Appleton clearly never understood fan engagement and the positivity it can create on a match day. We are more likely to get behind him and his team if we think he's one of us. Such a stupid man.
Appleton has to be one of the most robotic managers in our history. I’m not interested in faux passion but football is an emotive sport, and showing no human emotion at any point is/was weird.
Appleton is right up there with our worse appointments imho. He’s got all the badges and credentials, but zero charisma and drive.
Fan engagement was mentioned by fans of other clubs when he was appointed as something he basically doesn't see as being important. Even the clubs where he had had some success said he always came across as distant and cold.
Those whole acting comments were some of the most bizarre I've heard from a manager in a press conference.
Maybe I’m in the minority but as nice as genuine passion is to see, I’m not really that bothered what our manager does during the 90 minutes, as long as we win. Also, just like when managing people in most industries, if you’ve prepared and set up effectively in the first place, you shouldn’t have to bark instructions and scream while your team are carrying out their role.
Maybe I’m in the minority but as nice as genuine passion is to see, I’m not really that bothered what our manager does during the 90 minutes, as long as we win. Also, just like when managing people in most industries, if you’ve prepared and set up effectively in the first place, you shouldn’t have to bark instructions and scream while your team are carrying out their role.
You shouldn't have to but that doesn't mean you shouldn't when your team is clearly not performing their role and wilting in front of your very eyes on a weekly basis.
Maybe I’m in the minority but as nice as genuine passion is to see, I’m not really that bothered what our manager does during the 90 minutes, as long as we win. Also, just like when managing people in most industries, if you’ve prepared and set up effectively in the first place, you shouldn’t have to bark instructions and scream while your team are carrying out their role.
You shouldn't have to but that doesn't mean you shouldn't when your team is clearly not performing their role and wilting in front of your very eyes on a weekly basis.
To not get animated when watching some of the unforgivable dross served up especially by the experienced defenders only proves Appleton never gave a damn about this job. He didn't have to be furious but the blunders were exasperating. Internalising that ain't healthy. He didn't care, he got paid, probably still is and some other mug club owner will be along in a while to offer him another turn on the merry-go-round.
Re-reading the Appleton interview I think it is a useful insight into who he was as a person (as far as we were shown). Obviously at this point his number was up and everyone including him knew he was done for, but I think it displays the kind of one-eyed arrogance that he had the whole time he was with us. He could have just said in his interview that it's not who he is to be animated on the sidelines but he really does care, instead he went on some weird rant where he decided that he knew the motivations of every football manager ever. Part of being a normal, functional adult is accepting the things that work or don't work for you might be different for others but his view of the world is that if reacting on the sidelines is acting for him then it would be for everyone else as well. I genuinely don't care if a manager is quiet or a lunatic on the sidelines (though Appleton's level of absolutely no guidance whatsoever was insane to me, even the quiet managers usually have a coach giving instructions during the game) but for Appleton to claim he's figured out the psyche of every other manager based on his views is so ridiculously insular it's no wonder he keeps failing. If you can't accept there are other ways then you can't ever learn anything and he'll be stuck getting sacked every five minutes forever.
Re-reading the Appleton interview I think it is a useful insight into who he was as a person (as far as we were shown). Obviously at this point his number was up and everyone including him knew he was done for, but I think it displays the kind of one-eyed arrogance that he had the whole time he was with us. He could have just said in his interview that it's not who he is to be animated on the sidelines but he really does care, instead he went on some weird rant where he decided that he knew the motivations of every football manager ever. Part of being a normal, functional adult is accepting the things that work or don't work for you might be different for others but his view of the world is that if reacting on the sidelines is acting for him then it would be for everyone else as well. I genuinely don't care if a manager is quiet or a lunatic on the sidelines (though Appleton's level of absolutely no guidance whatsoever was insane to me, even the quiet managers usually have a coach giving instructions during the game) but for Appleton to claim he's figured out the psyche of every other manager based on his views is so ridiculously insular it's no wonder he keeps failing. If you can't accept there are other ways then you can't ever learn anything and he'll be stuck getting sacked every five minutes forever.
Good post. Appleton felt like the managerial equivalent of Gunter, Watson etc when they were here - it was a job, their last (or one of) decent contract and they weren’t motivated to really push themselves and had no serious ambitions left as players or for the club.
What’s strange about that is we’ve seen plenty of it in players over the years but it’s rarely as obvious when it comes to managers. With MA though there’s no way he’d be taken seriously if he claimed he puts everything into it and makes a lot of sacrifices etc in the way Jones has recently said. Such a difference between them in what the role and opportunity was/is for them, and that has to impact the players and their own motivation.
Appleton to me seemed to not give a shit. He had a losing mentality the way he kept spouting on about how we did well against top top teams in this division. I truely believe he was just going through the motions to pick up a wage he was our only manager ever that I avoided watching his post match interviews as he annoyed me so much with his total apathy
Maybe I’m in the minority but as nice as genuine passion is to see, I’m not really that bothered what our manager does during the 90 minutes, as long as we win. Also, just like when managing people in most industries, if you’ve prepared and set up effectively in the first place, you shouldn’t have to bark instructions and scream while your team are carrying out their role.
You shouldn't have to but that doesn't mean you shouldn't when your team is clearly not performing their role and wilting in front of your very eyes on a weekly basis.
That’s what I hated, in his interviews after the game he’d say something like “we should have been more positive passed the ball forwards instead of sideways more”, after standing silently on the touchline for 90mins when he could have shouted at the players to do exactly that
Comments
The most negative, arrogant and passive coach/manager/gymrat you will ever see.
All confidence has been knocked out of the players. He accepted no blame and was always in the right.
Unbelievable!
Such a stupid man.
I’m not interested in faux passion but football is an emotive sport, and showing no human emotion at any point is/was weird.
He’s got all the badges and credentials, but zero charisma and drive.
Those whole acting comments were some of the most bizarre I've heard from a manager in a press conference.
You shouldn't have to but that doesn't mean you shouldn't when your team is clearly not performing their role and wilting in front of your very eyes on a weekly basis.
He didn't have to be furious but the blunders were exasperating. Internalising that ain't healthy. He didn't care, he got paid, probably still is and some other mug club owner will be along in a while to offer him another turn on the merry-go-round.
What’s strange about that is we’ve seen plenty of it in players over the years but it’s rarely as obvious when it comes to managers. With MA though there’s no way he’d be taken seriously if he claimed he puts everything into it and makes a lot of sacrifices etc in the way Jones has recently said. Such a difference between them in what the role and opportunity was/is for them, and that has to impact the players and their own motivation.