Mervue and French part company

Mervue Utd begin new manager search

Wed, Nov 24 2010

Mervue Utd can confirm that the club’s board have decided not to renew first team manager Tom French’s contract for the 2011 Airtricity First Division campaign.

The club would like to pay tribute to Tom’s huge contribution to the club over the past season and for his efforts in ensuring the club remained in the Airtricity First Division for next season. The club would like to wish Tom every success for the future.

The club’s board are fully focused on their bid to bring the club’s home games for the 2011 season back home to Fahy’s Field and the development of the club’s facilities in Mervue to ensure this aim.

The board will now begin the process of recruiting a new first team manager for the 2011 season immediately.

http://extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/4674/

French gets the boot as manager of Mervue Utd
November 26, 2010 - 7:00am

Club chairman says poor performance of the team behind reason

by STEPHEN GLENNON

MERVUE United begin the search for a new first team manager for the 2011 season following the sacking of Thomas French from the position late Wednesday night.

Citing the poor performance of the team – finishing second from bottom in the Airtricity First Division, with only five wins from 33 games – club chairman Declan McDonnell said the club felt vast improvement was needed for the coming season.

“There were a number of issues that came up,” said McDonnell. “The club was not happy with a couple of things and it made its decision. We wish Tom all the best; he is a guy who has served the club well, having worked with our underage structure previously.”

While a club statement paid tribute to French’s “huge contribution to the club over the past season and for his efforts in ensuring the club remained in the Airtricity First Division for next season”, McDonnell admitted that representatives on the Board believed that their League of Ireland side would benefit from a change in management.

“The club just felt that with League of Ireland football coming to Mervue, we needed to improve,” said McDonnell. “We are investing more than €80,000 in our grounds and we want to get better. I think Tom did a very good job in helping the club to stay up in the First Division, but, in the end, we only had five league wins last season.

“We want to do better. We want 10 wins; we want 15 wins, so, we are hoping that by bringing somebody new in, we can get more out of the players. As I said, Tom did his best last season, particularly as he
came in at such short notice, to keep us in the First Division. Now, though, since we are investing between €80,000 and €100,000, we need to push on.”

French – who was uncontactable yesterday – took over at the club following the resignation of Johnny Glynn in late January. With no budget, per se, it was an achievement in itself for the club to retain its
First Division status, particularly as, he claimed, most of the squad lacked League of Ireland experience. Indeed, in an interview with Tribune Sport earlier this month, French outlined his plans for the 2011 season, highlighting that he intended to reduce the size of the squad –he used more than 40 players throughout the course of the season – and that he wanted to instil a more professional approach in his players by addressing their “junior mentality”.

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.

What do Mervue fans feel? Mervue are kind of off my radar apart from when we play them, but given the circumstances described, he must have done a pretty good job to maintain their status despite that late season colly wobble. Do their fans feel it was a due sacking?

At least it seems to end rumours that Mervue are looking at pulling out the league. For the moment at least.

Johnny Glynn has been reappointed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mr Maroon

Johnny Glynn has been reappointed.

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http://www.sportsmanager.ie/cake/nts/news/25189

I found this a very strange decision Mervue United could appoint Jose Mourinho if they wanted and theyd still struggle to win `10 games in a season once again this is just a case of boards been over ambitious

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bluebeard

What do Mervue fans feel? Mervue are kind of off my radar apart from when we play them, but given the circumstances described, he must have done a pretty good job to maintain their status despite that late season colly wobble. Do their fans feel it was a due sacking?

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There seemed to be unrest amongst the players, especially when French branded them as having a junior mentality in the local paper a few weeks back. Johnny Glynn would be a much more likeable and respected character amongst the players from having been there before

http://extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/4704