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Quoted from MarinersOnTheUp

Absolutely disgusted with this desicions and I'm honestly embarrassed to be a GTFC fan seeing this.

Sacking managers doesn't achieve anything unless there is a serious danger of relegation.

I believe in football that consistency is key, part of our demise was too many changes in management.

Chopping and changing management starts a dangerous cycle of sacking, poor appointment, sacking and anybdecent manager will not want to come to a club with a trigger happy board.

What a ridiculous desicion. I was feeling positive about next season despite recent inconsistent performances and results and thought MB had signed some exciting players.

All the best to Marcus and his management team.

let's just wait and see what the reasons are - i'm sure there is much more to this than meets the eye and it may be that the board had very little choice. i hear russell slade is looking for work......

Quoted from MarinersOnTheUp

Absolutely disgusted with this desicions and I'm honestly embarrassed to be a GTFC fan seeing this.

Sacking managers doesn't achieve anything unless there is a serious danger of relegation.

I believe in football that consistency is key, part of our demise was too many changes in management.

Chopping and changing management starts a dangerous cycle of sacking, poor appointment, sacking and anybdecent manager will not want to come to a club with a trigger happy board.

What a ridiculous desicion. I was feeling positive about next season despite recent inconsistent performances and results and thought MB had signed some exciting players.

All the best to Marcus and his management team.

This is my main concern as well. It seems far too late in the season now to be building a push for a play-off place.. so I don't see why they wouldn't have at least let Marcus see the season out before making a decision. It's all very strange.

While we're demanding explanations, let's have one for Rob Scott as well while we're at it.

Quoted from MarinersOnTheUp

Absolutely disgusted with this desicions and I'm honestly embarrassed to be a GTFC fan seeing this.

Sacking managers doesn't achieve anything unless there is a serious danger of relegation.

I believe in football that consistency is key, part of our demise was too many changes in management.

Chopping and changing management starts a dangerous cycle of sacking, poor appointment, sacking and anybdecent manager will not want to come to a club with a trigger happy board.

What a ridiculous desicion. I was feeling positive about next season despite recent inconsistent performances and results and thought MB had signed some exciting players.

All the best to Marcus and his management team.

Agree with this 100%.

Completely ridiculous decision.

Quoted from BPMariner

Totally the right decision IMHO. Bignot was out of his depth. Just need the right decision now.

I don't agree that it was the right decision from a football perspective because we were doing ok IMO, but rumours have been doing the rounds for a while that all is not well behind the scenes and MB was dividing opinion strongly among the fans and maybe the players too. There has to be more to this than results as the remit was to establish ourselves in the league this year and not flirt with relegation, which we have done comfortably. The truth will out eventually i'm sure.

I will be surprised if this is nothing other than the collective weight of 5 months results, contradictory interviews, lack of clarity etc etc
People (fans, players and directors) don't like that feeling of 'where the hell is this taking us'?

There is this niggling feeling that he is out of his depth (could explain the big clown act) and with 5 games to go, delicate contract talks, a summer pre-season, money to spend etc (do we think Gunning was a good buy?) can we afford to see how it unfolds??

Seems harsh in many ways but I think it's the right decision in what is a very harsh industry

I actually think we have some very good players who are being asked to play in a very strange way - a 'proper' manager might bring the best out in them?

Having said all the above...something's kicked off!

WTF Unbelievable.
(confused1)(confused1)(confused1)

I was surprised that he got the job when Hurst went. Marcus who? A mate of mine who knows Bignot from his Crewe days said he he was OK. However, it seemed strange to go with someone who was managing in the Conference. He probably brought Conference attitudes. It is a crap league and we need to be looking upwards with someone who knows L2 and has managed at that level (at least). BUT I was never a Russell Slade fan either and believe he played his part in the decline of the club into the Conference. The 2006 Play-Off final was a disaster with speculation about Slade's future getting in the way of the match preparations. I don't think we had ever lost to Cheltenham before that game and the defeat send us into a spiral of decline.
Let's hope we get a new manager who is up to the job, can spend wisely and has good contacts in the FL to get some decent players. This great club needs to be looking upwards. The fans deserve some success after the very lean years of 2010-16. UTM

If its based just on results then i think its discusting, you should give your manager time to build and build. I liked his planning for the future and i think we will go backwards if we dont get the right man in. I liked how he started to get more staff on and weve obvoiusly lagged behind in terms of this and other stuff that football league teams have. I just hoped somethings happened behind the scenes that it was worth the sack because i will be pretty embarrased if its on results.

The players don't like playing for him it's as simple as that and it's seem to have left JF with no choice

No Mention of a caretaker in the statement.. do we expect further news, to my mind if mooro/ whoever was taking over it would have said

Club making "no further comment" at this time according to Dannatt.

If we appoint Russel slade I will be even angrier.

He's achieved next to nothing at all the clubs he's been at and is just another one who's on the manager merry-go-round.

Quoted from chicaneuk

Club making "no further comment" at this time according to Dannatt.

In other words, there's something else behind this and we'll have to guess.

Surprised at bit at this one!

Please no to slade.

How about Disley and Collins till the end of the season and see where it goes from there?

JT just Tweeted...
My understanding is that unrest in the dressing room played a major part in Bignot's sacking. #gtfc

We wont be paying any wages either with it being a 6 month rolling contract has fenty just decided not to renew it ? So frustrating i hope we dont have lots of upheavel again we deserve better.

JT thinks its unrest in the dressing room playing a part

need a decent experienced replacement who is proven at this league and above not the cheap option again please mr fenty

1 or 2 people of facebook repeating what i was told that senior players had crisis meeting with fenty last week

Get the check book out and get on the phone to Danny Cowley JF , you know it makes sense and its about time he got his shot at a big club ;)

dressing room unrest which we all knew

And if it is player unrest they want to look at themselves in the mirror, this has proper drunk me of.

So a week ago the fishy wanted him sacked after a 5-1 defeat now we win one hes was the next messiah

Only on the fishy :)

Quoted from sapper mariner

paul hurst Alan Buckley to make a shock return jumping out of mighty mariner at the next home game

Quoted from zorro_is_a_Mariner

We wont be paying any wages either with it being a 6 month rolling contract has fenty just decided not to renew it ? So frustrating i hope we dont have lots of upheavel again we deserve better.

He will get 6 months pay.

Maybe MB is just too pushy as he's been used to being numero uno at his last club and making all the decisions. Maybe it was just a case of the irresistible force meeting the immovable object and he clashed with JF? Add to that the player unrest and fans starting to drift away and it was a perfect storm.

Quoted from zorro_is_a_Mariner

We wont be paying any wages either with it being a 6 month rolling contract has fenty just decided not to renew it ? So frustrating i hope we dont have lots of upheavel again we deserve better.

Not quite how it works, He always has 6 months remaining on his contract and the contract keeps "rolling"

Dave Moore until seasons end then.

Just been told by someone down the street on my way out.

Had to come back in the house and check it on "The Fishy".

Quoted from zorro_is_a_Mariner

We wont be paying any wages either with it being a 6 month rolling contract has fenty just decided not to renew it ? So frustrating i hope we dont have lots of upheavel again we deserve better.

Doesn't a 6 month rolling contract mean that he will have at least a 6 months salary due?

The thing is there was bound to be unrest after almost 7 years with no changes.

I'm shocked but can hardly say I'm surprised.

It looks like there is more to this than what meets the eye and the club is in the right not to discuss why. What prospective manager wants to come in to a club that shares all that goes on behind the scenes? Professionalism is key to attracting the right candidate surely?

Yes stability with a manager can only be a good thing but when you see him tinkering like he did... Where is the stability there? The isn't.

It's a bold move by the club and I hope it pays off.

Kinnell

Wasn't Robbie Fowler in the area recently?

Please don't let it be Slade.

Quoted from arryarryarry

Doesn't a 6 month rolling contract mean that he will have at least a 6 months salary due?

I dont know i thought it was just 6 months, then after them 6 months are over then another 6 months renewed so on so on.

Also, who will be making the decisions on players contracts? Unless there is someone lined up this is bloody bad timing

Bloody hell, that's bizarre. Not Slade though ffs.

Said last week the camp was far from a happy one and heard the way Marcus treat the players was not good.

It is not bad timing really as we are safe and it will give us time to get the right person in. I'd rather it now than wait until pre-season

Before we start hanging Fenty out to dry, maybe it's best to wait for the fall out?

I've always advocated Bignot getting well into next season before any judgement is made but can anyone honestly say they saw the benefit of his time here and where we we actually going?

Yeah he's brought some good players in, even more players that he's never used.  Results have remained the same but if you take out the 'Henderson factor' our form is awful since the turn of the year.  We've chopped and changed line-ups, and systems and I've never once thought 'Yeah, I can see what he's trying to do here'.  Tactically he was well short of the mark.

January onwards looked like it was supposed to be our early pre-season in terms of getting a shape and style to our play, three months on I saw nothing to suggest we were progressing towards anything other than 11 blokes just wandering around aimlessly.

Some will argue that he's never put us in danger of relegation despite losing his top scorer.  Everyone knew Bogle was leaving and he even brought in 3 strikers in the transfer window.  One of whom (Dyson) he's used as a target man when he's never that.  The other two he's hardly used at all.   Losing a striker of Bogle's quality was always going to impact us, but that's a convenient excuse to hide behind and to be fair he used it a lot.

I'm sorry, the whole package was wrong.  Despite looking so promising to start with.

At least now we've a chance to keep a spine of the team together for next season.  He inherited a spine that needed some subtle additions to move us on, instead he went for wholesale changes and it cost him.  I don't know the bloke and most definitely don't want to see anyone losing their job, but this is the right decision in my eyes.

Quoted from Abdul19

Wow. Any tie wiggling involved?

My thoughts entirely.

I've been less than impressed with Bignot so far - too much talking, too little decent football on show - but getting rid of him at this point of the season seems pretty odd, especially coming immediately after a good away win. Just over 5 months since he joined, I believe? Must be some real unrest behind the scenes.

A bold move, to say the least.

Heaven only knows who we'll end up with next season. Or perhaps I should say that I shudder to think who we'll end up with! :-/

I'll wait until the full verdict is in the air before making comment.

If rumours are true, that this has come about because of a meeting between the players and Fenty - there must have been some very serious arguments from the players to get him fired. Ultimately, the players can not decide who their manager is for a number of reasons. Fenty, who is a businessman at heart, knows this very well.
It will be very interesting to see what happens now, and I really do hope that there will be shed some more light on this to stop our endless speculation here.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Before we start hanging Fenty out to dry, maybe it's best to wait for the fall out?

I've always advocated Bignot getting well into next season before any judgement is made but can anyone honestly say they saw the benefit of his time here and where we we actually going?

Yeah he's brought some good players in, even more players that he's never used.  Results have remained the same but if you take out the 'Henderson factor' our form is awful since the turn of the year.  We've chopped and changed line-ups, and systems and I've never once thought 'Yeah, I can see what he's trying to do here'.  Tactically he was well short of the mark.

January onwards looked like it was supposed to be our early pre-season in terms of getting a shape and style to our play, three months on I saw nothing to suggest we were progressing towards anything other than 11 blokes just wandering around aimlessly.

Some will argue that he's never put us in danger of relegation despite losing his top scorer.  Everyone knew Bogle was leaving and he even brought in 3 strikers in the transfer window.  One of whom (Dyson) he's used as a target man when he's never that.  The other two he's hardly used at all.   Losing a striker of Bogle's quality was always going to impact us, but that's a convenient excuse to hide behind and to be fair he used it a lot.

I'm sorry, the whole package was wrong.  Despite looking so promising to start with.

At least now we've a chance to keep a spine of the team together for next season.  He inherited a spine that needed some subtle additions to move us on, instead he went for wholesale changes and it cost him.  I don't know the bloke and most definitely don't want to see anyone losing their job, but this is the right decision in my eyes.

Well said DHM, exactly my thoughts too mate.

If it is the players we will never know . What manager would want to come here knowing the players have that much influence

Here's hoping the likes of Danny Andrew decide to stay.

Well now we're left with a load of players on 2 year contracts signed by our last 2 managers. Let's hope out next one likes them

Quoted from sapper mariner

paul hurst to make a shock return jumping out of mighty mariner at the next home game

;D ;D ;D ;D

Bignot and Fenty had a big argument in 'The Captains Table' in plain sight of the public the other week. Not sure if it has anything to do with this ridiculous decision.

Fishy Meltdown .... We're gonna need a bigger server !!

Very suprised at the news.

Not entirely disappointed given the erratic performances and squad selections.

Darn confused though. Look forward to the JF full and frank explanation on why he has de-constructed the management team.

At least we might shift Tergers, KR un Robins off Radio Hull tonight !!

Please please please start the next official club statement with..... "Listen..." ;)

For those of you wondering about the timing.
We are now mathematically certain to stay up !!

I'm so pleased. It was obvious he was full of sh1t after listening to the first 6 weeks worth of interviews. Constantly contradicting himself in press conferences - if he was like that with the players day-to-day then I'm glad they've revolted.

Quoted from Mariner Ronnie

I'll wait until the full verdict is in the air before making comment.

Thanks for that Jeff

Quoted from zorro_is_a_Mariner

We wont be paying any wages either with it being a 6 month rolling contract has fenty just decided not to renew it ? So frustrating i hope we dont have lots of upheavel again we deserve better.

If he was on a 6 month rolling contract then he has six months notice owing. Mind you it also means we can pay him net of tax and NI as it's breach of contract and so he's entitled to damages.

Quoted from geir

If rumours are true, that this has come about because of a meeting between the players and Fenty - there must have been some very serious arguments from the players to get him fired. Ultimately, the players can not decide who their manager is for a number of reasons. Fenty, who is a businessman at heart, knows this very well.
It will be very interesting to see what happens now, and I really do hope that there will be shed some more light on this to stop our endless speculation here.

Leicester/Ranieri??

Very pleased......... well done John Fenty. The club has to act as one, no internal rifts at all. I was at Blackpool, and although we got a good win, the players don' seem settled at all, and it must be down to Bignot. I am delighted he has gone and will back the new manager 100%. All the players cannot be wrong, and if rumours are true, hardly any of the players liked Bignot at all.

Onwards and upwards for the MIGHTY MARINERS..... the club is bigger than any one individual.

UTM

Probably the worst aspect of this is that I'm not shocked

Please not Slade
Mamma wear all crazy now if it is
Kenny Jackett?

I said it was bold what MB was trying and it looks like it was too bold for some. My worry is that we now have players at the club that have strong links to MB. Asante and Osborne from his previous club and Clements who was a recommendation of Mickey Moore by the looks of things. Yussuf too. Then there is Gunning but he's only on a short term deal. I think Jones is the best signing and he doesn't seem to have any affiliations with the midlands mafia, so not too much concern there.

Maybe all this contradictory contract talk has now been explained, with Collins and Andrew probably reluctant to sign with MB at the helm if the players didn't like him?

Quoted from Welwynmariner

If he was on a 6 month rolling contract then he has six months notice owing. Mind you it also means we can pay him net of tax and NI as it's breach of contract and so he's entitled to damages.

Do not think that is correct as if a contract specifies a 6 month period he will receive payment in line with his contractual entitlements so tax & NI are both payable so this would not been breach of his contract.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Before we start hanging Fenty out to dry, maybe it's best to wait for the fall out?

I've always advocated Bignot getting well into next season before any judgement is made but can anyone honestly say they saw the benefit of his time here and where we we actually going?

Yeah he's brought some good players in, even more players that he's never used.  Results have remained the same but if you take out the 'Henderson factor' our form is awful since the turn of the year.  We've chopped and changed line-ups, and systems and I've never once thought 'Yeah, I can see what he's trying to do here'.  Tactically he was well short of the mark.

January onwards looked like it was supposed to be our early pre-season in terms of getting a shape and style to our play, three months on I saw nothing to suggest we were progressing towards anything other than 11 blokes just wandering around aimlessly.

Some will argue that he's never put us in danger of relegation despite losing his top scorer.  Everyone knew Bogle was leaving and he even brought in 3 strikers in the transfer window.  One of whom (Dyson) he's used as a target man when he's never that.  The other two he's hardly used at all.   Losing a striker of Bogle's quality was always going to impact us, but that's a convenient excuse to hide behind and to be fair he used it a lot.

I'm sorry, the whole package was wrong.  Despite looking so promising to start with.

At least now we've a chance to keep a spine of the team together for next season.  He inherited a spine that needed some subtle additions to move us on, instead he went for wholesale changes and it cost him.  I don't know the bloke and most definitely don't want to see anyone losing their job, but this is the right decision in my eyes.

I agree, I've never been his biggest fan, and some of his team selections and formations have worried me for next season but still a
huge surprise and I'm sure there must be more to this.

What did the Trust know about this, if anything? Was it a unilateral decision by Fenty? If so, if it was based on football knowledge I sincerely hope he consulted a clairvoyant in the first instance.

Gobsmacked and shocked. Fans owned club has surely to be the answer now. We're a plaything.

Quoted from Civvy at last

For those of you wondering about the timing.
We are now mathematically certain to stay up !!

Good point Civvy. Maybe JF told them that if they win at Blackpool, he'd pull the trigger? ;)

Well I`m pleased, even taking in the good result Saturday (we were lucky to finish with eleven on the pitch) lets hope the next one shown the door is that thug Gunning, I never had any confidence in Big smile and was convinced if things did not improve he would take us back to non league.

Strikes me if Marcus stayed a lot of the out of contract players would go, JF is no mug and when Marcus gave him a hug during the meet the manager forum JF looked totally embarrassed ---not good ;D

Pleased to see the back of him, changed too much too soon and really destroyed the stability at the club. Think it's the right decision, not sure it will have been made for the right reasons though.

Quoted from jock dock tower

What did the Trust know about this, if anything? Was it a unilateral decision by Fenty? If so, if it was based on football knowledge I sincerely hope he consulted a clairvoyant in the first instance.

Gobsmacked and shocked. Fans owned club has surely to be the answer now. We're a plaything.

Give your head a wobble

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

Do not think that is correct as if a contract specifies a 6 month period he will receive payment in line with his contractual entitlements so tax & NI are both payable so this would not been breach of his contract.

Believe me that it is.

We've said - "Leave and don't come back" - and not allowed him to work his notice. That's why he's entitled to damages (his net pay that he would have received had he worked his notice).

It's a very cost effective way of getting rid of someone.

Never a dull moment being a Town fan. No play-offs this year and season just petering out. So Fenty pulls it out of the hat...

Quoted from Welwynmariner

If he was on a 6 month rolling contract then he has six months notice owing. Mind you it also means we can pay him net of tax and NI as it's breach of contract and so he's entitled to damages.

We have the money Shrewsbury would have given us for Hurst, so we break even for the season. ;D

Have we ever had three managers in one season before, assuming someone new comes in before the end?

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

Do not think that is correct as if a contract specifies a 6 month period he will receive payment in line with his contractual entitlements so tax & NI are both payable so this would not been breach of his contract.

Correct, if it is stipulated in the contract of his salary then tax & N.I. will have to be deducted. The only way out of that would be if it was not deemed a contractual payment and treated as for example compensation for loss of office at which time he would still be entitled to the gross payment and it is not a case of the club saving any tax and N.I. liability.

Quoted from Garth

Give your head a wobble

Why should he give his head a wobble?

I'm assuming you have a rational argument.

This club never fails to surprise. Genuinely don't know what to think. We need some clarity very quickly, and the three paragraph club statement doesn't do that for me. And here's me thinking the season was just going to drift away quietly!

Quoted from ginnywings

Good point Civvy. Maybe JF told them that if they win at Blackpool, he'd pull the trigger? ;)

i have the feeling that you may be close to the mark with that, ginny

Quoted from Welwynmariner

Believe me that it is.

We've said - "Leave and don't come back" - and not allowed him to work his notice. That's why he's entitled to damages (his net pay that he would have received had he worked his notice).

It's a very cost effective way of getting rid of someone.

How do you know the contract does not allow for the employee i.e. MB, to be placed on garden leave or dismissed with full payment of notice?

Football manager's contracts are I am sure very different to the ordinary guy in the street and I would still guess contact has not been breached but without the paperwork we will not know for sure so academic argument!!

Surely there's got to be more than football results to this. He's not set the world on fire but then neither did his predecessors but they got much longer. If it is, it's bonkers.

All sorts of rumours out there. Be nice to get some clarity at some point but I doubt we will get anything official.

Quoted from Mandy Dunnit vs Hettie

This club never fails to surprise. Genuinely don't know what to think. We need some clarity very quickly, and the three paragraph club statement doesn't do that for me. And here's me thinking the season was just going to drift away quietly!

Looks like it has come about hastily, so they just wanted to get it out there before it emerged through other means. I think they will explain it more when the dust settles.

Quoted from forza ivano

i have the feeling that you may be close to the mark with that, ginny

There's a guy on 1FF who's a Lincoln fan but works for the GET. He posted something cryticon Saturday and is now saying he'd been told Bignot was being sacked yesterday.

Thinking about it, the fact that Whild and Moore have also gone suggests it not another Newell scenario (Brian Stein hung around another week)

A surprise but overdue event. He was out of his depth from day 1 in fact his appointment was IMO another Fenty member up. We needed an established manager on our return to EFL not some no mark from the non-league we had just left.
Get the new man in asap, get new contracts signed by Andrew, Collins et al, get Gunning back to Scotland in time for the Edinburgh Festival so he can do his comedy spot to an audience that might just find it amusing and clear out some of the others so the new boss starts with a relatively clean sheet in August
Well done John Fenty, whatever the real reason for the sacking ( which we will of course never find out the truth about) just a few months too late.

Absolutely the correct decision in my eyes.

A bit of a marmite character, even those who supported him didn't seem to understand what the end game was, if there was one.

It is one of the strangest episodes Iv'e witnessed after all these years - appoint an up and coming manager who by and large the fans approve of, who then seems to go into meltdown before really getting his feet under the table.

I too understand a delegation of players had a meeting with the non chairman to show their concerns, and if a manager doesn't command the respect of the players then he has to go.

He will be kicking himself for making such a pigs ear of it. If only he had felt his way into the job before changing everything.

Quoted from Ipswin

A surprise but overdue event. He was out of his depth from day 1 in fact his appointment was IMO another Fenty member up. We needed an established manager on our return to EFL not some no mark from the non-league we had just left.
Get the new man in asap, get new contracts signed by Andrew Collins et al, get Gunning back to Scotland in time for the Edinburgh Festival so he can do his comedy spot to an audience that might just find it amusing and clear out some of the others so the new boss starts with a relatively clean sheet in August
Well done John Fenty, whatever the real reason for the sacking ( which we will of course never find out the truth about) just a few months too late.

But do you trust Fenty to get it right this time, his record on appointing managers isn't great?

Quoted from Barrattstander

But do you trust Fenty to get it right this time, his record on appointing managers isn't great?

I don't think we can ever trust Fenty to get it right TBH, (I thought Newell was a great appointment!) if its possible to fcuk it up he will but surely sooner or later he will strike lucky .Please!

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

Absolutely the correct decision in my eyes.

A bit of a marmite character, even those who supported him didn't seem to understand what the end game was, if there was one.

It is one of the strangest episodes Iv'e witnessed after all these years - appoint an up and coming manager who by and large the fans approve of, who then seems to go into meltdown before really getting his feet under the table.

I too understand a delegation of players had a meeting with the non chairman to show their concerns, and if a manager doesn't command the respect of the players then he has to go.

He will be kicking himself for making such a pigs ear of it. If only he had felt his way into the job before changing everything.

I think that last line is apt. I generally agreed with what he was doing but he did go at it like a kid in a sweet shop and it seems his reach exceeded his grasp.

Donney team selection and result probably raised the hammer to knock the nail in the coffin. Must be cumulative issues though.

Please God not Ranieri
Another joker
Tinkers too much
And what has he done?

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

How do you know the contract does not allow for the employee i.e. MB, to be placed on garden leave or dismissed with full payment of notice?

Football manager's contracts are I am sure very different to the ordinary guy in the street and I would still guess contact has not been breached but without the paperwork we will not know for sure so academic argument!!

I was working from the claim that he was on a 6 month rolling contract. I assume that's the case, although you're right - I've never seen his contract so none of us know for sure.

Significantly he's not even got past the first six months - he was in post for 5 months and 3 days. For all we know he might have had to get past the first six months to trigger the rolling element?

Anyway - he's gone so it's a question of who comes next.

Quoted from Mariner Ronnie

I'll wait until the full verdict is in the air before making comment.

It's a football related topic not a crown court trial.

Shocked. If it's just a football decision I wish all the best for the future.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

The conspiracy theories will start. Myself, I still think there was more to Henderson leaving than was said at the time.

I agree something was not right there. Problem is as with all GTFC matters we will never be told the truth by Fenty and co. so conspiracy theories will not surprisingly abound

Come on John break the habit of a lifetime and tell the paying fans. Perhaps (hopefully) Bignot will spill the beans once the cheque has cleared.

I'm disappointed, personally. I've always wanted clubs to trust a manager and give him the authority to pick and command players how he chooses, and I think our new approach of hiring young, ambitious managers was our best hope of climbing the leagues.

But I'm not privy to the crucial information surrounding this and the board may have been justified in its actions.

It will take at least a season with a new manager in charge to see if it was the correct decision. Here's hoping that it is.

UTM

Quoted from ginnywings

Looks like it has come about hastily, so they just wanted to get it out there before it emerged through other means. I think they will explain it more when the dust settles.

Betcha they don't - they will just feed us more bullshit and half truths.as usual

If you look at the official statement it talks about ambition, and building on the return to the EFL.

So it seems to me that Fenty just did not think Bignot had what it takes to move us on to the next level, i.e. constructing a squad and selecting a team that will challenge for promotion next year.

If so, then he is right to act now to give the new boss the close season to prepare the squad. Much better than wasting half of next season with see saw results.

I should think that what we need now is an experienced manager with a proven track record in L2 or L1. Someone who knows the ropes at this level, rather than taking a punt on someone who may or may now develop into a good league manager.

Quoted from chicaneuk

Club making "no further comment" at this time according to Dannatt.

While this doesn't surprise me, it still annoys me.

There's nothing worse than saying 'no comment' because it allows rumours to breed.

Even if the club can't say anything due to legal reasons, they should come out and say that. At least then the fans will understand.

Refusing to offer any clarification whatsoever leaves this message board teeming with unsubstantiated rumours (some of which can get out of hand, and then someone says something they shouldn't, then Fenty gets involved and threatens them with legal action).

You get the idea. It creates a problem for themselves.

FFS! This is going to really sodomist up my data allowance.

Quoted from Welwynmariner

Believe me that it is.

We've said - "Leave and don't come back" - and not allowed him to work his notice. That's why he's entitled to damages (his net pay that he would have received had he worked his notice).

It's a very cost effective way of getting rid of someone.

He is entitled to pay in lieu of notice at the gross amount whether taxable or not.

Quoted from Ipswin

Betcha they don't - they will just feed us more bullshit and half truths.as usual

Agree mushrooms come to mind. UTM

Quoted from Ipswin

Betcha they don't - they will just feed us more bullshit and half truths.as usual

Maybe they will, maybe they won't but i'm not fussed either way. When managers and players leave the club, i'm not really interested why and where they are going. It's all about the new man now for me. I supported Bignot and i'll support the new guy, even if it's Slade (God i hope not)

I wish they had acted as quick to get rid of Hurst

Quoted from RichMariner

While this doesn't surprise me, it still annoys me.

There's nothing worse than saying 'no comment' because it allows rumours to breed.

Even if the club can't say anything due to legal reasons, they should come out and say that. At least then the fans will understand.

Refusing to offer any clarification whatsoever leaves this message board teeming with unsubstantiated rumours (some of which can get out of hand, and then someone says something they shouldn't, then Fenty gets involved and threatens them with legal action).

You get the idea. It creates a problem for themselves.

To be fair to the club, there's nothing they could have said that would have prevented the fan-base from going into overdrive, trying to work out why he was booted. Regardless of what statement they made, short of saying exactly why he was let going, people would have tried to read into it. So a simple 'no comment' is probably the easiest way to just let the conspiracy theories rain, whilst they crack on with the job.

Odds from sky.
No to slade
How does curtis bloody woodhouse even get that short odds?

Russell Slade 1/8
Neil Redfearn 10/1
Steve Cotterill 12/1
David Flitcroft 12/1
Paul Groves 14/1
Kenny Jackett 16/1
Nigel Adkins 16/1
Neil Woods 16/1
Robbie Stockdale 18/1
Alan Buckley 25/1
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink 25/1
Micky Adams 25/1
Chris Powell 25/1
Billy Davies 28/1
Russ Wilcox 28/1
Curtis Woodhouse 28/1

Very shocked at this news,thought he would be given until October at least,will reserve judgement until the full story comes out about what went on,just want to say thankyou to MB for giving it a go and wish him all the best for the future.
I see the codfather has emerged from under his rock to gloat,cant say well done after a good win but is all over this,be careful what you wish for you mans private

Quoted from Welwynmariner

Believe me that it is.

We've said - "Leave and don't come back" - and not allowed him to work his notice. That's why he's entitled to damages (his net pay that he would have received had he worked his notice).

It's a very cost effective way of getting rid of someone.

It is not the normal workplace so how do you know the contract does not allow for the employee i.e. MB, to be placed on garden leave or dismissed with full payment of notice?

Football manager's contracts are I am sure very different to the ordinary guy in the street and I would guess that the contract has not been breached but without the paperwork we will not know for sure so academic argument!!

Quoted from Mikey_345

Thanks for that Jeff

I was thinking the same , was a pointless thing to say on a message board ;)

President Trump surprised everyone by, as a leader, taking unexpected, quick and decisive action over Syria. JF has taken a leaf out of his book.

Quoted from monkeyboy

Odds from sky.
No to slade
How does curtis bloody woodhouse even get that short odds?

Russell Slade 1/8
Neil Redfearn 10/1
Steve Cotterill 12/1
David Flitcroft 12/1
Paul Groves 14/1
Kenny Jackett 16/1
Nigel Adkins 16/1
Neil Woods 16/1
Robbie Stockdale 18/1
Alan Buckley 25/1
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink 25/1
Micky Adams 25/1
Chris Powell 25/1
Billy Davies 28/1
Russ Wilcox 28/1
Curtis Woodhouse 28/1

There's not many on there that I be impressed with. :(

Revolting players who weren't playing regularly-stands out a mile-nothing to do with results-seen it all before-he upset too many players-trouble with having a big squad

Quoted from TownSNAFU5

President Trump surprised everyone by, as a leader, taking unexpected, quick and decisive action over Syria. JF has taken a leaf out of his book.

So this is all " fake news " then ?.😊

Discussing it on Hullberside now.

Quoted from bluebottle

So this is all " fake news " then ?.😊

How long before we read about mysterious links to Russian diplomats?! :)

So Hurst was given 6 years to get it right, Bignot was given 5 months and 3 days!

So it was Bignot fault the best striker and arguably the best keeper in the division left the club within a few days of each other and of course those players leaving had nothing to do with Town having a weaker team. And of course it was Bignot fault players not happy at not playing or playing in positions/styles they are not accustomed too decide to tell Fenty they don't like the manager. And of course it was Bignot fault we aren't sitting on top of the league already champions!

Absolutely disgraceful decision

Quoted from TownSNAFU5

President Trump surprised everyone by, as a leader, taking unexpected, quick and decisive action over Syria. JF has taken a leaf out of his book.

What about the rumour that he was looking orange on Saturday evening?

Quoted from monkeyboy

Odds from sky.
No to slade
How does curtis bloody woodhouse even get that short odds?

Russell Slade 1/8
Neil Redfearn 10/1
Steve Cotterill 12/1
David Flitcroft 12/1
Paul Groves 14/1
Kenny Jackett 16/1
Nigel Adkins 16/1
Neil Woods 16/1
Robbie Stockdale 18/1
Alan Buckley 25/1
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink 25/1
Micky Adams 25/1
Chris Powell 25/1
Billy Davies 28/1
Russ Wilcox 28/1
Curtis Woodhouse 28/1

Big list of manager merrygorounders with probably more fails and sackings than successes. Our 3 most succesful managers for years came from non league inc Buckley (although he had league experience) and nonm of them were successful straight away. I hope we have non of them on the list, might as well have Disley in charge he is no less likely to get us promoted next season than anyone else,
If it was player power that got him booted we should be looking to offload the lot of them even if it includes the likes of the fans favourites and those we cannot offload leave them in the reserves. I wasnt bothered either way about Bignot but not giving him a full season was ridiculas. I await the red crosses.

Quoted from Sussexmariner

So Hurst was given 6 years to get it right, Bignot was given 5 months and 3 days!

So it was Bignot fault the best striker and arguably the best keeper in the division left the club within a few days of each other and of course those players leaving had nothing to do with Town having a weaker team. And of course it was Bignot fault players not happy at not playing or playing in positions/styles they are not accustomed too decide to tell Fenty they don't like the manager. And of course it was Bignot fault we aren't sitting on top of the league already champions!

Absolutely disgraceful decision

I don't think it's as simple as him having time to get his squad right and not being given a fair chance. It reeks of a fairly major bust-up.. either with the board, or perhaps the players themselves as has been suggested by some on here, Tondeur on Twitter, etc.

Quoted from GYinScuntland

FFS! This is going to really sodomist up my data allowance.

Top drawer!! This had me f**king howling, brilliant!!

Jimmy Floyd did wonders at Burton. Kenny Jacket would be a good xhoice and experienced. Its a shame biggie has gone but there is obvious unrest.

Got to say Bignot looked very forlorn sitting on his own on the barrier of the West stand at Blackpool for half an hour watching the players warm up.

Guy on Humberside now saying players would not sign contracts whilst bignot was in charge.

Quoted from Mariner Ronnie

I'll wait until the full verdict is in the air before making comment.

Think you're posting on the wrong website Ron.

This forum's for rumour, innuendo and speculation mate..

On look north in a minute must say after all the changes and strange formations the players confidence in him must have been shot to shitrags it definitely showed on the field.

Expect this all to move very quickly, now. Looks like #GTFC could appoint new man before Cambridge.

tweet from matt d

If fans ( some) could see he was full of hot air from his weekly interviews then the players, who hear him every day, would suss him out a lot quicker.

Noticeable Bignot did not come over to us Saturday.

Quoted from Hagrid

Guy on Humberside now saying players would not sign contracts whilst bignot was in charge.

If that's true- FK the lot of 'em You can't have players taking charge. If I'd tried this in my day I'd have ended up cutting the grass

Thank intercourse for that.
Dodged a bullet with that bloke. If he had stayed we would have been bottom 5 next season
Like I've said many times on here football like Mike Lyons and media interviews with more bull excrement than Mike Newell.

His big mistake was coming in with all guns blazing.
Cleaning out players to bring in his own far to soon.
Players he brought in most (not all) are inferior to the ones he got rid of.
Brought in the wrong type of player, who needs 10 midfielders how can play down the middle and non that can play out wide?
Total confusion on the pitch.
Total confusion off it.
Double training sessions with hours in the class room pissing players off.

Good luck to the bloke where ever he ends up just glad it not here.

It'll be interesting to see how the players perform now they've got rid of him then if thats what happened

Quoted from grimps

It'll be interesting to see how the players perform now they've got rid of him then if thats what happened

I think that was answered on Saturday !!

Well if it was unrest from the Town players that got Bignot sacked. They had better put in one hell of a performance on Friday against Cambridge!!

Quoted from grimps

It'll be interesting to see how the players perform now they've got rid of him then if thats what happened

I've just heard the players want to pick the team themselves-only want to train 1/2 hour a day so they can get the school run in-none of those in the current team signed by Bignot to play again-and those here before last Jan window to approach Shrewsbury to see if they still want Hurst. If they don't get their way they want new dummies and fresh Rose Hip syrup.Be men-you load of SPOILT wimps.

Quoted from Revolutionary Rodders

Well if it was unrest from the Town players that got Bignot sacked. They had better put in one hell of a performance on Friday against Cambridge!!

Let's hope the fans turn up and get behind the club, for whatever reasons MB has been removed.

Always used to be a bigger crowd than normal on Good Fridays and it would be nice to dent Cambridge's promotion hopes as it is always a good away day.

Just been told that senior players went to the board and said Bignot couldn't even run a training session properly and if he was here next season, they wouldn't be.

Fenty said about Bignot that he was doing absolutely everything at Solihull.

Overeager, at it like a bull in a china shop with professionals rather than part timers. I feel Bignot didn't take the time to learn how to manage a professional team before making massive changes.Yes, for sure Paul Hurst was and is still learning as a manager after 6 years at professional clubs. He wasn't good at PR maybe, but took his time to get things sorted.

I was happy to let Bignot carry on until at least how next season started, but there was in my opinion a certain amount of blagging, talking himself up and buttering the fans up for a love-in to get the fans onside. Maybe that's what he's used to a lower levels where money is tight and its up to a manager to blagg a player over/win a player over with talking a good game, but at this level?

I had a manager once at my place at work who lets say was a good talker/blagger. It was good at 1st, until we realised he a bit clueless and was effectively a rudderless leader. He lasted just over six months.

Anyway, no hard feelings really Marcus. Good luck in whatever you end up doing next.

Quoted from ginnywings

Just been told that senior players went to the board and said Bignot couldn't even run a training session properly and if he was here next season, they wouldn't be.

Wonder who the players were. Collins and Andrew would be the ones I'd be really concerned about losing.

People on here can say what they want and that players should be men etcetc, but for me, for senior players to go and do that, something must have been seriously wrong, we've heard of weeks and weeks of player unrest, for John to have made this move it must have been a complete breakdown in relationship. For one im pleased he's gone, i thought he was clueless

Quoted from ginnywings

Just been told that senior players went to the board and said Bignot couldn't even run a training session properly and if he was here next season, they wouldn't be.

Well we know who they are and for the real reasons-don't suppose they like sitting on the naughty step. If they are told to do something they don't like by the new manager do they do the same thing happen again. Where was HIS backing from the board

Although I could see what MB was trying to achieve with his radical approach , unfortunately he was moving too fast in implementing it. As long as we were in with a chance of making the play-offs then any team changes needed to be tempered with the ultimate goal of getting a result ( no pun intended !). I'm sure JF had noticed this and while the feel good factor from getting back in the league was evident then any changes should have been forced and tactical, not experimental. I'm fairly sure that JF has already got somebody lined up and could easily have delayed Bignots' sacking until he was sure of securing somebody. Even if there is nobody waiting in the wings we are in a very strong position to secure somebody of quality , especially now the new ground is becoming more of a reality. Certainly, if we do secure a new manager over the next 2 weeks then it will give him time to assess his squad before the end of the season and decide what is required to move forward. For what it's worth I think MB will make a good manager one day but he needs to be more measured in his approach and realise that a clubs fans might not share his hurried radical approach and they, ultimately, are the ones that matter most.

I have been out all day and just spent the last 35 mins reading all the posts,

Well I am shocked, if he got the sack last week I would only have been surprised,

All the rumours about players unrest might have some truth in them after all,

It will be interesting on what team is put out on Friday probably picked by Dave Moore or and Woods,

The good news is the new man has a longer time to sort our club out for next season,

Good Bye Marcus it was really interesting ( sort of ) while it lasted.

Some keep mentioning Woods but as he had that much contact with the 1st team?

If anyone is put in charge before a replacement is brought in I would suggest Dave Moore with Andy Warrington.

Whichever way you look at it, the board got the appointment wrong. Singing his praises in November and sacking him in April. Doesn't fill me with much confidence.

As an Arsenal supporter, I just wish the Board at The Emirates would move fast with decisions like that ;-)

Quoted from malkamalka

As an Arsenal supporter, I just wish the Board at The Emirates would move fast with decisions like that ;-)

So Wenger should have been sacked after 5 months??

Constantly doing well in the Prem must be hard!

Shocked... I guess it was true about the players and wouldn't suprise me if what someone has put is true about them going to the board and saying that.

Wow.

Not necessarily sacking the Manager - just any decision ;-)

Quoted from TheRealJohnLewis

So Wenger should have been sacked after 5 months??

Constantly doing well in the Prem must be hard!

Look at from JF's point of view,

Six months in and what has been achieved? Nothing in reality in fact there is a long list of things started or dismantled at a cost as Marcus has spent money on the squad without reducing the wage bill at the other end.

Attendances are down so it could impact season ticket sales which is the main collateral the club have when they agree an operating overdraft and such contingencies with the bank.

Marcus has discarded experience and a degree of talent and replaced it with inexperience and potential aka "gambles".

We have some money still from the Omar sale so do you give it to MB and let him bring in more "developing players", Gunning's or endless mid field players to play out of position or sit on the bench. Or would you spend a  bit of it on a proven manager if one has become available?

After years of a settled dressing room where any "mood hoovers" where quickly despatched and morale was good the players are unhappy which may mean that we face the prospect of losing Pearson, Collins, Andrew, Macca (possibly) and have little chance of keeping the best "footballer" at the club Vose. If I was JF I'd be asking why MB has not secured these players before now.

So Dis will go and the lads who JF viewed as the "stalwarts" from last season will have all gone - leaving us with zero continuity, just 12 months after winning a Wembley final.

We have gone backwards on the pitch and in some games looked like a pub team (no disrespect to pub teams) and we have been thumped 5 - 0 on three occasions and surrendered leads in numerous games. Versus the league leaders and our closest geographical rivals.

Add to that various instances of calling players out in the press, Hendogate, embarrassing gaffs etc... etc...

So all of the above means that keeping MB could be a risk and one with the prospect of PP actually becoming a reality one that I would want to take.

I'm surprised to say the least that JF has done this but all told when you examine the risk factor of keeping Marcus then you can understand it. Personally he was beginning to irritate the fcuk out of me on and off the pitch.

Strongly doubt there ll be a team picked by Mooro and Woods, I really think they have someone ready.

I do wonder if where Fenty went wrong this season was not giving PH what he needed in terms of Budget and Staff. I really think we miss PH's stability, he s a very good Manager.

Quoted from rancido

Although I could see what MB was trying to achieve with his radical approach , unfortunately he was moving too fast in implementing it. As long as we were in with a chance of making the play-offs then any team changes needed to be tempered with the ultimate goal of getting a result ( no pun intended !). I'm sure JF had noticed this and while the feel good factor from getting back in the league was evident then any changes should have been forced and tactical, not experimental. I'm fairly sure that JF has already got somebody lined up and could easily have delayed Bignots' sacking until he was sure of securing somebody. Even if there is nobody waiting in the wings we are in a very strong position to secure somebody of quality , especially now the new ground is becoming more of a reality. Certainly, if we do secure a new manager over the next 2 weeks then it will give him time to assess his squad before the end of the season and decide what is required to move forward. For what it's worth I think MB will make a good manager one day but he needs to be more measured in his approach and realise that a clubs fans might not share his hurried radical approach and they, ultimately, are the ones that matter most.

Could you? Cause he'd been here for five months and I still didn't have a clue really how he wanted us to play. I didn't disagree with clearing out the players he didn't think were up for it and using this season as a springboard for a really good crack at it next season. But to do that you have to actually start implementing a system and style of play. Instead his changes stopped us being solid and having a shape (Hurstism but it was true and goes a long way to making you hard to beat) and it looked like the players didn't know what they were being asked to do, let alone what we could see from the stands. Formations and personnel were changed on a whim and they never really seemed to have a lot of in--depth tactical reasoning behind them, seemed more like they were picked out of a hat. It's alright experimenting but if you're making five or six changes each game you don't allow any understanding to develop and the team will never play cohesively. Particularly when the formation is also regularly being changed and you're shoehorning players into positions they don't play.

If the rumours of players being reluctant to sign again for him is true then would you have trusted him to replace them adequately? Potentially losing Collins, Andrew and Pearson who are three very good players at this level and I'm not sure MB would have brought in the required quality. Whilst there is no doubt Jones is a great signing and Osborne looks promising the other signings are various degrees of average or poor. Asante may come good but the jury is still out.

The biggest worry for me were his interviews. A man who contradicts himself regularly is not one I'd place much faith in. Plenty on here have commented on that and if we could see MB for all his bluster in five minute snippets then you can bet that the players could when they were with him every day. There was little to no fight in the side and that was why we were getting drubbed some weeks. It never seemed like the squad was playing for him. But he didn't help himself by calling the players out in public, he did that only nine days ago. Moaning that players should know their roles but I'd argue that confusion is bound to be rife when you're not sure what position you might be in from one game to the next. Hurst wasn't a perfect manager but he never blamed the players or at least not in public. It's not conductive to generating a good team spirit and gave me the impression that Bignot was arrogant and couldn't accept blame himself.

Normally I'd argue that he deserved to have pre-season at least but given the evidence of his five months in charge, it would have been very risky to allow him to build his own squad completely so quickly especially if we were going to lose our better players. Good luck to him in his career, it is never nice for someone to lose their job but I feel we've dodged a bullet on this one. Just hope the board appoint the right manager to take us forward.

Can't see how anyone comes out of this looking good. The 'board' have made another failed appointment, I dread to think who we'll get next. Allegedly the players have shown that they will spit their dummy out if they don't like their manager or aren't in the team. This goes some way to explaining the shambolic collapses over the last few months. Finally MB has a sacking on his CV and has to try to rebuild his reputation.

Quoted from 935

Strongly doubt there ll be a team picked by Mooro and Woods, I really think they have someone ready.

I do wonder if where Fenty went wrong this season was not giving PH what he needed in terms of Budget and Staff. I really think we miss PH's stability, he s a very good Manager.

Do you know what budget PH was given and if it met his expectations? If not then what you are saying is pure speculation.

Quoted from rancido

Do you know what budget PH was given and if it met his expectations? If not then what you are saying is pure speculation.

I d have thought it was understood that something prefixed by "I wonder" was indeed speculation... but I ll explain.. the reason behind my budget speculation was that there was an issue with hiring a s and c coach which either comes down to not finding the right guy, or the chairman refusing to fork out for it..

Quoted from rancido

Although I could see what MB was trying to achieve with his radical approach , unfortunately he was moving too fast in implementing it. As long as we were in with a chance of making the play-offs then any team changes needed to be tempered with the ultimate goal of getting a result ( no pun intended !). I'm sure JF had noticed this and while the feel good factor from getting back in the league was evident then any changes should have been forced and tactical, not experimental. I'm fairly sure that JF has already got somebody lined up and could easily have delayed Bignots' sacking until he was sure of securing somebody. Even if there is nobody waiting in the wings we are in a very strong position to secure somebody of quality , especially now the new ground is becoming more of a reality. Certainly, if we do secure a new manager over the next 2 weeks then it will give him time to assess his squad before the end of the season and decide what is required to move forward. For what it's worth I think MB will make a good manager one day but he needs to be more measured in his approach and realise that a clubs fans might not share his hurried radical approach and they, ultimately, are the ones that matter most.

What was he trying to achieve? He chopped and changed that often i'm not sure he knew what he was trying to achieve.
Genuine question because it beats me!

Quoted from mariner91

Could you? Cause he'd been here for five months and I still didn't have a clue really how he wanted us to play. I didn't disagree with clearing out the players he didn't think were up for it and using this season as a springboard for a really good crack at it next season. But to do that you have to actually start implementing a system and style of play. Instead his changes stopped us being solid and having a shape (Hurstism but it was true and goes a long way to making you hard to beat) and it looked like the players didn't know what they were being asked to do, let alone what we could see from the stands. Formations and personnel were changed on a whim and they never really seemed to have a lot of in--depth tactical reasoning behind them, seemed more like they were picked out of a hat. It's alright experimenting but if you're making five or six changes each game you don't allow any understanding to develop and the team will never play cohesively. Particularly when the formation is also regularly being changed and you're shoehorning players into positions they don't play.

If the rumours of players being reluctant to sign again for him is true then would you have trusted him to replace them adequately? Potentially losing Collins, Andrew and Pearson who are three very good players at this level and I'm not sure MB would have brought in the required quality. Whilst there is no doubt Jones is a great signing and Osborne looks promising the other signings are various degrees of average or poor. Asante may come good but the jury is still out.

The biggest worry for me were his interviews. A man who contradicts himself regularly is not one I'd place much faith in. Plenty on here have commented on that and if we could see MB for all his bluster in five minute snippets then you can bet that the players could when they were with him every day. There was little to no fight in the side and that was why we were getting drubbed some weeks. It never seemed like the squad was playing for him. But he didn't help himself by calling the players out in public, he did that only nine days ago. Moaning that players should know their roles but I'd argue that confusion is bound to be rife when you're not sure what position you might be in from one game to the next. Hurst wasn't a perfect manager but he never blamed the players or at least not in public. It's not conductive to generating a good team spirit and gave me the impression that Bignot was arrogant and couldn't accept blame himself.

Normally I'd argue that he deserved to have pre-season at least but given the evidence of his five months in charge, it would have been very risky to allow him to build his own squad completely so quickly especially if we were going to lose our better players. Good luck to him in his career, it is never nice for someone to lose their job but I feel we've dodged a bullet on this one. Just hope the board appoint the right manager to take us forward.

What 91 said...................and if Rancido could see what MB was doing maybe he should have told him because after the Donny game I for one thought he did not have a clue.

Quoted from grimps

It'll be interesting to see how the players perform now they've got rid of him then if thats what happened

Well when the Leicester players got rid of Ranieri they won their next 5 games. Maybe we'll do that now and sneak into the play-offs. ;D

Gutted for him.Wrong thing to do in my view.

Sorry to see you go Marcus

All the best.Hopefully you can become a success somewhere else

The only shocking thing out of all of this for me, was the fact, why wasn't Bignot sacked after the Doncaster game ??? I am pleased he has gone, no question there, but to let the guy get an away win, then let him say he is looking forward to the Easter games, does seem slightly mean in all fairness. No doubt Marcus will be very bitter towards the club now, probably with some cause. In my opinion he tried to run before he could walk, tried to be too radical before he got a real grasp of league management. I think his main downfall was way too much tinkering with the team, and not always playing his strongest 11, week in week out. A football club is a business, not a toy to experiment with. I wish Marcus all the very best for the future, and hope that he has learnt from this whole episode. Touch wood for Marcus he will learn from this and come back a stronger and better manager, and a lot wiser for this experience. Nobody wants any guy to fail and lose his job, as fans all we want is the very best for our club. Managers come and go, we are here for decades.

UTM

Quoted from TheCodfather1966

The only shocking thing out of all of this for me, was the fact, why wasn't Bignot sacked after the Doncaster game ??? I am pleased he has gone, no question there, but to let the guy get an away win, then let him say he is looking forward to the Easter games, does seem slightly mean in all fairness. No doubt Marcus will be very bitter towards the club now, probably with some cause. In my opinion he tried to run before he could walk, tried to be too radical before he got a real grasp of league management. I think his main downfall was way too much tinkering with the team, and not always playing his strongest 11, week in week out. A football club is a business, not a toy to experiment with. I wish Marcus all the very best for the future, and hope that he has learnt from this whole episode. Touch wood for Marcus he will learn from this and come back a stronger and better manager, and a lot wiser for this experience. Nobody wants any guy to fail and lose his job, as fans all we want is the very best for our club. Managers come and go, we are here for decades.

UTM

He was possibly not sacked after Donny as JF wanted to get a contingency in place but more likely after Donny it possibly came to a head with the players? Remember when you played if you turned up (on a Sunday morning in my case) and the manager did not pick the better players you sat there in the dressing room a bit p1ssed off as it lessened your chance of winning. So when we played Donny MB did exactly that, again!! What Marcus failed to understand was his chopping and changing has a bigger impact when you are dealing with full time experienced pros some of whom have either been part of the fabric of the club for a good few years or played at a higher level than he has managed than it does when you deal with PT players.

The cynic in me also feels that at Solihull he was the biggest noise at the club, he had a say in everything that went on and he tried to be that at GTFC which is a big mistake as he should have just focussed on getting the 1st team right before anything else. He'll be o.k though as he will walk into a job in The National League or the Ladies game without a doubt.

Its interesting that some people think the players have stabbed MB and should be ashamed. Thing is they are just normal blokes and need to be motivated when the go to work. Anyone who's worked for a poor manager knows how miserable life can be, and the manner of some of our defeats stunk of a split camp. The Stevenage debacle was a deafening alarm bell and a clear sign that something was badly wrong.
You can't blame the emloyees if someone asks how happy they are and they tell the truth.

Generally, I think managers don't get enough time. However, I never took to Bignot after the initial euphoria, his whole approach seemed utterly chaotic to me. I think the timing is excellent because it gives someone a crack at the last few games where we are 80/1 to make the play-offs, so no pressure. Then the whole summer to sort things out. Don't mind if it's not Slade but an experienced manager at this level would be a good move.

Bignot will consider himself unfortunate to be sacked after an away win at Blackpool, but he's only got himself to blame for trying to start a revolution when all that was needed was a period of consolation.

Wise words GrimRob, totally agree with you. I think it is critical that we get the feel good factor back in Town and come out all guns blazing for next season. We will as well, I am sure of that.

UTM

Think back to the fans forum, there were one or two moments there between JF/MB that seemed awkward...the question regards Asante saw JF have a little snipe and there was also the subject of fitness/conditioning coach again as well...
The board have given MB some excellent backing, additional backroom staff, additional signings.....but we do not appear to have improved on the pitch, inconsistent results and performances, utter defensive collapses, chopping and changing players, we have dropped League positions since his arrival and players like Asante and Yussuf dont hardly get anywhere near the team and hardly any entertainment whatever the result.

Maybe its just a culmination of the above, maybe the odd team selection and capitulation against Donny on top of the above led to discussions and decisions.

Just a few hours after the news i am now thinking....perhaps not so suprising and i am definately not bothered.

Tend to agree with Moosey

So if it's true that a player revolt has caused this, what happens if the 'Bignot' signed players do a revolt when the new guy walks in through the door?

Things could get very messy, and the biggest losers will be the supporters :B

Quoted from TAGG

Thank intercourse for that.
Dodged a bullet with that bloke. If he had stayed we would have been bottom 5 next season
Like I've said many times on here football like Mike Lyons and media interviews with more bull excrement than Mike Newell.

His big mistake was coming in with all guns blazing.
Cleaning out players to bring in his own far to soon.
Players he brought in most (not all) are inferior to the ones he got rid of.
Brought in the wrong type of player, who needs 10 midfielders how can play down the middle and non that can play out wide?
Total confusion on the pitch.
Total confusion off it.
Double training sessions with hours in the class room pissing players off.

Good luck to the bloke where ever he ends up just glad it not here.

Oh how sad for them putting in a full working week and not the usual 20 hrs

Have to say this was a complete shock!

Seems very harsh and most likely something has blown up.

Interesting character who brought "fun" to club, but I was getting increasingly worried things where not right. We seem to be regressing and getting hammered quite often.

Wish him every success elsewhere. Just wasn't meant to be on this occasion.

Quoted from stevethefish

Seems very harsh and most likely something has blown up.

Interesting character who brought "fun" to club, but I was getting increasingly worried things where not right. We seem to be regressing and getting hammered quite often.

Wish him every success elsewhere. Just wasn't meant to be on this occasion.

How often did we score 3 goals away from home under Hurst? Swings and roundabouts

Gutted really, was hoping he got a close season and we would prosper under him. Wish him all the best for the future, some great away wins and the Mansfield home win was great. All the very best MB utm

Quoted from Madeleymariner

Oh how sad for them putting in a full working week and not the usual 20 hrs

They are professional athletes.
They get to a certain level of fitness so you then train to keep at those levels not flog em to death so they are copulated by match day. If that means doing 5 hours in the gym a week I don't give a excrement as long as they are fresh on match day.
I did 52 hours at work last week that's my working week and I'm just about copulated on my last day so would image the players are by getting hammed on the training pitch.

Quoted from Madeleymariner

How often did we score 3 goals away from home under Hurst? Swings and roundabouts

Last 2 games I've been to I've seen us concede 10 goals.

Quoted from Madeleymariner

How often did we score 3 goals away from home under Hurst? Swings and roundabouts

6 last season.

Quoted from Sigone

So if it's true that a player revolt has caused this, what happens if the 'Bignot' signed players do a revolt when the new guy walks in through the door?

Things could get very messy, and the biggest losers will be the supporters :B

What's the point of revolting to get rid of someone if you then revolt again as soon as the new guy arrives. They've got the summer to move on if they see fit. The great thing is, for the final push we have players fighting for contracts and places and trying to impress the new boss.

Quoted from GrimRob

What's the point of revolting to get rid of someone if you then revolt again as soon as the new guy arrives. They've got the summer to move on if they see fit. The great thing is, for the final push we have players fighting for contracts and places and trying to impress the new boss.

I doubt very much that the Bignot signings had anything to do with this, that is the point i was making, are we gonna have 2 camps on the training pitch?

Quoted from Sigone

So if it's true that a player revolt has caused this, what happens if the 'Bignot' signed players do a revolt when the new guy walks in through the door?

Things could get very messy, and the biggest losers will be the supporters :B

What back to Gateshead, The 2nd tier of Scottish football and Solihull Moors? Would be gutted to lose Jones and Osborne CDAJATL but apart from that .............?

Quoted from Jaws

Last 2 games I've been to I've seen us concede 10 goals.

Jinx, it's all your fault ;D

Quoted from Sigone

I doubt very much that the Bignot signings had anything to do with this, that is the point i was making, are we gonna have 2 camps on the training pitch?

3 as we already have 2 (the PH boys and the MB brigade). It's going to have more factions than Syria if we keep sacking managers at this rate.

Quoted from Madeleymariner

How often did we score 3 goals away from home under Hurst? Swings and roundabouts

Last season ? Welling, Aldershot, Southport, Barrow Borehamwood, Woking, FGR at Wembley and ironically Solihull Moors..... The year before we scored 6 at Gateshead!!!

I would ask also how often did we concede 5 goals in the space of a couple of months under Hurst?

Although the timing is a tad early for some I believe it is best all round there is obviously a massive rift in the ranks.

Bignots vision was certainly unconventional some might say odd he did try to appease the fans with bulshit but it never washed.

Players totally frozen out like Gowling,players dropped after having good games like Pearson. Lots of players brought in hardly been used Asante,Yusuff Maxwell.

We now have a huge squad and wage bill, it will take a good manager to sort out the wheat from the chaff.

Getting rid of just the manager means a lot of players are still unsure about their futures but at least who ever it is as plenty of time and still games to see who he wants to keep.

Now the players need to play for their future and the slate is clean, the likes of Gunning may not get so many chances or may shine in a proper role and not a extra double up central defender at the expense of leaving a man short on the flank.

Be interesting to see if Collins and Andrew in particular decide to stay.

The gate against Cambridge should be interesting and tell it's own story.

There are more than likely a few things that have caused trigger to pop a cap in the bottom of yet another manager.

I was surprised and shocked to hear of this tonight and although not to happy with how this season has panned out I sort of bought into Biggy and his plans for next season, and don't think has has done any worse than shorty and shouty and then shouty for his first 3 seasons to justify getting the bullet.

However, things go on behind closed doors and we aren't privy to these and often gag orders are penned in resettlement negotiations so it will be down to rumours and the like.

Will the trust be in a position to vet the new manager, can we have faith in the board appointing a manager who bring success.

Good luck Biggy, sorry we didn't get to see your vision for the club.

I'm wondering if Mr Fenty has remembered his mistake when not firing Mike Newell at the start of the season(because of a fear of fan backlash) even though he could see things going wrong in the background. Maybe he's seen a similar scenario and has this time acted upon it. It has to be more to it than a few senior players(some of which probably wont be here next year, whoever's in charge) voicing concerns.

Well one things for sure I bet Gunning is looking at the situations vacant column tonight!

Although not surprised by the decision I like MB as a person and what was his vision for the club, good luck for the future Marcus.

Quoted from Sigone

I'm wondering if Mr Fenty has remembered his mistake when not firing Mike Newell at the start of the season(because of a fear of fan backlash) even though he could see things going wrong in the background. Maybe he's seen a similar scenario and has this time acted upon it. It has to be more to it than a few senior players(some of which probably wont be here next year, whoever's in charge) voicing concerns.

Good point sigone

Today higlights what is wrong with football, footballers run the game. It is at every level and in every league. The boss should be the manager, not the players and he or she should be able to challenge the board. In my opinion the board have backed the wrong side, half the squad will be gone in six months. No doubt some players have been running to the board as it wasn't enough for some of them to throw their teddies out the pram for not playing or being dropped. Why doesn't the current ownership move into the dug-out?

I doubt we'll ever see great managers again, those in the mould of Clough, Fergie and Buckley will never achieve success in the current climate. Then again, in a world dominated by media are the players and brand our biggest asset, maybe....

Could just be the Lennie Lawrence big club syndrome ie just to ambitious with to many big ideas with that comes the need for plenty of wonga which we just do not have. He certainly wanted to change the entire structure of the club from top to bottom in effect doing a chairman role as well. Could imagine J.F. NOT liking that.

Finally read all the posts on here and this is the fishy at its best imo.  Some really good posts, arguments and counter points from a range of people gave me a lot of food for thought as I scrolled through.

I had been getting increasingly sceptical of Bignot and was really doubting if he was the right man for us.  However I still didn't want or expect us to do anything like that now and the fact that we have concerns me.  If we were not convinced that Bignot was the right man why did we let him have so much freedom in January to sign every central midfielder who had ever expressed a vague interest in playing in Black and White.  Once we gave him that freedom surely we had nailed our colours to the mast as it were and should of given him at least some time to start a new season.  My main issue with his experimenting was that by doing so much so quickly he was losing the goodwill he had and that instant results would be expected next season.  I liked the thought of us being a stable and sensible club, it seemed Bignot's revolution started destroying that idea, the board have taken that a step further.

Ultimately I think this might be the right call as I really had very little faith and could not really see what he had in mind (I mean FFS in lower league football particularly you need to play with width most of the time!) but I still think it is an early call despite some of my recent games being 5-0, 5-1 and 4-0 spankings.

As regards the potential player power, we can only speculate (since we are unlikely to hear anything official on this) but if it is true while I do not like players going over a managers head to the owners, part of a managers job is to keep footballers happy and keep a good group together.  That was one thing Hurst was very keen on, and you could see why for the past few years players talked a lot about the team spirit and group whats app chats etc.  I get the feeling that team spirit has evapourated and that is a failure of management as much as anything else.

Quoted from Zmariner

Gutted really, was hoping he got a close season and we would prosper under him. Wish him all the best for the future, some great away wins and the Mansfield home win was great. All the very best MB utm

And some shite as well, Crawley, Stevenage, Crewe, Donny to name but 4.

Quoted from arryarryarry

And some shite as well, Crawley, Stevenage, Crewe, Donny to name but 4.

Portsmouth, Morecambe and Accrington were pretty dreadful as well.

If it is the Players That have prompted this, it would be interesting to know why. I struggle to believe he could have treated them That badly, there's no way he'd have ever got any promotions at all if he was that way inclined. Therefore, is it a group who weren't in the picture anymore, and didn't like the sharp contrast with hursts reign. I'm not sure I feel comfortable knowing the players can possess such power. If I were the next manager coming in, Id be getting rid of these players quickly.

Players not in the first team will always have gripes with the Manager that is normal within most clubs but it is the Managers job to handle this and players will normally, if reluctantly, accept their lot if given legitimate professional reasons behind team selections.

To be honest, like many posters and town fans in general, I was happy with MB's appointment, was happy to learn of his plans to develop the club as a whole in order to improve the first team, was prepared to be patient and wait a couple of seasons to see his plans hopefully bear fruit. I also said in a post last week that I was starting to get a feeling in my stomach all was not well. I believe I have seen all but one of MB's home games and the odd away match and looking back the best performance IMO was in that very first match v Barnet where he made positive substitutions which indicated he would not mind losing trying to win. That optimism has gradually faded away and whilst there have been some decent performances Carlisle & Mansfield in particular there has been far too many games when we appeared to have no shape or game plan whatsover.

Also his continual tinkering, whilst failing to once play McAllister, has been a matter for concern which has clearly impacted upon the players hence the "rebellion". I think we all wanted him to succeed, I do not buy into this cheap option from the conference theme (which would exclude the Cowleys from consideration, not thay they would be interested) but deep down from early March when there were no signs of a plan emerging I think I knew this would end badly.

Never met the guy or worked for him so comments from myself are based on gut instinct but I do feel he is someone who will be a success at some stage in the future and maybe this sacking, whilst possibly premature, may actually make him address his own weaknesses and he will ultimately be better for it. I hope so and now prepare for what appears to be the return of Slade. Would not be my choice but if he comes back I hope he succeeds and I also hope he also puts in place some of those infrastructure improvements that MB has mentioned are much needed.

I'm genuinely flabbergasted at this news. Granted recent performances and results have been frustrating but let's not forget the loss of Bogle and Henderson is a major factor in our recent loss of form

We stuck by Hurst for six years despite persistent disappointment - including some pathetic eliminations in the play off semi finals. I would have thought Marcus would have until the middle of next season at least to bed in his team. This seems a rash, yet bizarrely delayed, reaction to the Donny game.

TFFT, never bought into his style of football, in fact it frustrated and annoyed me. I thought he came across as false and full of BS. I can't comment on him as a person and wish him all the best but I hope now we can get someone who knows what they are doing, get the players playing, including bringing some players back into the fold (Chambers?). We should see some fans return who were turned off by MB and his style. We are Town, UTM.

Perplexed. I've never been a fan of Bignot, there was just something that didn't sit right for me. From the amount of signings, to the constant changing of system to the performances, which have been poor even when we've managed to win in a lot of cases. However, I still expected him to get next season. All I can think is that the players have been just as confused as the fans because results haven't been terrible generally, other than the thrashings starting to become too frequent.

What an absolutely ridiculous decision letting him sign all those players on long deals in January has proven to be though.

Very surprising decision was expecting him to start next season with us, Marcus came in with a lot of big ideas and has signed some good players and got rid of some who were not so good that we tried on loan. Some others that he sent out on loan were a bit confusing and some others seem left out of the picture for whatever reason.

Maybe something else is going on behind the scenes that we don't know about or maybe there has just been one too many questionable losses where Marcus's tactics didn't add up and he locked out of his depth or didn't seem to have the belief of his players. His short time with us has been very 50/50 when we were good we were very good but sometimes we have been shocking. Great attitude and very positive but maybe he just wasn't quite good enough and getting rid sooner saves doing it next January.

I've aleays been sceptical of MB, particularly of his a thousand word answers to questions that tell everyone absolutely nothing. I thought at the time of Hurst's departure that it was not good because Hurst had delivered stability, squad unity, solidity and eventually sucvess. Marcus talks a lot of rubbish. He says a lot of words without actually saying anything and contradicts himself in different interviews, even within them sometimes. If McKeown, Dis and Pearson were at the forefront of this decision then their opinions must be taken into account as they should have some power with regards managers as they've been loyal and GTFC through and through for nearly 6 years now. I never understood why we signed so many players in January, he them says he's building for next season but plays Dyson and Comley regularly even though they won't be here next season. I really don't think that that fiasco with Macca helped his cause in January, the fans and other sqaud members were bound to side with Macca for sentimental purposes but it left a bad taste. His continued selection of Gunning was also baffling, it is plane to see that he is awful and looks and plays like the sort of player who got us relegated. Was there a disagreement on next season's budget? Did the players revolt? I know one thing and that is that MB was a prat but he seemed to have his heart in the right place.

[quote=37]I'm genuinely flabbergasted at this news. Granted recent performances and results have been frustrating but let's not forget the loss of Bogle and Henderson is a major factor in our recent loss of form

We stuck by Hurst for six years despite persistent disappointment - including some pathetic eliminations in the play off semi finals. I would have thought Marcus would have until the middle of next season at least to bed in his team. This seems a rash, yet bizarrely delayed, reaction to the Donny game.[/quote

Hurst for me was a yes man until near the end when he found some and that was only because at that point he realised his stock had risen and didn't care.

Massive shock for it to come at this time. I whole heartedly expected him to have a pre season and then a review in the autumn if things aren't going well. Like everyone else - I guess something has happened behind the scenes, you don't tend to lose your job after a decent 3-1 win away at a playoff chasing team

His interviews were always baffling. He would blow lots of smoke but there was never any change. We seemed devoid of ideas on the pitch and I don't think he ever knew his best 11, he made excessive signings in positions where we were doing ok. Osbourne and Jones seem very good players and it's important we can keep Collins' and DA next season. We need a new striker for sure. I still wonder if there was more to the Henderson situation than was made public and no one expected Macca to say the things he did after such a long time at the club.

Let's hope the Bogle money will go towards a decent proven manager.

Quoted from TAGG

Thank intercourse for that.
Dodged a bullet with that bloke. If he had stayed we would have been bottom 5 next season
Like I've said many times on here football like Mike Lyons and media interviews with more bull excrement than Mike Newell.

His big mistake was coming in with all guns blazing.
Cleaning out players to bring in his own far to soon.
Players he brought in most (not all) are inferior to the ones he got rid of.
Brought in the wrong type of player, who needs 10 midfielders how can play down the middle and non that can play out wide?
Total confusion on the pitch.
Total confusion off it.
Double training sessions with hours in the class room pissing players off.

Good luck to the bloke where ever he ends up just glad it not here.

Here,here I had serious reservations after a couple of weeks it was obvious the players never had a clue what he wanted them to do or when. MB was given the chance to manage GTFC and it either came to soon or it was just to big a job for him.PH had left decent foundations and a settled squad that just needed a tweak and MB went crazy for new players and unsettled everyone half the players he brought in are not good enough and will be gone.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

What 91 said...................and if Rancido could see what MB was doing maybe he should have told him because after the Donny game I for one thought he did not have a clue.

In reply I think MB was genuinely trying to find out if certain players could adapt to different roles and formations. He seemed to favour players being adaptable and implied so at the forum. It's all well and good trying these experiments on the training field but that is against your own players who know what is happening . Surely it is far better to apply this logic in a competitive game against worthy opposition? Unfortunately , as I pointed out in my post, he was trying too much, too soon. It would have been far better to have assessed one potential multi-role player experiment in a game as opposed to several. I do agree though that the Donny game was he absolute wrong game to try this approach.

Quoted from rancido

In reply I think MB was genuinely trying to find out if certain players could adapt to different roles and formations. He seemed to favour players being adaptable and implied so at the forum. It's all well and good trying these experiments on the training field but that is against your own players who know what is happening . Surely it is far better to apply this logic in a competitive game against worthy opposition? Unfortunately , as I pointed out in my post, he was trying too much, too soon. It would have been far better to have assessed one potential multi-role player experiment in a game as opposed to several. I do agree though that the Donny game was he absolute wrong game to try this approach.

and the play-offs were still a possibility (though unlikely).

Quoted from monkeyboy

Odds from sky.
No to slade
How does curtis bloody woodhouse even get that short odds?

Russell Slade 1/8
Neil Redfearn 10/1
Steve Cotterill 12/1
David Flitcroft 12/1
Paul Groves 14/1
Kenny Jackett 16/1
Nigel Adkins 16/1
Neil Woods 16/1
Robbie Stockdale 18/1
Alan Buckley 25/1
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink 25/1
Micky Adams 25/1
Chris Powell 25/1
Billy Davies 28/1
Russ Wilcox 28/1
Curtis Woodhouse 28/1

Same old hacks

Quoted from http://m.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/bignot-speaks-out-after-exit/story-30261749-detail/story.html

MARCUS Bignot has spoken of his disappointment that he wasn't given the time to see through his ambitious plans for Grimsby Town.

The 42-year-old was sacked by the Mariners yesterday afternoon after less than six months in charge at Blundell Park.

Having only replaced Paul Hurst as boss in November, Bignot leaves the club sitting 14th in the League Two table, following Saturday's 3-1 victory at Blackpool.

Speaking to the Telegraph shortly after his departure, Bignot said: "When you're a manager and you're getting bad results, you know it's coming, but, particularly after Saturday, I didn't expect it.

"The board said that they've lost faith in us, but that it wasn't to do with football results.

"My only regret is that I believed we had time here. I wouldn't have made as many changes in January if I didn't believe we had time.

"All the signings we brought in weren't necessarily for the here-and-now; they were for the seasons to come. You can see their ages and see the potential in them and they will fulfil that potential.

"So that's my regret – believing that we had time. We didn't even have a pre-season, we dealt with the departure of a £1million player and we stayed up comfortably.

"The remit wasn't Play-Offs this season – it was to stay up and become an established Football League club and I believed we'd be given time to do that – if we're not getting results, then I get that, but we've stayed up comfortably and flirted with the Play-Offs.

"It's disappointing. If you get the sack, it should be because you haven't done what was asked of you on the football pitch.

"What we were doing was a work in progress, but I'm disappointed in myself for believing that we had more time than we did. I shouldn't have been so naïve, but when you're getting the results, you don't tend to kick yourself so much.

"Football management is the best job to have, but the hardest one to rely on," he reflected.

READ: Live reaction to Bignot's shock Mariners departure
"I'd like to thank the board for giving me the opportunity in the first-place and the staff and players have been great.

"To the supporters, I'd say I tried to be as open and honest with them as I could throughout.

"They've been great with me and they're a special bunch of supporters. You're never going to please everyone, but I'd just like to thank them. I gave everything to them and I was proud to have been manager of their football club.

"I believe in my ability and I honestly believed we could have established this club as a League One club. I honestly believe this group can still go on to do that.

"I will always keep an eye out for their results and I wish everyone connected with the club all the best for the future."

[Url=http://m.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/bignot-speaks-out-after-exit/story-30261749-detail/story.html]http://m.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/bignot-speaks-out-after-exit/story-30261749-detail/story.html[/url]

I agree rancido. It felt like he was testing players adaptability, and what their comfort zones were. People obviously didn't like It, but I do think there was some logic behind it, if he was intending to play attacking football next year.

He's said he wouldn't have changed so much if he didn't think he had time at the club. Think he's been let down myself.

I agree. I think he was a genuine guy.

Having had some time to think it over more, and reading the story in the Telegraph this morning.. it's just left me feeling more confused. His thoughts about the situation seem in line with my own.. he thought he had more time to get the time right, thought he was playing for a 'safe' finish this season despite being forced to part with the star striker - which has been accomplished.

Unless the management have managed to line up a stellar replacement, I just think this was a terrible mistake to make and I can't understand the thought process, at this point in the season to be honest.

A couple of points occur to me. At the recent forum, someone asked JF how well do you think Marcus is doing? A question he dodged by saying you had better ask Marcus. Then we got a waffly embarrassed answer from mMarcus.
Secondly, if there has been a revolt by senior players who might they be? If the group includes Disley, Maceown, Macallister, Gowling, Berrett, Davis, all of whom might be a bit pee'd off, then they can all go as far as I am concerned. Good servants some of them, but only Macca likely to get a league club, we can do better looking to the future.

Quoted from ginnywings

He's said he wouldn't have changed so much if he didn't think he had time at the club. Think he's been let down myself.

He completely should have been made aware of expectations by the board. But it's also massively naive of him to expect to be able to start pre season in January. If the rumours are true about the training sessions then the club have done the right thing.

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

Players not in the first team will always have gripes with the Manager that is normal within most clubs but it is the Managers job to handle this and players will normally, if reluctantly, accept their lot if given legitimate professional reasons behind team selections.

To be honest, like many posters and town fans in general, I was happy with MB's appointment, was happy to learn of his plans to develop the club as a whole in order to improve the first team, was prepared to be patient and wait a couple of seasons to see his plans hopefully bear fruit. I also said in a post last week that I was starting to get a feeling in my stomach all was not well. I believe I have seen all but one of MB's home games and the odd away match and looking back the best performance IMO was in that very first match v Barnet where he made positive substitutions which indicated he would not mind losing trying to win. That optimism has gradually faded away and whilst there have been some decent performances Carlisle & Mansfield in particular there has been far too many games when we appeared to have no shape or game plan whatsover.

Also his continual tinkering, whilst failing to once play McAllister, has been a matter for concern which has clearly impacted upon the players hence the "rebellion". I think we all wanted him to succeed, I do not buy into this cheap option from the conference theme (which would exclude the Cowleys from consideration, not thay they would be interested) but deep down from early March when there were no signs of a plan emerging I think I knew this would end badly.

Never met the guy or worked for him so comments from myself are based on gut instinct but I do feel he is someone who will be a success at some stage in the future and maybe this sacking, whilst possibly premature, may actually make him address his own weaknesses and he will ultimately be better for it. I hope so and now prepare for what appears to be the return of Slade. Would not be my choice but if he comes back I hope he succeeds and I also hope he also puts in place some of those infrastructure improvements that MB has mentioned are much needed.

excellent summation

Out of interest did he ever move to the area?

Quoted from gtfc98

Out of interest did he ever move to the area?

Quoted from Hagrid

No

That was a load of balderdash too then! Thought he had "fallen in love with this town"?.

Quoted from gtfc98

That was a load of balderdash too then! Thought he had "fallen in love with this town"?.

He couldn't find a house with the right shape. ;)

Quoted from headingly_mariner

He completely should have been made aware of expectations by the board. But it's also massively naive of him to expect to be able to start pre season in January. If the rumours are true about the training sessions then the club have done the right thing.

I might of missed it, what was these rumours regarding the training sessions?

If McKeown was involved after his terrible form, embarrassing reaction to being out of the team for the first time in four years and actions after Doncaster then I hope he leaves in the Summer. Toxic fellow.

Was still living at The Humber Royal AFAIK.

If there are genuine concerns and reasons to sack the management team then I'm kind of ok about that (aside from the whole situation making the club look a bit stupid).

What concerns me is if the board have acted based on the opinions of players who are out of favour. If the players that have complained about the regime are (for example) McKeown, Disley, Gowling, Davies then of course they won't be happy as they're either out of the team or not highly rated (Macca).

I think too many fans have too much of an emotional attachment to players from last season to the point where it clouds people's views of them. Don't get me wrong I'm grateful for their service and can see how Dizza especially loves the club. But at some point we have to let go, and it's only natural for a manager to come into a club and want to bring his own players in.

Even if Collins as an experienced pro was consulted, he's got no connection to the club beyond next month so what objective view could he give. I suspect we're never going to find out the real truth of what's gone on but I'd hope there's more to it than listening to players that clearly aren't in the manager's long term plans.

And when the new Manager comes in, is he really going to want to keep these mystery players in his squad going forward, knowing they've influenced the sacking of his predecessor? I'd imagine he'll want to ship them out the first chance he gets.

Is someone, with the regular use of the words allegedly and supposedly gonna fill us in on what actually went on... if you start "i heard that.." you ll prob be ok...

Opta stats. Check it out. MB obsessed with stats and classroom analysis, not popular with some players. A source close to the club.

Spot on Tommy--sense as usual

Quoted from Tommy

If there are genuine concerns and reasons to sack the management team then I'm kind of ok about that (aside from the whole situation making the club look a bit stupid).

What concerns me is if the board have acted based on the opinions of players who are out of favour. If the players that have complained about the regime are (for example) McKeown, Disley, Gowling, Davies then of course they won't be happy as they're either out of the team or not highly rated (Macca).

I think too many fans have too much of an emotional attachment to players from last season to the point where it clouds people's views of them. Don't get me wrong I'm grateful for their service and can see how Dizza especially loves the club. But at some point we have to let go, and it's only natural for a manager to come into a club and want to bring his own players in.

Even if Collins as an experienced pro was consulted, he's got no connection to the club beyond next month so what objective view could he give. I suspect we're never going to find out the real truth of what's gone on but I'd hope there's more to it than listening to players that clearly aren't in the manager's long term plans.

And when the new Manager comes in, is he really going to want to keep these mystery players in his squad going forward, knowing they've influenced the sacking of his predecessor? I'd imagine he'll want to ship them out the first chance he gets.

DO we know that any of the above is actually true though???

McKeown's form has dipped as a result of the obviously uneasy relationship that he had with Bignot. I'm absolutely certain there was concerted effort to clear out the previous regime in January with Macca, Dis and Gowling made available and very "Hurst-style" players like Chambers and Summerfield being shipped out. I think the rubbish that MB talked was accepted initially but wore thin as a result of the inconsistent results, baffling team selections and the bizarre way that Macca and Dis have been dealt with. MB got hammered for his team selection against Donny in particular and it has been a regular theme of his premiership. Gunning, what is the point? Maxwell and Yussuf have barely played so why sign them? Is Clements better than Summerfield? Is Yussuf better than Jackson? Is Gunning better than Gowling? The answer to all of those is probably not and definitely not in Gunning's case.

Quoted from Mariner_09

McKeown's form has dipped as a result of the obviously uneasy relationship that he had with Bignot.

Sorry but the downturn in McKeown's form goes back to well before Bignot's arrival. He's been making spectacular, and costly mistakes for a couple of seasons now but they just seem to be getting more frequent. He's never really been the same since Croudson left

What a surprise, this has turned into an anti McKeown thread based on nothing...

Just because he got dropped, everyone assumes he got Bignot the sack... oh dear

How about the fact none of the players were happy with Bignot in charge?

When you've got arguably our best CB in Collins saying he hasn't had a new offer for a contract, and Bignot saying he has, something wasn't right.

And its now coming out we offered players new deals, but they wasn't willing to sign... which sounds like Pearson, Collins etc, and not McKeown, who has another year left...

Quoted from Jarmo.Is.God

What a surprise, this has turned into an anti McKeown thread based on nothing...

Just because he got dropped, everyone assumes he got Bignot the sack... oh dear

How about the fact none of the players were happy with Bignot in charge?

When you've got arguably our best CB in Collins saying he hasn't had a new offer for a contract, and Bignot saying he has, something wasn't right.

And its now coming out we offered players new deals, but they wasn't willing to sign... which sounds like Pearson, Collins etc, and not McKeown, who has another year left...

I really don't know where the anti-McKeown sentiment came from, he's a perfectly capable league 2 keeper, are people bored of him or something? If I'd been told that I wouldn't play because of some arrogant, over confident and self-obsessed Man U kid had come in and everyone seemed to instantly fall in love with him, I'd be pretty miffed. Henderson was clearly a high quality keeper but I hated his cocky so and so demeanour.

Despite us conceding only 6 in 7 with him in goal?

I'd be cocky if I was that good. Does anyone actually think McKeowns done anything other than regress over the last couple of seasons.

Quoted from Mariner_09

I really don't know where the anti-McKeown sentiment came from, he's a perfectly capable league 2 keeper, are people bored of him or something? If I'd been told that I wouldn't play because of some arrogant, over confident and self-obsessed Man U kid had come in and everyone seemed to instantly fall in love with him, I'd be pretty miffed. Henderson was clearly a high quality keeper but I hated his cocky so and so demeanour.

Cocky and self obsessed.

Jesus!
Yes he was confident but so he should be. He was/is a quality keeper who is destined for a great career.

Wouldn't you be a bit full of yourself if you were earning a few grand a week and training with the likes of Mata/Ibrahimovic/Pogba under arguably one the better coaches in the world of football?

At least Henderson had the balls to go out on loan and seek game time - which he had to wait for, for a long time. He could have easily sacked it off and picked his cheque up at Utd

Quoted from 935

DO we know that any of the above is actually true though???

No, and as said in my post I suspect we won't find out either.

I wasn't pretending to know what's happened though, and I used the word "if" to hopefully make the point that I was just speaking about the guesswork/rumours that have been doing the rounds.

Quoted from Mariner93er

I'd be cocky if I was that good. Does anyone actually think McKeowns done anything other than regress over the last couple of seasons.

Have you considered that his current form may be his normal level and that previously he was over-achieving? He has never been mentioned as really badly wanted by a league club and there must be a reason for that. He is still a good reaction keeper but league action requires more than that. I thought it was a good move to make him captain for a time or two but I can't ever see him being a keeper who really commands his area. James is playing at his maximum level, he can't improve on this.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

Have you considered that his current form may be his normal level and that previously he was over-achieving? He has never been mentioned as really badly wanted by a league club and there must be a reason for that. He is still a good reaction keeper but league action requires more than that. I thought it was a good move to make him captain for a time or two but I can't ever see him being a keeper who really commands his area. James is playing at his maximum level, he can't improve on this.

Didnt he nearly sign for Shrewsbury in League 1?

Quoted from Tommy

No, and as said in my post I suspect we won't find out either.

I wasn't pretending to know what's happened though, and I used the word "if" to hopefully make the point that I was just speaking about the guesswork/rumours that have been doing the rounds.

Sorry mate I didnt see the "if"... Its just to me a lot of the posts on here and social media are toxic. "Fans" arguing about non-facts, digging into the players and the club based on no knowledge whatsoever of what has happened - Theres even some guy writing Slade Out, before he started!

I cant see that they would fire a manager lightly, and I imagine something must have gone on, but that is the situation. Russell Slade is being appointed tomorrow, we can do nothing but support him and hope that some of the success and fun of that season in 2005 comes back. As fans that is all we can hope for, and we show it by cheering and supporting our team. Posting about what fenty might have done/what involvement Macca had/slade playing boring hoofball is so counter productive.

Quoted from 935

Didnt he nearly sign for Shrewsbury in League 1?

Rumoured but nothing factual, plus no evidence that even if correct he was going in as their first choice keeper. I was surprised at timing of his dropping but once you had seen Henderson in action it was then a surprise the change had not come earlier. Quality keepers make such a difference, a la Beasant in that 7 game loan spell and was it also another Henderson in Newell's first season when he came in on loan from Preston and won us several points.

I would gladly have Henderson back for next season on loan

Big part of a managers job is man management. Generally a squad of 20 who all think they're Messi or Ronaldo and have egos the size of a house. A good manager will unite the squad around him.
Thought PH did that well and weeded out the bad apples quickly.
Maybe MB couldn't do it but the new man will??

Mckeown is a quality keeper....ok he's made a couple of mistakes but who hasn't....the only difference is usually they cost u a goal.

Id challenge if anyone can think of a better keeper since Mildenhall or even as far back as Davison.

Quoted from Meza

Mckeown is a quality keeper....ok he's made a couple of mistakes but who hasn't....the only difference is usually they cost u a goal.

Id challenge if anyone can think of a better keeper since Mildenhall or even as far back as Davison.

Henderson

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Henderson

Both of them.

Quoted from 935

Sorry mate I didnt see the "if"... Its just to me a lot of the posts on here and social media are toxic. "Fans" arguing about non-facts, digging into the players and the club based on no knowledge whatsoever of what has happened - Theres even some guy writing Slade Out, before he started!

I cant see that they would fire a manager lightly, and I imagine something must have gone on, but that is the situation. Russell Slade is being appointed tomorrow, we can do nothing but support him and hope that some of the success and fun of that season in 2005 comes back. As fans that is all we can hope for, and we show it by cheering and supporting our team. Posting about what fenty might have done/what involvement Macca had/slade playing boring hoofball is so counter productive.

Agree but if the Club/Board could come out and clear up why they've sacked a manager who 6 months ago they had every faith in, then the fans wouldn't be arguing or discussing rumours of what's gone on. Communication problem again at GTFC.

The only things i can see has happened is either:

a) the rumours of senior players speaking to Fenty has some truth to it. I've heard from a couple of people this is the case and that it started with a throwaway comment in a discussion about something else, not a case of a bunch of players running up to knock on Fenty's door.

b) Bignot and Fenty fell out because Fenty didn't want to pay for a S&C Coach, overnight stays before distant away games, and a few other bits that would cost the Club an extra few quid. And they sacked him because he said something out of turn or accused the Club of lacking ambition or professionalism.

or

c) the new manager had just suddenly become available and is someone who would've been the number one contender if he'd been available when Hurst left. And they've got rid of MB to get in the man they would've wanted.

But as usual the lack of information or clarity from the board (Fenty) causes this mess.

Regards Slade being appointed....

I'm open to him coming back. Not against it and I wasn't jumping up with excitement either.
When he left us last time i dont know whether it was down to him or Fenty. Who knows? Could have been either's fault or both. Fenty's fallen out with everyone else in the last 10 years so who knows.

I was as devastated as everyone else with our lack of performance at Cardiff in 2006 but i doubt Slade sent the team out to not give a excrement and play poorly. I'll form opinions of him coming back based on his ability as a manager and how he might do for GTFC in 2017, not what happened off the pitch over 10 years ago.

I don't think the football under him was as long ball as people make out. It was more direct than a "build from the back" strategy but it's important to note theres' a bit difference between a long ball (punting it forward giving the striker a 50-50 to challenge for in the air) and a long pass.

The only thing for Slade will be that he might be a bit hamstrung in terms of summer rebuilding because we have so many players under contract that he probably won't want.

Quoted from Tommy

Agree but if the Club/Board could come out and clear up why they've sacked a manager who 6 months ago they had every faith in, then the fans wouldn't be arguing or discussing rumours of what's gone on. Communication problem again at GTFC.

The only things i can see has happened is either:

a) the rumours of senior players speaking to Fenty has some truth to it. I've heard from a couple of people this is the case and that it started with a throwaway comment in a discussion about something else, not a case of a bunch of players running up to knock on Fenty's door.

b) Bignot and Fenty fell out because Fenty didn't want to pay for a S&C Coach, overnight stays before distant away games, and a few other bits that would cost the Club an extra few quid. And they sacked him because he said something out of turn or accused the Club of lacking ambition or professionalism.

or

c) the new manager had just suddenly become available and is someone who would've been the number one contender if he'd been available when Hurst left. And they've got rid of MB to get in the man they would've wanted.

But as usual the lack of information or clarity from the board (Fenty) causes this mess.

Regards Slade being appointed....

I'm open to him coming back. Not against it and I wasn't jumping up with excitement either.
When he left us last time i dont know whether it was down to him or Fenty. Who knows? Could have been either's fault or both. Fenty's fallen out with everyone else in the last 10 years so who knows.

I was as devastated as everyone else with our lack of performance at Cardiff in 2006 but i doubt Slade sent the team out to not give a excrement and play poorly. I'll form opinions of him coming back based on his ability as a manager and how he might do for GTFC in 2017, not what happened off the pitch over 10 years ago.

I don't think the football under him was as long ball as people make out. It was more direct than a "build from the back" strategy but it's important to note theres' a bit difference between a long ball (punting it forward giving the striker a 50-50 to challenge for in the air) and a long pass.

The only thing for Slade will be that he might be a bit hamstrung in terms of summer rebuilding because we have so many players under contract that he probably won't want.

I agree this should be cleared up, but if there is an Employment Law issue then clearly it wont be. What I mean is that its sad that in the lack of information people are blaming players/fenty/the club etc... It doesnt really seem like the behaviour of supporters to me. Seriously read the thread on Performance against cambridge in which someone is genuinely saying "because of what might or might not have happened the players have to perform or they can take a walk" Thats incredible.

Quoted from ginnywings

He's said he wouldn't have changed so much if he didn't think he had time at the club. Think he's been let down myself.

He also said his remit didn't include making the play-offs this season, which obviously must have come from JF or the Board. All the signings in January must have been approved by the Board and his reasoning must have been understood by them also. I do feel he has been let down but he is a victim of his own over enthusiasm to build too far ahead.

I meant permanent signings. Both were very good keepers but both were on loan. I guess it depends if your happy to go with a loanee for the season.

Quoted from Meza

I meant permanent signings. Both were very good keepers but both were on loan. I guess it depends if your happy to go with a loanee for the season.

I would go with Henderson (2) if we could have him for a season.

Quoted from gtfc98

Out of interest did he ever move to the area?

Maybe that's one area he wasn't being naive about.

And I got called for my statement on Henderson being bullied by Bignott a few months ago. The bullying never stopped and the players I presume have spoken to higher levels, so I guess this is the reason Bignott has been sacked. He is a jeckyl and Hyde character,nice to the fans, and crap to the players.Good riddance to him, so lets get behind the team and Sladey, I'm chuffed to bits.

Quoted from dicko995

And I got called for my statement on Henderson being bullied by Bignott a few months ago. The bullying never stopped and the players I presume have spoken to higher levels, so I guess this is the reason Bignott has been sacked. He is a jeckyl and Hyde character,nice to the fans, and crap to the players.Good riddance to him, so lets get behind the team and Sladey, I'm chuffed to bits.

Are you able to say anymore? Without revealing sources or getting yourself into trouble, obviously

Well after reading the John Fenty interview in the Chronicle, and listening to his radio interview, it seems quite clear why the board lost faith in BIGNOT. He was allowed to spend in January, but also promised to off load players, he spent but did not deliver the promised departures; the club are left with 31 pros. JF stated in the chronicle that the wage commitment on the additions to the end of the season was 225k, the fees were 200k, on those players, so we can presume that the wages of the players not moved on is around 250k, if my maths are right that's 675k of the Bogle money gone, with out Solihull's and the revenue's cut, in other words sodomist left. Trying to manage 31 pros, to say the guy was naïve, no a bloody idiot, who couldn't talk his way out of that one.

So he wasted the budget and had to go? Only, a couple of posts before this one he was an awful bully and had to go. On Codgers thread it's apparently because Fenty had been coveting Slade for ages, the right time arrived and Bignot should step aside.
All these posters suggesting we don't need to know what happened, while others freely add their own official versions. :-/

Quoted from RoboCod

So he wasted the budget and had to go? Only, a couple of posts before this one he was an awful bully and had to go. On Codgers thread it's apparently because Fenty had been coveting Slade for ages, the right time arrived and Bignot should step aside.
All these posters suggesting we don't need to know what happened, while others freely add their own official versions. :-/

and it could easily be a combination of all 3

I likened him to the king with a suit of no clothes.

Quoted from BS baffles brains

Well after reading the John Fenty interview in the Chronicle, and listening to his radio interview, it seems quite clear why the board lost faith in BIGNOT. He was allowed to spend in January, but also promised to off load players, he spent but did not deliver the promised departures; the club are left with 31 pros. JF stated in the chronicle that the wage commitment on the additions to the end of the season was 225k, the fees were 200k, on those players, so we can presume that the wages of the players not moved on is around 250k, if my maths are right that's 675k of the Bogle money gone, with out Solihull's and the revenue's cut, in other words sodomist left. Trying to manage 31 pros, to say the guy was naïve, no a bloody idiot, who couldn't talk his way out of that one.

I am in full agreement with this apart from maybe there is some Omar money left as Dyson, Jones and Maxwell where brought in on the back of the Omar sale the others prior to Omar going and funded by better gates than we anticipated apparently. Also the wages for the existing players would have been part of the operating budget so should not have impacted the money we got for Omar. There is some money left why do you think Slade was so quick to come back?