Dear Roker Report,
There’s been a fair bit of talk about the lack of a new manager bounce with PP.
I said when it was leaked that he’d be getting the job that he’d need time but likely wouldn’t get it. Over his career he’s usually been parachuted in to rescue a situation and then hopefully kick on.
When SD took the decision to sack Jack Ross he said the main reason was to give us a better chance of promotion. So I thought I’d look back at PPs career to see what I was missing and just why SD thought he’d give us a better chance of promotion.
Looking back at his career I can’t see any situation where PP has been dropped into a situation where he has made an immediate impact. At the clubs that he has achieved promotion it’s usually after steadying the ship (Colchester and Bradford).
The one club he did get promoted at the first time of asking was Bolton. But he had virtually a full pre season to work with the players.
Here’s how he’s performed with each team during the early period of his tenure.
Colchester 2002/03: Games 14 (kept them up in 18th then got them promoted the next season) Won: 6 Lost: 3 Drawn: 5 GF: 19 GA: 12
Hull 2006/07: Games: 21 (was sacked in December) Won: 4 Lost: 12 Drawn: 5 GF: 18 GA: 33
Charlton 2008/09: Games: first 12 games from Nov to end of Jan (were relegated that season, missed out on the okay offs the season after and he was sacked the season after) Won: 1 Lost: 9 Drawn: 2 GF: 17 GA: 35
Bradford 2011/12: Games: first 21 games from end of Aug to end of Jan (finished 18th that season but next season got to the cup final and were promoted via the play offs) Won: 6 Lost: 9 Drawn: 6 GF: 30 GA: 32
Bolton 2016/17: Games: first 27 games from start of season to end of Jan (had a full preseason and finished 02nd) Won: 15 Lost: 7 Drawn: 5 GF: 36 GA: 20
SD is right in one way that we will only know if it was the right decision to appoint PP at the end of the season, but if promotion is the only goal this season the question is will PP still be there then?
FWIW I think Jack Ross should have been sacked after the play off final. If PP had been appointed then I’d be confident of promotion but can’t help thinking he’s been set up to fail.Given the position we were in and the stated aim of SD I can’t help think he’s not the right person.
Here’s hoping I’m wrong and that we get through the next six games to the window in decent shape, he’s backed in the window and we’re all happy chappies come May.
Lee McNally
Ed’s Note [Damian]: It’s good to hear some measured concern as opposed to the face melting breakdown of many of our beloved fellow fans. I’ve said as much a thousand times in the last two weeks: Parkinson needs a transfer window. Of course, the initial performances under him have varied wildly from sparkling to lacklustre, but most recently the results aren’t to everyone’s taste. Realistically though we’re talking about matches in tournaments we don’t really want to be in, and individual performances against league opposition. We can’t feasibly sack Parkinson after giving Ross 18 months, even after a missed shot at promotion. It wouldn’t be logical and it wouldn’t be shrewd.
The common sense answer is to see him past the January window and evaluate the team then. There simply is no buying our way out of League One - we have pedigree players, and we blew the roof off the League transfer total when we bought Grigg. It isn’t as simple as some would have us believe.
Dear Roker Report,
Been following safc for 46 years seen them on 175 grounds in about 10 different countries .Seen some absolute crap and even put up with it but this lot from top to bottom are the worst of the worst capped on sat by lack of ball boys n calamity keeper having to run up 12 flights of stairs to get ball.This squad would struggle in conference and not one of them shows any concern at all.Sorry for negativity personally I’m sick of giving them a chance (players)but this lot are are a shambles n when not playing should be made to sit and pay with fans on buses n at games then maybe they can witness how inept this team is.Hope we improve but I really fear we will be stuck in a hole for quite a while.
Parkinson just go away now you are going to be the worst manager in our history if you stay .Message to the owners you talked the talk when you came in and bragged you were listening to the fans you should never have appointed this fella get back to the drawing board get some fans on board listen to them or at least get some guidance from real football people you are out of your depth get help now before we end up like another BRADFORD.You are breaking our hearts FOR GODS SAKE SEEK HELP NOW IE WEDNESDAY MORNING.
William Longworth
Ed’s Note [Damian]: I’ve said my piece about Parkinson in a response above, but you’re right to initially pick fault with the players. In my opinion there’s far too much blame shifted on to the new manager when experienced, well-paid players are strolling around doing sweet f**k all for the duration. Individual error has cost this team points so far this season more than anything the manager has done or failed to do.
I’ll pose you a question though: if Parkinson is fired, what then? What if the next manager has a similar turnaround after his first six games? Do we fire him too? We’ve been down this road before and League One is where we ended up. There is no buying your way out of this league, we’ve seen that proven too. The best chance we have is to stay the course, trust that the manager has a big job on his hands and that he knows what to look for when the window opens.
Dear Roker Report,
Does anyone really think Sunderland will get promoted? I hope they do but don’t think they are good enough.
Thomas McCormack
Ed’s Note [Damian]: Yes. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully. Why not?