Our Manager: an objective(ish) analysis

[Fiogh 178]

I am one for critical analysis based on evidence; I know football doesn't always lend itself to such objective terms, and there are many 'intangibles' and factors that could be debated this way. That being said, here is a list of roles a manager is expected to perform (from wikipedia but still fairly universally agreed). How do we think our current manager has fared/is faring in each area? Please use facts or observations to justify your opinion:

The manager's responsibilities in a professional football club usually include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Selecting the team of players for matches, and their formation.
  
• Planning the strategy, and instructing the same on the pitch.
  
• Motivating players before and during a match.
  
• Delegating duties to the first team coach and the coaching and medical staff.
  
• Scouting for young but talented players for eventual training in the youth academy or the reserves, and encouraging their development and improvement.
  
• Buying and selling players in the transfer market, including loans.
  
• Facing the media in pre-match and post-match interviews.
  

• Selecting the team of players for matches, and their formation. - Continuing to shoohorn in underperforming players (Boyd, Law, Black, Mohnsi) whilst others are dropped after one bad game (Clark, Aird) despite showing promise previous to that. Ally is not alone in this, we all know managers have 'favourites' and players they trust more than others, but he has been particularly guilty this season. Playing players out of position has been a prominent feature too. Formation wise, some successes but the 3-5-2 (or 5-3-2) was mainly poor and Black and Law as a midfield pair hasn't worked.
  

• Planning the strategy, and instructing the same on the pitch. - A couple of games aside (Clyde at home the main one) the system has been rudimentary and involved alot of long balls and knock downs, constant direct passing with very little emphasis on build up or variety. We have been predictable to play against and poor teams have figured out how to nulify our threat (Alloa) whilst slightly better ones have been able to nulify and counteract with success (Hearts, Hibs).
  

• Delegating duties to the first team coach and the coaching and medical staff. - Widely accepted and visible to anyone with an eye for the game that players are not improving, suggesting either a lack of coaching or substandard coaching. Players have continually regressed after joining us (Law, Black, Boyd, Sheils) whilst almost none have improved (perhaps Wallace and Mcleod).
  

• Scouting for young but talented players for eventual training in the youth academy or the reserves, and encouraging their development and improvement. - we all know there is no scouting network and the manager cannot be held responsible for that. More learned folk that I have passed judgement on the poor levels of coaching at youth levels; again the blame cannot be laid at McCoists door there. It can be argues that he hasn't used youth as often as he could, instead favouring 'experienced' players, but he has given game time to Aird, Crawford, McKay and McLeod.
  

• Buying and selling players in the transfer market, including loans. - Black, Law, Templeton, Boyd, Sandaza, Mohnsi, Daly, Peralta... not a great deal of successes there, you would expect more successes from the money outlayed. Some rumours that McCoist didn't get the players he wanted, but he signed off on all these players who have failed to perform.
  

• Facing the media in pre-match and post-match interviews. - has them eating out his hand and very few will speak out against him. Some fo his excuses have been embarrassing (the wind, charles green, pitches).
  

I like McCoist, he is one of my footballing heroes. I wanted nothing more than for him to succeed as a Rangers manager. But I have seen nothing to convince me that he is achieving the maximum he can with the resources available to him.

[bluenose1975 1,287]

Would you no have just been quicker with an "ally oot thread"

[Fiogh 178]

Would you no have just been quicker with an "ally oot thread"

I prefer to look at where people have succeeded and failed. Statements with nothing to back them up are worthless.

[quinty 1,445]

"Please use facts or observations to justify your opinion:"

Facts:

Win/Loss ratio

Titles won

Observations:

All the rest is completely subjective.

[BigAmo'sThighs 848]

I think he's failed on a number of levels. He's been loyal, been strong and had conviction in a few of his interviews and beliefs.....

That's about it really, from a purely football point of view he's failed miserably. I can recall the odd good game ( Motherwell, stenhousemuir )

He's failed with the most important task, to implement a style of play and develop players. Tactically there's nothing, he hasn't outwitted an opponent tactically, we win 99% of our games because we have the better players, the other 1% is luck. It's a slog to watch us, winning is a relief rather than the culmination of hard work and development.

A true gent but a truly shite gaffer

[trueblueal 2,117]

You built the thread up OP like it was going to be a factual analysis with stats etc. All.of what you have said is purely subjective opinion. There are loads of Ally threads already it's getting tiresome

[Fiogh 178]

"Please use facts or observations to justify your opinion:"

Facts:

Win/Loss ratio

Titles won

Observations:

All the rest is completely subjective.

As I said, not clear cut in football. I would say his record in 'pressure' games is poor (Malmo, Maribor, Raith Rovers) but overall record obviously good.

It's like how Barcelona were lauded as extollers of the beautiful game while ateam like, say, West Ham were berated last season for 'ugly' football. That's subjective, what anyone finds 'beautiful' or 'enjoyable' to watch in entirely dependent on them - but you'd struggle to find a body of consesus saying West Ham played 'better' football than Barca. The entire analysis of anything in sport requires an element of subjectivity; the key is to try and minimise it.

[The Godfather 71,886]

In a nutshell he's made an utter cunt of it.

That's oor Ally

[nachothelegend 1,932]

He is partly to blame along with his two Amigos for lack of Scouting.

Their wages are nearly two million a year half of that could have paid for Scouting.

They need to go the lot of them.

[nachothelegend 1,932]

In a nutshell he's made an utter cunt of it.

That's oor Ally

Agree with this analysis.