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The Management
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Just who will it be?
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By:
Eric Hitchmo
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25/05/2010
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This 'sooner-rather-than-later' appointment seems to be dragging on a little too long for my liking. All sorts of names have been floating about with a number of them taking my fancy, but the impatience that reigns for just the slightest scrap of news is coming to the fore now. This feeling appears mirrored by much of the online Barnet community, and as such, plenty of names are being banded around willy nilly in connection to the manager's job. I even heard a rumour about Ossie Ardiles. Not sure I can see that one coming to fruition.
Nonetheless, there are some serious and realistic names being touted. The two that I personally like the look of are Mark Cooper and Justin Edinburgh. Both have done fine jobs with their respective clubs in Non-League and would be a strong acquisition.
Cooper of course had an unsuccessful, twelve game spell with Peterborough United this season. To judge him on that would be foolish as it would be quite the understatement to say he didn't get a particularly fair crack of the whip. It's the credentials that led Peterborough to appoint him that interests me. Cooper was player/manager at Tamworth and led the club into some impressive cup runs, reaching the third round of the FA Cup twice. He was also behind a humbling experience in the year we got promoted, as his side came to Underhill and left with a 3-0 win. At the time, it was only our second defeat of the season (this was December) and probably the most emphatic of the entire campaign. To see a side that had been destroying all in their path be absolutely outplayed by a hard-working team who stifled our every outlet spoke volumes. Cooper had clearly done his homework, and his down to earth, open attitude when speaking to him after the game endeared him to me.
On what one can only assume was a small, part time budget with the Midlands club, Cooper was doing well just to keep them afloat. However, after a 15th place finish, the next season was to be a struggle and Tamworth were relegated. Fortunately for them though, Canvey Island's resignation from the league allowed them a reprieve for the season following. This was not a success either, despite the club's cup run in which they hosted Norwich City in the third round and Cooper was dismissed in 2007.
He then took over Kettering Town, at the time in the Conference North, and he was to enforce his up and coming credentials even further. They stormed in the Conference National, winning the league by seventeen points. He then led them to an 8th place finish in their first season back and got the club to the FA Cup Fourth Round where they gave Fulham a bloody good game. Quite a fine achievement wouldn't you say? Peterborough would soon come knocking, but not before another fine start to the season. He left the club in November 2009, in 2nd place having just landed a tie with Leeds United in the FA Cup. His outstanding record with Kettering, and his hard work in tough circumstances with Tamworth make him a key candidate for me. It could just be unfounded rumour, he would have most likely applied for other jobs, but if we could manage to get him, it would fill me with a whole lot more confidence about the upcoming season than I currently feel.
Justin Edinburgh cut his managerial teeth at Braintree, as player/manager, Fisher Athletic and Grays Athletic in the Conference. He took Fisher to the Conference South having guided them to a 3rd place finish in the Ryman Premier but left during the following season. He would soon join Grays in the league above, firstly as assistant manager and then almost immediately manager as Andy King resigned from the post. He successfully kept the club afloat in their second year in the highest tier of Non-League as they finished in 19th place. In the next season, amidst a mass of uncertainty around the club and with low home gates, the team performed reasonably well on the pitch with circumstances and size of the club, however Edinburgh would leave in February 2008 by mutual consent.
It was his next job, at Rushden & Diamonds where he established himself as one of Non-League's strongest manager. As caretaker manager at around the midway stage of the 2008/2009 season, Edinburgh steered the side to an 11th place finish. In 2009/2010, his first full season in charge, he took Diamonds to the playoffs with a few familiar Barnet names amongst the ranks. Max Porter was a mainstay in the side for much of the season and impressed throughout and Cliff Akurang joined on loan for the season, scoring eight times. A 4th place finish set up a tie with Oxford who were to overcome them and go onto promotion at Wembley but nonetheless, it was a fine achievement by Edinburgh and his club. He remains contracted with Rushden, but is a name that has been heavily linked for some time. He is another prime candidate for me.
My feeling is that it should definitely be an external appointment. Someone new, someone fresh. These two names would be my personal choices but there are plenty of other shouts for the job. Dean Holdsworth, Mark Stimson, Brian Talbot are amongst those with mixed levels of managerial experience. Stimson has a decent track record it must be said. He did very well with Grays before Edinburgh's time, moved to Stevenage where he again made the playoffs and won the FA Trophy and followed that by getting Gillingham promoted. He was then dismissed just a day after the Kent club's following relegation after not a single away victory all year. Despite this, his record speaks volumes but their seems to be an unidentifiable question mark for me.
His spot at Gillingham has since been filled by Andy Hessenthaler, who was another man immediately named as a candidate following sterling work at Dover. He of course spent a season or so at Barnet putting in some excellent performances even as he continued into his 40s. Unfortunate then that the club where he plied his trade for the majority of his career came calling, as he would have been a fine acquisition.
I don't feel that an internal appointment would be the way forward. The candidate, of course, is Gary Breen. Something about him this season just hasn't sat right with me. His attitude at times has raised questions. His tendency to be first off the pitch with little or no acknowledgement of the supporters is a certainly a bugbear for me. It takes little effort to come over to the supporters and show your appreciation, and players (and staff) who do so immediately endear themselves to a crowd. It would be interesting to see what Breen can bring to the table as a manager though. His impact when joining as a player was clear for all to see, perhaps a move into management can do similar. He has prior knowledge of the club and existing players and this could prove beneficial. It just depends on what the club want. Do they want someone who knows the club, or just to rip up the book and start again?
An interesting dilemma we have here then, but all we as supporters can do is merely speculate. Only those inside the club really know what's going on right now and we could quite easily appoint someone whose name has not been mentioned here or in any other discussion. Some news would be nice, though...?
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