Ex-Staff Liam Manning

[Northstandboy]

Manager Stats (Click Below)

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https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/liam-manning/profil/trainer/76341
Updates:
06/09/2023 - Nominated for Manager of the month
08/09/2023 - wins manager of the month for Sept 2023
07/11/2023 - Joins Bristol City

 

[Northernyellow]

The fact that Manning got a 3x salary when he decided to run away misses the point completely. If he was a coach or player etc. then good luck to him and off you go. But he wasn’t. He was the manager. He’d presumably told everyone he was in it for the long term, recruited players, hired staff, fired staff- all on the basis that he was in it for the long haul. And then he disappeared at the first opportunity. He left pd off players and coaching staff behind, all of whom he had lied to. That’s what annoys so many people, including me. If he’d got us in the playoffs and then left in the summer, no problem at all. I know football is a business unlike most others, but job hoppers rarely work out in the long term. Look at Michael Appleton. I said at the time that I wondered if Manning was as brilliant as he thought he was. And guess what? It looks like he might not be. I’m still not sure that Buckingham will work out, but if he doesn’t, I’d rather have Pep Clotet back rather than Manning. Well, not quite- but it’s a close call.

 

[Coffin dodger]

what if there was a chance to stay on at McDonalds and then go and work for Gordon Ramsey,

You mean similar money and constant abuse.

 

[Swaby39]

The fact that Manning got a 3x salary when he decided to run away misses the point completely. If he was a coach or player etc. then good luck to him and off you go. But he wasn’t. He was the manager. He’d presumably told everyone he was in it for the long term, recruited players, hired staff, fired staff- all on the basis that he was in it for the long haul. And then he disappeared at the first opportunity. He left pd off players and coaching staff behind, all of whom he had lied to. That’s what annoys so many people, including me. If he’d got us in the playoffs and then left in the summer, no problem at all. I know football is a business unlike most others, but job hoppers rarely work out in the long term. Look at Michael Appleton. I said at the time that I wondered if Manning was as brilliant as he thought he was. And guess what? It looks like he might not be. I’m still not sure that Buckingham will work out, but if he doesn’t, I’d rather have Pep Clotet back rather than Manning. Well, not quite- but it’s a close call.

Why does the fact he was manager dehumanise him? You’re seeing with Saudi money that people of various roles are abandoning clubs with far superior world status and presumably some of their childhood dreams for financial gain.

I have no doubt the players were mightily pissed off and I would be too. But when someone offers you £3 of £4 for every £1 you currently earn, it’s a battle of heart over head. He’s a young manager with a young family. He isn’t a Neil Warnock just doing it for the love of it in his twilight years.

What he achieved here - and how some people can say nothing was achieved is astonishing - is a separate issue from how he left. He was a fantastic manager and significant in our recent history. But his exit was far from ideal, that’s obvious.

 

[Northernyellow]

Why does the fact he was manager dehumanise him? You’re seeing with Saudi money that people of various roles are abandoning clubs with far superior world status and presumably some of their childhood dreams for financial gain.

I have no doubt the players were mightily pissed off and I would be too. But when someone offers you £3 of £4 for every £1 you currently earn, it’s a battle of heart over head. He’s a young manager with a young family. He isn’t a Neil Warnock just doing it for the love of it in his twilight years.

What he achieved here - and how some people can say nothing was achieved is astonishing - is a separate issue from how he left. He was a fantastic manager and significant in our recent history. But his exit was far from ideal, that’s obvious.

 

[Scotchegg]

He got the club to get rid of staff who had been here for years to make way for his own staff. A few months later he left without a care in the world.

This has nothing to do with McDonalds and everything to do with someone who was happy to f**k our club over, and several staff members too.

Football is ruthless and I don't care that he has a big wage in a higher league, but let's not paint him as a decent family guy.

 

[Northernyellow]

He was leading a large team of people. He obviously misled them all. That is a huge breach of trust. He had a responsibility to all those people he hired and fired.

 

[JOHN BOY]

The man's a snake end of.

 

[Scrongo]

When I met him in the carpark at the K****m.
I walked away ,& thought rude arrogant c**t. Up his own a***e .. i was right

 

[Carpy]

 

[Swaby39]

He was leading a large team of people. He obviously misled them all. That is a huge breach of trust. He had a responsibility to all those people he hired and fired.

It happens in football. I didn’t see a lack of commitment for a day he was here, it’s not like he dragged his feet. I suspect the last thing he anticipated was an offer like that 12 games in to the season. He didn’t plan for it so soon, just like we didn’t, but the decision was there to be made and to me it’s absolutely barking mad to expect him to put Oxford United first in that situation. We left ourselves vulnerable so can’t really have any complaints, it’s on us to expect the unexpected like the best clubs do. The fact people are SO upset by his exit tells me he had more of an impact on people than they realise. He gave us hope. Des may yet do that himself, I haven’t ruled that out but he’s been in charge a similar amount of time to Manning and we’ve regressed back to where we were before Manning arrived. How frustrating is that?

I was gutted he left but not angry at him. I was sad for us and our club but no more than that. He made his decision and may yet regret it, I don’t care, that’s his problem. But the decision to go is not difficult to understand.

 

[Scotchegg]

It happens in football. I didn’t see a lack of commitment for a day he was here, it’s not like he dragged his feet. I suspect the last thing he anticipated was an offer like that 12 games in to the season. He didn’t plan for it so soon, just like we didn’t, but the decision was there to be made and to me it’s absolutely barking mad to expect him to put Oxford United first in that situation. We left ourselves vulnerable so can’t really have any complaints, it’s on us to expect the unexpected like the best clubs do. The fact people are SO upset by his exit tells me he had more of an impact on people than they realise. He gave us hope. Des may yet do that himself, I haven’t ruled that out but he’s been in charge a similar amount of time to Manning and we’ve regressed back to where we were before Manning arrived. How frustrating is that?

I was gutted he left but not angry at him. I was sad for us and our club but no more than that. He made his decision and may yet regret it, I don’t care, that’s his problem. But the decision to go is not difficult to understand.

Do you have an opinion on the staff he discarded in order to bring his own staff in, or the way he did this?

 

[Swaby39]

Do you have an opinion on the staff he discarded in order to bring his own staff in, or the way he did this?

Yes, it’s part of the game. He was brought here to overhaul a side within a whisker of relegation and was building a team around him that best prepared them to do well. It‘s a consequence of managerial changes everywhere in the world - Manning had his trustees and the ability to bring them in. If he felt the club was better off with a change then I applaud it wholeheartedly. Had he he done so knowing the Bristol City offering was looming, that’s different.

He got the club to get rid of staff who had been here for years to make way for his own staff. A few months later he left without a care in the world.

This has nothing to do with McDonalds and everything to do with someone who was happy to f**k our club over, and several staff members too.

Football is ruthless and I don't care that he has a big wage in a higher league, but let's not paint him as a decent family guy.

I didn’t hear the conversations and neither did you. There’s no nice way to tell someone they’re not part of the future, but it happens. Manning had every right to surround himself with his people - we’re all stood here wishing Des had what Manning had!

Have you voiced these concerns around Tim Williams and the number of people leaving the club after years of service or is he held to a different standard? Does he have to actually sack them to be a t**t?

Are you upset with Des Buckingham for overseeing the despatch of Routledge to get his own man in?

Where were you when Robinson was grinding players like Jodi Jones and Dan Agyei in to the ground, turning the club in to Jeremy Kyle show and shackling us to costly injury-prone players that would cripple our potential for years to come?

You’re picking moments to be noble at your convenience. The reality is they all did something wrong but for some reason Manning is getting your wrath above anyone else despite being the most positive influence on your club in years. You’ve been telling people that they’re crazy for being so deafeatist about the play off race - the only reason you have the platform to do so is Manning’s points haul.

I’m genuinely baffled as to why someone who clearly knows the inside leg measurement of the club would hold Manning in such low regard but you wouldn’t speak out against Robinson or the ongoing problem of Tim Williams.

 

[Scotchegg]

but you wouldn’t speak out against Robinson or the ongoing problem of Tim Williams.

In your words,

Yes, it’s part of the game.

You accuse me of hypocrisy but have done exactly the same.

 

[Oxford84]

How many on here would like to see him back. He may not be Championship standard, but at least he managed to get a mid range league One team into the top of three. Who knows with the January window, he could have well taken us up.

no chance, part of the problems we have now come from Mannings way of playing.

 

[Joey]

You’re right, Manning certainly benefited from having a summer to mould things his way. I’m not dismissing that, but didn’t he do well with that time? That’s all I’m saying. He’s getting back handers for doing a fantastic job. People saying we were overachieving as though that’s to be knocked - isn’t that how you get noticed as a manager? Punching above your weight? I don’t get it.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying but I think the issue for a lot of people, certainly me, isn't overachieving in itself. As you say, that's to be celebrated. It was more the manner in which we were getting results, it never felt that sustainable and I think he got out at a good time before it reverted to normal and we stopped getting bailed out by our defenders every other week.

We'll never know how we would have dared had he stayed. I think we'd be doing better than now but would have had a noticeable drop off from where we were.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

People go on about the form under Manning but which games did we really batter a team from the 1st minute?
We used to play well for 45 minutes but very rarely did we have a complete 90 minutes, something that as be a consistent theme all season.
In fact I don’t think we have battered any one or being walked all over by a team this season. Maybe Wigan away was the game that stands out as us really not ever having a foot hold of the game. Derby 2nd half was 1 way traffic too but I felt sorry for the players on the pitch that night as there really wasn’t anything we could bring off the bench to stop it.

As for saying moving staff on is part of the game, yes that’s correct but there is a way of doing it the right way. Manning didn’t do that and showed very little respect towards those members of staff. Maybe that’s why Tim Williams liked him so much.

It will be interesting to see if Price leaves in the summer or if he stays as I know he was very pissed off with how Manning left the club and that is one of Manning’s men.

 

[Swaby39]

I agree with a lot of what you're saying but I think the issue for a lot of people, certainly me, isn't overachieving in itself. As you say, that's to be celebrated. It was more the manner in which we were getting results, it never felt that sustainable and I think he got out at a good time before it reverted to normal and we stopped getting bailed out by our defenders every other week.

We'll never know how we would have dared had he stayed. I think we'd be doing better than now but would have had a noticeable drop off from where we were.

I think he got the most out of what was there which is a far more limited version of the squad than Des now has, and was still very much finding its feet (I don’t like the term ‘gelling’ but that’s where I’m going with it). Manning was able to coach that team in to playing different ways to win a game which is why I think we’d have stood the test of time. I don’t think for a minute he’d have us nestled in the top 2 still, but I think play offs would be a near certainty and automatics still to play for.

 

[Swaby39]

People go on about the form under Manning but which games did we really batter a team from the 1st minute?
We used to play well for 45 minutes but very rarely did we have a complete 90 minutes, something that as be a consistent theme all season.
In fact I don’t think we have battered any one or being walked all over by a team this season. Maybe Wigan away was the game that stands out as us really not ever having a foot hold of the game. Derby 2nd half was 1 way traffic too but I felt sorry for the players on the pitch that night as there really wasn’t anything we could bring off the bench to stop it.

As for saying moving staff on is part of the game, yes that’s correct but there is a way of doing it the right way. Manning didn’t do that and showed very little respect towards those members of staff. Maybe that’s why Tim Williams liked him so much.

It will be interesting to see if Price leaves in the summer or if he stays as I know he was very pissed off with how Manning left the club and that is one of Manning’s men.

The delivery is something clearly under the microscope and since I know no better than what you and Egg have said, I will agree that it’s poor form of Manning to go in the fashion he did and there is certainly a right way to dismiss people. But any rational minded person should be able to see why he went and why he wanted to surround himself with his people. That’s the point i want to make.

As fun as it is to smash a side 4-0, it isn’t everything; 1-0 amounts to the same thing. Robinson had that capability to blow a team away but his lack of balance meant it cost us a number of games too. Balance and consistency are the key words and Manning was by far the closest to those things.

I still just can’t understand the vilification of Manning when we’ve had (and still have) far more poisonous characters at the club that made a far more detrimental impact.

 

[Joey]

I think he got the most out of what was there which is a far more limited version of the squad than Des now has, and was still very much finding its feet (I don’t like the term ‘gelling’ but that’s where I’m going with it). Manning was able to coach that team in to playing different ways to win a game which is why I think we’d have stood the test of time. I don’t think for a minute he’d have us nestled in the top 2 still, but I think play offs would be a near certainty and automatics still to play for.

No arguments he got more out of the squad but far more limited is a big stretch in my book. Buckingham has only recently got pretty much a full squad back, there will always be a couple of injuries but for a large chunk he had pretty much a full side out. We've notably gained Goodwin and Dale but also we've not been able to use Browne who started the season pretty well (credit to Manning for this), Cumming looks a downgrade on Beadle and Mills has gone back. Saying Manning worked with a lot less is disingenuous to me. I also think he'd have got more points out of the current lot than Buckingham has, in part due to him and in part due to the support he was allowed, appreciate I must sound like a broken record here.

What I absolutely agree with is how absurd it is that he gets so much stick for leaving us in the lurch and his actions while he was here from people who didn't have a bad word to say about Robinson. I really can't get my head round that. Robinson was far worse and did multiple times more damage to the club than Manning, he'd also have left us for a bigger job in a flash (see the Blackpool fiasco) but the difference was no one wanted him, in a decade or so of being a manager he's never been poached to move up a level. It wasn't loyalty that kept him here, it was lack of opportunity.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

The delivery is something clearly under the microscope and since I know no better than what you and Egg have said, I will agree that it’s poor form of Manning to go in the fashion he did and there is certainly a right way to dismiss people. But any rational minded person should be able to see why he went and why he wanted to surround himself with his people. That’s the point i want to make.

As fun as it is to smash a side 4-0, it isn’t everything; 1-0 amounts to the same thing. Robinson had that capability to blow a team away but his lack of balance meant it cost us a number of games too. Balance and consistency are the key words and Manning was by far the closest to those things.

I still just can’t understand the vilification of Manning when we’ve had (and still have) far more poisonous characters at the club that made a far more detrimental impact.

Who do you mean? If you mean Benson and Williams then I completely agree and have been very vocal about how they need to get out of our club.