Robbie Stockdale. What do we think?

Interested, knows the club, good coaching experience over 5-10 years. Ticks a few boxes. What do we think?

Knowing the club and wanting to come back out of choice asks questions of his sanity.

I've never understood how 'knowing the club' is an asset for a prospective manager.  I get the romanticism of a club stalwart turning round a toiling side but Stockdale is neither a stalwart nor a proven head coach.  

I was actually briefly coached by him during my first (and only) trial for Town in 2011/2012 and he obviously had talent, but I honestly don't think he's proved enough to be considered by anyone else at league level yet, and that's the barometer we should be using.

Good credentials as a coach but not at a club where the owners in reality invest very little, the squad has no right side or currently no goal scoring threat, the budget  or as someone once described it the f*****g budget is tiny and the fan base is disengaged and dwindling.

Why do we have this obsession that any former player would make a difference?

Quoted from MarinerDevil

I've never understood how 'knowing the club' is an asset for a prospective manager.  I get the romanticism of a club stalwart turning round a toiling side but Stockdale is neither a stalwart nor a proven head coach.  
.

I'm not even sure what 'knowing the club' even means - just some buzz phrase invented by some pundit in between talking about putting the football in the goal and winning football matches for the football club.

I suppose at least he won't get lost on his first day.

No.
Next question.

Quoted from Abdul19

I'm not even sure what 'knowing the club' even means - just some buzz phrase invented by some pundit in between talking about putting the football in the goal and winning football matches for the football club.

I suppose at least he won't get lost on his first day.

I dont often disagree with you Abdul but I think it's relevant in this case. Stockdale has dealt with fenty and being a player,coach n caretaker manager under fenty  hes going in with his eyes open.

Why can't we attract a manager who is either properly up and coming or an ex league 1 manager with some pedigree?

I think we should be getting someone with previous managerial experience and I'm underwhelmed by the names mooted.

Quoted from forza ivano

I dont often disagree with you Abdul but I think it's relevant in this case. Stockdale has dealt with fenty and being a player,coach n caretaker manager under fenty  hes going in with his eyes open.

That's a good point, although bonkers that he's applied when you put it like that

Having seen the state of this team on Saturday, I've never been more convinced that we need an experienced manager to take charge, and quickly
Even if it's a short term, end of the season arrangement it has to be someone who can kick ar$e and organise. If we get this wrong again we could easily go down (again)

I said previously  I thought we would be signing Stockdale today and  keeping Limbrick as his assistant -nothing has happened to make me change my mind.

Noticed this morning that paddy power have closed the market on the next manager betting

Perhaps all the applicants have withdrawn.

For me it does not matter who we end up with. Nothing will change in the areas that need it. We remain an unattractive prospect for any potential investor for a several reasons, not just our current regimes record of failure.

Is it just me or is it really beginning to feel so similar to the 2006-2010 period again? The team slowly in decline, cannot score enough goals, managers who cannot make the most of what little resources they are given. Players not really giving a fook. There is only one way we are heading at present and I cannot see Robbie Stockdale or anyone else for that matter changing it.  

Quoted from moosey_club

No.
Next question.

Agree.
Can somebody start the Craig Disley thread.
Club legend,knows the club etc etc....

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

Noticed this morning that paddy power have closed the market on the next manager betting

https://www.thesackrace.com/teams/grimsby-town

Quoted from Stadium

https://www.thesackrace.com/teams/grimsby-town

Bloody 'ell

There's some names on there that made me laugh

Quoted from arryarryarry

Bloody 'ell

There's some names on there that made me laugh

Most of them made me weep.

Quoted from ginnywings

Most of them made me weep.

I wouldn’t disagree but even if given a totally free choice from Klopp downwards,  it is hard to think of anyone who could make a success of this job.

At this stage - why not? It’s not as if there’s a whole load of proven, successful managers queuing up to move here. It’s either gonna be someone who is past it, or someone unproven.

It’s not as if Stockdale is a club legend coming back with his reputation with us hanging in the balance....he played a handful of games before getting injured and was then youth team manager for a year or two.

He’s a well respected coach, a good age at 40....been in the prem and lower leagues and involved in a highly respected academy at Sunderland. And he wants it.

Just give him it, see what happens. If it’s crap we’ll get rid like we have done for the last few seasons.

Difficult to say without knowing who else is in the frame although I doubt the candidates will include anyone other than inexperienced or been-round-the block-and-sacked-many-times losers.

Personally I wouldn't mind Stockdale, he's just about experienced enough (we can't risk another totally unknown subbuteo manager) but I don't want to see a huge surge of support for any particular candidate in case, like last time when everyone on here was getting all excited about Jolley on the strength of some mad coaching vid on You Tube and Fenty was clearly taken in and influenced enough to appoint him

Quoted from Stadium

https://www.thesackrace.com/teams/grimsby-town

Well he's got a 50% win rate from his previous stint only bettered by Bill Shankley

Quoted from sam gy

At this stage - why not? It’s not as if there’s a whole load of proven, successful managers queuing up to move here. It’s either gonna be someone who is past it, or someone unproven.

It’s not as if Stockdale is a club legend coming back with his reputation with us hanging in the balance....he played a handful of games before getting injured and was then youth team manager for a year or two.

He’s a well respected coach, a good age at 40....been in the prem and lower leagues and involved in a highly respected academy at Sunderland. And he wants it.

Just give him it, see what happens. If it’s crap we’ll get rid like we have done for the last few seasons.

Can't really argue with that. If he wants it - give it to him and hope for the best.

Every appointment is a gamble; at least he has got some things going for him, and he must be aware of the Fenty factor.

Is that the Danny Butterfield at 33/1?? Knows the club...😉

It will be him as he's out of work isn't he?
I'm not convinced and not keen on Manager's being ex defenders as its not usually very exciting football.
I'm still baffled about how we created so many chances early season and looked so good.  Since Salford away Hanson has 2 men on him when the ball is pumped in the air and we haven't adapted, as if 2 are marking him, there must be space elsewhere to exploit teams.
We have been sucked of confidence and some fans have i'm sorry to say have contributed to this.  We had players confident on the ball early season and now the ball is like a hot potato.  We need someone experienced with a positive manner to lift the players and remind them how good we were in August.

After another month of the good ship GTFC sailing along without a rudder, it's about time we had some positive action from the board.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

After another month of the good ship GTFC sailing along without a rudder, it's about time we had some positive action from the board.

We may be rudderless, but there's certainly a couple of anchors involved

Quoted from A.l.f.

It will be him as he's out of work isn't he?
I'm not convinced and not keen on Manager's being ex defenders as its not usually very exciting football.
I'm still baffled about how we created so many chances early season and looked so good.  Since Salford away Hanson has 2 men on him when the ball is pumped in the air and we haven't adapted, as if 2 are marking him, there must be space elsewhere to exploit teams.
We have been sucked of confidence and some fans have i'm sorry to say have contributed to this.  We had players confident on the ball early season and now the ball is like a hot potato.  We need someone experienced with a positive manner to lift the players and remind them how good we were in August.

Years of watching football has taught me never to judge a team for the first dozen games. Some will start well and fade as we have. Some start poorly, then pick up as the season progresses. A handful start well and stay consistent throughout. We started well under Hurst, Slade and Jolley, then reverted to type. There is a pattern to it, with the difference being that we seem to spiral downwards and keep going. I've never known a team have such prolonged bad spells so frequently. This club sucks the life out of managers and players alike but now the life is draining from the fans too.

The next manager who comes in needs to be strong and show his authority. When he introduces himself his speech should be something like this-"You useless load of shite-and shut your mouth Macca,haven't won a match since the beginning of time.From now on every goal we concede there will be a £50 deduction from your wages  If we don't score another £50-and shut your mouth Macca. You will start work at 8-0clock and finish at 5. If it's raining you will be provided with oilskins. Everybody will have standard haircuts-none of this fancy Robbie Williams shite.And what colour are your boots-red,yellow,pink,green. You might play like women but you are not going to look like them. I hope we all get on-now back to work. 1 hour will be added on for this meeting so there will be no school run-and put those fking fags out.

Quoted from horsforthmariner

Why can't we attract a manager who is either properly up and coming or an ex league 1 manager with some pedigree?

I think we should be getting someone with previous managerial experience and I'm underwhelmed by the names mooted.

I suppose when you look back at previous appointments we've done that.

Up and coming - Bignot.  Could argue Jolley too, came in with big ideas about how to change the mentality of the club.  Very alternative appointment.

League 1 before he came back - had some pedigree.  Yes he came here on the back of poor spells at Charlton and Coventry but they were both basketcase clubs.  

The problem is there's no guarantee when you appoint a manager of success.  It's a gamble.  We've gone through a host of managers since returning to the league and none have come close to anything like success.  There is, however, a common denominator in it all...

Quoted from golfer

The next manager who comes in needs to be strong and show his authority. When he introduces himself his speech should be something like this-"You useless load of shite-and shut your mouth Macca,haven't won a match since the beginning of time.From now on every goal we concede there will be a £50 deduction from your wages  If we don't score another £50-and shut your mouth Macca. You will start work at 8-0clock and finish at 5. If it's raining you will be provided with oilskins. Everybody will have standard haircuts-none of this fancy Robbie Williams shite.And what colour are your boots-red,yellow,pink,green. You might play like women but you are not going to look like them. I hope we all get on-now back to work. 1 hour will be added on for this meeting so there will be no school run-and put those fking fags out.

It worked for John Sitton.

Quoted from sam gy

At this stage - why not? It’s not as if there’s a whole load of proven, successful managers queuing up to move here. It’s either gonna be someone who is past it, or someone unproven.

It’s not as if Stockdale is a club legend coming back with his reputation with us hanging in the balance....he played a handful of games before getting injured and was then youth team manager for a year or two.

He’s a well respected coach, a good age at 40....been in the prem and lower leagues and involved in a highly respected academy at Sunderland. And he wants it.

Just give him it, see what happens. If it’s crap we’ll get rid like we have done for the last few seasons.

And he has never managed an EFL club!  Or any other club for that matter.

Quoted from A.l.f.

It will be him as he's out of work isn't he?
I'm not convinced and not keen on Manager's being ex defenders as its not usually very exciting football.
I'm still baffled about how we created so many chances early season and looked so good.  Since Salford away Hanson has 2 men on him when the ball is pumped in the air and we haven't adapted, as if 2 are marking him, there must be space elsewhere to exploit teams.
We have been sucked of confidence and some fans have i'm sorry to say have contributed to this.  We had players confident on the ball early season and now the ball is like a hot potato.  We need someone experienced with a positive manner to lift the players and remind them how good we were in August.

The fans have contributed to it???????!!

Surely there must be some mistake.

This sort of argument always make me smile. What would you like the faithful to do on matchdays - pretend there has been a goal or cheer like mad when we get beyond the halfway line?

I notice Macca didn't like the tiny bit of flak he took from the odd person in the Pontoon the other day, yet these are the very people that pay his wages.

Human nature being what it is, fans will big up there team when it is doing well, and be very miffed when they are not.

As a whole we have been incredibly patient year after year of being served up absolute dross, with no end in sight.

This club has a mountain of problems, but the fans that go are certainly not one of them.

" Let me Entertain You"  lyrics by all at Blundell Park          What a nice thought

Quoted from 123614

And he has never managed an EFL club!  Or any other club for that matter.

Neither had Mike Flynn at Newport or Nigel Adkins at Scunny. Adkins was the physio; didn't seem to hamper him.

He may be great, he may be another in the long line of failures. History suggests the latter as i think being a manger of this club is stymied by the way it's run. Thing is, you never know and there are no guarantees, unless you can afford the likes of Guardiola.

Seems as good a choice as any.

Quoted from 123614

And he has never managed an EFL club!  

Everyone thought that was a fantastic idea not so long ago...

Quoted from ginnywings

He may be great, he may be another in the long line of failures. History suggests the latter as i think being a manger of this club is stymied by the way it's run.

Can't get past this to be honest. Almost seems pointless.

Blaming the teams lack of confidence on the fans is like blaming the customers for the demise of Woolworths.
The customers stopped going because the products were poor and overpriced, and those who did go complained bitterly to the staff who lost confidence.
Like most failures it's down to poor leadership, poor strategy and poor execution

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

I notice Macca didn't like the tiny bit of flak he took from the odd person in the Pontoon the other day, yet these are the very people that pay his wages.
.

I think Macca believes he is totally bulletproof from any criticism and his place is guaranteed. Shame we haven't got a young up and coming keeper to push him

Quoted from buckstown

Blaming the teams lack of confidence on the fans is like blaming the customers for the demise of Woolworths.
The customers stopped going because the products were poor and overpriced, and those who did go complained bitterly to the staff who lost confidence.
Like most failures it's down to poor leadership, poor strategy and poor execution

Well I stopped going to Woolworths when they started employing store detectives and I actually had to pay for my pick and mix 😉😉😉

Quoted from buckstown

Blaming the teams lack of confidence on the fans is like blaming the customers for the demise of Woolworths.
The customers stopped going because the products were poor and overpriced, and those who did go complained bitterly to the staff who lost confidence.
Like most failures it's down to poor leadership, poor strategy and poor execution

Most business failures are down to the leaders not learning from previous mistakes. Can't remember who said it but 'If you carry on doing what you're doing, you'll continue to be what you are' seems very appropriate.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Most business failures are down to the leaders not learning from previous mistakes. Can't remember who said it but 'If you carry on doing what you're doing, you'll continue to be what you are' seems very appropriate.

That's true, but most businesses have a completely different gauge of success to football. If you thought of GTFC as a business and compared us to our peers, we're doing ok in that we are financially stable, ceratainly more so than most other football clubs. The problem is we are consistently rubbish on the pitch. I have no idea why that is if the budget is indeed "competitive". Something must cause that spiral, and ginny referred to something about us going on so many bad runs, and it's true. I don't know why we seem to have these long periods without wins, but something is clearly amiss.

Quoted from ginnywings

Years of watching football has taught me never to judge a team for the first dozen games. Some will start well and fade as we have. Some start poorly, then pick up as the season progresses. A handful start well and stay consistent throughout. We started well under Hurst, Slade and Jolley, then reverted to type. There is a pattern to it, with the difference being that we seem to spiral downwards and keep going. I've never known a team have such prolonged bad spells so frequently. This club sucks the life out of managers and players alike but now the life is draining from the fans too.

The comment re bad runs is the one that most resonates with me and I cant think of any other club who for three seasons on the bounce have a long stretch of games without winning a game and a consistent failure to score goals, why is it repeating itself with different players each season? There has to be more to this than managers and players as these have been different each time it’s occurred which leads us back to the whole way the club is run and administered.

Lincoln now have LNER sponsorship for naming rights to their ground, Macclesfield appear to have identified a new owner in weeks rather than years whereas we go four weeks and still no sign of an appointment being made. To a certain extent I accepted this up to the Swindon game but feel once that match was over a further announcement should have been made, either backing Limbrick for a set period, appointing him or stating when interviews were to be held and an appointment expected by. But sod all with the clubs “biggest” home fixture around the corner and a possible full house on offer especially if the new manager is in place to start his short reign!!!

Like another poster I dread the Scunny game as whatever we think of PH away wins were always his strength and I see nothing else but a convincing away win. For a variety of reasons I have thankfully been unable to attend since the Mansfield game and surprisingly I haven’t missed us score one goal in that period and doubt that will change just because I will be back at BP next week.

This just feels like a slow death with no one at the club willing to diagnose or fix the problem and it has all the hallmarks of 2010 especially the complacency that just one club will lose league status this season and I feel too many of us are starting to think that we will be that club.

Quoted from Ipswin

Everyone thought that was a fantastic idea not so long ago...

What people thought not so long ago doesn't matter, we are talking about NOW!  And I would much rather have a manager who has actually MANAGED a football team, than someone who hasn't.

When do you want me to apply ?

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

The comment re bad runs is the one that most resonates with me and I cant think of any other club who for three seasons on the bounce have a long stretch of games without winning a game and a consistent failure to score goals, why is it repeating itself with different players each season? There has to be more to this than managers and players as these have been different each time it’s occurred which leads us back to the whole way the club is run and administered.

Lincoln now have LNER sponsorship for naming rights to their ground, Macclesfield appear to have identified a new owner in weeks rather than years whereas we go four weeks and still no sign of an appointment being made. To a certain extent I accepted this up to the Swindon game but feel once that match was over a further announcement should have been made, either backing Limbrick for a set period, appointing him or stating when interviews were to be held and an appointment expected by. But sod all with the clubs “biggest” home fixture around the corner and a possible full house on offer especially if the new manager is in place to start his short reign!!!

Like another poster I dread the Scunny game as whatever we think of PH away wins were always his strength and I see nothing else but a convincing away win. For a variety of reasons I have thankfully been unable to attend since the Mansfield game and surprisingly I haven’t missed us score one goal in that period and doubt that will change just because I will be back at BP next week.

This just feels like a slow death with no one at the club willing to diagnose or fix the problem and it has all the hallmarks of 2010 especially the complacency that just one club will lose league status this season and I feel too many of us are starting to think that we will be that club.

I cannot fathom the complete inaction. If the form table continues, we will be relegated. Where is the action being taken to address all the obvious issues? Will it have to wait till after the election?

A great point about Macclesfield. A club with precious little going for it, but a buyer has been identified. How come we have been up for sale for ages but are able to attract only tyre kickers?

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

I cannot fathom the complete inaction. If the form table continues, we will be relegated. Where is the action being taken to address all the obvious issues? Will it have to wait till after the election?

A great point about Macclesfield. A club with precious little going for it, but a buyer has been identified. How come we have been up for sale for ages but are able to attract only tyre kickers?

Grimsby is a poor investment, certainly in its current guise.
The only people outside of the bubble of Grimsby who would invest are people who have ties with the town.
The town's received bad press recently, with the poor lass who only 14p to her name, and that just adds to the poor reputation from outsiders.
Without someone "actively" going the whole Hogg to sell the club, we are stuck with status quo.
If the board employed a decent marketing company I'm sure they'd make it look like a sound investment and worth putting the millions into that it needs to get it back on a strong footing and a club to be Uber proud of ..
We are slowly becoming the bottom feeders of the league and cannon fodder where other clubs just look at us an easy 3 points!!

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

I cannot fathom the complete inaction. If the form table continues, we will be relegated. Where is the action being taken to address all the obvious issues? Will it have to wait till after the election?

A great point about Macclesfield. A club with precious little going for it, but a buyer has been identified. How come we have been up for sale for ages but are able to attract only tyre kickers?

They had enough about them to attract Sol. We can only attract Rsoles.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

[/b]
We are slowly becoming the bottom feeders of the league and cannon fodder where other clubs just look at us an easy 3 points!!

We've been there a good while now, we are mentioned in the same breath as Macclesfield. We can only aspire to be like Crawley or Fleetwood Town nowadays. We are on our knees, we are a shambles.

Quoted from fishboyUTM

We've been there a good while now, we are mentioned in the same breath as Macclesfield. We can only aspire to be like Crawley or Fleetwood Town nowadays. We are on our knees, we are a shambles.

Absolutely agree, even the most staunch of town fans are starting to turn their back on the club now...
It's not just heartbreaking, it's bleeding soul destroying.
I even said to my 15 year old this weekend, who's born and bred in Beverley yet town through n through,  that I apologise for the shower of shite I've introduced him to...

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

[/b]

Grimsby is a poor investment, certainly in its current guise.
The only people outside of the bubble of Grimsby who would invest are people who have ties with the town.
The town's received bad press recently, with the poor lass who only 14p to her name, and that just adds to the poor reputation from outsiders.
Without someone "actively" going the whole Hogg to sell the club, we are stuck with status quo.
If the board employed a decent marketing company I'm sure they'd make it look like a sound investment and worth putting the millions into that it needs to get it back on a strong footing and a club to be Uber proud of ..
We are slowly becoming the bottom feeders of the league and cannon fodder where other clubs just look at us an easy 3 points!!

All fair comment but why has Macclesfield attracted a buyer? By any masure a tiny club, with a very small fan base, and zero success in all the time I have known football.

If it is all down to being in a more affluent part of the country then we may as well pack in.

Because there isn't a director wanting X amount of millions for his loans back?

Just think, if Shutes didn't have to pay Fenty off he'd have plenty left in the kitty for rainy day fund.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

All fair comment but why has Macclesfield attracted a buyer? By any masure a tiny club, with a very small fan base, and zero success in all the time I have known football.

If it is all down to being in a more affluent part of the country then we may as well pack in.

I would say just the land the ground is sat on is why it's worth buying Macclesfield.

And how would it cost to buy the club?.

Whoever buys us it onto a loser straight away as there is 1.75m that is already added on top of the valuation of the club...
It's a noose that will keep tightening and strangling the life out of the club and no investor wants to start in negativity equity

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

I would say just the land the ground is sat on is why it's worth buying Macclesfield.

And how would it cost to buy the club?.

Whoever buys us it onto a loser straight away as there is 1.75m that is already added on top of the valuation of the club...
It's a noose that will keep tightening and strangling the life out of the club and no investor wants to start in negativity equity

But everyone is moaning about Fenty taking his money out which decreases the negative equity each year.

And keeps us hamstrung budget wise every year it does so, "Have you seen our f**king budget?" despite the coverup spiel about financial fair play.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

I would say just the land the ground is sat on is why it's worth buying Macclesfield.

And how would it cost to buy the club?.

Whoever buys us it onto a loser straight away as there is 1.75m that is already added on top of the valuation of the club...
It's a noose that will keep tightening and strangling the life out of the club and no investor wants to start in negativity equity

I think you could be onto something there...

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-65746375.html

Let's have a whip round, buy MTFC, close them down, flog off the land and invest the profits in GTFC...

Quoted from Madeleymariner

But everyone is moaning about Fenty taking his money out which decreases the negative equity each year.

Yes, but by the time he's taken back his cash there will be no club left to sell...

And there you have it, this is the problem in a nutshell, its almost Catch 22

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Yes, but by the time he's taken back his cash there will be no club left to sell...

Or he soon won't be able to take back as all the cloth-cutting to accommodate has caused us to sink back into the abyss and beyond.

Dont matter who gets the job.. No money for players means it only going one way , down