How Far?

Swissbloke · Post by **Swissbloke** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 11:21 am

Would like to get a feeling from people on how far do you think Wilder will take us?

A-Ro · Post by **A-Ro** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 11:59 am

To the edge of hell and back.

Silver Blaze · Post by **Silver Blaze** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 12:26 pm

Mid-table league 1 though he needs time.

I feel he's in a rush however.

Brahma Bull · Post by **Brahma Bull** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 1:59 pm

I honestly believe, Wilder can take us to the upper echelons of League One, without a shadow of doubt, if given sensible resources.

Old Abingdonian · Post by **Old Abingdonian** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 2:28 pm

Too open a question...

In my mind, management (of any sort) is heavily contextual: it needs the right person for the right job in the right situation. CW has been in the right situation, and has succeeded, getting us out of the Conference.

I would propose that there are three key skills for a football manager: motivation, tactics, and player recruitment. So far, CW seems at least OK on all three, although those of us outside the dressing room cannot really judge the motivational one. He has been prepared to learn: at the beginning of the season, he declared that he trusted in youth and hunger, but now he has publicly reconsidered his naive position.

However, in the League 1 / League 2 situation, he will need to show these skills in a more sophisticated way than previously.

Undoubtedly, he will also need luck. A broken leg, a key player who will not sign because his WAG wants to shop in Warrington, a bobble on the pitch.... all can wreck a season. So although I believe we can expect to challenge for promotion next season under CW, I won't bank on it.

Baboo · Post by **Baboo** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 2:38 pm

&quotOld Abingdonian&quot wrote: Undoubtedly, he will also need luck. A broken leg, a key player who will not sign because his WAG wants to shop in Warrington, a bobble on the pitch.... all can wreck a season. So although I believe we can expect to challenge for promotion next season under CW, I won't bank on it.

Certainly, but the curse of those bobbles, Warrington shops &amp broken legs can just as equally be a blight on our L2 rivals.

ty cobb · Post by **ty cobb** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 2:47 pm

The Championship.

Ancient Colin · Post by **Ancient Colin** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 2:55 pm

I'm more agnostic here. Certainly the new regime has made great strides. But let me put the other case: I'll put it more forcibly than I feel it to make the point.

CW has been given a lot of scope to bring in players and reshape the squad - certainly compared to most managers and clubs in our position. And, as that other thread discussed, not everyone considers that this has been done optimally and efficiently. I'd probably add to that a tendency to decide that a player is not adequate and to discard hastily, but realise that not everyone agrees with that.

I also think that this campaign has exposed a number of possible weaknesses in his management: a tendency to stick doggedly to decisions on players and tactics despite evidence that the decisions are flawed an inflexibility in match situations to change things when things are going wrong (how often do we come out in the second half and dismantle a problematic opponent?) a rather mechanical approach to substitutions, substitutions by number a failure to deal with certain glaring defects such as the inability to cope effectively with corners and freekicks and the inability to deal with sides that get aggressively in our faces and possibly a tendency not to accept any blame for tactical errors (or anything else much).

Now, how major are those issues, are they sufficient to prevent us achieving a promotion, would they be exposed still more in a higher divison? I do have doubts.

Let me be clear: I am playing devil's advocate, and I wouldn't for a moment deny that he is a better manager than the vast majority of managers we have had in the years of decline. And there have been times when we have looked to play attractive football that is a treat to watch: but that does tend to evaporate, doesn't it?

amershamwrighty · Post by **amershamwrighty** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 3:37 pm

He might not get the chance to take us whever we think he is capable of taking us - if we get off to a flyer next season and are top 2 by the end of October, some League 1 outfit might come in for him.

The only question then might be whether the conditions of the Oxford job (supportive Chairman, decent facilities, attendances, budget etc) are good enough to make him want to stay.

I don't look forward to that day, when it comes. Port Vale have crashed and burned since Micky Adams left, although MA's experience/pedigree are better than CW's so possibly not the best example.

Swissbloke · Post by **Swissbloke** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 3:48 pm

Answering my own point, I think promotion from League One is acheivable with the right circumstances. This coming close season is going to be Wilder's most important yet.

If we're still in Division 4 next year and we don't fly out of the stocks from the off, I worry that things will turn against him.

Ancient Colin · Post by **Ancient Colin** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 3:53 pm

&quotSwissbloke&quot wrote:I think promotion from League One is acheivable with the right circumstances.

Taking us to the Championship? Really?

Baboo · Post by **Baboo** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:10 pm

&quotAncient Colin&quot wrote: And there have been times when we have looked to play attractive football that is a treat to watch: but that does tend to evaporate, doesn't it?

Great post Colin, excellently put.

Is that the joy that evaporates when the attractive football gets us nowhere, or the attractive football itself that evaporates. Or possibly both?

Snake · Post by **Snake** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 12:24 am

&quotSwissbloke&quot wrote:Would like to get a feeling from people on how far do you think Wilder will take Us?

That depends on how much money he has to spend and how wisely he is allowed to spend it.

Compared to nearly all of the competitors in our Division (and many in the Division above Us) we have loads more money than Them, but at last Mr. T. is getting some sort of proper grip on things. When the accounts get published we may even get to know how much he gets paid by the club, and that's a bit of a worry for me if it is made public as most clubs will see that as good value for money in terms of employing a top level administrator and try to financially tempt our only decent CEO in the last 13 years away from Oxford United.

Paul Cooper · Post by **Paul Cooper** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 7:32 am

Totally agree with Snake that KT could well be tempted away by a much higher club.

Regarding the money though, KT did say I believe that the saalries we were paying were about half way in the league. Thus, I guess why we are making money as the likes of Wycombe apparently are breaking the bank in order to try to go up.

CW has his weaknessses (as have any manager). My view is that he does tend to learn from mistakes he makes and is still a fairly inexperienced manager.

Given time, I believe that he will take us up at least to League 1. I think that it is possible that he will take us to the Championship although this is a far tougher ask with the likes of Southampton, Charlton and Sheffield Wednesday to contend with.

In reality if he takes us up to League 1, I would guess that he will be lured away somewhere else.

A-Ro · Post by **A-Ro** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 8:03 am

&quotPaul Cooper&quot wrote:Wycombe apparently are breaking the bank in order to try to go up.

I can understand Crawley buying success because they have just been given a vast injection of money but if Wycombe are going into debt to get out of this league then in my opinion they are committing financial suicide. They will never recoup that debt with increased attendances and as others have pointed out the tv dividends aren't that great either.

Perhaps it's a long term debt plan to get into the Championship where the revenues are better.

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