What Jack has over Cookie or anyone I can remember as our manager, is that he sounds the part. It could make or even break him as a manager. If I was in his team I could see me listening to him and thinking I'll go through a brick wall for this guy ....... and that seems to be happening. I expected Barnet to be a tough proposition. The better teams we've been playing have obviously been expecting, and have been expected, to beat us. Even a draw against us was disappointing! Barnet were going to come and scrap for anything they could get - they've got two dangerous players up front as well in Coulthirst and Akinde. They can beat teams. Nothing about us was going to take them by surprise, they weren't coming expecting to outplay us. They're in a win by hook or by crook position, like us.
As a manager Jack has instilled the desire and the belief in very ordinary players to win ...... and he's organised them well enough to make that possible. Unlike Dancing I never really doubted the wisdom of appointing Jack, but I'd also have bet everything I own against Dancing (short of a complete mental disintegration on his part) even thinking of saying he'd like to see us in 16th place by Christmas! The highest I ever pitched my hopes was for Jack to keep us vaguely in touch with the rest of the pack until the transfer window! AND the only reason I thought Dancing was wrong to want a manager known for his ability to save teams in our position, was that I thought our playing staff was simply impossible to transform into a winning unit.
I'm only amazed somebody like Mark Clemmit on BBC has not yet picked up on just how personable and articulate Jack is on air. I'd have thought someone would have pencilled him in as the next Lincoln City story of young English managers who are impressing - he's BAME too. If management were only the pre-and-post match interviews you could put Jack in charge of any Premier League team and we'd all raving about him. The only danger is that his easy fluency might break him - it might make him lazy and not achieve what he could, or he could get an offer to remain involved in football but in a more lucrative and less stressful environment than management at the bottom of Division 2.
Cookie or Sheridan do have real ability as managers of football teams, but to climb absolutely to the top of the tree in any sphere they are handicapped by their self-presentation. Jack - well he hardly needs a press officer or a media relations department behind him to succeed in any sphere. I worry we might just have found someone who is far too good for us ........
A few weeks ago I'd have said Wycombe's attack would overwhelm our defence, now, with the new lease of life Jack seems to have given Ian Evatt, I'd keep quiet on any prediction.
(And whilst the humble pie's on the table somebody could try rearranging the words, WRONG, I, CALDWELL, ABOUT, WAS into a sentence and perhaps garnish it with the often-repeated mantra, "in Gary we trust" before swallowing.)
As a manager Jack has instilled the desire and the belief in very ordinary players to win ...... and he's organised them well enough to make that possible. Unlike Dancing I never really doubted the wisdom of appointing Jack, but I'd also have bet everything I own against Dancing (short of a complete mental disintegration on his part) even thinking of saying he'd like to see us in 16th place by Christmas! The highest I ever pitched my hopes was for Jack to keep us vaguely in touch with the rest of the pack until the transfer window! AND the only reason I thought Dancing was wrong to want a manager known for his ability to save teams in our position, was that I thought our playing staff was simply impossible to transform into a winning unit.
I'm only amazed somebody like Mark Clemmit on BBC has not yet picked up on just how personable and articulate Jack is on air. I'd have thought someone would have pencilled him in as the next Lincoln City story of young English managers who are impressing - he's BAME too. If management were only the pre-and-post match interviews you could put Jack in charge of any Premier League team and we'd all raving about him. The only danger is that his easy fluency might break him - it might make him lazy and not achieve what he could, or he could get an offer to remain involved in football but in a more lucrative and less stressful environment than management at the bottom of Division 2.
Cookie or Sheridan do have real ability as managers of football teams, but to climb absolutely to the top of the tree in any sphere they are handicapped by their self-presentation. Jack - well he hardly needs a press officer or a media relations department behind him to succeed in any sphere. I worry we might just have found someone who is far too good for us ........
A few weeks ago I'd have said Wycombe's attack would overwhelm our defence, now, with the new lease of life Jack seems to have given Ian Evatt, I'd keep quiet on any prediction.
(And whilst the humble pie's on the table somebody could try rearranging the words, WRONG, I, CALDWELL, ABOUT, WAS into a sentence and perhaps garnish it with the often-repeated mantra, "in Gary we trust" before swallowing.)