Paul Ince fave for Derby boss?

[Neko Bazu]

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7113523.stm

MK Dons boss Paul Ince has emerged as a strong favourite to take over as Derby manager, with two bookmakers suspending betting on Billy Davies's successor.

Coral said it felt the "wheels may have already been put in motion" after odds on Ince collapsed to 4-9 within hours.

Ladbrokes suspended betting after taking "£50 on Ince for every £1 we were taking on Paul Jewell".

MK Dons said: "We will not allow it to compromise the excellent start Paul and the team have made to the season."

A statement explained: "Paul Ince is the hottest young manager in English football and it comes as no surprise that his name continues to be linked to managerial posts in higher divisions.

"A manager of Paul's profile inevitably attracts speculation of this nature."

Former Wigan boss Jewell and Steve McClaren - the former Derby coach who was sacked as England coach on Thursday - were other names mentioned.

But Ladbrokes suspended betting on Ince just an hour and a half after opening the book.

Spokesman Robin Hutchison said: "We took a number of bets on Ince in our Derby shops and a lot from account holders in the Cheshire area.

"It has been known to tell lies, but if money talks it's a done deal."

Derby chairman Adam Pearson insists that whoever the board appoints, he must believe they can avoid relegation.

"We expect to have a shortlist and a replacement in place shortly," he said.

"We're looking for someone with passion for winning games, with pride in this football club and someone looking for an opportunity at one of the biggest clubs in the country.

"There is no timescale but it needs to happen sooner rather than later.

"I want to save our Premier League status this year and I've just told the players that."

Once a successful Premier League and England midfielder, Ince has transferred his combative style to management.

Last season, the 40-year-old rapidly revived confidence at Macclesfield Town to help the club avoid relegation from the Football League on the last day of the season.

He has steered MK Dons to the top of League Two in just five months in charge.

Davies left the Premier League strugglers Derby on Monday after talks with Pearson.

The club are two points adrift at the foot of the table following a 2-0 defeat by Chelsea on Saturday.

Well good for him. Though I suppose that means his next rant will be about how "black would-be managers can only get a Premiership role with a club that's already doomed"

(Yeah, he was great for England, but I lost a lot of respect for him over that "omfg football is racist and in league with The Man!!!" outburst)

[HURLOCK]

I just found ut pretty bad that he slagged every club off that he left, not very preofessional in my eyes. And the outburst Neko mentions was the icing on the cake so to speak.

But seriously is he ready to manage at this level, I think not!

[Neko Bazu]

I certainly don't believe he's ready for the Prem yet - he's only managed in League 2 so far, hasn't he? At most, I'd say he could step up to the Championship at this point

I wouldn't rule success out; he's not done to bad a job so far - I just think it's too big a change of pace.

[GresleyRam©®™]

hurlock said:

I just found ut pretty bad that he slagged every club off that he left, not very preofessional in my eyes. And the outburst Neko mentions was the icing on the cake so to speak.

But seriously is he ready to manage at this level, I think not!

.....and we all agree mate, but we have to back him if/when he comes!

[HURLOCK]

gresleyram said:

.....and we all agree mate, but we have to back him if/when he comes!

Imagine what it was like backing Tuttle, however the fans have to get behind him!

Sounds like Billy told them to fuck off big time, as unless the sign 5 Zidanes come january you'll be back in the Championsip next season and hopefully doing a Watford.

[GresleyRam©®™]

hurlock said:

gresleyram said:

.....and we all agree mate, but we have to back him if/when he comes!

Imagine what it was like backing Tuttle, however the fans have to get behind him!

Sounds like Billy told them to fuck off big time, as unless the sign 5 Zidanes come january you'll be back in the Championsip next season and hopefully doing a Watford.

Billys mouth coast him his job! From what Adam Pearson has said, he told Billy that depending on how we do between now and Xmas would dictate how much money we spend in january (and not just hand over £30 million like he wanted) - which i think is fair enough especially when you consider how well he spent £10 million in the summer (Lewis, Todd, Price, Earnshaw, Feilhaber etc etc)

He's talked himself into the sack as well as losing the fighting spirit in the dressing room which ultimately got us promoted!

[jh1980]

Generally agree there Hurls but I'm not sure what Watford is doing is positive, I'm not keen to see an entrenched situation where there are about six to eight yo-yo clubs that always yaw between the Prem and the Championship, not good for the game, in the same way that there will always be another six-to-eight mediocre Prem clubs that you can guarantee will have season after season of mid-table mediocrity!

[HURLOCK]

Well Watford are doing a Charlton, you use the balloon payments to sort you out. And buy more players, however Jules is right there will be a gap between the rest and the top 6!

Maybe it's time for a super league!

[HURLOCK]

gresleyram said:

Billys mouth coast him his job! From what Adam Pearson has said, he told Billy that depending on how we do between now and Xmas would dictate how much money we spend in january (and not just hand over £30 million like he wanted) - which i think is fair enough especially when you consider how well he spent £10 million in the summer (Lewis, Todd, Price, Earnshaw, Feilhaber etc etc)

He's talked himself into the sack as well as losing the fighting spirit in the dressing room which ultimately got us promoted!

I thought as much as no club in your possition would sack their manager unless it really was the last option!

[jh1980]

hurlock said:

Well Watford are doing a Charlton, you use the balloon payments to sort you out. And buy more players, however Jules is right there will be a gap between the rest and the top 6!

Maybe it's time for a super league!

Yeah, it's quite clear how it goes. I might start a separate thread, although in a way we all already know how it is, so chatting won't solve it.

Then of course the Premiership title becomes virtually meaningless, if (say) you took the big 4 plus another six teams and created a Superleague.

A superleague might mean that the biggest clubs could compete more effectively in Europe though - with fewer domestic matches to tire them?

Meh, I dunno though.

[GresleyRam©®™]

hurlock said:

gresleyram said:

Billys mouth coast him his job! From what Adam Pearson has said, he told Billy that depending on how we do between now and Xmas would dictate how much money we spend in january (and not just hand over £30 million like he wanted) - which i think is fair enough especially when you consider how well he spent £10 million in the summer (Lewis, Todd, Price, Earnshaw, Feilhaber etc etc)

He's talked himself into the sack as well as losing the fighting spirit in the dressing room which ultimately got us promoted!

I thought as much as no club in your possition would sack their manager unless it really was the last option!

A major difference of opinion between what Billy wanted and what Pearson would give him at the end of the day - only one way it could end and it did!

Billy had a bit of a stangle hold over the previous Chairman after he got us promoted (got his own Brother-in-law a job on the coaching staff FFS) so i think he didnt like the fact that Pearson was now pulling the strings!

[RMBB]

the thing between Davis and Pearson, was it a case of the "tail trying to wag the dog"

[mortontheblade]

neko said:

Well good for him. Though I suppose that means his next rant will be about how "black would-be managers can only get a Premiership role with a club that's already doomed"

(Yeah, he was great for England, but I lost a lot of respect for him over that "omfg football is racist and in league with The Man!!!" outburst)

i remember john barnes whining on about how he couldn't get a job in English cos he was black....

John, its not cos you're black, or even that you're actually Jamaican not english, it's cos your a shite manager - remember how "well" you did at celtic? hmmm?

[Neko Bazu]

mortontheblade said:

neko said:

Well good for him. Though I suppose that means his next rant will be about how "black would-be managers can only get a Premiership role with a club that's already doomed"

(Yeah, he was great for England, but I lost a lot of respect for him over that "omfg football is racist and in league with The Man!!!" outburst)

i remember john barnes whining on about how he couldn't get a job in English cos he was black....

John, its not cos you're black, or even that you're actually Jamaican not english, it's cos your a shite manager - remember how "well" you did at celtic? hmmm?

That was largely what I thought too. We're not racist; just look at how many foreign managers are in the Premier league. Being honest, how many black managers are there in football at all (not just in the UK, but globally), never mind those that've managed a top club? That's why there are so few 'non-white' Premiership managers!