Dean Saunders will be...

[The L J Monk]

Saunders has been backed by the board and has had the resources to bring in a number of higher end League One players. We have one of the highest wage bills in the division, yet seemingly a very small squad. So a number of our players are being very handsomely rewarded.

If you consider the players Saunders has brought in:

McCombe, Jones, Clingan, Hume, Paynter, Harper, Griffin, Cotterill....

And then look at a few existing players who have previously proved themselves at this level or the level above:

Spurr, Brown, Bennett and Martin Woods.

On paper, even with Gary Woods in goal, a team containing those players, at this level, represents an incredibly strong and experienced line-up. A team, with those players in this division, should be precisely where it is now.

The problem for Saunders is, what does he do if he gets three or four more injuries.

[dickos1]

As has been said before the wage bill is high mainly due to woods, spurr, martis, Bennett, brown etc. players who are on big wages.
You also fail to acknowledge how difficult it is for a side containing so many new players to gel so quickly, that has to be credited to the manager.
And if we're going on big budgets means we should be where we are, why did it take forest, leeds, Wednesday so long to get out? Maybe our manager is better than what they had,
Just give the guy some credit instead of changing from one reason to another why he isn't doing that good a job.

[The L J Monk]

There's a difference between making a realistic appraisal of his progress and saying that "he isn't doing that good a job".

I think he's doing exactly what he should be, given the quality of the players at his disposal. For people to be saying he's destined for the Premier League in a couple of years is pure hyperbole.

[redandwhitearmy]

Saunders has done a good job so far,he's still learning though.
Wouldn't go saying he's destined to manage at the top level just yet though although if he continues the way he's started this season I'm sure a few clubs will be taking a good look at him.

The future Wales manager is a great shout though,wouldn't surprise me one bit.

[dickos1]

I don't think we should be talking a out him being a premier league manager yet, but to say he's doing exactly what he should be is comical.
Have a look at this forum in August nobody was suggesting promotion, a lot of people were predicting relegation, a top half finish if we're lucky.
Yet were 2nd 11 points more than the last time we got promoted, the best away record in the country, yet you say he's just doing what he should be doing.

[redandwhitearmy]

I don't think we should be talking a out him being a premier league manager yet, but to say he's doing exactly what he should be is comical.
Have a look at this forum in August nobody was suggesting promotion, a lot of people were predicting relegation, a top half finish if we're lucky.
Yet were 2nd 11 points more than the last time we got promoted, the best away record in the country, yet you say he's just doing what he should be doing.

He's definitely exceeded my expectations.

[The L J Monk]

Yet were 2nd 11 points more than the last time we got promoted, the best away record in the country, yet you say he's just doing what he should be doing.

Ok - with a team containing the players listed above, where do you think is a realistic expectation in terms of league position?

[redandwhitearmy]

Yet were 2nd 11 points more than the last time we got promoted, the best away record in the country, yet you say he's just doing what he should be doing.

Ok - with a team containing the players listed above, where do you think is a realistic expectation in terms of league position?

I'd say about 9th-6th. Anything below would be below par and anything above would be a good job,so far it's a good job.

Don't forget how small the team is.

[graingrover]

I recommend listening to Dean's interviews on Rovers Player where inter alia he speaks about staff savings HE has engineered , and savings on medical bills through a significant improvement in fitness training producing less injuries.

[timdrfc]

In the next couple of years Dean Saunders will become a very highly rated manager, hopefully at Premier League level. He has the ability to pick out players for the ability they have, regardless of previous reputation.

   He is very articulate and would work well with the Premier league press. We will find it very hard to hold on to him, as was the case when we went to Wrexham to get him.



  Mark my words, he has to gain a little more experience and clubs will be fighting for him.

Thats whats been worrying me as well!

[dumbroofer]

Yet were 2nd 11 points more than the last time we got promoted, the best away record in the country, yet you say he's just doing what he should be doing.

Ok - with a team containing the players listed above, where do you think is a realistic expectation in terms of league position?

I'd say about 9th-6th. Anything below would be below par and anything above would be a good job,so far it's a good job.

Don't forget how small the team is.

small,small dont make me laugh, last seasons team was small, this lot are nearly all giants lol

[redandwhitearmy]

Yet were 2nd 11 points more than the last time we got promoted, the best away record in the country, yet you say he's just doing what he should be doing.

Ok - with a team containing the players listed above, where do you think is a realistic expectation in terms of league position?

I'd say about 9th-6th. Anything below would be below par and anything above would be a good job,so far it's a good job.

Don't forget how small the team is.

small,small dont make me laugh, last seasons team was small, this lot are nearly all giants lol

I was referring to the number of players in the squad.

[dumbroofer]

Yet were 2nd 11 points more than the last time we got promoted, the best away record in the country, yet you say he's just doing what he should be doing.

Ok - with a team containing the players listed above, where do you think is a realistic expectation in terms of league position?

I'd say about 9th-6th. Anything below would be below par and anything above would be a good job,so far it's a good job.

Don't forget how small the team is.

small,small dont make me laugh, last seasons team was small, this lot are nearly all giants lol

I was referring to the number of players in the squad.

i did guess that r.n.w.a. just a poor attempt at wit on my behalf, must try harder i presume

[redandwhitearmy]

Yet were 2nd 11 points more than the last time we got promoted, the best away record in the country, yet you say he's just doing what he should be doing.

Ok - with a team containing the players listed above, where do you think is a realistic expectation in terms of league position?

I'd say about 9th-6th. Anything below would be below par and anything above would be a good job,so far it's a good job.

Don't forget how small the team is.

small,small dont make me laugh, last seasons team was small, this lot are nearly all giants lol

I was referring to the number of players in the squad.

i did guess that r.n.w.a. just a poor attempt at wit on my behalf, must try harder i presume

Oh  I wasn't sure whether you was serious or not lol! 

[dickos1]

Yet were 2nd 11 points more than the last time we got promoted, the best away record in the country, yet you say he's just doing what he should be doing.

Ok - with a team containing the players listed above, where do you think is a realistic expectation in terms of league position?

It's ok in hindsight monk, look back at this forum in August, I think there was even a poll on where we would finish. And there weren't many if any predicting where we are now.
Your point about players is a naff one, look at the players leeds had, forest had, Wednesday had, sheff u had last year. Look at the players qpr have, Bolton have, Blackburn have, wolves have, the list is endless. All those sides are struggling or did struggle with massive wage bills, big name players.

[The L J Monk]

I notice you haven't answered the question dickos1, just provided a list of teams that you view as under-achieving.

[pubteam]

Saunders has been backed by the board and has had the resources to bring in a number of higher end League One players. We have one of the highest wage bills in the division, yet seemingly a very small squad. So a number of our players are being very handsomely rewarded.

If you consider the players Saunders has brought in:

McCombe, Jones, Clingan, Hume, Paynter, Harper, Griffin, Cotterill....

And then look at a few existing players who have previously proved themselves at this level or the level above:

Spurr, Brown, Bennett and Martin Woods.

On paper, even with Gary Woods in goal, a team containing those players, at this level, represents an incredibly strong and experienced line-up. A team, with those players in this division, should be precisely where it is now.

The problem for Saunders is, what does he do if he gets three or four more injuries.

You only have to look at the 'job' Paul Groves did at Bournemouth, and how they're comparatively doing under Eddie Howe to see that the manager can still make a big difference, no matter how good his squad is.

I think we're exceeding all expectations so far, to be honest. If anything, I thought we'd get off to a slow start and then improve as the season went on. As it's turned out, Saunders and the players have been able to turn the downward momentum around very quickly, and they deserve credit for that. As BST says, given the mess we were in at the end of last season, it has been a very impressive turnaround thus far.

[newyankee]

Actually, pubteam, the best example is Steve Clark who took over from Roy Hodgson at West Brom. Hodgson did a good job blending that team, but Clark has taken the exact same players and got them to third in the Premiership. Doesn't always take millions if the right person is in charge.

[wilts rover]

I notice you haven't answered the question dickos1, just provided a list of teams that you view as under-achieving.

Not wanting to steal dickos' thunder but I give you Portsmouth who along with; Brian Howard, Lee Williamson, Izale Mcleod, Jon Harley and Muzzy (all championship players) have Ertl (7 caps for Austria) Gyepes (26 for Hungary), Michalik (7 for Slovakia), Rocha (6 for Portugal). In addition several of those have Premiership and Champions League experience. They are currently 4th bottom.

What players have done in the past has no bearing whatsoever on this season. They could well be 'past it', 'living on their reputation' (how many people were slagging off the signing of Rob Jones for those reasons), its how the manager blends them all together, along with the other squad players who are not quite up to that level, that tells on the pitch. I would say at this moment Saunders is doing an excellent job and exceeding my expectations.

[The L J Monk]

I suppose it's all about expectations then isn't it.

Some people have lower expectations than others. From my perspective, Saunders is in line with expectations (given the signings he has been allowed to make). Obviously others have lower expectations, so feel Saunders is doing an excellent job.

Should we get a few injuries, I would lower my expectations. If we were to maintain a top 2 position in this scenario, I would then be inclined to suggest Saunders was doing an excellent job.

[dickos1]

I still don't fully get yiur point about signings, we spent a lot more money the year we went up last time on signings, yet when we went up we were the surprise package. We also were a lot worse off at this stage of the season.
Expectations are now being changed like I've said, back in August the only expectation was to finish in the top half.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing

[NickDRFC]

The point is, on paper we probably have the strongest 1st 11 in the division. Thus far we haven't lost any key players for prolonged periods to injury. So, it's not unreasonable to expect us to be up there or there abouts at the top.

I can see both sides of this argument though - Cotterill, Hume, Paynter, Jones, McCombe, Griffin, Clingan, Harper are all players who have proven track records at this level or higher, and aren't at an age where you would expect them to be in decline (perhaps Griffin excepted). That said, they are all new signings and so clearly Saunders doing well to blend them into a team which is winning games already.

Personally I think Saunders is doing a decent job at the moment, and I was a big critic last season, but I wouldn't get carried away just yet.

[dickos1]

The fact we have one of the strongest starting 11's should be credited to the manager surely, he's replaced players using half the money and got us a really strong team.
Our squad must be one of the smallest in the league,