https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0f4yr5b

“Saddle up and get out of our town!”

Walsall failed to retain Striker Dan Johnson when he returned to Mansfield in January. Since then, Walsall have not won any of ten L2 matches.

reebok0165 wrote: March 14th, 2023, 4:51 pm Walsall failed to retain Striker Dan Johnson when he returned to Mansfield in January. Since then, Walsall have not won any of ten L2 matches.

Just shows the importance of a goal scorer,if only we had one.

So our annual new year blimps was really down to Flynn.

ghosty wrote: March 14th, 2023, 11:36 pm So our annual new year blimps was really down to Flynn.

Whilst with us I always had the view that Flynn was very much like Mourinho in some aspects of his management whereas he had his ' favourite players' and stuck with them, whilst freezing out other members of the squad he either didn't like or rate.
Once the ' favourites' got injured or fell out of form and he was forced to use the squad members he 'fell out with' …its a wonder they didn't want to play for him.
He used the scatter gun approach in the hope that out of the 50+ players he signed he hopefully found one or two ' gems' . Most of his signings were ' bang average' and his tactics were easily 'found out ' by better managers

neilcork68 wrote: March 15th, 2023, 8:55 am

ghosty wrote: March 14th, 2023, 11:36 pm So our annual new year blimps was really down to Flynn.

Whilst with us I always had the view that Flynn was very much like Mourinho in some aspects of his management whereas he had his ' favourite players' and stuck with them, whilst freezing out other members of the squad he either didn't like or rate.
Once the ' favourites' got injured or fell out of form and he was forced to use the squad members he 'fell out with' …its a wonder they didn't want to play for him.
He used the scatter gun approach in the hope that out of the 50+ players he signed he hopefully found one or two ' gems' . Most of his signings were ' bang average' and his tactics were easily 'found out ' by better managers

I agree.

For me Flynn was very much like Edinburgh. Knew how to set up a side but lacked the ability either to change things when it wasn't working or react to the opposition changing their pattern in a game.

And with both you suspected that boffins at the Greenwich Observatory synchronized their clock by the timing of their substitutions.
.

Still got us to two Playoff Finals and the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, though.

Depressing as this probably is for most of you, I wouldn't be a County fan if it weren't for what Michael Flynn achieved.

KingOfGwent wrote: March 15th, 2023, 10:48 am Still got us to two Playoff Finals and the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, though.

Depressing as this probably is for most of you, I wouldn't be a County fan if it weren't for what Michael Flynn achieved.

You make a great point there we had fantastic time's with him I'd say our best manager ever financially speaking

As the football seasons pass we could well end up hankering for what Flynn provided. I’d add saving us from relegation to the achievements listed above.

Flynn's greatest achievement was the escape of 2016. The Cup runs likewise, and the signing of Podge. He is a competent lower League manager. (As was Edinburgh) And of the two I would rate Flynn more highly.

It doesn't alter the fact that in my opinion he was predictable and that was a weakness which he will need to overcome if he is to manage at a higher level than League 2.

It’s the same with players - managers have an ‘ability ceiling’ and it doesn’t matter how much they try, learn new ideas, watch Pep & Jurgen, do extra courses etc. A lower league manager will rarely be able to manage at a higher level in the same way players have limitations and only a handful make the grade at a step above.

In leagues 1&2 I’ve seen a large number of past & present managers who just simply can’t change a game with the players at their disposal, no Plan B beyond parking the bus to defend a slender league. The only way to change a game is to play a different formation, style (higher press) or have different players on the bench e.g. wingers, a CDM or a target man.

The only lower league manager I’ve thought to be a bit different in recent years is Ainsworth, who used unsporting delays, interrupted games and played ‘in your face football’ to often get unwatchable but merited results. And now he has stepped up to work at QPR it’s taking him some time to adapt.

I think Flynny will end up at somewhere like Bradford as number 2, before retiring to non-league.

KingOfGwent wrote: March 15th, 2023, 10:48 am Still got us to two Playoff Finals and the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, though.

Depressing as this probably is for most of you, I wouldn't be a County fan if it weren't for what Michael Flynn achieved.

Same

Chepstow'sFine wrote: March 15th, 2023, 9:10 pm

KingOfGwent wrote: March 15th, 2023, 10:48 am Still got us to two Playoff Finals and the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, though.

Depressing as this probably is for most of you, I wouldn't be a County fan if it weren't for what Michael Flynn achieved.

Same

And I dare say a fair few others. My personal view is that Flynny’s stint not only saved our league status but provided one of the most successful periods in our history. Ok he seemed to run out of enthusiasm towards the end of his tenure but after one too many disappointments it wasn’t that surprising. I wish him well though as somebody else suggested perhaps he’s as limited talent-wise for management as many players are in L2 for playing any higher up the pyramid. It is what it is. All I can say is I wish him all the best and give him my thanks.

Indeed and without the money he made us, the board may well not have had the resources to see us through the financial upheaval of the pandemic which regardless of furlough etc must have cost us a packet. We have a lot to be thankful to Flynny for.

Amberexile wrote: March 15th, 2023, 10:12 pm Indeed and without the money he made us, the board may well not have had the resources to see us through the financial upheaval of the pandemic which regardless of furlough etc must have cost us a packet. We have a lot to be thankful to Flynny for.

Very good point, I hadn’t considered that.