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Alex Neil

I don't like or dislike Neil , but best piece of business ? Think only time will tell on that
I neither love nor hate Neil either. Al I will say is, those who were suggesting Neil might lose his job after a run of about ten games without a win have, actually, been LESS hasty than those who are on here accusing them of being TOO hasty quoting a run of four without defeat as adequate evidence that the outlook is any different!
 
Agree, my point being , if we had of stayed in the same position later in the season , most, if not all would have been calling for his head at some point

Without a doubt if the injury plague had cleared up and our results hadn’t the pressure would have been on AN.
However I think it was very clear that when fit we have one of the best young squads in our Division and we are only going to go one way.
 
He's doing a fine job given the resources afforded to him....... And if it weren't for the spate of injuries then we'd be knocking on the playoff doors. ...We should appreciate what we've got.
 
Nobody really had the answer to the question of who would replace Neil. He got a few things wrong early on but injuries, suspensions and a poor transfer window made the start to the season very difficult. I doubt we could attract anyone who'd be doing much better, we're a match for anyone on our day with our best players actually on the pitch.
 
Think anyone who wanted him gone is an idiot to be honest, just my opinion. Never seen an injury crisis like the one he's had to deal with this year.
 
Think anyone who wanted him gone is an idiot to be honest, just my opinion. Never seen an injury crisis like the one he's had to deal with this year.
A poor summer recruitment campaign coupled with a couple of key injuries seemed to dishearten Alex who then started to change team and formation literally every 5 minutes. Personally I think he panicked and made a bad situation worse.
He eventually gathered himself and with players returning from injury has gone on frankly an amazing run. He's a young manager still learning his trade and will make more mistakes but the acid test for me was the way this group of mainly young players will run through walls together.
The future is bright.
 
Think anyone who wanted him gone is an idiot to be honest, just my opinion. Never seen an injury crisis like the one he's had to deal with this year.
But the Injury crisis was the concern, lots of Hamstring injuries and Training ground. 2 seasons in a row as well. I didn't want him gone in October or November. But I was having serious doubts around New Year, but things have changed, not just injury wise but tactics wise as well. Friday was the First Time under Neil that we hadn't used all 3 subs. (That I can remember). Call me an idiot if you want, but I have seen enough in the last few games to change my mind and I doubt I will change it again this season, Bar a Mega disastrous run of results.
 
But the Injury crisis was the concern, lots of Hamstring injuries and Training ground. 2 seasons in a row as well. I didn't want him gone in October or November. But I was having serious doubts around New Year, but things have changed, not just injury wise but tactics wise as well. Friday was the First Time under Neil that we hadn't used all 3 subs. (That I can remember). Call me an idiot if you want, but I have seen enough in the last few games to change my mind and I doubt I will change it again this season, Bar a Mega disastrous run of results.
I'm sure you weren't having serious doubts...you wanted him sacked when we had nearly a full team of injured players .
 
he's the best tactician we've had for decades......and that includes Moyes and Davies. . they didnt change tactics often just had a team / squad that was better than most others playing their 'set roles'.

AN doesnt have the quality those two had, but he has - when he isnt ripped of players by injury - the variety of players whom he can mould into different tactics per opposition or per situation.

Peters was similar but at a lower level....AN is a class act and its not his fault that for 3 months he didnt have the mix of players to work his magic....
Swapping too often was as much to do with off form regulars than panic selections....imo...

Imagine where we might be IF Derby had loaned Nmecha from the Champions and WE had loaned Wilson from Liverpool....
 
he's the best tactician we've had for decades......and that includes Moyes and Davies. . they didnt change tactics often just had a team / squad that was better than most others playing their 'set roles'.

AN doesnt have the quality those two had, but he has - when he isnt ripped of players by injury - the variety of players whom he can mould into different tactics per opposition or per situation.

Peters was similar but at a lower level....AN is a class act and its not his fault that for 3 months he didnt have the mix of players to work his magic....
Swapping too often was as much to do with off form regulars than panic selections....imo...

Imagine where we might be IF Derby had loaned Nmecha from the Champions and WE had loaned Wilson from Liverpool....
That's pretty much how I see it. Goodness knows I have been very critical of Trev and our recruitment policy but I have never wanted AN sacked, quite the opposite.
I agree that we would be hard pressed to find a manager who could get what AN gets out of the players at his disposal.

My main worry is that AN will become disillusioned and leave, either because he gets a better offer (in terms of ambition) or he becomes convinced that with our current recruitment policy he cannot achieve success. I sincerely hope he stays and proves me wrong and we do get the level of success we all want for the club.
 
I'm sure you weren't having serious doubts...you wanted him sacked when we had nearly a full team of injured players .
I am sure if you check back, I did say I was concerned at the Injuries and type of Injuries and tactics. I felt he probably not be able to turn it around. And I did say I would be happy for him to prove me, wrong.

Also I don't see any of them saying Hemmings wouldn't back Neil holding their hands up.
 
I must admit I was a doubting Thomas also and wanted a change perhaps born out of frustration when he was selecting people clearly off form and wasn't changing things when needed and a few other things.

I am glad he has stayed and I think things look very good for next season when we get the players back. I also like the fact that we pick young up and coming players and not journey men and big time Charlies. the addition of Potts and Stockley will be good.

The combination of Storey and Davies could be simply awesome if we keep both and they remain fit. They clearly saw something in a lad so young only having played 12 first team games in league 2, he has fitted in well and that partnership with BD is great to see, only sad bit is the exclusion of Hunts and TC.

There is still plenty of work to be done especially on the likes of Pearson who could easily have been sent off on Friday and that would have been a lengthy ban.

Against Derby in that second half he changed things around to great effect and how we didn't win that game, it wasn't for lack of trying. If all our players had been fit it could have been a different story.

My father in law said it was a dull game with little action??????? I nearly fell off my chair - but then again this is a man who supports Liverpool, Manchester utd and any clubs that Harry Redknapp & rafa Benitez manage but with no affinity to any of them - says it all.

can't wait for Bolton saturday I think the atmosphere will be brilliant. then onto Blackburn away which will also be a great atmosphere.
 
Think anyone who wanted him gone is an idiot to be honest, just my opinion. Never seen an injury crisis like the one he's had to deal with this year.

Just playing devil's advocate, but if we get another season of injuries like this then it surely can't be just chance or bad luck. Again only time will tell on that one.
 
Just playing devil's advocate, but if we get another season of injuries like this then it surely can't be just chance or bad luck. Again only time will tell on that one.

Possibly but it's still just guesswork on our part, we don't know what goes on behind the scenes and if it's more intensive than other clubs or not.
 
There are, at least, 16 very good sides in the Championship, who know how to defend and each have talented forwards and creative players. Brentford looked absolutely superb, on the highlights reel, from their 5-2 comeback win over Blackburn. Brentford sits in 17th position!
North End are not without their own talented players, and with an obsession to defend hard throughout the team, they give themselves a chance in each game they play. The forward line has been inconsistent and inadequate (at this level), but fresh blood and returning crocks have added impetus to their attacks.
Neil prepares for each match in great detail and talks to the players before every match to discuss plans and tactics (so I hear). Substitutes are always primed and ready to fit straight into the action. There doesn't appear to be any guess work. This is all necessary for a relatively small club at this level. Neil covers all the bases, and the results are starting to come.
For North End, as much as we all would love to dream of a loftier position, after the crippling start to the season (which must be corrected in August 2019), the team has come good and pushed the club (almost) to safety from relegation, which, given the entire context of the last 12 months, and although they're only in 18th position, represents something of a success. Staying in this league is absolutely worth applauding.
A solid start to August and September - easier said than done for North End - and Neil's true potential will be revealed. But he has turned his ship and put it in the right direction. He has earned the right to be more ambitious next season.
 
He's a really quality manager Alex he's excellent.

Maybe he could do a bit more work on connecting with the support, Ive no idea how that can be achieved just a perspective I have.
 
There are, at least, 16 very good sides in the Championship, who know how to defend and each have talented forwards and creative players. Brentford looked absolutely superb, on the highlights reel, from their 5-2 comeback win over Blackburn. Brentford sits in 17th position!
North End are not without their own talented players, and with an obsession to defend hard throughout the team, they give themselves a chance in each game they play. The forward line has been inconsistent and inadequate (at this level), but fresh blood and returning crocks have added impetus to their attacks.
Neil prepares for each match in great detail and talks to the players before every match to discuss plans and tactics (so I hear). Substitutes are always primed and ready to fit straight into the action. There doesn't appear to be any guess work. This is all necessary for a relatively small club at this level. Neil covers all the bases, and the results are starting to come.
For North End, as much as we all would love to dream of a loftier position, after the crippling start to the season (which must be corrected in August 2019), the team has come good and pushed the club (almost) to safety from relegation, which, given the entire context of the last 12 months, and although they're only in 18th position, represents something of a success. Staying in this league is absolutely worth applauding.
A solid start to August and September - easier said than done for North End - and Neil's true potential will be revealed. But he has turned his ship and put it in the right direction. He has earned the right to be more ambitious next season.

If we can keep the squad together !
 
He's a really quality manager Alex he's excellent.

Maybe he could do a bit more work on connecting with the support, Ive no idea how that can be achieved just a perspective I have.

Consistently winning football matches is the only thing that really matters when it comes to building a rapport with the support.

I rate Neil highly, even though there are aspects of his managerial style that I don't particularly like. His touchline demeanor, for example, seems extremely petulant and unpleasant at times. However, as far as I am concerned this minor personal criticism is immaterial given how well Neil has done. It almost certainly just reflects his passion and commitment for the cause anyway.

As long as the team is winning, it doesn't much matter, to me, if Neil doesn't rapturously applaud the fans after away games, sign every matchday programme, or trawl round local schools dressed as Deepdale Duck dishing out PNE tat to uninterested children.

If the manager is doing all of those frivolous things, but the team is failing, they won't do much to keep the fans sweet. It would be great if he did, but winning football matches is always the most important factor for engaging the fans and wider city.
 
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