John Eustace - our head coach

[lraC]

55 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

I very much fear if we lost Eustace. The last two appointments have been good tbf, even though JDT eventually lost his way. But we know from experience we usually recruit cheap plodders and that can't work out too often.

This squad, IMO, is equally as capable of entering a relegation dogfight under the wrong manager as it is of competing for the playoffs under the right one.

I think it’s a touch harsh stating that JDT lost his way. JDT got pissed off being given shite to work with, so played them at their own game and eventually moved on and paid to do so. 

The same will happen with Eustace and we can’t suggest he lost his way can we, if he gets next to nothing in this window and we finish half way or worse?

Sadly blaming the manager for losing his way, is exactly what the powers that be, want us to think, a bit like the Burnley fans gloating about our record against them, since this ownership racked up.

This version of Rovers is nothing like the one, who spanked their arses, for years, but the club has not lost its way, it has just been infested for a while. 

[bluebruce]

24 minutes ago, lraC said:

I think it’s a touch harsh stating that JDT lost his way. JDT got pissed off being given shite to work with, so played them at their own game and eventually moved on and paid to do so. 

The same will happen with Eustace and we can’t suggest he lost his way can we, if he gets next to nothing in this window and we finish half way or worse?

Sadly blaming the manager for losing his way, is exactly what the powers that be, want us to think, a bit like the Burnley fans gloating about our record against them, since this ownership racked up.

This version of Rovers is nothing like the one, who spanked their arses, for years, but the club has not lost its way, it has just been infested for a while. 

Some of JDT's failings with the team came down to tactical obstinacy. He was shafted in the market, we all know that, but the team was still capable of more than it was delivering in his later matches.

Lost his way or got pissed off and behaved as unprofessionally as the ownership, whatever way you slice it things weren't working out anymore and I couldn't fail to acknowledge that in making my point. I liked JDT. Some fans have a far less positive image of him than I'm presenting.

[joey_big_nose]

I think that weve stopped winning has saved us with JE... We now have 2 points out of the last 15 and the shine has come off. Eustace now gone back to looking more like a middle of the table championship manager who only managed to keep us up on the last day last season.

Footballs fickle like that. If West Brom were looking five games ago they might have made him first choice. 

From JEs perspective - if West Brom have money to spend I am sure he would welcome a move.

[47er]

6 hours ago, lraC said:

I think it’s a touch harsh stating that JDT lost his way. JDT got pissed off being given shite to work with, so played them at their own game and eventually moved on and paid to do so. 

The same will happen with Eustace and we can’t suggest he lost his way can we, if he gets next to nothing in this window and we finish half way or worse?

Sadly blaming the manager for losing his way, is exactly what the powers that be, want us to think, a bit like the Burnley fans gloating about our record against them, since this ownership racked up.

This version of Rovers is nothing like the one, who spanked their arses, for years, but the club has not lost its way, it has just been infested for a while. 

He was promised adequate reinforcements and they broke their word. Simple as  that.

[martonrover]

6 minutes ago, 47er said:

He was promised adequate reinforcements and they broke their word. Simple as  that.

I disagree.

Although he was more sinned against than sinner, his stubbornness and lack of pragmatism made the situation worse than it could've been.

His man management wasn't great, either, (eg Travis).

Also, we hardly ever recovered points from losing positions during his time.

With JDT it was either feast or famine, and that wasn't solely due to broken promises.

[47er]

5 minutes ago, martonrover said:

I disagree.

Although he was more sinned against than sinner, his stubbornness and lack of pragmatism made the situation worse than it could've been.

His man management wasn't great, either, (eg Travis).

Also, we hardly ever recovered points from losing positions during his time.

With JDT it was either feast or famine, and that wasn't solely due to broken promises.

But we played some of the best football seen since Premier League days and would have taken us up if the owners hadn't abandoned us. Agree with what you say though!

[RevidgeBlue]

There's an article online citing a WBA "insider" who claims there's been 2 people interviewed for the WBA job, one of which is Wicky, the other he doesn't know the name of, but NOT Eustace.

Conversely the bookies odds on Skybet for Eustace continue to shrink (5/2, 2nd fav behind Wicky) although someone formerly at Union Berlin called Urs Fischer has come in from 20/1 to 8/1.

[Eddie]

On 07/01/2025 at 01:01, RevidgeBlue said:

Damned with faint praise. Lol.

How he speaks is not really that important to his job, but, as one of the main faces of the club, I would like a manager who can speak well and is charismatic in the press.

There's no denying the fact that this has become an increasingly important part of the job and it is now rare to see managers who struggle with this side of the game. It is also disappointing to see an English manager who is outperformed in this department by foreign counterparts (whether that be JDT, or more prominent examples like Klopp). 

But, I understand that I'm probably more in the minority in terms of how much it irks me, nor do I think that there are players who will see him speak to the press and decide that he isn't a manager that they want to play for. That being said, whilst I don't think it is a dealbreaker, it does mean that we are missing out on something that might actually attract players. 

[martonrover]

2 hours ago, 47er said:

But we played some of the best football seen since Premier League days and would have taken us up if the owners hadn't abandoned us. Agree with what you say though!

We did, sometimes, although we were also on the wrong end of some absolute hidings, including against the likes of Rotherham.

Yes, we missed out on O’Brien, but would he really have made that much difference?
 

I don’t believe it is certain he would’ve taken us up, due to the reasons given in my initial reply to you.

Anyway, it sadly appears that history is about to repeat itself 😢

[martonrover]

1 hour ago, RevidgeBlue said:

There's an article online citing a WBA "insider" who claims there's been 2 people interviewed for the WBA job, one of which is Wicky, the other he doesn't know the name of, but NOT Eustace.

Conversely the bookies odds on Skybet for Eustace continue to shrink (5/2, 2nd fav behind Wicky) although someone formerly at Union Berlin called Urs Fischer has come in from 20/1 to 8/1.

🤞It seems they are intent on a foreign head coach, no matter how obscure.

Thank God Eustace is called John, not Juan, or he’d no doubt get the gig.

[RevidgeBlue]

1 minute ago, martonrover said:

🤞It seems they are intent on a foreign head coach, no matter how obscure.

Thank God Eustace is called John, not Juan, or he’d no doubt get the gig.

Juan Eustacio.

Lol.

[Mattyblue]

Don’t most British managers speak in a fairly cliched fashion? ‘Take every game as it comes, you know’, ‘working hard on the training ground’.

 

[martonrover]

5 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Juan Eustacio.

Lol.

He’s now favourite with several bookmakers 😢

 

2 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Don’t most British managers speak in a fairly cliched fashion? ‘Take every game as it comes, you know’, ‘working hard on the training ground’.

 

Yes, but Eustace is particularly bad, (and I’ve been a fan since he started).

[RevidgeBlue]

25 minutes ago, martonrover said:

Yes, but Eustace is particularly bad, (and I’ve been a fan since he started).

I know it wasn't you complaining about it but I just can't get my head around criticism along these lines. All that matters is results on the pitch.

Bielsa was adored at Leeds yet had to conduct his interviews through an interpretor!

[wilsdenrover]

28 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

I know it wasn't you complaining about it but I just can't get my head around criticism along these lines. All that matters is results on the pitch.

Bielsa was adored at Leeds yet had to conduct his interviews through an interpretor!

I could never understand a word Kenny said - I wouldn’t have changed him for anyone else.

[Eddie]

2 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Don’t most British managers speak in a fairly cliched fashion? ‘Take every game as it comes, you know’, ‘working hard on the training ground’.

 

Most do. It's a shame. 

This will definitely not go down well, but, unfortunately, I think football management (and, to a large degree, football itself) in the UK remains the domain of the dumb. It means that the footballers who go into management tend to be...quite dumb. 

To clarify, I don't think that's because they're innately dumb, I just think we place very little importance on education throughout the academy process in the UK and footballers who show any interest outside of the game are often ostracized (Le Saux, Bamford, etc). There's little benefit in doing anything more than focusing on football and we don't encourage a more complete development of players at key ages. 

Very different in the rest of Europe and it leads to some very intelligent and curious people both succeeding in football as players and those are traits that are encouraged and sought out from coaches. I think it's one of the reasons why our game is now dominated by foreign managers. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of dumb footballers in Europe as well, but you're far less likely to progress into the coaching world. 

That does seem to be changing a little bit, but we still have a long way to go.

I know this will ruffle some feathers. 

Edited 23 hours ago by Eddie

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, RevidgeBlue said:

I know it wasn't you complaining about it but I just can't get my head around criticism along these lines. All that matters is results on the pitch.

Bielsa was adored at Leeds yet had to conduct his interviews through an interpretor!

But, you're assuming that the inability to communicate has no impact on the results on the pitch.

As I said, I don't think Eustace will struggle to get messages across to his players, but he certainly lacks charisma. Bielsa is an excellent example of the opposite - he had to go through a translator, but he had charisma and aura by the bucketload. Not only did that help in his success, but it also attracted players as he built a reputation.

So, I suppose, more than anything, I'm critical of the cliches and repetitive football-speak because it drives zero engagement...with anyone.

[Mattyblue]

Half the problem is there is too much media engagement with managers. The social media clip/SSNews isation of the game.

Pressers, pre game, post game multiple times every single week at all levels. Who cares what whoever the Wolves manager is has to say for the 8th time this week? I bet even he doesn’t.

 

[islander200]

5 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

There's an article online citing a WBA "insider" who claims there's been 2 people interviewed for the WBA job, one of which is Wicky, the other he doesn't know the name of, but NOT Eustace.

Conversely the bookies odds on Skybet for Eustace continue to shrink (5/2, 2nd fav behind Wicky) although someone formerly at Union Berlin called Urs Fischer has come in from 20/1 to 8/1.

It's all over twitter now that West brom are in talks with a Dutch coach  Hake who was at United 

Romano tweeted it initially I think 

[wilsdenrover]

1 hour ago, islander200 said:

It's all over twitter now that West brom are in talks with a Dutch coach  Hake who was at United 

Romano tweeted it initially I think 

Sounds fishy 

[DeeCee]

4 hours ago, Eddie said:

But, you're assuming that the inability to communicate has no impact on the results on the pitch.

As I said, I don't think Eustace will struggle to get messages across to his players, but he certainly lacks charisma. Bielsa is an excellent example of the opposite - he had to go through a translator, but he had charisma and aura by the bucketload. Not only did that help in his success, but it also attracted players as he built a reputation.

So, I suppose, more than anything, I'm critical of the cliches and repetitive football-speak because it drives zero engagement...with anyone.

See what you did there 👍 didn't know that about Bamford till I Wikipedia'd him. 

[DeeCee]

1 hour ago, wilsdenrover said:

Sounds fishy 

Could be a plaice for him?

[Upside Down]

7 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

I could never understand a word Kenny said - I wouldn’t have changed him for anyone else.

"We got the three points" was usually all I could ever make out.

[martonrover]

4 hours ago, islander200 said:

It's all over twitter now that West brom are in talks with a Dutch coach  Hake who was at United 

Romano tweeted it initially I think 

From Wicksy to Renee from ‘Allo ‘Allo.

They are clearly obsessed with appointing a foreign head coach (good).

[Eddie]

8 hours ago, DeeCee said:

See what you did there 👍 didn't know that about Bamford till I Wikipedia'd him. 

Which bit?