Would you have Paul Hurst back?

Straightforward question. No view on it myself as of yet, but thought it was interesting that a few people have raised this on social media. Vote and comment with your reasoning for the vote!

Yes. Never wanted him to go. However we do have a manager currently

It's a yes from me and even though Hurst's stock has gone down recently I doubt he would touch us with a barge pole now anyway knowing how tight Fenty is.

He could do better.

The fact Hurst was even allowed or out in a position to leave speaks volumes to me.

Whatever anyone’s opinion, he is the only manager we’ve had since Buckley MKII that improved his side year on year, managed to take us up and even though he was shafted somewhat, or so it seems, still made us competitive once we went up.

We haven’t had that since, for varying reasons.

People might moan that he cupped his ear but given the shite he’s had, it was understandable.

Sadly, we currently have a manager and I’d imagine Hurst would swerve GTFC with the current club leadership still in place.

Threads like this help absolutely nobody, knock it on the head ffs.

I also think fans forget how flipping woeful it was under Hurst at times.

No!!!!!!! We are ok with IH!!!!

Quoted from pontoonlew

Threads like this help absolutely nobody, knock it on the head ffs.

I also think fans forget how flipping woeful it was under Hurst at times.

Woeful it may have been but winning more games than losing, turning up at an away game knowing there wa as huge chance we’d win 1-0 was far better than the dross we’ve had the last few years.

Quoted from pontoonlew

Threads like this help absolutely nobody, knock it on the head ffs.

I also think fans forget how flipping woeful it was under Hurst at times.

Yes, remember how many games we lost or almost lost from great positions by bringing Parslow on to keep what we’d got, 2-0 up away at Chester (final score 2-2) being one that sticks in the memory!

Quoted from aldi_01

Woeful it may have been but winning more games than losing, turning up at an away game knowing there wa as huge chance we’d win 1-0 was far better than the dross we’ve had the last few years.

Under Hurst we had Bogle Amond and Matt in the National, wish we had em now

Quoted from lee65

Yes, remember how many games we lost or almost lost from great positions by bringing Parslow on to keep what we’d got, 2-0 up away at Chester (final score 2-2) being one that sticks in the memory!

Ah the famous Parslow Point.

I wonder if Hursty would come back as Ollie's number 2? Could you just imagine?

Quoted from essexexile

Under Hurst we had Bogle Amond and Matt in the National, wish we had em now

Pendant alert..., we were back in the League by the time we had Matt.

Quoted from WayneBurnettsJockstrap

I wonder if Hursty would come back as Ollie's number 2? Could you just imagine?

Only if Dave Moore does the interviews, then yeah it could work.

Quoted from aldi_01

The fact Hurst was even allowed or out in a position to leave speaks volumes to me.

Whatever anyone’s opinion, he is the only manager we’ve had since Buckley MKII that improved his side year on year, managed to take us up and even though he was shafted somewhat, or so it seems, still made us competitive once we went up.

We haven’t had that since, for varying reasons.

People might moan that he cupped his ear but given the shite he’s had, it was understandable.

Sadly, we currently have a manager and I’d imagine Hurst would swerve GTFC with the current club leadership still in place.

That really wasn't the case :-

11/12   70 points  11th   (with gob shite)
12/13   83 points  4th    behind Kidderminster (With gob shite still)
13/14   78 points  4th    behind Gateshead   (gob shite left mid-September)
14/15   86 points  3rd    behind Barnet
15/16   80 points  4th    behind Braintree

We were just about standing still apart from the season we actually got promoted and despite Bogle & Amond we had gone backwards from the previous season.

And has been mentioned many times we made the final in 15/16 with grateful thanks to that clown of a Braintree player dragging down Gowling for the penalty when he needn't have done it then getting sent off later in the game.

I have mentioned those other clubs as some seemed to suggest we were battling bigger clubs with pots of money.
  
Hurst again, no thank you.

Hurst has Boggle and Amond a championship strike force and finished 5th in the conference:

Quoted from Yoda

Hurst has Boggle and Amond a championship strike force and finished 5th in the conference:

Good but Championship is taking it a bit too far.

When talking about winning percentages you have to remember the level we were playing at.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

When talking about winning percentages you have to remember the level we were playing at.

Hurst's record at Shrewsbury wasn't too shoddy and that was a league above.

Kin ell

Quoted from lee65

Yes, remember how many games we lost or almost lost from great positions by bringing Parslow on to keep what we’d got, 2-0 up away at Chester (final score 2-2) being one that sticks in the memory!

What i'd give to see Town score 2 goals.

Quoted from essexexile

Under Hurst we had Bogle Amond and Matt in the National, wish we had em now

Matt played for us under Jolley but I get what you’re saying.

Quoted from lee65

Yes, remember how many games we lost or almost lost from great positions by bringing Parslow on to keep what we’d got, 2-0 up away at Chester (final score 2-2) being one that sticks in the memory!

Even Parslow would be an improvement on what we have got now ( as a centre forward)

Ha ha what a ridiculous poll . Get a grip .

Give Ollie a break please,

We have only played ten league games with a bunch of strangers

Some have no experience of league football and some of the experience ones have arrived unfit or injured.

We have had a late start to the season then a enforced break inbetween.

Most of our league games have been away so less time on the training pitch.

We are now entering a period of home games after next week so less travelling more time on the training pitch and more players getting over their injuries.

I expect a upturn in our form and a settled team going into the new year which hopefully will give us a few wins.

We have a very experienced manager who is here for the long term and threads like this must be like a slap in the face to him especially after he is putting his own money into the club something that no other manager has done.

So I apologize to you Ollie this thread was not needed and should be sent to room 101.

Quoted from arryarryarry

That really wasn't the case :-

11/12   70 points  11th   (with gob shite)
12/13   83 points  4th    behind Kidderminster (With gob shite still)
13/14   78 points  4th    behind Gateshead   (gob shite left mid-September)
14/15   86 points  3rd    behind Barnet
15/16   80 points  4th    behind Braintree

We were just about standing still apart from the season we actually got promoted and despite Bogle & Amond we had gone backwards from the previous season.

And has been mentioned many times we made the final in 15/16 with grateful thanks to that clown of a Braintree player dragging down Gowling for the penalty when he needn't have done it then getting sent off later in the game.

I have mentioned those other clubs as some seemed to suggest we were battling bigger clubs with pots of money.
  
Hurst again, no thank you.

Look at where those clubs are now:

Kidderminster - National League North
Gateshead - National League North
Barnet - National League
Braintree - National League South

It is the toughest league to get out of. Consistently getting us in the play offs was a great achievement as large portions of the team were rebuilt year on year.

We weren't doing too bad when he left either. What followed has been an absolute car crash. Turning over players like you wouldn't believe. Before lockdown the signs were there that Holloway was going to build something. Without the current situation I'm sure our team would look a lot different right now but it is frustrating.

Last night we put out a team filled with players that you would expect will play a decent number of games for us this season and lost 2-0 to Hull City Reserves.

Quoted from aldi_01

The fact Hurst was even allowed or out in a position to leave speaks volumes to me.

Whatever anyone’s opinion, he is the only manager we’ve had since Buckley MKII that improved his side year on year, managed to take us up and even though he was shafted somewhat, or so it seems, still made us competitive once we went up.

We haven’t had that since, for varying reasons.

People might moan that he cupped his ear but given the shite he’s had, it was understandable.

Sadly, we currently have a manager and I’d imagine Hurst would swerve GTFC with the current club leadership still in place.

But he didn't improve us year on year did he?

The side that got promoted was in many ways lesser than the side that lost to Bristol Rovers the year before, this is despite having a strike force of Amond and Bogle.  He somehow managed to think that at various points of the season that each of them wasn't what we needed and brought in the likes of Lee Tomlinson, Patrick Hoban....to take their places.  On an individual basis it was probably a better team.  Amond over LJL etc.  But the team itself was ruined by the fact he was obsessed with playing Andy Monkhouse every week and sending his sides out with the sole tactic of launching it high onto the left wing.

The side that then started League Two was inferior to the one that got promoted.  Yes, that side needed freshening up, no argument on that one.  It fell over the line in the end with our better players choosing to leave (you can't blame anyone for that) - Toto, Nolan, Tait...all left of their own choosing.  

But it was Hurst who opted to not keep Amond and Arnold and then replaced them with lesser players.  Amond was a mistake and everyone makes them, but his replacement was so much of a downgrade it's laughable (Scott Vernon)  Arnold didn't before and hadn't since cut it at Football League level, but his replacement (Ashley Chambers) was a downgrade.  Craig Clay was another who probably wasn't what we wanted if we were going to kick-in, but his replacement was inferior (James Berrett)

For those who did leave of their own accord - Toto was replaced by Andrew Boyce.  Tait by Zak Mills.  Nolan by Luke Summerfield.  All downgrades.  That summer the only improvement we made was Danny Andrew replacing the retired Gregor Robertson.  Early in the season he also brought in Danny Collins which was a very good move.

But otherwise Hurst absolutely knackered up his recruitment that summer, which was largely based around bringing in players released by relegated York City.   Yes we were in a decent league position when he left but it was a very congested table at that point, look at the team from that last game - there's absolutely no hope in hell that it would have stayed there [url]https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37663681[/url]

As for the cupping of his ear.  It wasn't understandable at all.  His critics were in the minority.  The vast majority of fans stuck by him, as did Fenty and the board, despite limited to no improvements for 4 years and boring and dull football.   His cupping of the ear was petty and spiteful.  Compare that with Disley's TV interview at Braintree.  He spoke of the emotion and how it meant something to prove people wrong, people that doubted the club.   Hurst could have handled it with a similar level of class, instead he acted like a spoilt brat.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

Look at where those clubs are now:

Kidderminster - National League North
Gateshead - National League North
Barnet - National League
Braintree - National League South

It is the toughest league to get out of. Consistently getting us in the play offs was a great achievement as large portions of the team were rebuilt year on year.

We weren't doing too bad when he left either. What followed has been an absolute car crash. Turning over players like you wouldn't believe. Before lockdown the signs were there that Holloway was going to build something. Without the current situation I'm sure our team would look a lot different right now but it is frustrating.

Last night we put out a team filled with players that you would expect will play a decent number of games for us this season and lost 2-0 to Hull City Reserves.

Definitely agree it's a tough league to get out of and the car crash since 2016.   But couldn't disagree more that the play-offs were a great achievement.

2015/16: FGR, Braintree, Us, Dover (just missing out Tranmere)
2014/15: Bristol Rovers, Us, Eastleigh, FGR (just missing out Macclesfield and Woking)
2013/14: Cambridge, Gateshead, Us, Halifax (just missing out Braintree and Kidderminster)
2012/14: Kidderminster, Newport, Us, Wrexham (next closest team was Hereford, 10 points away)

You're as good as you are and I don't buy into the idea that any club has the automatic right to any league position.  But matching up to Braintree, Dover, Eastleigh, Halifax and bettering Woking and Hereford is not something I think a club of our size should class as an achievement.

I totally understand why a large proportion of our fans wouldn't want Hurst to be managing us again.

I accept many of their arguments but, let's be honest, we have very selective memories.

We're all quick to claim we only got promoted because some Braintree defender lost his damn mind. No one remembers how the much-forgotten Marcus Marshall came on and changed things. Does Hurst ever get the credit for making that sub, or for the 70+ points he earned that got us into that position?

Do enough of us think back to the time we went to Luton (in 16/17) and played great football, won 2-1, and everyone was happy? Didn't we beat Stevenage 5-2 around then too?

For every negative you can select, and pinpoint (Parslow Point) you could, if you wanted to, find many more to positives outweigh them.

Like I said, I understand the reasons why many wouldn't want Hurst to manage us again, but we are guilty of honing in on his limitations, fixating on them, and always focusing on them, and never really focusing on the many wins (and cup runs) he gave us.

Winning 6-1 at Gateshead? That was hilarious! And we hammered Alfreton 7-0 a week later, if my memory serves me correct. By all means say they were excrement clubs, but you can't say we always played negatively.

McKeown, Pearson, Disley, Bogle, Amond, Arnold... just six players Hurst (and to some degree, Scott) signed, and are still highly thought of at this club. How many players do we think highly of that Bignot, Slade, Jolley or Holloway have signed since?

We know from our time back in L2 that we have a budget that will always prevent us competing for promotion, so it stands to reason that we didn't have the best budget in non-league either.

Hurst had us in and around the playoffs each year, where we deserved to be. Many might not like this, but he did his job. We should've been promoted a year sooner than we were.

Dour, ear-cupping, yes, yes, I can see how that upsets some. But if we're always going to dwell on his limitations then that's how history will remember him.

And although he might be from Yorkshire, for what he did for this club during its darkest time, I think he deserves to be remembered a bit more fondly than that.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

Look at where those clubs are now:

Kidderminster - National League North
Gateshead - National League North
Barnet - National League
Braintree - National League South

It is the toughest league to get out of. Consistently getting us in the play offs was a great achievement as large portions of the team were rebuilt year on year.

.

Thought I'd have a look at where clubs who got promoted from the Conference are now

Mansfield and Newport
Luton and Cambridge
Bristol Rovers
Cheltenham (and us)
Lincoln and Forest Green
Tranmere
Orient and Salford
Barrow and Harrogate

Just two who went back down Barnet and Macclesfield

Otherwise all above us in the FL (apart from Mansfield) in some cases a division and in one case two divisions above

Yes we got out of a very difficult league but we have gone absolutely nowhere since

Quoted from diehardmariner

But he didn't improve us year on year did he?

The side that got promoted was in many ways lesser than the side that lost to Bristol Rovers the year before, this is despite having a strike force of Amond and Bogle.  He somehow managed to think that at various points of the season that each of them wasn't what we needed and brought in the likes of Lee Tomlinson, Patrick Hoban....to take their places.  On an individual basis it was probably a better team.  Amond over LJL etc.  But the team itself was ruined by the fact he was obsessed with playing Andy Monkhouse every week and sending his sides out with the sole tactic of launching it high onto the left wing.

The side that then started League Two was inferior to the one that got promoted.  Yes, that side needed freshening up, no argument on that one.  It fell over the line in the end with our better players choosing to leave (you can't blame anyone for that) - Toto, Nolan, Tait...all left of their own choosing.  

But it was Hurst who opted to not keep Amond and Arnold and then replaced them with lesser players.  Amond was a mistake and everyone makes them, but his replacement was so much of a downgrade it's laughable (Scott Vernon)  Arnold didn't before and hadn't since cut it at Football League level, but his replacement (Ashley Chambers) was a downgrade.  Craig Clay was another who probably wasn't what we wanted if we were going to kick-in, but his replacement was inferior (James Berrett)

For those who did leave of their own accord - Toto was replaced by Andrew Boyce.  Tait by Zak Mills.  Nolan by Luke Summerfield.  All downgrades.  That summer the only improvement we made was Danny Andrew replacing the retired Gregor Robertson.  Early in the season he also brought in Danny Collins which was a very good move.

But otherwise Hurst absolutely knackered up his recruitment that summer, which was largely based around bringing in players released by relegated York City.   Yes we were in a decent league position when he left but it was a very congested table at that point, look at the team from that last game - there's absolutely no hope in hell that it would have stayed there [url]https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37663681[/url]

As for the cupping of his ear.  It wasn't understandable at all.  His critics were in the minority.  The vast majority of fans stuck by him, as did Fenty and the board, despite limited to no improvements for 4 years and boring and dull football.   His cupping of the ear was petty and spiteful.  Compare that with Disley's TV interview at Braintree.  He spoke of the emotion and how it meant something to prove people wrong, people that doubted the club.   Hurst could have handled it with a similar level of class, instead he acted like a spoilt brat.

If you are talkiong about bringing in inferior players look no futher than the shower Holloway has recruited. Some of them are worse footballers than Newell's lot (just more sober perhaps)

Hurst had to endure disgusting abuse away at halifax- amongst the worst ive seen at a football match and flipping idiot sticking hurst out over the flyover before the 2nd leg of a play off. Cup his ear all he likes for me

Quoted from jamesgtfc

Look at where those clubs are now:

Kidderminster - National League North
Gateshead - National League North
Barnet - National League
Braintree - National League South

It is the toughest league to get out of. Consistently getting us in the play offs was a great achievement as large portions of the team were rebuilt year on year.

We weren't doing too bad when he left either. What followed has been an absolute car crash. Turning over players like you wouldn't believe. Before lockdown the signs were there that Holloway was going to build something. Without the current situation I'm sure our team would look a lot different right now but it is frustrating.

Last night we put out a team filled with players that you would expect will play a decent number of games for us this season and lost 2-0 to Hull City Reserves.

Thank you for proving my point which was about Paul Hurst. He couldn't get us above them in those seasons and we were lucky to get past Braintree. .

After Scott, it took him an age to get us promoted. He had one good season at Shrewsbury and that’s it.

Tactically inept useless substitutions. What sort of side he would put together now I shudder to think but he would soon be sulking and moaning about budgets.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

After Scott, it took him an age to get us promoted. He had one good season at Shrewsbury and that’s it.

Tactically inept useless substitutions. What sort of side he would put together now I shudder to think but he would soon be sulking and moaning about budgets.

He had a good full season at Shrewsbury plus worked an absolute miracle when he took over part way through.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

After Scott, it took him an age to get us promoted. He had one good season at Shrewsbury and that’s it.

Tactically inept useless substitutions. What sort of side he would put together now I shudder to think but he would soon be sulking and moaning about budgets.

He was a nightmare when he did have a budget - ask the Ipswich fans

Quoted from RichMariner

We're all quick to claim we only got promoted because some Braintree defender lost his damn mind. No one remembers how the much-forgotten Marcus Marshall came on and changed things. Does Hurst ever get the credit for making that sub, or for the 70+ points he earned that got us into that position?

As impressive as Marshall was that game when he came on, it was a moment of madness that let us back into that game.  Marshall came on 2 minutes before the Braintree defender lost his head.  Yes, Marshall gave an attacking impetus we lacked, but without that penalty gifted to us....we were fifteen minutes away from going out.  For as much as that second leg is in modern folklore, the first leg was an absolute dreadful display following two equally flat and limp displays to close the season proper out.  Having fallen behind in that first leg, Hurst made two substitutions.  Bogle off for Hoban.  Arnold off for East.  Jon-Paul Pittman sat unused on the bench.

I stand to be corrected but Marshall only came into the first team squad when Monkhouse picked up his injury at the back end of the season didn't he?  I stand by the point that Monkhouse's injury was the main reason we went up in the end.  With all that attacking ability, best part of 60 goals between your two front men, a player with the capability of Jon Nolan in your midfield and the talent of Nathan Arnold on your wing and it takes an injury to a 35-year-old winger (who's next port of call was a side that just avoided relegation from the Conference North) to stumble upon a system that worked.

Quoted from RichMariner

Do enough of us think back to the time we went to Luton (in 16/17) and played great football, won 2-1, and everyone was happy? Didn't we beat Stevenage 5-2 around then too?

Great victories and great performances, but for me it only highlights what we could do but he always had the shackles on the team.  Same as the points you make below about the Gateshead and Alfreton back-to-back fixtures.  Hurst was great at spotting talent and bringing it to the club, he just never got the best out of them for me.

In terms of rapport with the Fans, Hurst was a disgrace, deserved everything he got.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

He had a good full season at Shrewsbury plus worked an absolute miracle when he took over part way through.

He had a decent budget to bring in players he knew who were decent at that level.and enough time to stave off relegation. As for his full season a lot of Shrews fans wondered why a side trotting away with a promotion spot and some decent wins suddenly started to play like they were threatened with relegation two thirds of the way through the season and playing for draws. Eventually just managed the play offs but there seemed a lot more to it than that as Hurst was already negotiating with Ipswich. Don’t trust him and don’t rate him.

Not for me. Hated his dour tactics and pointless substitutions on 70 mins. The only time it seemed to work was with the aforementioned Marcus Marshall, and he should have been on sooner, as we were making no headway whatsoever until he came on.

I'm amazed really that with all the experience Town fans have of the fact that changing managers doesn't cure anything, they still start calling for change if we aren't tearing up the league after a dozen games. The one thing the Hurst appointment showed us was that stability has more chance of paying off than constantly changing personnel.

Ollie is trying to change the ethos around the place with developing young players and a way of playing right through the age groups. He's made a massive commitment, personally and financially to our club, yet the usual suspects are calling for his head already. I don't think he's going anywhere, and neither should he.

Have some patience, and if we are still floundering at the wrong end of the table come Feb, then yeah, have a chunter then.

People say the conference is the hardest league to get out off mainly because only 2 are promoted, but in the years back in division 4 we have not even made a playoff place, and that goes down to seventh, whereas in the conference apart from the first season we made the playoffs every year. So was that Hurst being successful or were we a big fish in a little pond, whereas now we are a middling fish in a bigger pond.

Quoted from ginnywings

Not for me. Hated his dour tactics and pointless substitutions on 70 mins. The only time it seemed to work was with the aforementioned Marcus Marshall, and he should have been on sooner, as we were making no headway whatsoever until he came on.

I'm amazed really that with all the experience Town fans have of the fact that changing managers doesn't cure anything, they still start calling for change if we aren't tearing up the league after a dozen games. The one thing the Hurst appointment showed us was that stability has more chance of paying off than constantly changing personnel.

Ollie is trying to change the ethos around the place with developing young players and a way of playing right through the age groups. He's made a massive commitment, personally and financially to our club, yet the usual suspects are calling for his head already. I don't think he's going anywhere, and neither should he.

Have some patience, and if we are still floundering at the wrong end of the table come Feb, then yeah, have a chunter then.

That's one argument and when we stuck with Woods look where that got us, non league and the loss of millions of pounds.

Certainly we shouldn't look to get rid at the moment but sticking with someone when it clearly isn't working with what he is trying to do is another disaster waiting to happen.

My opinion is he is trying to play to a style that may well work in the Premiership or Championship with good quality players but isn't working here at the moment because I don't think the players are good enough.

If performaces and results don't improve soon he is going to have to look at his style of play and try something different.

Going back to Neil Woods I and many others said at the time he clearly couldn't do the job even before he was given the job full time but the board ignored his failings and as I said it ended in disaster.

No way. He's long gone and part of the past. I really don't get this obsession with players and managers who have left by their own choice.

No - stick with Olly.

Quoted from arryarryarry

That's one argument and when we stuck with Woods look where that got us, non league and the loss of millions of pounds.

Certainly we shouldn't look to get rid at the moment but sticking with someone when it clearly isn't working with what he is trying to do is another disaster waiting to happen.

My opinion is he is trying to play to a style that may well work in the Premiership or Championship with good quality players but isn't working here at the moment because I don't think the players are good enough.

If performaces and results don't improve soon he is going to have to look at his style of play and try something different.

Going back to Neil Woods I and many others said at the time he clearly couldn't do the job even before he was given the job full time but the board ignored his failings and as I said it ended in disaster.

I think they are talented enough but not good enough! They are not battle hardened troops are they? They are not used to the cut and kick of L2, they are used to playing tidy little passing games at their previous or current clubs. I think we would all like to see a nice passing game but more that that we would like to see a nice winning game. How Ollie resolves this conundrum I do not know but shovelling in more and more untried young players and odd loanees who are miles from match fitness does not seem to be working. He should let several players go and try for just a couple of replacements who are good enough to make immediate impact.

Was shocked about a third of people would have him back.

Did an average job with us. Took us up eventually then gave us a below average league 2 team, which to be fair is what we have now.

Performed a minor miracle at at Shrewsbury.

Still no for me.

Too defensive tactically; mind-numbingly dull as an interviewee; let a 37-goals-the-previous-season striker walk away from the club; Parslow sub...so no for me.

Results-wise he was ok, but he's like a meal in a restaurant which is ok...you hope there's better on the menu.

We'd all swap any of our strikers* for Podge Amond right here and now wouldn't we?








* using the term somewhat loosely...

For me over the last 10 or 15 years I've always thought Holloway and Warnock where the best 2 managers about. I never ever thought that one of them would get the Town job. I think it's crying shame that we went all out to get Ian Holloway and then covid struck. We may never see what Ian could of done for us in a normal world. Has the affects financially may be about for a good while after we get a vaccine and things get to a near normal life again.
Going back to PH has u said on the worst manager thread no o e since Buckley has brought such a great team spo and togherness. Also attracted such a high quality of player. Having Omar, Podge, Toto, Tait ect in league 2 would be brilliant but to get them here while we where non league was great. I want Ian to be  successful, but if he isn't I'd be 100% behind getting Paul back.

Uninspiring interviews and often defensive? I’d take that at the minute.

All football fans seems to be obsessed with going back to someone who was a success, the bigger issue has to be why he was allowed to leave or felt he needed to in the first place. Contracts for the likes of Podge were an issue again, something was probably out of PH’s hands in some aspects.

Either way, it won’t happen and we’re stuck with Holloway so at least we get larger than life interviews and chaotic at times football. Will it come good? I hope so along with the rest, I just fear that Covid will be forever the excuse now...

Quoted from Boris Johnson

In terms of rapport with the Fans, Hurst was a disgrace, deserved everything he got.

The flip of that is that he consistently built a dressing rapport that couldn't be matched.  It's no secret that the team spirit was our best asset. He has to take credit for that.  Summer upon summer it was a rebuild effectively, yet we were always a united front.

That's got to be down to the consistency of a spine.  McKeown, Pearson and Disley.  Fair enough Disley was already ending his Indian summer and Pearson was deemed not good enough (which I disagree with) but Bignot and Slade both had attempts at removing all 3 from the scene.  Ultimately Slade succeeded with 2 of them.  I don't think we've ever really recovered from that, it ripped the heart out a little bit.

Buckley didn't have a great rapport with the fans either.  It was a love-hate relationship at times.  I guess the thing is you can be spiky with the fans but you have to back it up with results. Football fans have long memories.

Quoted from diehardmariner

The flip of that is that he consistently built a dressing rapport that couldn't be matched.  It's no secret that the team spirit was our best asset. He has to take credit for that.  Summer upon summer it was a rebuild effectively, yet we were always a united front.

That's got to be down to the consistency of a spine.  McKeown, Pearson and Disley.  Fair enough Disley was already ending his Indian summer and Pearson was deemed not good enough (which I disagree with) but Bignot and Slade both had attempts at removing all 3 from the scene.  Ultimately Slade succeeded with 2 of them.  I don't think we've ever really recovered from that, it ripped the heart out a little bit.

Buckley didn't have a great rapport with the fans either.  It was a love-hate relationship at times.  I guess the thing is you can be spiky with the fans but you have to back it up with results. Football fans have long memories.

I don't think in that context he was any different to most managers, I thought he fell out with a few players.

Quoted from 137

Too defensive tactically; mind-numbingly dull as an interviewee; let a 37-goals-the-previous-season striker walk away from the club; Parslow sub...so no for me.

Results-wise he was ok, but he's like a meal in a restaurant which is ok...you hope there's better on the menu.

We'd all swap any of our strikers* for Podge Amond right here and now wouldn't we?

* using the term somewhat loosely...

Again, not picking on you in particular, yes Hurst let our 37-goal striker leave for free but he did at least bring him to the club in the first place AND offer him a contract in January.

We reference the Parslow Point but how about remembering the 2-1 win at Scunny? We played great in the home game, albeit finished 0-0. Didn't we beat L2 Northampton in the next game, and set up a third round tie with Huddersifled (in which we gave it a go and ultimately lost 3-2)?

We love — absolutely love — to focus on the negatives, and define people by them. A lot of the positives, just because they didn't lead directly to a promotion, are totally forgotten. It's a shame. Hurst brought good quality players, team cohesion and got the players playing with effort. Bogle & Amond scored nearly 60 goals between them AND we got promoted...

When times are tough, I don't expect us to win promotion. I just expect a settled squad, players who play with passion, and that should lead onto better things, given time.

I really don't understand how supposed negativity gets you a play-off finish year after year. In the first 3 months of 15/16 we'd won 4-1 twice, 4-0 and 7-0 but yet we Isolate specific negative occasions.

All I'm saying is that we should at least be aware that there are many positive occasions from Hurst's tenure to pick out too. Claiming 'we only got promoted because...' does a massive disservice to everything the players gave us that season.

If we really felt Hurst was negative and a failure, there's no way we'd have raised £110k thinking that he'd likely get to spend it.

Quoted from diehardmariner

The flip of that is that he consistently built a dressing rapport that couldn't be matched.  It's no secret that the team spirit was our best asset. He has to take credit for that.  Summer upon summer it was a rebuild effectively, yet we were always a united front.

That's got to be down to the consistency of a spine.  McKeown, Pearson and Disley.  Fair enough Disley was already ending his Indian summer and Pearson was deemed not good enough (which I disagree with) but Bignot and Slade both had attempts at removing all 3 from the scene.  Ultimately Slade succeeded with 2 of them.  I don't think we've ever really recovered from that, it ripped the heart out a little bit.

Buckley didn't have a great rapport with the fans either.  It was a love-hate relationship at times.  I guess the thing is you can be spiky with the fans but you have to back it up with results. Football fans have long memories.

I don't recall Slade trying to move McKeown on?

I remember Bignot telling everyone that Clifton was under contract. Next thing you know, he's out of contract and Slade gave him a deal!

No, you're right.  Slade didn't try to move McKeown on, I worded that wrong.

Quoted from promotion plaice

Hurst's record at Shrewsbury wasn't too shoddy and that was a league above.

I was talking about town’s win percentage when we were one of the big boys in a lower league. It was what you’d expect. Hurst had a good year at Shrews granted.

Quoted from jonnyboy82

Kin ell

Does all this talk of Hurst remind you of the time that you were supposed to stick a hot dog in, erm, ‘a place like Scunthorpe’?

Allegedly Hurst is now favourite for the Tranmere job.

https://www.grimsbytelegraph.c.....manager-odds-4719095

We won 3 drawn 3 and lost 4 in the league.


That's not form for replacing the manager.

Ipswich. was sacked in October 2018 after less than five months in charge – making him the shortest serving manager in the club's history. Won 1 drew 7 lost 7

He managed or co managed Boston, Town, Shrews, Ipswich and Scunthorpe. I don't think he is fondly remembered by fans at any of those clubs.  He did well at Shrewsbury but I don't think the fans were too impressed by the way he left them. He saved them from relegation though.

I think he put together a reasonable side here in 2015/16 and I don't think we would have flirted with relegation later had he stayed. However, I can't get over the fact that he let Amond go. Such a poor decision.  

I miss Paul Hurst. He’d have kept us back four as taaaarrrt as t’drystone wall, I tell thee

No, he was a decent manager who kept things simple. But he burned his bridges by having a go at fans who spent thousands following Town all over the country. We travelled in huge numbers, often outnumbering the home fans in that league and made incredible noise.

Despite that financial and emotional investment, he cupped his ears at us, often criticised us and I never took to him. He did okay for us though, no more than that. Town at that level is completely unacceptable and we never really challenged for the league.

I accept he was hamstrung by the same board we've had for 15 years, it isn't all a coinsidence we are a shambles, and it isn't a coinsidence he was desperate to take at best a sidestep to a smaller club just to get out of here.

Quoted from fishboyUTM

No, he was a decent manager who kept things simple. But he burned his bridges by having a go at fans who spent thousands following Town all over the country. We travelled in huge numbers, often outnumbering the home fans in that league and made incredible noise.

Despite that financial and emotional investment, he cupped his ears at us, often criticised us and I never took to him. He did okay for us though, no more than that. Town at that level is completely unacceptable and we never really challenged for the league.

I accept he was hamstrung by the same board we've had for 15 years, it isn't all a coinsidence we are a shambles, and it isn't a coinsidence he was desperate to take at best a sidestep to a smaller club just to get out of here.

I think the last paragraph here is the wider discussion point. It has become clear that the contracts offered once returning to the league were not perhaps what people expected. PH has alluded to this since, that meant players who were obviously good enough left. PH recruited players he thought could do a job in his side, under his leadership and to some extent, that was working. Without him some of those players were never the same.

He likely did move sideways but to a club higher up the pyramid so that probably says a lot. We put up very little effort to keep him, the man, other than Buckley to get us promoted in recent times.

I get he didn’t blow smoke up fans arses and told some a few home truths they didn’t like. The ear cupping was flipping hilarious in all honesty.

It was clear that breakdown in relations between PH and the board was the reason for his eventual departure, sad really, he is the manager to genuinely build a team that played for each other and that fans felt connected with.

Would I have him back? Not sure, football fans are obsessed with returning to old favourites, on occasions it works but probably best to leave it be and move on. We’ve got bigger issues to worry about...

Not a bad manager but wouldn't accept criticism - too pig headed. Not the best but not the worst manager we've had

If he came back next week it would put hundreds on the gate.

Bring back Hurst. This is going to be a relegation battle and he’ll steady the ship and keep us up.

NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !

Quoted from Sir Matt Tease

NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !

Get off the fence.

It's..... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

No thought he was bigger than the club, would rather have Rob Scott.

After today I'd have Mike Newell back at least he'd have the excuse that they were all drunk