Should Tony Cousins be retained as manager next season?

**geezer** · 16/10/2007, 9:40 PM

is a bad time for them type of questions, I think we have an absolute ****e team to watch and TC is completely bereft of what to do but whats the use in sacking hime with 2 home games to go? I was giving out a good number of weeks ago but at this crucial time we have no choice but to hold the nerves. A serious review during seasons close is required and not just of TC but a lot of the awful average players that have been assembled at terryland.
I will abstain from this poll. My goal was to avoid the play offs and thats still attainable

**SligoBrewer** · 16/10/2007, 9:58 PM

Originally Posted by WoodquayBoy

, Paul Cook has done wonders with Sligo considering they lost their best players (Mansaram and Turner) and the Judas who brought them to fourth last season.

he brought us to fifth.. which was extremely good considering the league contained shels at the time. good luck to ye if ye want him though!

**galwayhoop** · 17/10/2007, 9:37 AM

Originally Posted by MyTown

I'd say Nick (Leeson) is 100% behind Tony. When Stephen Lally resigned in Athlone, Nick invested a huge amount of time in trying to get him to change his mind. Most Galwegians accepted that Lal did the right thing. He was a brilliant servant as a player, but plainly didn't have the confidence of the players as a manager. Nick seemed to want continuity. I'm sure he had his reasons. .

OK so Leeson tried to get Lal to stay even though it was the correct decision for Stephen to stand down.

Originally Posted by MyTown

He has been brilliant for us since he became our General Manager / CEO. So I'll back him and his manager.

but you are just after saying that Leeson tried to get Lal to stay even when it was right for him to go!!! The fact Leeson is backing TC, your assumption, is hardly a ringing endorsement for him to remain in charge, especially using the example you pointed out about Stephen Lally.

Don't get me wrong, Leeson has been great for the club but if he is backing TC 100% then personally I'll disagree with him on this one.

**galwayhoop** · 17/10/2007, 9:49 AM

Some people on here think that if you believe we need a better manager to progress then you are not supporting the team. Not true. Some of ye have just been too easily pleased.

The fact we may/should avoid relegation is an absolute minimun requirement. Relegation would be a stone wall disaster. Staying up does NOT mean the season has been successiful. Regardless of what spin is put on it by TC or the club. If you think about the 2 teams below us - one was deducted 6 points and the other were relegated last season but stayed up due to Shels going down. And then thers is us, full time progressive club with of the tightest run ships there is off the field!

By going Full-Time and with all the players brought in we should have easily attained mid-table as a bare minimum. And believe me this was the private goal, avoiding relegation was the public one.

FFS it's probably only 2 weeks since some of ye have stopped saying -'We'll see the full benefits of going full-time soon, and the new players need time to gel.'

The bottom line is TC should be given his P45 the day after our final league match, regardless whether we get relegated or stay up. A new manager should be appointed early so he can stamp his authority on the squad from pre-season and also allow him to recruit players straight away and banish the dead wood.

We have not progressed at all this season and we are 29 games in. There is no margin for error next season, cheers Tony but time to go.

**galwayhoop** · 17/10/2007, 9:52 AM

Originally Posted by baileban

People opinions will be softened or hardened after the next 4 games and only then will a true reflection of the supporters views be gleaned.

thats why now is why the question should be asked as the opinions are not clouded.

for example,

if we get relegated then everyone and his mother will call for TC's head

if we stay up, then people will say, sure all we wanted to do this season was avoid relegation

whereas by having the debate now people can make an informed opinion without survival/relegation influencing their decision.

**corbyeire** · 17/10/2007, 10:02 AM

goodpoints hoop - think its so true about the "wait and see the benefits of full time" this has not happened

tc has had 2 transfer windows to stamp his authority on the team and it still has not happened

stay up or go down, im sorry good luck tony

with those players and all the facilities the club has provided to you off the field you should have done much better - particularly at home

i dread to think what the situation would be if we didnt have some away form

that new stand and all the off the pitch work should have been a serious help and motivational force for the players - and they are still strolling round hands on hips etc.

that has to be the managements fault

**Conor H** · 17/10/2007, 10:07 AM

Made the exact same points myself hoop over on the GUST forum.

Stay up or not we should thank Tony for his efforts and part ways in November.
The novelty of premier league football will have worn off next season and unless the team is performing crowds will not come out in high numbers for games against Bray/UCD/Waterford/Harps etc...

It will have to be a good product next year....not the stuff we've had to endure this season.

**WoodquayBoy** · 17/10/2007, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by corbyeire

tc has had 2 transfer windows to stamp his authority on the team and it still has not happened

Has he not had 3? The window midway through last season, the start of this seaosn, and again in July?

**MyTown** · 17/10/2007, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by galwayhoop

OK so Leeson tried to get Lal to stay even though it was the correct decision for Stephen to stand down.

but you are just after saying that Leeson tried to get Lal to stay even when it was right for him to go!!! The fact Leeson is backing TC, your assumption, is hardly a ringing endorsement for him to remain in charge, especially using the example you pointed out about Stephen Lally.

Don't get me wrong, Leeson has been great for the club but if he is backing TC 100% then personally I'll disagree with him on this one.

All fair points Hoop & well made. But again, nobody has come up with a viable alternative for me (Liam Buckley is a laughable suggestion IMO).

For the record since TCs detractors feel its fair to say he made poor choices in the transfer windows, it should be pointed out that his first window came within a week of his appoinment and the 3 lads he brought in then, especially, Conor Gethins were excellent. (He wasn't responsible for the fact the Gethins went back to Harps). He then led the club on its longest winning sequence EVER. Fair enough it was the First Division, and it wasn't enough to win promotion on the field. But I hope I live to see a manager arrive who beats it, in whatever League we end up in.

Finally, who here is up to speed on TCs contractual situation with the club? Will all those who want him out be prepared to pay up his contract, seeing the results of the poll to date suggest its in the clubs best interests? He has a family and entitlements under contract law, so maybe those who are voting him out, will produce their chequebooks?

**gufct** · 17/10/2007, 11:37 AM

Not one my town.Its great to have people telling the club how to do their business but no one on here is privy to the actual cost of running the club and rely on hearsay to form an opinion.

Some people seem to think that Tony only comes to Galway at weekends of matches and supervisers everything from Dublin which is far from the truth.

**ShamTalk** · 17/10/2007, 11:38 AM

Well, at least this debate makes for more interesting forums than if we were in "mid-table obscurity"

**Olander** · 17/10/2007, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by MyTown

(Liam Buckley is a laughable suggestion IMO).

its not laughable IMO He has abit of a CV and has won things.. a league, what has Cousins achieved or shown this season? not much

**Conor H** · 17/10/2007, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by MyTown

All fair points Hoop & well made. But again, nobody has come up with a viable alternative for me (Liam Buckley is a laughable suggestion IMO).

For the record since TCs detractors feel its fair to say he made poor choices in the transfer windows, it should be pointed out that his first window came within a week of his appoinment and the 3 lads he brought in then, especially, Conor Gethins were excellent. (He wasn't responsible for the fact the Gethins went back to Harps). He then led the club on its longest winning sequence EVER. Fair enough it was the First Division, and it wasn't enough to win promotion on the field. But I hope I live to see a manager arrive who beats it, in whatever League we end up in.

Finally, who here is up to speed on TCs contractual situation with the club? Will all those who want him out be prepared to pay up his contract, seeing the results of the poll to date suggest its in the clubs best interests? He has a family and entitlements under contract law, so maybe those who are voting him out, will produce their chequebooks?

Fair enough MyTown.
But a Cost/Benefit Analysis might outweigh the initial forecast of us making a slight loss/expense on paying TC off.
Should we keep him on.....He will get more money in the winter to buy more players.
Now lets say we get off to an abysmal start again next season then we're faced with dwindling crowds and no option but to get rid of him.
We now are more than likely down on the projected revenue from gate receipts,aswell as having to pay off a lump sum to TC himself.
A new manager comes in....will look for money to buy his own players and may see little use in some of the players Couisns got,leading to lot of deadweight-still costing us money.
Also i was under the impression UTD only gave out 1 year Contracts?That may not be the case for the manager though.
Point i'm making is in the short term a minor expense might not be to bad compared to the expenses incurred should he go after a few weeks into the next season.

**eamo1** · 17/10/2007, 12:18 PM

Its bad form to be having this debate now.Things on this forum have a way of "getting out" to the players,managers etc.If an army was in the thick of a (relagation) battle would that be the best time to be debating whether or not to sack the General?????
I can fully understand peoples frustations but maybe leave them till the end of the season when the dust settles.

**Mr A** · 17/10/2007, 12:43 PM

(He wasn't responsible for the fact the Gethins went back to Harps)

If he had used the money wasted on payoffs for other strikers that only played a few games for the club he probably could have got him. Galway United never made a serious offer for Conor Gethins. Thank fook for that!

**Ceirtlis** · 17/10/2007, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by WoodquayBoy

Paul Cook has done wonders with Sligo considering they lost their best players (Mansaram and Turner) and the Judas who brought them to fourth last season.

Paul Cook may have done well at Sligo, but if Galway United sack Tony Cousins and bring in some fella who has no experience of the league and his only previous management experience is lasting 2 months with some conference team, I will be seriously worried.

**gufct** · 17/10/2007, 1:02 PM

We dont buy players and its Nick who sorts out the financial side of the players contracts and who makes sure we stay within budget.

Our Playing/managment budget this season was �670,000 which includes some players who will be paid in the off season.That is nothing compared to what it cost Drogheda to win the league this season a cost thst will se them with a debt of close on �3.5 million.

**MyTown** · 17/10/2007, 1:17 PM

Originally Posted by Mr A

(He wasn't responsible for the fact the Gethins went back to Harps)

If he had used the money wasted on payoffs for other strikers that only played a few games for the club he probably could have got him. Galway United never made a serious offer for Conor Gethins. Thank fook for that!

So now he's being saddled with the injuries to Chris Armstrong & Michael Yeboah Mensah!

Probably is the key word Mr. A. Probably if we hadn't brought forward the kick off in the cup tie against you, probably you wouldn't have thrown all the toys out of the pram that day and probably we'd be in the semi-final now.

**Mr A** · 17/10/2007, 1:37 PM

Probably the match would have been abandoned due to darkness in that case of course. Probably wouldn't have made any difference to the fact that a part time side were the fitter in extra time either.

**GuisaSaigon** · 17/10/2007, 2:00 PM

Originally Posted by JC_GUFC

Yeah and he'd (Pat Dolan) want to sort out his hair before I'd back him for the job anyway!

Myself and mate were watching Setanta last week when Pat Dolan was on and the subject of his hair inevitably came up. Our conclusion was that himself and Stephen Ireland got a two for one deal on hair extensions.
Can we get a poll on whether Pat Dolan should retain his new fringe next season?