• Nigel Adkins has been given the Tranmere job on a permanent basis signing until the end of the 25/26 season. Continue the discussion here.

Les Parry. What to do

Tom

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10 Jun 2009
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Hey guys, my question is what do you think Les Parry's future should be if we were to stay up or, god forbid we were to go down on Saturday?

I heared him on SkySports News yesterday saying he wants to stay even if we do go down but I'm not sure if I'd preferr a manager with more experience even if we were to stay up. Obviously Les is a loyal Tranmere member of staff, has done a great job (regardless of the verdict come 5pm Saturday) and wants to stay but yeah, do you want him to stay in either scenario? if not who could really takeover?
 

DIW

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Goodison
Whatever happens I think it would be best if Les stepped back to being teh physio.
 
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Experience...

I think Les has had a baptism of fire in the management stakes. With the points gathered over his part of the season you'd have to think that if he'd been in charge for the full season then we would not be in this position. And thats working with a squad that he did not build - he inherited a ***** position and a bunch of players that dumb and dumber put together, no funds available to him at all until we threw a few quid in the bucket. Taken all together I'd say the man has performed brilliantly - irrespective of whether we stay up or go down.
And throughout this there has not been any help from Johnson other than to take money out and allow the players who did well last season to walk away.

When you add it all up Les has done more than earn at least a decent crack on a three year contract for me.

So even before this weekends events its a bloody big well done Les, you've saved a wretched season and kept things going down to the wire. I doubt if anyone could have done more in the same circumstances.
Les must stay.
 

SonkORLY?

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Eddy Sonko
Whatever happens I think it would be best if Les stepped back to being teh physio.

Amen. Last week on the radio he said he wanted the job whatever happens and I do expect him to be our manager next season regardless of what happens. Depressing.
 
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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John King
I will have to shock everybody by agreeing with Sonkorly here. Whatever happens on Saturday Les has done a great job, incredible really considering his lack of prior experience, but there is a big difference between doing a firefighting job and re-shaping a squad to take the club forward. We paid for a lack of experience at the start of the season and can't afford to make that mistake again.

Anyway, best to put this issue on the back burner until Saturday night.
 

DixieDean

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I think Les has had a baptism of fire in the management stakes. With the points gathered over his part of the season you'd have to think that if he'd been in charge for the full season then we would not be in this position. And thats working with a squad that he did not build - he inherited a ***** position and a bunch of players that dumb and dumber put together, no funds available to him at all until we threw a few quid in the bucket. Taken all together I'd say the man has performed brilliantly - irrespective of whether we stay up or go down.
And throughout this there has not been any help from Johnson other than to take money out and allow the players who did well last season to walk away.

When you add it all up Les has done more than earn at least a decent crack on a three year contract for me.

So even before this weekends events its a bloody big well done Les, you've saved a wretched season and kept things going down to the wire. I doubt if anyone could have done more in the same circumstances.
Les must stay.

Amen. Last week on the radio he said he wanted the job whatever happens and I do expect him to be our manager next season regardless of what happens - and that suits me!

He has proven he knows a decent player - has HE brought in a bad one yet?

I'd give him a crack next season, definately.
 

TRFC_Ian

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Aldo
When you add it all up Les has done more than earn at least a decent crack on a three year contract for me.

Madness!

I'm not talking about appointing Les on a permanent basis. I can see both sides of the argument on that one. I think hes done a good job under very very difficult circumstances - although an experienced manager might have been helpful at times.

What i'm talking about is the 3 year contract bit. Any new manager we appoint (whether thats Les or someone else) should get a one year rolling contract and no more. If its rolling then we know the amount we will have to pay them off if they need to be sacked - but also that if they succeed then we will get a bit of compo for them. To give three years to anyone in our current position is financial suicide
 

DixieDean

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there is a big difference between doing a firefighting job and re-shaping a squad to take the club forward.

True, there is a big difference:

Which is more difficult?

1. take over a team a quarter of the way into the season. They sit in the relegation zone. You have no money to spend. An aging squad that has too many midfielders, is thin everywhere else and the players have little or no confidence. You must shoe horn the players into the type of formation and style you prefer. Taking into account none of these guys were signed by you and you probably wouldn't have signed most of them as they aren't good enough.

2. take over a team for a few months and then, in the summer you will have the chance to let most of the deadwood go and can then use your keen eye to bring in your own players who 'should' fit into your style of play much easier than the ones you were forced to work with. You will be starting on the same points as everyone else, instead of taking over a team that is many many points behind the league leaders.

Hmm...:-k:-k
 

DixieDean

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Madness!

What i'm talking about is the 3 year contract bit. Any new manager we appoint (whether thats Les or someone else) should get a one year rolling contract and no more. If its rolling then we know the amount we will have to pay them off if they need to be sacked - but also that if they succeed then we will get a bit of compo for them. To give three years to anyone in our current position is financial suicide

Yes, that's the only bit I wouldn't have agreed with! 3 years is too much at ANY level these days, lol.
 
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I did not say one situation is easier than the other, just that they require different skills. We don't know how good Les is at building an entire squad, as he hasn't been in that position yet. Equally, we don't know how flexible he is tactically, as has played the same 4-3-3 formation in virtually every game, and more subtlety may be required to take the club forward.

To be clear, I am not intending to knock him in any way, and would fully support him if he got the job. I just think it is a decision that the club should take with a clear head.
 
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Liam Palmer
Les is doing a fantastic job given the circumstances and unless a new owner pitches up I hope and expect him to still be the manager, regardless of what happens on Saturday. I have seen enough to keep me happy: the games against Southampton, Norwich and Millwall. There's been dross too - Hartlepool, Wycombe, Oldham, but I reckon even with a budget of £950,000 for wages, he will do better than most 'managers'. As has been pointed out elsewhere, Norwich have two players who earn more than our entire season's budget - each!!!
 

bigmart

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To the question has he brought in a bad player yet yes gordon & i would say that sordell was really no better than what we already had. Labadie is clearly a good player but was kept on the bench for far too long whilst mclaren was picked ahead of him.

I do think les will remain the manager next season as he will be the cheap option and as the playing budget is being cut again the cheap option will be taken.
 

TRFCJason

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John Aldridge
I'm not a lover of his tactics (433) but I do believe he deserves another 12 months as manager no matter what happen's on saturday, were not going to get anyone else not at this level.
 

Ian

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Interesting swing (sorry, been watching too much election drizzle) from Les as he made it clear a few months back that he would leave if we went down. Now he may possibly have a chance of retaining his position as manager next season. Like bigmart says, he's the cheap option and is also an easy decision for the board to make. Otherwise they would only be in the same mess as they were a few months back when they couldn't appoint a manager hence Les jumping in.

I'd be a little wary with Les in charge, but I'd fully support him.
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
If Les keeps us up, he deserves another shot at the job. Otherwise, I'm unsure. As others high-lighted, there has been a lack of tactical flexibility and there was enough variety in our existing squad to try out different options.

Part agree with Bigmart about players he's brought in Gordon was poor though we don't know if the rumours about Chelsea paying his wages if he played were true. Sordell was the only striker available at the time and there were doubts about Bas. Labadie was too good to be kept on the bench.
 

SonkORLY?

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Amen. Last week on the radio he said he wanted the job whatever happens and I do expect him to be our manager next season regardless of what happens - and that suits me!

He has proven he knows a decent player - has HE brought in a bad one yet?

I'd give him a crack next season, definately.

He hasn't brought anyone in, not really. For example, Les claimed "we" were interested in Sordell since the start of the season - doubt he would have been off on scouting missions as a physio. Statement seems to imply that our moves in the loan market may be directed by Philpotts, imo.

Les has brought improvement on Barnes but that's not saying much, is it. I still feel we've slightly underachieved under him. I really think we have a mid-table squad and Les has left some very good players on the bench and played some horrifically negative tactics. As a fan I find his cynical and outdated style of football very depressing to watch. His results have been ok by general standards, and impressive for a man who is not really a manager. But that's all.

As has been pointed out elsewhere, Norwich have two players who earn more than our entire season's budget - each!!!

Highly doubtful, imo.
 

Ian

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Regarding Les' tactics and player selections, you have to also understand the delicate position he was in. I don't think he could afford to be swapping players around and trying different tactics. He didn't have that leeway and his only goal was to keep the team up this season. It's understandable.. erring on the side of caution.
 
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Highly doubtful, imo.

It's a fact, I'm afraid. 2 of them on around a million a year. Don't know which Norwich players. And Kasper Schmeichel (League 2) is on £1.5m per year. One-and-a-half times our annual wage bill. This is the reality of what we are dealing with at Rovers.
 

Sparky

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Interesting debate this and one that you would hope, would be resolved not long after 5pm on Saturday, whatever the outcome.

I would hate to hear nothing from the club whether we stay up or not, and then they decide to appoint someone else a few wks before the season starts with Les left in limbo - wouldnt surprise me tho

I agree with those that whilst accepting Les has done a great job, he isnt IMO a realistic long term option to take us forward. That said, if we go down, many would say he deserves at least 1 year to take us back up.

Other cheap (ish) options I think we could realistically attract could be: Jim Gannon (rejected Peterborough as lives up in the North) and out of work, Jimmy Harvey, Mike Newell, Sammy McIlroy (albeir under contact and doing a decent job at Morcambe - maybe a bit ambitious). What about Micky Adams at Vale ? They probably wont go up. I cant think of others at present but am sure there will be plenty of out of work managers who would accept a job at a club with lack of funds (as most are) rather than being out of work.

My 1st choice would be Ince, but more realistically, Jim Gannon, or Newell.

Tough decision - my heart says keep Les whatever happens but my head says bring someone else in.
 
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We won't get a manager from another club, because we can't afford compensation. Forget Ince , he left MK becuase they were cutting the budget there; forget Gannon, he's trouble, and he's involved in the consortium taking over at Stockport (I've also heard he's sniffing around the Oldham job).
 
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