A new manager by Friday??

[El Hurricane]

We were trying to get into the Champions League and win the Carling Cup last season,this season our sights seem to have dropped dramatically,our ambition seems to have evaporated.O'Neill wasn't perfect but can we appoint a manager at least who can come away from Old Trafford with 3 points or at least thinks he can and beat the Blues on every occasion we play them?

[Phil from the upper holte]

Well I like Kev but im not sure about him having the job now I must admit

[El Hurricane]

Leaving it until next week means we can't buy any new players,this is not the end of the world if Gus Hiddink came in,it's suicide with an unproven manager like Kev Mac in charge.

[Phil from the upper holte]

He doesn't seem to have desire, I want him to say I want the job, I want to prove im the man I've spoken to the board about targets!!

Lets kill em. Playing Heskey on the wing has shades of previous managment

[CheeriOneill]

Don't think our ambition has evaporated, but maybe just on hold until we get this mess sorted.

A mess that is down to MON.

KMac is NOT the man for the job, I do however like him and would want him to carry on in some capacity maybe higher up the chain than the stiffs.

What I don't want is Randy or KM taking a punt on the job and him being our Les Reed!

[Concrete John]

Just out of interest, when is the cut of point for stopping blaming MON?  When the new manager arrives?  January when he can buy his own players?  This time next year so he'll have had a full pre-season?

[DaveK]

Because they're not ready?

They seem to be making great play of the fact that we have the two week break coming up - maybe they've just decided that "applicants by August 31st". Doesn't sound unreasonable. Presumably other potential candidates will have games tonight / at the weekend too.

One thing that is clear is that they aren't going to be rushed by the closing of the transfer window, so why rush at all?

Not ready? They've had two weeks already.

I understand if it takes longer because targets are in jobs, but they're going to be in jobs in two weeks time, that's not going to change.

Waiting what will be almost four weeks from the resignation of the manager to see if the caretaker manager even fancies interviewing for the job - let alone if he wants to take it - before speaking to other candidates, seeing the transfer window close in the meantime, in a period when we've just had a reminder of how things can go wrong by being tonked 6-0 by a championship side .... to be entirely honest, that strikes me as extremely half arsed.

I'd also have grave misgivings about the durability of someone who is taking this long to decide whether he even wants to apply, but that's another issue.

I don't disagree with your last point at all, KM doesn't sound like someone who either wants or feels confident he can do the job and that's very worrying.

As for the reason for waiting until next week to interview I, like everyone else can only speculate. But it seems like there are a few possible reasons to me:

1) They aren't quite ready for some of the reasons we've discussed, or
2) They really are waiting to see if we get knocked out of Europe or get thumped on Sunday, or
3) They're waiting to see if Ajax stay in teh Chumps League, or
4) They prefer to wait until the transfer window is closed.

If they've decided KM can have the job if he wants it, why bother with the drawing up short-lists, talking about interviewing other candidates? IF KM was shoe-in, then it would have been done by now wouldn't it?

As an aside, MON has put us under time pressure sure, but I'm yet to see anything that gives me confidence that the club's ambitions haven't been lowered. The time it's taking to appoint a manager could be seen as ensuring we stay in a holding pattern for the time being - i.e. don't spend anything in this window.

[Chris Smith]

And I was so looking forward to seeing Pete Colley in HD outside VP next Tuesday, he'll have to go the the Albion instead.

[CheeriOneill]

Just out of interest, when is the cut of point for stopping blaming MON?

That would be a matter of opinion.

I might need a while longer yet.

[pauliewalnuts]

Just out of interest, when is the cut of point for stopping blaming MON?  When the new manager arrives?  January when he can buy his own players?  This time next year so he'll have had a full pre-season?

This entire season will be impacted purely by the fact he fucked off when he did.

[ajmant]

Is the correct answer Pauliewalnuts.

[Chris Smith]

Just out of interest, when is the cut of point for stopping blaming MON?  When the new manager arrives?  January when he can buy his own players?  This time next year so he'll have had a full pre-season?

This entire season will be impacted purely by the fact he fucked off when he did.

You could argue that it is being equally impacted by the board apparently lowering their ambitions and, in chicken and egg style, I doubt we'll ever know which came first.

[Concrete John]

The timing was bad and nobody can deny that.  However, we do have a good board and chairmen, who are unlikely to sit around decrying the timing, but rather accept it's happened and work like trojans to do what is necessary in the timescale forced upon them.  That's what I'm expecting, but we haven't seen it.

OK, managerial targets may be in jobs due to it being 5-days before the season starts, but were a manager to leave in the middle of a season the same thing is often the case and a new man is still recruited in what seems to be a faster pace than this.

[Scott Nielsen]

It;s this bit really:-

"I'm undecided on whether I would like to be considered for an interview"

A man with passion and desire for the job wouldn't be sitting there wonderign if he wants to be interviewed or not, he'd be putting himself right in the frame, even if that were just behind the scenes with Randy.

Exactly. This level of indecisiveness hardly bodes well.

[nick harper]

It;s this bit really:-

"I'm undecided on whether I would like to be considered for an interview"

A man with passion and desire for the job wouldn't be sitting there wonderign if he wants to be interviewed or not, he'd be putting himself right in the frame, even if that were just behind the scenes with Randy.

Exactly. This level of indecisiveness hardly bodes well.

Agreed, the insipid nature of his responses is not exactly inspiring the fans to queue up behind him in support.

Moreover, should he get the job and a bad run of results or performances ensue further down the line, there will be be a lack of faith in his ability to turn it round (in his own mind aswell I would think).