I see David Jeffrey has been Felix Healy's sidekick on the live EL game on Setanta Ireland the last 2 Sundays.
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I see David Jeffrey has been Felix Healy's sidekick on the live EL game on Setanta Ireland the last 2 Sundays.
Doing a good job too, actually analysing the games and not just scoring points off his enemies or bigging up his mates.
From what I saw he was hopeless. He doesn't see any games so his analysis consisted of saying things like "I look at the results & they have a good defence" & talking about Stephen Paisley because he played against Linfield in the Setanta Cup years ago with a different team. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheridan
Give me someone who actually watched LOI football please.
Haven't seen any of his actual analysis as I'm only allowed flick to Setanta when the ads are on but interesting to see Felix and David as a "team" as Linfield fans in general don't seem to have a high opinion of Felix.
I don't have a high opinion of Jeffrey either. But hey what can ya do.Quote:
Originally Posted by paudie
Seriously? Why?Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bruce
You think you should have won 4 doubles in a row obviously:D
There is just no pleasing some. David has brought unprecedented success to Linfield yet still some of our supporters would be happy to see the back of him.Quote:
Originally Posted by paudie
Whilst I’m over the moon we are having this success. I don’t think this is because of our manager, rather it is in spite of him. He is far from a tactical genious, when things are going wrong he cannot change things, he swaps like for like. His substitutes are baffling most of the time. When we play in windy conditions, our team hoofs the ball. If we are playing against a defence 7 foot tall, he has his defenders lumping the ball up to Thompson rather than playing it too feet.Quote:
Originally Posted by David
You can count on one hand this season where Linfield really impressed. We failed to beat any of our rivals in the league. Thankfully Cliftonville Imploded and Glentoran are a bad lot.
DJs signings over the years haven’t been great either, I can produce a list a bad signings if you like? (although that will be tonight as I am in work)
We coasted this season and never got out of 2nd gear and whilst we have another double etc, I feel with the talent in our squad we should be playing with a bit more style, a bit more excitement. This game isn’t just about results anymore, it is entertainment as well and we need to be entertaining to entice people to go and watch us. Our gate receipts are over 100k down from last year (calander) and whilst that is partly down to not having Glentoran at home and a Rangers match, our receipts would still be lower.
So David you tell me why with all this unprecedented success we are having why are our crowds getting lower? Surely if everything is all rosy the crowds should be flocking to the games?
Cliftonville although cannot match our support have had their crowds more than double in the last two years. So it is not just the trend IL crowds going down. Coleraine have also seen a rise in support this year to (12% I think, outside Linfield and Ballymena matches, including them it’s 23%)
I can go on and on all day with new reasons as to why I don’t rate DJ, but it is pointless, he is untouchable at the moment and will never get sacked.
It would be interesting to see what Jeffrey's could do at another club, as that would be the real test of his abilities.
Linfield are just too big for the Irish league - they'll win something pretty much every season, and will be there or thereabouts for the league every year from now until the forseeable future unless they implode.
It would therefore be interesting to see what Jeffreys could accomplish at another Irish league club with less resources, or at a club in a more competitive league.
The thing is that no matter what he does he will not please you and many others. Nine trophies in three years and still complaining. He has taken Linfield to a new level and deserves any praise he gets. You mention bad signings but name any manager in the world and there will be bad signings made, even by the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson. Remember other than Noel and Pat, every other player in the current squad has been signed by DJ. Some pretty impressive signings there including the likes of Paul McAreavey who Ronnie McFall didn't give a look in at Portadown. You could even look at players that have now moved on like Phil Charnock and Davy Larmour. Other than with Spike he has spent relatively little in transfers. I would say his record in the transfer market is up there with any manager.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bruce
Once again David, you have failed to see my point. If you want to go into the good and the bad transfers of DJ, that’s fine by me. I’ll supply you with a list of bad transfers when I get home as I haven’t time to draw up a list now. I will give some obvious mentions now, Jephcott, Shea Campbell, Fitzrooy Simpson & Andy Crawford. Just to name a few.
But the point you always miss is the fact that our football is VERY average. We play with NO style at all. With the players we have we should be playing good football week in week out, obviously there is the need to win ugly, but that should be the exception, rather than the rule.
I have watched Linfield all season and have been watching them ever since I have came home from England 12 years ago (tail end of Anderson era) and believe it or not I was a DJ fan for the start of his tenure. His turn around in the first 4 years was exceptional and I take my hat off to him. But he got very arrogant and he constantly took the focus away from our squad when winning anything. Although I have noticed him saying that he is giving up on doing that Rock DJ dance. Which is a positive move IMO as it really gets under my skin seeing our manager to the focus away from our players.
His tactical know how or lack of it is another reason why I think he is a very limited manager. He doesn’t know how to change things, his substitutes are baffling as well. DJ also has his favourites and there are players who have suffered because of this. Tim Mouncey & Tommy Stewart come to mind straight away.
His contract policy is whack as well. He waits until the contracts are up. Especially now that the LOI is getting richer and pulling away from us in standard as well, DJ needs to protect Linfield by offering contracts before the last 6 months when the players are free to talk to other clubs.
If I was on the board, I wouldn’t be advocating him sacked, as he is popular with the support and although I think we could put in far better performances the trophies are on the table and it would be ludicrous to sack him. But I would be advocating that we should be playing better more entertaining football. I would also be advocating that contracts should be sorted before Christmas and not the end of the season. I would also prevent DJ from talking to the media about things outside the playing side of things, unless he had the permission from our board. We don’t want another Ballymena fiasco, which made our club look unprofessional. It also left us wide open for the future as our support are not exactly whiter than white.
Anyway, that’s my feelings. Me and you have two different outlooks on how our club should be. I suppose this reflects on our English football teams to (although United where my local side when I grew up in Manchester)
Let's look at previous managers' bad signings then. Paul McGhee, Paul Miller and Richie Barker to name but a few of Anderson's. Compare the cost of those to David's mistakes. We could then talk about the two players from Ballyclare that Bowyer signed, Rix and McCormick who along with Alan Campbell (another Bowyer signing) make Fitzroy look a wonder player. Even Coyler had plenty of mistakes, Yahi and Dehnoun two of the most expensive that spring to mind. The transfer market is an area that David's record is comparable to previous Linfield managers. Now for the trophy record? :rolleyes:
Oh right so in defence of DJ, you bring up other managers who have all failed and one who has won more than DJ as well as winning the league 6 years on the trot. Incidently Roy Coyle was shoved out the door after 1 bad season. DJ has had a few bad seasons and has been lucky enough to have been kept by the board.
You can compare budgets from previous managers, but the budgets where higher right across the league. In todays game, Linfields budget is higher to an extent that we are the only club able to pay full-time wages to 7 players. Our part-time wages are not too shabby either in comparison to other clubs. Our budget is a lot larger than any of our rivals.
David me and you have went over this many a times, you don’t care about performances, only the results, I care about both. I feel whilst the results are by and large good, the performances are not and they can be improved upon greatly.
Everyone cares about performances but the most important thing is results. As for failed managers, I certainly would not put Anderson in that bracket. His budget though was phenonomal. Coyler did win more trophies yes but never faced any financial restrictions in the way that David did in his first few years at Windsor, and indeed still does. During DJ's time we have regularly, and still do, get outbid for players. That was virtually unheard of in the past. In Coyle's time, playing for Linfield was all that mattered to some, now that is a rarity although I do accept there are some examples of this. I also think that DJ does not get enough credit for his tactical ability but I am certain you will never agree with me on that. You also seem to be against him having a rapport with the fans because of how he has celebrated in the past. Ask the majority of our support if they agree with that. It is plain by their reaction that they don't. Ultimately we have the most idolised manager the club has ever had. His passion for the club is unequalled by any manager north or south and I believe that he will go on to achieve more than Coyle. He has achieved two things that Coyle did not, a clean sweep and three consecutive doubles yet still people find fault with him. Unbelievable really.
Andersons budget was phenomenal I accept that and he wasted the vast majority of it. During Coyles time, he competed against far better opposition and whilst Coyle had more money than DJ, so did the rest of the league and he still was very very successful. He had a bad season and he got the boot.
I will never give DJ credit for tactical ability as he has none. This is demonstrated through out the season of watching hoofball or as I like to call it the Jeffrey tactic. Lump it up to Fergy.
I have no problem with a manager having a rapport with the support, it is essential in fact. My beef with David in regards to his rapport is the fact that he would go the length of the pitch away from the players take the limelight away from our players. This is where my problem lies. In my opinion DJ should be celebrating with the players rather than detach himself and take the glory for himself.
Then we have the Ballymena thing, why on earth did DJ feel the need to go to the media with his problem rather than through the proper channels of approaching the IFA officials and Ballymena officials. This in my opinion is very small time and something I would have expected from the likes of Miller.
What I find unbelievable is the fact that your so blind and blinkered when it comes to DJ. You are unable to critisize him no matter if he has balls up or not. Yet I am willing to give him credit when it is warranted and I have done in the past on numerous occasions and I have done in this thread (in regards to his first 4 years). DJ also done the business on cleansweep season as we played excellent football and won everything. Although he did balls up the end of the season in regards to Setanta because he wanted to keep an unbeaten run rather than see the full picture and rest some of our players so we can be as fresh as possible for the Setanta cup. But that’s something I wont hold against him as he won the cleansweep and he done it playing the game the way it should be.
The last two seasons, where workmanlike the whole time. With a few great performances sandwiched between a lot of mediocre performances.
If next season we play the game on the ground and play football the way it should be rather than this athletic approach (being very kind in my wording here) I will give him the credit that is due.
So whilst the results where good this season I still think our performances are far from desirable.
When I feel criticism is due I will criticise and have done so in the past, his team selection on Morgan day being one example and the Ballymena thing being another. However as regards to what happens on the pitch I do feel that his record of three, successive doubles, one clean sweep and nine domestic trophies out of a possible twelve in the last three years pretty much justifies any defence of him in that period.
As I said, I wouldn't sack him, I merely think that we should be putting in better performances and I feel that with the squad we have, we should be playing far better than we are.Quote:
Originally Posted by David
The results are good, I'm not complaining about that, the performances on the other hand IMO a lot of work is still to be done.
Hear, hear David.Quote:
Originally Posted by David
Monuments are not built to critics - only the people they criticise.
What are the alternatives to DJ, far from faultless as he is?
Nobody that I would have confidence in coming even close to what he has achieved in recent years at our club.
When the Linfield FC history books are written in the years to come, DJ's achievements will be right up there with the very best of them.
A charismatic, at times controversial, character, to whom our Club has been at the very core of his life - fair play to him for celebrating our successes under his control.
As we all know at Windsor Park - some of our fans will simply never be happy.
[QUOTE=Not Brazil;937504]Hear, hear David.
Monuments are not built to critics - only the people they criticise.
What are the alternatives to DJ, far from faultless as he is?
Nobody that I would have confidence in coming even close to what he has achieved in recent years at our club.
When the Linfield FC history books are written in the years to come, DJ's achievements will be right up there with the very best of them.
A charismatic, at times controversial, character, to whom our Club has been at the very core of his life - fair play to him for celebrating our successes under his control.
As we all know at Windsor Park - some of our fans will simply never be happy.[/QUOTE]
Because I have some criticisms about this club, I get labled this way. What a total load of rubbish. I have had many happy times watching Linfield and I have had a lot of satisfaction, cleansweep season is one of them. Because not only did I witness history but I seen the club I love win all 4 domestic trophies with style, with the game being played the proper way and with inspiration.
Since then, although very successful our football has slipped massively and we are fortunate that at the moment the league is at it’s weakest in terms of quality.
In conclusion, whilst I am happy that we won the double for the 3rd year in a row, I can still see faults and I can still see many ways for us to improve. And for the record, for some one who is never pleased as you like to put it, I was out on Saturday night celebrating our success. Strange thing to do if I’m never happy eh?
I think it's well within your rights to have a moan about the manager even if you are massively successful. I know I'd take great football and occassional success over rubbish football and total domestic domination. Not saying that Linfield play rubbish football of course.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bruce
Thank God DJ is successful in spite of, not because of, fans who berate him week in, week out - pitiful, in the extreme.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bruce
Three doubles in a row - I'll forgive a few "below par" performances, if that's all the same to you.:rolleyes:
As a Derry City fan, you'll be used to "occassional success" and "rubbish football".:)Quote:
Originally Posted by pól-dcfc
That's fine by me, atleast when I look in the mirror i see a blue nose rather than a brown nose;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
When this Bluenose looks in the mirror, I see someone who acknowledges and cherishes success, gives due respect to those who brought it about, and accepts that perfection doesn't exist - in any of us.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bruce
DJ's record will still be there for all to see, long after the whingers, begrudgers and moaners have a new target for their angst.
Wahey! We play better football than you do from what I've seen. In the same way that Arsenal play better football than Chelsea.Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
Can't wait to finally get you's beat in Sept! :)
Six and O, so far, baby!:DQuote:
Originally Posted by pól-dcfc
As the Undertones once said -"so hard to beat".:D
Who asked for perfection? I ask for a bit of entertainment, this season has been so dull to watch. And it isn’t due to our brillianceQuote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
I found the title race very entertaining this year - and we won it, which was fantastic!Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bruce
Maybe we'll sign a couple of jugglers, a trapeze artist and a performing seal during the summer - maybe that'll keep the whingers, begrudgers and moaners a little bit more entertained.:rolleyes:
Never satisfied loyal eh?:rolleyes:
Unprecedented success?Quote:
Originally Posted by David
3 titles in a row? Coyle won 6 in a row.
3 doubles in a row - achieved in the 1890s.
"Clean sweep" - achieved - with 7 trophies - in the 1960s.
Jeffrey has been extremely successful, but his success isn't unprecedented.
Obviously your easily pleased with dire football and success. Personally I enjoy good football and success. But each to their own.Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Brazil
Gah... DJ irritates me... but I like him.... Gah
I guess it's just coincidence that the successful Linfield has more money than all the other clubs put together. Uncle Fester could be successful with that money. Whooooooops sorry, he already is.
A bit rich coming from a supporter of a club with a higher budget than Linfield yet has failed to beat us in six attempts in recent years.Quote:
Originally Posted by Derry
And with that bang goes his his anti-Linfield agenda. :eek: :DQuote:
Originally Posted by David