Sent off tonight playing at Leeds. Didn't take him long!

:) :) :) :) :) :)

Twice in 3 games, lol, so glad we got rid. Epitomised everything that was wrong with the Bignot era.

How is he in the league and SP in the Conference, someone please tell me?

Quoted from Mariner_09

Twice in 3 games, lol, so glad we got rid. Epitomised everything that was wrong with the Bignot era.

How is he in the league and SP in the Conference, someone please tell me?

Because he has an agent that talks as much sh1t as Bignot?

Can we not leave the man alone. None of us know how good he is because he was played out of position.

Quoted from Mariner93er

Can we not leave the man alone. None of us know how good he is because he was played out of position.

So does playing out of position get you sent off then ?
Or make you want to injure another professional??

Quoted from Tradjazz

Sent off tonight playing at Leeds. Didn't take him long!

:) :) :) :) :) :)

Hahahaha.....never learns. We are well rid of him.

He got 100% backing from me when playing for Town.
Not our problem now.

maybe he took one for the team.....professional foul to try and prevent a game changing goal chance, handball on the line last minute to try and preserve a result......

or maybe not....second yellow card in 88 minutes already losing 4-1... ;)

FFS drop it.
He had enough when he was here.

Quoted from Mariner93er

Can we not leave the man alone. None of us know how good he is because he was played out of position.

What was his position?

Middle stool in front of the bar

Been on sky bet before kick off then ( allegedly ) paying for Dubai next summer

Port vale forum - "Gunning didnt look a bad player, psycho apart"

2 games x 3 yellows.... yeh but we got Zak Mills now he's gone to do the hard man stuff 😋

Grimsby fans; Annoyed when Port Vale slag off our new signings who used to play for them.

Same Grimsby fans; Start a new thread to slag off Port Vales new signing from us.


Give it up.

Quoted from pontoonlew

Grimsby fans; Annoyed when Port Vale slag off our new signings who used to play for them.

Same Grimsby fans; Start a new thread to slag off Port Vales new signing from us.


Give it up.

Disagree! We just like to follow the fortunes of our most
talented  players elsewhere

Quoted from Civvy at last

So does playing out of position get you sent off then ?
Or make you want to injure another professional??

Most on here still strangely seem to celebrate that Whittle tried to break Alan Shearer's jaw.

I guess Bignot didn't sign him though so that's different  :-/

I watched the whole Leeds v Port Vale game last night.

First half, Gunning again playing out of position at left back, looking fitter, he actually did well. Leeds didn't get through his side and he took a booking for the team when Leeds were on a quick dangerous break. Won most of his challenges and his distribution was pretty good.

Second half when Alioski came on as sub, he just couldn't cope. Got absolutely torn a new one. So 4-1 down with a few minutes left and Leeds were showboating a little, he forearm smashed Alioski on the head. A cheap shot that deserved a red on it's own, never mind yellow. Total lack of respect for himself or a fellow professional.

And that game was him in a nutshell. Adequate talent to have a half decent career around League One / League Two, but a lack of temperament to actually fulfill any confidence in his reliability. Always gave him the benefit of doubt in the past when he was wearing black and white stripes. Only commenting now because I watched the game last night, wouldn't have bothered if I hadn't. He's Port Vale's player now and their enigma to sort out, pleased he's not ours.

I must of been one of a very few town fans who actually liked Gunning  ;D ;D I especially liked his inner psycho  ;D ;D

Quoted from sonofmadeleymariner

I must of been one of a very few town fans who actually liked Gunning  ;D ;D I especially liked his inner psycho  ;D ;D

It wasn't always inner though was it.  ;D

Quoted from Mariner_09

Twice in 3 games, lol, so glad we got rid. Epitomised everything that was wrong with the Bignot era.

How is he in the league and SP in the Conference, someone please tell me?

He was one signing who was given a short term deal. MB signed several others on longer deals who are part of Slades plans for the future, so were they part of " what was wrong with the Bignot era "? Every town manager has signed one or two bad players so why single MB out?

Quoted from Tommy

Most on here still strangely seem to celebrate that Whittle tried to break Alan Shearer's jaw.

I guess Bignot didn't sign him though so that's different  :-/

I celebrate it because if you remember correctly Mary Poppins elbowed him first,so I still smirk when I see the scare on Shearers smug face

Quoted from rancido

He was one signing who was given a short term deal. MB signed several others on longer deals who are part of Slades plans for the future, so were they part of " what was wrong with the Bignot era "? Every town manager has signed one or two bad players so why single MB out?

Because there is a nasty short memoried clique on here who would be anti-bignot no matter what he had done,not our worst manager by far.

Quoted from friskneymariner

Because there is a nasty short memoried clique on here who would be anti-bignot no matter what he had done,not our worst manager by far.

Perhaps instead simply a huge majority who had no wish to return straight back to non league which is where inevitably we were heading with MB at the helm.The man was clearly way out of his depth.

Quoted from friskneymariner

Because there is a nasty short memoried clique on here who would be anti-bignot no matter what he had done,not our worst manager by far.

Remind me, whose he managing now?

Quoted from rancido

He was one signing who was given a short term deal. MB signed several others on longer deals who are part of Slades plans for the future, so were they part of " what was wrong with the Bignot era "? Every town manager has signed one or two bad players so why single MB out?

Richard Brodie - shudder

Quoted from mariner83

Richard Brodie - shudder

If you have time can you tell me what's wrong with "chicken legs" :)

Difference between Brodie and Gunning (and by extension Hurst and Bignot) is that Bignot picked Gunnning every week mainly a position where we had 35 different players whose specialist position was there and when he played at centre half against Donny, he was dreadful. Hurst quickly saw Brodie was a waste of space and dropped him and sent him back, he admitted his mistake and got rid.

Quoted from rancido

He was one signing who was given a short term deal. MB signed several others on longer deals who are part of Slades plans for the future, so were they part of " what was wrong with the Bignot era "? Every town manager has signed one or two bad players so why single MB out?

I would say they would have to be part of his plans as they are on long deals so likely to be here for some time whether RS wants them or not.

Square pegs in round holes was the folly of Marcus Bignot - Slade seems to have brought more pace, balance in team formations and players in the right positions, and with proper instructions on how to play. now.... how they play against the opposition will be the real test as to whether old long term contract players can fit into Slade's plan.

It's all too easy to drift back into a known position rather than stay as an isolated winger or full back.

Two vocal captains at the back should also steady things to give all players an opportunity to shine.

One or two potential exciting players also signed for the fans to get behind if they live up to reputations or improve from the training given.

We should not be afraid of any other team in this division - but it's how we play on the day and how injury free that the team stays that will count !

Possibly part of a minority group but I'm absolutely certain there's a player in Gunning somewhere. Just needs to channel that aggression correctly

Quoted from Mariner_09

Difference between Brodie and Gunning (and by extension Hurst and Bignot) is that Bignot picked Gunnning every week mainly a position where we had 35 different players whose specialist position was there and when he played at centre half against Donny, he was dreadful. Hurst quickly saw Brodie was a waste of space and dropped him and sent him back, he admitted his mistake and got rid.

I'm sorry but Hurst has to be the worst at persisting with garbage. Ben Tomlinson and Monkhouse spring to mind.

All managers have signed crap, Bignot actually did alright with signings. Sam Jones, Osbourne and Asante will all no doubt be huge players for us this season.

Quoted from pontoonlew

I'm sorry but Hurst has to be the worst at persisting with garbage. Ben Tomlinson and Monkhouse spring to mind.

All managers have signed crap, Bignot actually did alright with signings. Sam Jones, Osbourne and Asante will all no doubt be huge players for us this season.

Tomlinson started 5 games for us on a month loan.

Monkhouse played 38 games (and scored 6 goals) for us in a promotion winning season. Didn't turn out that bad really, did he?

Think you're gonna have to search a little harder for that stick with Hursty's name on it.

So Tomlinson was persisted with during his loan spell?

Have to totally disagree on Monkhouse, a good pro but a major weak link IMO. The fact he got injured in the play offs was a blessing in disguise.

The point is towards Bignot, he got it wrong with tactics etc but I don't think he can be accused of making bad signings.

To be fair, we did OK when Tomlinson was playing. Three wins and four draws wasn't too bad considering the team we were at the time. Might have done better with someone else in the team but he wasn't all that bad and certainly put a shift in each game.

Bignot certainly made some decent signings but also some pointless/poor ones. I'd say Gunning falls more towards the latter category than the former!

Tomlinson was a decent player for me, very hard working and created some decent opportunities and was probably unlucky to not score on one or two occasions. I got the impression that one goal would have brought about a shed load. He suffered because he was in the team over Podge, which was probably the right decision because it gave a necessary kick up the @rse to him and made him perform better as a result,

Quoted from Mariner_09

Tomlinson was a decent player for me, very hard working and created some decent opportunities and was probably unlucky to not score on one or two occasions. I got the impression that one goal would have brought about a shed load. He suffered because he was in the team over Podge, which was probably the right decision because it gave a necessary kick up the @rse to him and made him perform better as a result,

Give over! Tomlinson was a pile of crapp.

Had to watch him try to control the ball and huff and puff all over the Braintree pitch in a 0-0 draw while Hurst kept Amond on the bench.. Hurst messed Bogle around too.

You build a strong debating position though, because if a player was dropped and returned to the team and played well, it was Hurst's genius kick up the behind that did it, and if the player returned to the side and played shite, Hurst was a genius and right for dropping him in the first place.

Quoted from pontoonlew

I'm sorry but Hurst has to be the worst at persisting with garbage. Ben Tomlinson and Monkhouse spring to mind.

All managers have signed crap, Bignot actually did alright with signings. Sam Jones, Osbourne and Asante will all no doubt be huge players for us this season.

Monkhouse.

Quoted from bradzmilne

Possibly part of a minority group but I'm absolutely certain there's a player in Gunning somewhere. Just needs to channel that aggression correctly

You're a referee though Brad, what the hell do you know about football?  ;D

Bigot did make some astute signings, Clements, Asante, Jones and Osbourne who I think will be key players for us going forward. To a lesser extent I don't think Yussuf was a bad signing, did well early on but it was evident he wasn't fit enough but I think he could have played a part this season had Barrow not come in for him and he looked fit and strong in pre-season. By all accounts he was a high earner too.

The problem with Bignot was that he clearly let the budget and freedom given to him by the board go to his head and he was like a kid in a sweet shop when it came to transfers. That being said, every single manager has made duff signings at some point, Fyfield & Straker anyone?!? Even Fergie got it wrong from time to time in the transfer market!

IMO Bignot signed more good than bad though!

Ben Tomlinson gave me hope of being a professional footballer.

Monkhouse was absolutely gash, hated sitting there watching the long ball to the left were Monkey was. very repetative and boring.
If Townsend wasnt at left back it would have shown even worse.

Tomlinson was a headless Chicken.

Quoted from Les Brechin

You're a referee though Brad, what the hell do you know about football?  ;D

Don't let the cat out of the bag  ;D

Quoted from bradzmilne

Don't let the cat out of the bag  ;D

Think it's out mate!

Quoted from pontoonlew

So Tomlinson was persisted with during his loan spell?

Have to totally disagree on Monkhouse, a good pro but a major weak link IMO. The fact he got injured in the play offs was a blessing in disguise.

The point is towards Bignot, he got it wrong with tactics etc but I don't think he can be accused of making bad signings.

Well...yeah, but it was 5 starts and two sub appearances! there wasn't really a lot to 'persist' with. And if he was that keen, he would have tried to keep him after his month was up! Just saying if you thought he persisted with crap players there must be better examples.

Yeah will have to on Monkey...not saying he was a great player for us…but to have appeared in that many matches for a team that were near the top of the table for most of the season must surely mean he played his part in that success.

Agree with you on Bignot…nothing against him and I think he made some great signings and a few unnecessary ones (ie Maxwell).

Tomlinson was an absolutely shocking player, albeit a trier. Not only did he not look like scoring, he didn't look like looking like scoring. And that included 15-20 minutes or so against the most inept defence I have ever seen at Blundell Park, after they had already been demoralised for him (the Halifax side relegated to Conf North who we annihilated 7-0, but whose defence comfortably kept Tomlinson without an opportunity for his time on the pitch). I maintain it was that game that made Hurst finally realise just how dire Tomlinson was - don't think he got on th pitch for us after that, prior to it he had been making noises about keeping his loan going.

Quoted from Garth

Remind me, whose he managing now?

....and  to get back to the subject, what level is Gunning playing now?

Quoted from rancido

....and  to get back to the subject, what level is Gunning playing now?

Out in the cold, suspended level a position he is good at ;D

Quoted from Garth

Out in the cold, suspended level a position he is good at ;D

But he is at a club that is in the league above us! It's also possibly worth noting that we have had two players sent off already this season so he isn't the only one out in the cold at a suspended level.

Quoted from rancido

But he is at a club that is in the league above us! It's also possibly worth noting that we have had two players sent off already this season so he isn't the only one out in the cold at a suspended level.

Why let the facts spoil a good prejudice.

Port Vale are in League 2....

Quoted from rancido

But he is at a club that is in the league above us! It's also possibly worth noting that we have had two players sent off already this season so he isn't the only one out in the cold at a suspended level.

Port Vale are in the same league as us!

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Port Vale are in the same league as us!

Got that one wrong!!! It still shows though that another manager, other than MB, thinks he can do a job at this level.

Or he's got a really good agent.

Keep digging Rancido!

What's your actual point?!?

Quoted from chaos33

Keep digging Rancido!

What's your actual point?!?

He doesn't like Slade.

No way. Really?!

Back in the league and determined to be unhappy and angry. That's how it comes across.

Leave Gunning alone you cantankerous old sods and for that matter Rancido as well

Quoted from chaos33

No way. Really?!

Back in the league and determined to be unhappy and angry. That's how it comes across.

Not at all. I'm over the moon to be back in the league , thanks to PH. It's worth noting that during PH's tenure he was frequently described by many posters on this site as clueless, out of his depth and a clown. Yet he got us promoted and was poached by a club at a higher level.
Also I'm neither unhappy or angry. I make no bones about the fact that I didn't want Slade to be appointed manager but that is my right to hold that opinion. I will support RS because he is our manager but I don't hold any real hopes of him getting us to a higher level. I hope I'm proved wrong, only time will tell.
What I don't like is the fact that Gavin Gunning is used by many posters on here as a means to have a go at MB. It's almost as if MB has been the only manager at our club to make a dubious signing and that he was the only player that he signed. One poster even described Gunning as " MB's female dog " ! Well I've been watching town since 1966 and I've seen many managers come and go. Quite a number of them have had their favourites, quite often to the amazement of the fans because they didn't see what those players brought to the table. Yet Gunning is constantly used as a means to have a go at MB, even down to the fact that when he got sent-off the other day a poster had a pop at MB's tenure.

There seems to be an irrational hatred towards Bignot why?

Quoted from friskneymariner

There seems to be an irrational hatred towards Bignot why?

An irrational hatred is a bit strong. Personally think that his agenda was for change and that he went about it too quickly for some people's liking.

Personally thought brought in methods what were ahead of time and he was mis-understood plus Fenty felt he could not control him.e b

Quoted from friskneymariner

Personally thought brought in methods what were ahead of time and he was mis-understood plus Fenty felt he could not control him.e b

Which methods were they? The random team selections, the porous defence or the giving up on the play offs when they were still within reach?

Under Bignot we performed well in about 3 games that I can think of; Plymouth away, Carlisle away and Mansfield at home. There were some other wins along the way but generally we played poorly in these games, even in the win against Orient we were pretty poor in the first half against a team of kids who finished rock bottom. 3 good performances in six months is shocking. For all of Slade's faults, we have already put in more good performances than we had under Bignot: Cambridge home, Plymouth home, Yeovil home and Chesterfield away. Yes, the other three games have been poor but that is still a big improvement on how we were performing under Bignot and it is still early days.

There were rumours of dressing room unrest and players not going to sign again under Bignot. The squad was clearly not a harmonious place whilst he was here, there was no togetherness in the team and we had more thrashings under him than we'd had under PH for about three years. The squad selections were baffling, the tactics non-existent and he showed few signs of any ability in how to change the way a match was going. Stevenage away being the best example when he just threw on strikers and we played about as badly as I've ever seen us play. He talked a lot but said nothing of note in any of his interviews and whilst initially it was a breath of fresh air after PH's dour persona, it was soon very apparent that most of it was blather.

I was seriously worried about this season had we gone into it with Bignot at the helm and I'm really glad we're shot of him because the last thing we needed was someone who was out of their depth wasting money and taking us back out of the league. Slade is not perfect but he'll get us organised and I'm hopeful after Chesterfield away that we'll have some sort of gameplan, which is something we never had under Bignot. I'm not saying we'll go up but under Bignot we would have left the division in the wrong direction.

The Bignot appointment was a total car crash. He's full of hot air and not a lot else. I usually back managers to get a chance but I felt he would've got us relegated and really set us back. I'm not convinced his signings were that great. Yussuf and Gunning were pants. Asante is a perma crock and unproven. Clements and Osborne look like decent footballers but have been massively inconsistent. Jones is the only one who clearly improved us.

interesting and maybe illuminating that 6 months on and mb is still not in a job

Quoted from mariner91

Which methods were they? The random team selections, the porous defence or the giving up on the play offs when they were still within reach?

Under Bignot we performed well in about 3 games that I can think of; Plymouth away, Carlisle away and Mansfield at home. There were some other wins along the way but generally we played poorly in these games, even in the win against Orient we were pretty poor in the first half against a team of kids who finished rock bottom. 3 good performances in six months is shocking. For all of Slade's faults, we have already put in more good performances than we had under Bignot: Cambridge home, Plymouth home, Yeovil home and Chesterfield away. Yes, the other three games have been poor but that is still a big improvement on how we were performing under Bignot and it is still early days.

There were rumours of dressing room unrest and players not going to sign again under Bignot. The squad was clearly not a harmonious place whilst he was here, there was no togetherness in the team and we had more thrashings under him than we'd had under PH for about three years. The squad selections were baffling, the tactics non-existent and he showed few signs of any ability in how to change the way a match was going. Stevenage away being the best example when he just threw on strikers and we played about as badly as I've ever seen us play. He talked a lot but said nothing of note in any of his interviews and whilst initially it was a breath of fresh air after PH's dour persona, it was soon very apparent that most of it was blather.

I was seriously worried about this season had we gone into it with Bignot at the helm and I'm really glad we're shot of him because the last thing we needed was someone who was out of their depth wasting money and taking us back out of the league. Slade is not perfect but he'll get us organised and I'm hopeful after Chesterfield away that we'll have some sort of gameplan, which is something we never had under Bignot. I'm not saying we'll go up but under Bignot we would have left the division in the wrong direction.

Who did we re-sign with Slade in charge that really mattered, Collins & Davies-average,  Macca-prone to occasional blunders, Pearson, Disley (not offered) and Andrew went, despite most fans saying they felt they should stay.

McKeown was under contract.