows his stuff. We just have to trust him now anyway.

My belief is that he was brought in by Fenty to 'soften' the return of Slade. I don't think they were alike, but as an assistant you can't be pulling in the opposite direction.

Tar him with the same brush if you like, but I hope he takes this opportunity to show that his footballing philosophies are a far cry from Slade's.

Wilko is a very good coach, and was a great goal scorer - deserves his chance, and our support.

What about him and Macca as a new duo?

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I hope the fans get behind Wilko he was a legend as a player he`s one of our own by birth and I don`t think this squad is as bad as people make out. I think this appointment is a month too late if we still had Jones to pick in midfield alongside Summerfield we might have had some humph and goals but I think Wilko will give some youngsters a game and get some legs in the team.At least with the crowd behind them they might get a win or two WE WANT GOALS

Quoted from 75

I think the board, John in particular genuinely believed in Russell, I think they had a good working relationship. I suppose it would be commendable to show that level of trust but it's been obvious for several weeks  never mind the players and his position was unrecoverable and untenable. In my opinion they waited too long before firing him, but it's probably easier to judge from afar. That or I am a bit naive.

His friendship has clearly interfered with the decision to keep him on longer than he should have.....in the Fenty tapes he said something about do you think i am happy backing someone who is performing so badly.....that comment demonstrated fuzzy thinking.....anyone else would have been gone.
The quotes i posted on another thread, pre sacking, highlighting all the remits Slade has already long missed again shows blind loyalty IMO. Sanctioning the transfer activity...ridiculous.

Good luck to Paul, I hope we have some better football on view at BP.

My concern is though, the Squad of players Slade has left behind is terrible and unbalanced. Overloaded with Attackers, not much in the middle of the park, an aging defence and more loan players than we can actually play.

We are 9 points clear of the drop currently but most below us have 2 games in hand with some showing signs of recovery.

I think we need a new manger asap as I think leaving PW in charge until the end of the season, someone with no managerial experience in the middle of a relegation fight (make no mistake we are in a relegation fight) reminds me a little too much of when we gave Woods the job.

Who? I haven't really looked yet who is available. I would like to see a manager play a little more attacking football rather than just hit and hope but he'll have to do it with the squad RS has left behind and is that squad capable of playing like that?

Pleased RS is gone but we are still in a mess and I just hope we can find 3 or 4 wins between now and the end of the season.

Clifton must come into the side now for his passing if nowt else?

I think that the reason that Paul Wilkinson was not sacked alongside Slade is that it must be common knowledge that Slade did not take a lot of notice of what Wilkinson suggested both in training and on the pitch. I hope this will be apparent on Saturday when we see his team and how they are set up.