The Ipswich job is one that would obviously attract the managers, but there are too many variables at this stage. It wouldn’t surprise me if Marcus Evans didn’t chat to Danny and Nicky, but with less than a year in the Football League I think it has come a year or two early. The transfer window showed a degree of hesitancy and that alone has been a learning curve for our management team. We know it wasn’t ideal, they do too and they’re developing from that.
They’re building a good squad here, one for promotion this season or next and I firmly believe they’ll stay here and finish the job. The training ground is their baby, they’ll be responsible for so much that perhaps they won’t at Ipswich. We’ve seen how much this place means to them and vice versa and whilst football doesn’t come laden with sentiment, these guys do. Just today I received a message where they’d hand-written a letter back to a fan thanking him for writing to them. it’s personal, it’s warm and it shows a different type of character to Steve Evans, or Dean Keates who is prepared to jump up divisions without winning things.
Maybe it is wishful thinking on my part, but I’m told Steve McClaren has been lined up, if Tony Mowbray can’t be prised from Blackburn. Danny was always going to be mentioned, the FA Cup tie last season made that inevitable and betting companies will drive that forward too. even sites I write for such as Football League World will bring stories of him being linked, it is good material for people to read. We all love a success story and Danny is just that, what better story than from PE Teacher to Portman Road in two years?
My advice to Imps fans is this: don’t panic, not until McClaren rocks up somewhere else and Mowbray distances himself too. Outside of those two, maybe Danny will be in with a shout. If he was, I wouldn’t begrudge him it either, but I truly believe he’ll be with us next season. Have faith.
I can see the threat, but that is purely location only. When the Cowleys leave it will be to a club under achieving I would guess. Ipswich I am guessing are a club happy to stay in the Championship, with no real ambition/resource/money to get promotion.
He came to Lincoln because he could see 1 or 2 promotions and Braintree were as high as they could achieve. His next move will be the same.
I have to agree with Steve, Ipswich are not plodding along because of Mick, it is the lack of investment of late from Marcus Evans. The fans have grown bored of it. Now if Evans makes use of his billions and promises a war chest to Danny it might be different. As much as I love Danny, we must not forget he had money to get people like Arnold last season.
And that is the other side, will Ipswich go for Danny? McClaren and Danny are not dissimilar. They are real students of the game, except one of them has Dutch league winner, Germany managing, league cup winner, and England manager on his CV, and also a heck of a lot of experience in other roles. Last I heard he was in Isreal working with Cryuff learning even more. This is not an attack on Danny, but the big difference he brought to Lincoln was intelligence, business knowledge, and work ethic. In the step up he is against people with all of that and more. Will the key difference Danny has over the career managers at the lower end be felt higher up? In the conference having pre hab and scientits of sport etc was new and ground breaking, at Ipswich they have labs and one of the best facilities and academies in the UK. They also have people better skilled for doing roles Danny has been doing here. They don’t need someone to do it all, just someone to manage.
Danny is a perfect fit for Lincoln at the moment and he needs to grow with us. Having said all that I could well be wrong and he will go to Ipswich and get them into Europe as he has a habit of making gold. Or Mowbray will return to manage them again and pick up where he left off.
Not the first job they’ve been favourites for is it?
Pretty much every job that comes up they are favourites, what will be will be.
Darren Lehmann is looking for a job now I believe….
Yorkshire bound after another poor season from Gale
Don’t panic if they go, Russell slade is available at short notice!
Knowing you lot Michael Jolley will be too.