Legia Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
Pre Premier League, I'm pretty sure Graham Taylor and John Toshack both took teams from 4th tier to top tier.
Mark Robins... One of coventrys greatest ever managers (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter Evo1883
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Bill Dudgen wasn’t it?
Irish Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
Dave Bowen
Yes, thanks. Just checked. Can’t believe I got it wrong - lived on Northampton for 35 years, and have loads of Cobblers mates - oops.
Irish Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
I think they went from 4th to 1st then 1st to 4th in consecutive seasons.Some feat!Yes, thanks. Just checked. Can’t believe I got it wrong - lived on Northampton for 35 years, and have loads of Cobblers mates - oops.
We played them in the old Second Division as they were on the way down to the 3rd and we were gaining promotion to the first. We beat them 2-0 at Highfield Road, only the second game I had been to.
ovduk78
Well-Known Member
On the way up I think they spent more than 1 season in Div 3 & Div 2 and on the way down had 2 seasons in Div 3
It’s hard to believe that the old County Ground was able to accommodate top flight football
my old man went to both games in Division 2. Stood on the cricket side. Said it was like watching games back in Dublin when he was kid (his dad was a coach at Home Farm FC)
Kneeza
Well-Known Member
It was an awful ground TBF. Went several times in the sixties, one or two city games, and a few when a mate was playing for them. He ended up at VS though!It’s hard to believe that the old County Ground was able to accommodate top flight football
my old man went to both games in Division 2. Stood on the cricket side. Said it was like watching games back in Dublin when he was kid (his dad was a coach at Home Farm FC)
SkyBlueSoul
Well-Known Member
Haven't seen it mentioned anywhere but according to Transfermarkt Saturday v Cardiff was Robins' 200th game in charge during his 2nd spell. Happy to be corrected but figured it was more reliable than Wikipedia. Makes it 233 in total I believe which is amazing in the modern era, especially with what he's achieved in that time.
Long live the king!
Long live the king!
covcity4life
Well-Known Member
Still some idiots want him gone LOL
Otis
Well-Known Member
Yay!!
Sky_Blue_Daz
Well-Known Member
How much goodwill has mark robbins got left ? He’s done a fantastic job and on the whole had us playing some wonderful football . But there is some dissension amongst the fans, particularly with his stubbornness to formation changes and substitutions . I personally think we will stay up which is all anyone of us could of hoped for at the beginning of the season
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Frostie
Well-Known Member
Almost a victim of his own success & a lack of realism sees some fans expecting to still play brilliant football & pass far superior teams off the park. Thankfully the fans aren't picking the formations & team.
Blind-Faith
Well-Known Member
If he keeps us up then I’m giving him 10 games next season to see how he gets on 
cov donkey kick
Well-Known Member
No matter weather we stay up or not he will have my backing because he would lead us back.
It has been a tough season because I've got out the habit of seeing us struggle and remember the seasons in the Premier league avoiding relegation every season. But Robins as established us a successful lower league side from nothing, so his record stands up to likes of JH, snoz, cantwell and says Robins deserves to be in that elite group. The likes of milne, mercer and Strachan als contributed to our clubs great history in which we should be proud of.
It has been a tough season because I've got out the habit of seeing us struggle and remember the seasons in the Premier league avoiding relegation every season. But Robins as established us a successful lower league side from nothing, so his record stands up to likes of JH, snoz, cantwell and says Robins deserves to be in that elite group. The likes of milne, mercer and Strachan als contributed to our clubs great history in which we should be proud of.
SkyBlueSoul
Well-Known Member
See, the great man knows the way to our hearts 
cov donkey kick
Well-Known Member
See, the great man knows the way to our hearts
Love it, hilarious
stevefloyd
Well-Known Member
And lets not forget beating the mighty Bayern 2-1 at home and ignoring the fact they thrashed us 6-1 in Germany with the help of McManus
letsallsingtogether
Well-Known Member
I know fuck all about football but I luv him.
Long live King Mark.......
Hobo
Well-Known Member
So are you saying stability actually helps Managers succeed?
Grendel
Well-Known Member
No I’m saying that he’s had the opportunity to purchase who he wants and also hasn’t had too much interference on players being sold under him
Sisu have generally meddled both ways with most managers
Prior managers often had Players sold without knowledge under other owners as well
Also we stayed up in the 80’s on a few occasions exactly as we did fire people
Hobo
Well-Known Member
So considering he has won a cup final and gained two promotions it has helped him succeed.
Considering it is his first season in the Championship he has only had two transfer windows on a very limited budget to succeed. Plus there is the lag of contracted players leaving who were bought for League 1 or even League 2.
Most promoted teams to the Championship struggle first season or get relegated.
If you look at most teams that are successful they have continuity wth managers.
A really good example was Joe Royle at Oldham.
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
It's a false causality. It's the success that bring the stability, because you don't change something that's working. Plenty of times a manager change has arrested a poor run of results and potentially changed the outcome.
Look at the amount of times we changed a manager in the top flight. Then the season we went down we kept with Strachan who'd been in charge five years. If stability brought success why did that happen? (Admittedly he did have to deal with interference from the board in selling Keane etc, as did other managers who were looking to build a decent team and always having players sold, though that could be just as much the player wanting the move)
Why would anyone ever change a manager as all you need to do is wait long enough for it to click? Why do we change players in the transfer market? Surely all we need to do is keep the same players and eventually that would lead to success?
Hobo
Well-Known Member
Joe Royle had a couple of mid table finishes due to injuries but Oldham kept faith and he got them promoted.
Also the bounce factor Grendel refers to is a myth as an 18 year study of German football showed. Sacking a manager may not improve results at all and can get worse. Any improvement with struggling sides is very short lived before they return to previous form
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
Oh i agree constant chopping and changing won't be a recipe for long term success, but again that's because the changes are being made due to poor results. you don't change a manager that is winning fairly consistently. But I'm pretty sure that short term bounce was at times enough to change results enough short term to keep us up - just a different voice in the dressing room, removal of complacency or even just a new manager changing tactics enough to stop opposition knowing what we'd do for a short time.
I'm just saying keeping a manager won't automatically result in things eventually going your way. That is what stability brings success implies.
SkyBlueSoul
Well-Known Member
Not looked to see if this was anywhere else so sorry if it's a repost. Robins has been talking to the official EFL podcast, he's right at the start (about 45 seconds) talking about returning to the Ricoh amongst other things. Talks for about 15 minutes, really good listen.
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Anyone that says otherwise is detached from reality