Rage Online

Well, I was sipping a rather delicious Cognac cocktail in the Connaught Hotel Bar on Friday night, and on the table next to me was Frank and his missus. He’s got good taste in bars (Worlds Best Bar 2016 don’t you know, but at £23 for a Martini it should be....

However, McLaren for me.

I've already said elsewhere that I'd give it to Chrissy Allen and Faz until the end of the season to show what they can do. There is absolutely no reason in my view to rush to make an appointment now. If we sign a couple of experienced battlers and get the dressing room back onside, there is no danger of us getting sucked into a relegation battle, so better to wait until the summer when we can reflect on our position and resources and make an appointment from a bigger pool and in less of a rush.

However, if that answer isn't in the spirit of the game, then here are a few thoughts:

- Obviously if there's even a snowball-in-hell's chance of tempting back MApp, I think we should roll out the red carpet. Who knows, he might have tired of putting out the cones for someone else. Worth a telephone call, at least.

- Maybe Michael Flynn at Newport? I've seen his side a fair bit, and he's achieved miracles with a miniscule budget. He hasn't necessarily played the sort of football that Eales might favour, but that's partly because of the players he inherited. He'd also probably benefit from our current setup, learning from Faz in the same way he's learnt at Newport from Lennie Lawrence (and, believe it or not, Wayne Hatswell who's his assistant).

- Tisdale at Exeter has been mooted for Us in the past, and is someone I'd welcome more than the "big names" of Lampard, Phil Brown(!), McLaren et al.

All things being equal, I'd go for Danny Cowley personally, assuming we could get him from Lincoln. Relatively experienced, on the up, successful and would have good knowledge of lower league players we might be able to get in.
Lampard is horribly unproven, McLaren has been a busted flush for years now and it would feel like a retirement job for him. Likewise Lennon (2nd favourite now apparently?). Or Grayson. We should try and think outside of the Old Boys network. Phil Brown would have me writing letters of complaint.
Saying that though, I wouldn't be surprised if they just let Faz have a go for the rest of the season.

If Fazackerley was management material he'd have shown it in his 30-year coaching career thus far I reckon. Anyway the club statement made it sound like we were already looking elsewhere.

The idea of Frank Lampard fills me with horror. If we must go for someone completely unproven at coaching and management, please let it be someone without the tabloid draw (and expensive taste in cocktails). As I asked in the summer, has he even got his most basic coaching badges yet?

Didn't Appleton sign a 3-year contract at Leicester on big money? So there's no way we could afford him even if he wanted to come back (and why would he?).

As to others, I've no idea really. I just hope we give them time.

As someone who writes for the tabloids (on occasion; you’re more likely to find my musings in broadsheets thankfully) and has expensive tastes in (tax deductible) cocktails, I guess I should stop preparing my CV for DE now, then...

Last time, Eales made it clear that he was looking for a younger person, possibly not yet been the lead man in a managerial set-up, willing to work within the club's existing structures - and likely not currently in a managerial job. Any reason why that should be any different now?

McLaren would not seem to fit that bill (quite apart from the other points Isaac has made!) Grayson is 48 - does he feel he still has something to prove? The papers reporting on Lampard are writing that we have approached him (one even suggests we offered him the job last time but he turned it down - but that is The Star.... But given that Eales interviewed several people just a few months ago, looking again at some of those would not be at all surprising. One name not mentioned here yet is Brian McDermott. On the criteria by which the last search was made, another person who would appear to fit (but who is not on any of the odds listings that I have seen) is Chrissy Allen. Like KE, I think this could be a good appointment - but it also looks like a plausible one in terms of the sort of person Eales may well be looking for.

PS just chatted with a mate who is a season ticket holder at Leicester City. The only way I could see Appleton leaving was if things were not well behind the scenes. Cannot be sure, of course, but according to him there is no indication of problems - quite the opposite in fact.

I'd be more than happy to see Faz and Chrissy in charge until the end of the season. They have the combined experience to ensure we're not dragged into a relegation battle. They won't cost us promotion because we're not in a position to challenge or to be a Championship team. It will give them the opportunity to show their potential for something longer term. As far as I'm aware they have the support of the players, I've never heard different, but I'm not 'in the know' on these matters.

James Beattie? Paul Tisdale?
These names came up a few years ago. Or the Cowley brothers?

I think the calibre of the appointment will show whether Eales has given up on a quick sale and sees the need for a stable manager rather than a makeweight.

I think Mark Warburton would be a decent shout. Did an amazing job at Brentford and well at Rangers before the Forest curse struck. He seems to be someone who would fit with them buy them young and cheap and sell them young and expensive. Also has a background in the city so him and Eales may get on.

Otherwise Graysons record of getting teams promoted from this division is second to none and if that is the goal he may be the one.

Obviously I would like Apps back.

If we appoint someone like Lampard (completely unproven) or Phil Brown I will wonder about the direction of the club.

Big Jim is out of work!

I've always reckoned he could do a job for us - a ropey record at the top level doesn't mean he's not good enough for mid-table League One.

Does Chrissy Allen have the contacts and gravitas to sign decent League 1 players, let alone Championship players looking longer term? He hasn't played the game recently, or coached at first team level for long enough yet, and I would hate to see it fail with him ending up being sacked. A couple more years coaching at first team level and I would think he would be worth a shot, but not yet.

The thread is titled "Who do you want next?" Well I want Appleton back, but that isn't going to happen.

If I can change the question slightly to "Who do you want next who might take the job?" I would go back to Tisdale again. But I wouldn't be unhappy if Lampard was appointed, assuming he has now got his coaching badges, as I suspect a lot of younger players would find him inspiring and motivational, plus he would have decent contacts for signing young talented Premiership players who are not getting games, which fits Eales stated intentions and he has played the game recently. The main concern of course would be lack of first team coaching experience.

Well, Talksport and The Sun (both owned by Sky's parent company) are reporting that Frank Lampard (who does some work for Sky) is 'in talks' to become manager of Oxford United (whose director is Sky's Dave Jones). As I mentioned in the summer, Lampard has appeared as a guest on Dave Jones' Sky football shows, and the two are thought to be 'good friends'.

Hmm.

Hmm, not sure about Faz and Chrissy Allen. Every time we go down that route (Fordy, Lewis, Patterson, etc._ it doesn't exactly seem to go well.

Not sure about the inexperience of Lampard either, but I guess the likes of Eastwood and Ledson might be blinded into staying by the appeal of his "big name"? Or maybe not...

I'm really not sure. Brian McDermott seems a decent call. As does Mark Warburton. And Danny Cowley, but he's in a job already. It's hard to tell how anyone might do here of course. Not Phil Brown though, please.

Frank Lampard for me.