There’s no movement expected in our search for a Head Coach this week, as revealed by BBC Radio Lincolnshire.
Wednesday will mark the third week since Mark Kennedy’s departure, and a defeat in the FA Cup against League Two Morecambe has left some Imps supporters hoping for a permanent announcement this week. However, that appears not to be the case, with Liam Scully telling BBC Radio Lincolnshire that he expects Tom Shaw, our caretaker boss, to be in charge for Port Vale’s visit this coming Saturday.
No more detail of the interview is available until the Hope and Glory podcast, to be released at 6 pm this evening, but it does seem to suggest that our hunt will run into next week, the first week since Mark’s departure not to feature a game. With us then playing Saturday / Tuesday for a couple of weeks, post-Port Vale does seem like the natural time for us to announce a successor, should we be in a position to do so.
It might not be the update many were hoping for, but the board were never going to be rushed after a poor performance in the FA Cup. The Morecambe game stung, but the issues were only the same that we’ve suffered since the beginning of September, missing our three main attackers (House, Walker and Hackett) and perhaps also tiring as the game wore on. Whilst we do need a new face, the board were always going to be happier to take an extra week or two now in order to get the right man for the job.
Who that might be is still anyone’s guess. There have been rumours of Danny Cowley having been interviewed, with Jez George and Liam over in Ireland last week, perhaps also speaking to candidates. One strong rumour around the ground this weekend from reputable sources was that the bookies currently do not have a couple of the big names in the frame in their odds list, and from nowhere, Thomas Worle appeared on people’s radars this weekend, a German manager who had success with both Bayern Munich women and currently managing in the German third tier. As soon as his name appeared on social media, he also shot up to 25/1, ahead of Steve Cotterill, Karl Robinson and John Eustace.
Whatever is (or isn’t) the truth, you and I are probably no closer to knowing it as we were in the hours after Mark left. The club was once a leaky bucket, with more information coming out than you could get on Wikileaks, but in recent seasons, that has not been the case. They’re playing their cards very close to their chest, and it seems the board are willing to wait at least another five or six days, if not more, before showing their hand.
New Manager? The sooner the better! Some fear a slide from relative safety in the league down to the relegation area. There must be changes in style of play. Too much careless passing, holding on to the ball too long, too much passing around the defence and back to the goalkeeper to no particular purpose, so NEGATIVE, and, most of all, little idea of putting attacks together. (Compare us with Oxford – all energetic FORWARD movement.) Shots on goal? WHAT shots on goal? Taking corners. Are these practised on the training field? You wouldn’t think so. Then there’s defence, giving away goals too far too easily. A radical overhaul is needed VERY SOON! Otherwise, support will fade away. The alarm bells will be clanging loudly if we lose to Notts County tomorrow. And many think we will do so.