Paul Jewell & the Management Merry Go Round

[all_funkt_up]

Apparently he's rejected a move back to Wigan in the last couple of days.

I've been told he's been out and about with Keith Lamb recently. They were spotted in Yarm at the weekend.

So could it be Middlesbrough next for Jewell then? Steve Gibson has stuck by Southgate thus far and lets face it, he's never looked like setting the Premiership alight. Boro under Southgate seem to be drifting along to me. I would honestly say that they're going no where with him. Playing average football with a decent team, falling crowds hint that the fans are falling out of love with their former captain.

I reckon Southgate next manager for the chop & Jewell to replace him.

[Wittmann 44]

Talking with the Irish FA at the moment apparently.

Think he'd do a good job but I can see him not being too interested at his age he is probably more interested in a busier schedule

[Swooperman]

All the press coverage seems to think that he really is interested in the Irish job, but I agree that doesnt seem to make sense to me
Wigan asking for permission to speak to Steve Bruce is interesting here I think. He was at Wigan a few years back in his '4 clubs in 12 months' spell, & personally I can see him going there as I dont really think he can convince himself hes more than 4 bad games from the sack at Blues. He says hes not sure of his future regarding the takeover although Blues fans point out hes got 18 months left on his contract.
I think hes took Birmingham as far as he can as I dont think hes the man to lift them to half way, so its interesting to see Wigan think hes the man to take them further Maybe hes just spent too long at St.Andrews ??

I can see either Jewell or Martin Jol at Birmingham & I think that'd be a good move for them

[all_funkt_up]

I dont know whether your new Chinese feller might want someone more exotic than Paul Jewell in charge?

I mean if you're trying to make the club marketable in the far east, a big foreign name surely has to be more appealing than Paul Jewell?

[all_funkt_up]

Looks like Steve Bruce will indeed be heading to Wigan after Dave Whelan agreed a rumoured £3m severance pay off with the Midlands club. Thats a bloody hefty fee for a manager isnt it!

I wonder what Jewell could have done with (a) all the money Hutchings spend in the summer (b) the money it took to sack Hutchings & (c) the £3m its cost to 'buy' Bruce's contract.

Wouldnt it have been easier to give the guy some money to spend, rather than let him leave and get someone else into spend it?

Anyway - as for the next moves on the Management Carousel - how about Alex McLeish to Birmingham. Cant see him being happy staying at Scotland, with nothing to look forward to in the next 10 months. Managers live and breathe football, 10 months without a meaningful game is too long for an ambitious, talented guy like McLeish IMO.

[crowie]

Aye but did Jewell no leave Wigan because he was mentally fucked? I don't think it was a case of them wanting him out or whatever, I just remember Whelan saying Jewell felt it was in the best interests of his health to get out and get a break.

I would think going back to Wigan would have been the wrong move anyway. He did a great job there, taking them into and keeping them in the EPL. His succesor was always on a hiding to nothing as keeping the likes of Wigan up is about as good as it gets there. However give them a few more years up and they will be aspiring to the likes of Fulham and Middlesboro.

Bruce to Wigan seems a bizarre one to me. He ain't exactly a hotshot manager is he. He's is ok but has he done great things with anyone? I also think that Birmingham are a "bigger" club than Wigan so to me it seems like a downward step. Plus there is more chance of them going down than Brum. Then again he is probably going to get a stupid contract of them paying him bucket loads for, ultimately, getting Wigan relegated.

I think Birmingham should go for Trevor Francis.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Originally Posted by crowie

Aye but did Jewell no leave Wigan because he was mentally fucked? I don't think it was a case of them wanting him out or whatever, I just remember Whelan saying Jewell felt it was in the best interests of his health to get out and get a break.

I would think going back to Wigan would have been the wrong move anyway. He did a great job there, taking them into and keeping them in the EPL. His succesor was always on a hiding to nothing as keeping the likes of Wigan up is about as good as it gets there. However give them a few more years up and they will be aspiring to the likes of Fulham and Middlesboro.

Bruce to Wigan seems a bizarre one to me. He ain't exactly a hotshot manager is he. He's is ok but has he done great things with anyone? I also think that Birmingham are a "bigger" club than Wigan so to me it seems like a downward step. Plus there is more chance of them going down than Brum. Then again he is probably going to get a stupid contract of them paying him bucket loads for, ultimately, getting Wigan relegated.

I think Birmingham should go for Trevor Francis.

I hope so and get the cnut off commentary on Sky

[all_funkt_up]

Originally Posted by all_funkt_up

Anyway - as for the next moves on the Management Carousel - how about Alex McLeish to Birmingham. Cant see him being happy staying at Scotland, with nothing to look forward to in the next 10 months. Managers live and breathe football, 10 months without a meaningful game is too long for an ambitious, talented guy like McLeish IMO.

Yessssssssssssssssssssss Sir!

Birmingham ask the permission of the SFA to speak to Alex McLeish. Another AFU exclusive folks.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Really can't see why McLeish would waste his time going to Birmingham. Bide his time and he could get a far better club to go to.

Saying all that though - Birmingham got some big sugar daddy in charge now don't they? My only guess would be that McLeish will be promised a huge sum of money to spend in January.

[Swooperman]

I think its a rather large gamble personally. The Yuk Sun takeover has been dragging for ages now & theres certainly a large element down here who think its not happening....including David Gold with a few of his comments. Theyve even said they think the Chinese fella is taking the piss.
Not a stable environment for a new manager

[all_funkt_up]

Originally Posted by Kiko

Really can't see why McLeish would waste his time going to Birmingham. Bide his time and he could get a far better club to go to.

Saying all that though - Birmingham got some big sugar daddy in charge now don't they? My only guess would be that McLeish will be promised a huge sum of money to spend in January.

Lets be honest, he's only ever managed in Scotland - who else would come in for him? No one in the top half of the Prem realistically.

And that's being serious there, it wasnt another Anti-Jock jibe. Birmingham is about as good as it gets. They're offering to double his current salary and the offer's on the table. He may bide his time, lose his next couple of games in charge of the Jocks and find himself with fuck all offers.

Football is a fickle game.

A wise man once said:

Originally Posted by Big Chris

If the opportunity's there, you take it. The opportunity was there, so I took it.

[MickeyPaul]

This thread from a while back may or may not prove interesting to Birmingham fans: http://www.thedailypunt.com/forum/ta...ys-season.html

[crowie]

Originally Posted by all_funkt_up

Lets be honest, he's only ever managed in Scotland - who else would come in for him? No one in the top half of the Prem realistically.

And that's being serious there, it wasnt another Anti-Jock jibe. Birmingham is about as good as it gets. They're offering to double his current salary and the offer's on the table. He may bide his time, lose his next couple of games in charge of the Jocks and find himself with fuck all offers.

Football is a fickle game.

A wise man once said:

McLeish, in his previous club jobs has had a life span off about 3 seasons. He starts of really well, over achieves with the club, and then trys to try and get smart in the transfer market or do something tactically different, and it all goes tits up. Least in the Scotland job he can't get involved in the transfer market....unless its "signing" McEveley, James Morrison, Steve Howard.....

They (Brum) are apparently offering him 4 times his current salary. He is only £400k here, they are supposedly offering him £1.6m.

I actually agree with your comments about Brum being about as good as it gets AFU. Club football is different from international and I couldn't see the likes of a Villa or Spurs or Everton approaching him without him actually having a track record down south.

I think he is a good manager in respect of motivation and organisation but he isn't the greatest mover in the transfer market.

He should go and then hopefully the new owner, the Far Eastern Romanov, will take over in 3 months time, not want him, sack him and pay up the remainder of his contract and he can be back in time for the March internationals

[all_funkt_up]

I would say that Birmingham are a decent prospect, if they get a cash injection.

I cant see any bigger/better clubs at the moment who are in the hunt for a manager or will be in the near future. Pretty cut and dry really. The money's on the table and in my opinion, he'd be a fool to turn it down. I cant see there being a better offer in the next 12 months.

He's reached a pinacle with Scotland and should cash in while he can.

[crowie]

SFA have turned down Birminghams request to speak to him.

Course that means little these days but it does mean McLeish will have to "do the dirty" and walk out on Scotland. The SFA and Gordon Smith covering their own backs so that they don't look like the bad guys.

I can see both sides. McLeish wants a crack at the EPL, he doesn't have a competitive game for 10 months and Brum are offering 4x his current salary.

However he would have to walk out on his country, he has a youngish team who will get better over the next 2 years, he is in a decent group with the possibility of getting us to WC 2010 and the EPL and job offers will still be around in 2/3 years time, especially if he carries on like he has started in the Scotland job.

I would hope that he bites the bullet, doesn't want to walk out on Scotland and realise that he can still get back to club management after 2010.

If he does go then the list of candidates to replace him is either scary or non-existant.