Does Dean Wilkins deserve this treatment?

[The Large One]

The thrust of your argument in the first two paragraphs is pointless, because OF COURSE he knows more about football than me. So he bloody should! He should know significantly more than every single member of this board, every person in the Withdean crowd. It's his profession, he works in the field EVERY day.

Even the worst albion manager knows more about football than us, but does that mean we can't call him useless if he leads us on a 15 match losing run? Mark McGhee probably has more football knowledge than 1,000 of us lot put together, but it didn't stop us getting him sacked. I'm not advocating that, but a supporter doesn't need to be as qualified as the 'football men' for him to think they're not up to the job. I'm sure all of those who criticise Dick Knight aren't wealthy and successful businessmen, and those who disliked Wilkins had no long career in football management behind them! Doesn't mean their views are dismissed out of hand.

As for my poor opinion of White's work, well I have alluded to some of it in the last post. What I see every Saturday is unprofessional and, frankly, worrying. I don't watch the albion train every day, nor would I want to, but I don't see him as someone who, on the training ground, has it in him to really TEACH players like Nicky Forster new things. There is a reason he was at Hastings Town, and Wilkins got a job offer from Manchester United. That tells you all you need to know about where the coaching skills lie. So, beyond coaching, what does he bring to the table? Maybe he's a great link between players and management, but again I see no evidence of that as there so obviously was in Booker's time.

So you entire knowledge of White's work is based on what you see at 40 yards for an hour and a half? Granted it's probably the most important hour and a half of the week for the team, but what you're actually saying - without admitting it - is, you haven't got a clue what he brings to the team either in the dressing-room, on the training pitch or in the office.

'Coming from Hastings Town' tells me very little. It might tell YOU what you want to know, but then you've decided not to take everything into account. Did Peter Ward coming from Burton Albion, or Gary Hart coming from Stansted tell me all I needed to know?

By all means criticise what you THINK you see - it's your perception after all. But to give such a whole-hearted character assassination based on things you don't know, and then insist he be sacked on the back of it... encroyable.

 

[Scotty Mac]

there is just someting about white that makes him look like he doesnt know what he is doing - maybe its the fact that when he shouts something, nobody can understand it, or that wilkins obviously had no trust in him to run things as every 5 minutes he would be on the phone telling him what to do, or that before he got a job as a professional football coach he was a tv salesman

how many other professional clubs have the back up to their manager as two guys that have been plucked from and had no experience higher than step 8 and step 9 of the football pyramid?

 

[The Large One]

You misunderstand me. I'm not enough of a tit to think that my opinion is automatically right and anyone who disagrees is wrong. I enjoy a subject like this, where people like you can put forward a good case, even if it contrasts pretty dramatically with my own thoughts. I'm not trying to say I KNOW the intricate details of Dean White's work from Monday to Friday. All I'm saying is that, based on all the clues, evidence, and downright gossip, I don't rate the bloke. I certainly don't think he's an integral part of the whole outfit like Booker and Cork so clearly were. It'll make me sound very shallow, but I don't like his appearance, and I don't like the way he talks either. He comes across as, well how can I put it, thick. Maybe he's an extremely intelligent man (I know Iain Dowie has a degree from Cambridge or similar, yet he presents himself as an illiterate yob as far as I can see), but maybe he's not. Who on this site REALLY knows?

Coming from Hastings doesn't tell me everything, but if he is so good why did he remain at such a low level until he was into his 40's? Football staff with quality and potential can be in manegement roles by their late 30's. I'm not demanding he is sacked either. I just find it amazing he's held on to the role he has been given. I certainly don't feel passionately enough about it to demand he lose his job!

Anyway, the most important point is this: If King Micky is happy with him, then I'm happy with him (vaguely!).

What clues? What evidence? What gossip?

As for thw way he looks and sounds... You're right, it is shallow.

But, as you say, who does know? In which case, why are you casting judgement on him?

 

[The Large One]

there is just someting about white that makes him look like he doesnt know what he is doing - maybe its the fact that when he shouts something, nobody can understand it, or that wilkins obviously had no trust in him to run things as every 5 minutes he would be on the phone telling him what to do, or that before he got a job as a professional football coach he was a tv salesman

how many other professional clubs have the back up to their manager as two guys that have been plucked from and had no experience higher than step 8 and step 9 of the football pyramid?

At this level - most, I suspect.

 

[1066familyman]

I'm sorry to see Dean Wilkins go. He was gaining experience all the while and doing a good job in the process. He's brought this squad through and would of been great for him to push on with the lads to the success that is just around the corner.

If Dean Wilkins has been given the push then it is indeed shoddy treatment.

What I'd like to know more then anything is who's decision was it to let the ten go on Tues ?

 

[B.W.]

Tough but fair... MA clearly the better manager...

 

[NMH]

To be fair, and somewhat in support of what WW is moa.....I mean saying, here - you don't need to know much about joinery to know that a chair collapsing when you sit on it, was made by a poor carpenter.

However, I think our management team this season, did quite a bit with what they had to work with, and despite some controversial goings-on from players. So, I'd refute the idea that the team were 'collapsing' on a weekly basis.
There was a certain 'familiarity' from the players imo, and they could have gone at some teams a little more - and with more passion sometimes.

 

[bhadeb]

Maybe the board thought the playoffs were a minimum requirement for this season?

We did spend big in January after all.

we sold just as big as well

 

[champion7]

MA is a more experienced manager, but at the start of wilkins management i thought it was a bad call giving him the job, christmas then confirmed this but he bounced back and rallyed the team back together and got us to within one place of the playoffs and for this reason i think he has been unfairly treated and should have been given another season at least to push on for the playoffs if not the title.
The only way for MA to win over the fans is for him to place the club 7th or higher come next may.

 

[Guilligomarc'h Gully]

Treated fairly? He should have walked the plank after the port vale game.

 

[Sillwood]

All's fair in love and ... football. Adams is the one to get us into Championship at Falmer.