Keates. Whitney had good squad, good and quite solid base, but only lacked some experience (or skill). Of course no guarantee it would work for him. I think he would be the best as someone responsible for physical part of the game, but not tactical. And he had, you know who, above him. Clarke has too much freedom probably and it can have some detrimental effect too. Keates was bad manager in bad times. Then it required to have someone able to create squad capable of competing in league, with lesser resources. I can risk, that he’s had biggest potential of this three. I’m not saying difference been vast.
And sorry for trying to stay on-topic 
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I have no idea what Clarke is trying to achieve in terms of how he moves this club forward. I don’t really know what he is about other than what he chooses to tell us.
Fifteen months in I knew what our best managers were doing and how they went about it. For the best, Sir Ray, it was all about discipline. We played and conducted ourselves in a certain way. No compromise. For Money it was an earnest pragmatism in year one and a free flowing style in year two. He built a siege mentality whereby only he was allowed to utter a word of criticism about his players and he would do that in private. After his first year Smith was about having no nobheads in the dressing room and everyone buying into “the” way we played. A bit like Money, he’d protect his players from criticism at every opportunity. Contrast those three and their clarity with Clarke’s muddle. The latest protestations about budget. This is Walsall so suck it up buttercup. And I’m pretty sure that the highest earners would be old pals Sinclair, Guthrie and Clarke who are nowhere near pulling their proportionate weight.
I wouldn’t pot him just now because it would cost a few bob and surviving COVID is the number one priority. But if I was Pomlett I would be asking “what are you trying to do Darrell? What’s the plan?”
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…and he’d get four answers.
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We won’t get relegated, we have no cash. DC 'til 2022.
Said this very thing earlier, just seems to picking names and formations out of hats and chucking everything up in the air each week and seeing what falls where.
I do believe he knew his best Team and Formation at the very beginning of last season. But 3 centre halves didn’t work and the Recruitment was poor, with the Players who had served him well previously, particularly disappointing.
So since probably mid September last year, it’s been chaos which leaves us where we are now.
One of the biggest problems with the appointment of managerial novices, Whitney and Keates, was the choice of their respective assistants. Whitney had zero experience of coaching and management and no qualifications but that didn’t stop the leech from appointing Ian Sharps, another total novice and cheap option, as Whitney’s no.2.
Not learning from this mistake, the leech then allowed Keates to bring his coaching team from Wrexham - again, no Football League management or coaching experience.
Admittedly, the loss of Neil Cutler and, to a lesser extent, John Ward did not help matters out on the training ground but rookie managers need experienced helpers by their sides. Although Clarke has got Football League managerial experience, I do wonder if his coaching team has the knowledge to coach attackers. Recent performances certainly give rise to doubts!
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Remember Iffy Onuora’s five minutes as assistant to Merson?
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I said it on another thread. 3 appointments there that have taken us back 30 years.
The one I have the most sympathy for is Whitney. He was up against it with the fans from the off. Firstly cos the team that Smith built was dismantled in front of our eyes, and secondly cos a lot of fans couldn’t get past the Barnsley disaster. He wasn’t a great manager but he had been a great physio and a loyal servant to the club. He kept injury prone players available for selection for Smith as well as the whole team being in great shape in general. He also lets not forget resurrected our promotion challenge after O’Driscoll did his best to spoil it. Some of the abuse he got was horrible and not really called for. All that said lets face it Oztumer kept us out the relegation places.
I don’t know what to say about Keates, he just couldn’t manage the many negative personalities he signed. He’s still a hero to me, but only for his playing days. He was horribly out of his depth I think.
Clarke though, I can’t find much to say that is positive about him. Unlike Keates he had an almost fresh slate to start with. He signed his own players, pretty much a complete new team. He has had the time to fine tune them now but I have no idea what he is trying to achieve with his constant messing and his “every game is a new project” nonsense. I’m not really bothered what he achieved at Bristol. Right here right now he is really under achieving as far as I am concerned. This season is almost a rerun of last season with maybe a few more points on the board but nothing much, and there are still more questions than answers.
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with the number of hypocrisy’s in his statements it doesn’t require microscopic assessment.
As somebody who defended a lot of what Whitney said I’m amazed more people haven’t picked it up. Whinging about 5 subs after calling for them is a new height.
But then what do I know, I probably only think that because “historically” we’ve only had three subs
PS very good point about Whitneys signings, he was very hit and miss, but he signed better than our last two “managers” have. I’d put Edwards Oztumer and Roberts way a head of anything since. A shocking indictment that a physio has a better eye for a player than either. I’d go Whitney too. Didn’t exactly pull up trees but at least he didn’t get us relegated to the division below, or ■■■■ up a completely clean slate in that lower division with a much better chairman 
It’s slim pickings though.
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High level experience dosen’t guarentee that either, Maik Taylor played for ages in premier league and international level yet Robbo has simply not kicked on from his promising debut season and still has the same weaknesses in his game he did then.
Cutler was one who really improved mid level keepers into championship quality ones and he was mainly lower league in his career.
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Tbf I still think Oztumer was more someone flagged under the Smith system as you could see him fitting into a DS team like a glove and so when Posh released him club just quickly acted on it.
Given the workmanlike style for next two years under Whitney he stuck out like a sore thumb in terms of quality in final third.
Also in that year Jason McCarthy who did well to fill the Demetriou void and Lairdy did a good job as short term fix after Rico left which made his second spell all the more sadder.
Club also made a bit of money on Dobson in the end.
The 16/17 side probably should’ve finished higher which sums up the limitations of Whitney’s management. With that pool of players Smith would’ve probably it close to play offs as it was on a par with what he had to work with in 13-14 I think.
Pretty sure early on McCarthy was playing CB (alongside Kevin Toner…) and Joe Edwards was at RB and it was a poor start. Once they got played in their proper positions results picked up for a few months.
Yeah very true but you still have to give Whitney credit for the signing. He was the manager by that stage he could easily have not bothered.
Forgot McCarthy and Dobson were his too. Another two better than anything the last two have managed.
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The defensive recruitment has really gone to the dogs in last two years.
Walsall always had good tradition of reliable CBs and full backs. Whitney signed McCarthy, Laird, Eoghan O’Connell and even after the silly fall out with J O’C got in James Wilson for a bit who was good.
Didn’t rate Guthrie much but plenty would argue he was o.k at least under Whitney aswell.
Leahy and Devlin coming in was the start of downgrade in quality at the back I think.
And through most of those seasons we had the very underated James Chambers , makes the current midfield including Guthrie look desparate
Never had a problem with Devlin. Look at the roll call since:
Kane Wilson
Cameron Norman
Ben Purkiss (never played)
Shay Facey
Hayden White (too early to tell)
I’d select him over any of those players and has gone into play SPL. ■■■■ standard but better than ours.
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Was comparing Devs more with McCarthy and Demetriou. Played his heart out but technically very limited, certainly at league 1 level.
Would have him instead of Norman though.
Oh yeah I absolutely agree, but I’m just comparing him to Keates and Clarke’s efforts. For me, he’s better than anything they’ve signed at RB.
I actually quite liked Shay Facey … but Clarke binned him off at half time against Macclesfield after James Clarke had a shocker (who would have thought) and barely got a chance again. I thought he was our best player that half too
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Danny cowley
His career is very similar to that of DC. Not convinced & he wouldn’t see himself as a 4th tier manager anyway.
What about Viveash and David Kelly, in an ideal no Covid world that could work.
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