Should Danny Cowley be given a longers audition?

[Blue Walter]

What will we know about the Cowleys by the end of the season? Obviously we will know if they will have succeeded in getting us up or not but there is a bigger question. What if they fail? Does that mean they will not be retained by the club? Will they be able to demonstrate their abilities enough in a 12 match season?

If we cast our minds back to the Andy Awford era we will remember he was tasked with keeping us in the Football League. What followed was exciting all out attacking football that saved us from the drop. It had to be that because draws were not going to be enough. We expected more of the same and anticipated the following season with excitement. What followed was simply awful because he totally changed his philosophy. The Cowleys have a similar mandate, although in the opposite direction. So again we need wins and the need to follow the same attacking philosophy, as adopted by Mr Awford, by the Cowleys.

The question really should be is it fair to judge Danny Cowley completely on this 12 match run? The Cowleys have been asked to do a 12 match audition that will determine their future tenure. Should they be given longer if they fail to get us up? Remember these are not his players and that he has inherited a team that has been drilled in playing a certain way, primarily not to lose. In my opinion the best managers are the ones that makes the best of what is at his disposal and succeeds. But that does not tell the whole story because, fundamentally, more can be learnt of a manager's ability when he able to assemble his own team and has been able to put his own ideas in practise, but this takes time. In Cowleys case will he be able to plan for next season with a view on what players should the club keep and what players should be brought in that would improve us next season?

[Sam_Brown]

The question I ask myself is this: If we didn't appoint someone until the Summer would we offer them a similar deal of a 3 month trial period \ probation and if so how many managers would take up such an offer? I'm not so sure we would nor would any of the managers take up such a deal.

Your fears of a repeat of the Awford situation are fair. It's very easy to rally the troops when you only have 1/4 of the season to go and is no indication of long term success. That is the risk. However if we decide not to go with them long-term it's still going to be a risk getting someone else in in the Summer who I imagine wouldn't be up for a similar trial deal.

I guess it comes down to whether you think one of those risks outweigh the other or whether or not we're going to be able to attract (keep in the case of Cowley) managers on a trial \ probation?

Hell maybe with the Cowley's we will have an Ole \ United situation and the players like the manager so much they want to do everything that can to keep them at the club (read as: play well and put some effort in!).

[Pompey Penguin]

If you'll forgive me for quoting myself from the Danny Cowley thread...

What's the deal here? Cowley comes for 12 matches, and what do we expect from him?

By the end of the season we should be in a good position to know if we are likely to have fans back for next season. (I would hope the answer is yes). Therefore, the club will be in a position to tell Cowley what the playing budget is likely to be for next year. He can then decide if Pompey is a viable project in which he is interested long-term. He will also have had a chance to assess players, decide to whom he wants to offer new contracts, who he might want to try and move on and who he might be able to bring in; there will certainly be a lot of changes. If both sides are happy with the plans, then they can move on to a longer contract. Basically a two month job interview, but if things go OK there must be some suggestion that Cowley is the choice going forward into next season.

It's a very unusual situation, and it will be fascinating to see how it plays out.

[PompeyinAnjou]

Job interviews are two way discussions for candidates with tslent, good CVs and balls.

[PompeyinAnjou]

Job interviews are two way discussions for candidates with talent, good CVs and balls.

[GreenBlue]

Job interviews are two way discussions for candidates with talent, good CVs and balls.

ExHGS, I notice that you joined this chat room as the Cowley's were being appointed and have been very vocal on them since. Do you have any inside knowledge by any chance?

[Sam_Brown]

Job interviews are two way discussions for candidates with talent, good CVs and balls.

ExHGS, I notice that you joined this chat room as the Cowley's were being appointed and have been very vocal on them since. Do you have any inside knowledge by any chance?

Plot Twist: He is Danny Cowley!

[Berkshire Blue]

Job interviews are two way discussions for candidates with talent, good CVs and balls.

No wonder that there are no female league managers then!

[Selsey Bill]

I think the current arrangement works well for both parties and Cowley has admitted that he is not phased by his short term contract (14 more games )

I suspect even if he doesn't take us up he will be given a permanent contract. He's exactly the type of manager we need right now, one that will engage with the players, the club's staff, the city and most of importantly, the fans.

[GreenBlue]

Job interviews are two way discussions for candidates with talent, good CVs and balls.

No wonder that there are no female league managers then!

[GreenBlue]

I think the current arrangement works well for both parties and Cowley has admitted that he is not phased by his short term contract (14 more games )

I suspect even if he doesn't take us up he will be given a permanent contract. He's exactly the type of manager we need right now, one that will engage with the players, the club's staff, the city and most of importantly, the fans.

[PompeyinAnjou]

They are exactly what we need.

[Imp Act]

Very interesting question.

I am sure Danny would have preferred a permanent appointment, but he will not be fazed by this. Firstly, he has been waiting for the right opportunity to come along. I think he will be comfortable with the short-term contract at Fratton because he can see the potential if he gets it right. Secondly, he has confidence in his own ability. He will have done plenty of homework on Portsmouth before he even spoke to Mark Catlin - Danny watched DVDs of every Lincoln game from 2015-16 when he was appointed in May 2016 in order to make the right decisions with the retained list - and he will be pretty confident of taking Portsmouth to the play-offs at least. Thirdly, he may want to take a good look at Portsmouth before he commits permanently. There are suggestions that the Huddersfield chairman moved the goalposts on him in some way, and it may be a case of the temporary arrangement being the most logical step for both parties.

What did we learn at Lincoln about Danny and the type of club that appeals to him?

a) He needs a club where he can add value. Take Lincoln as an example: a much smaller club than Portsmouth obviously, but they were a giant fish out of water in the National League. He saw it as the perfect opportunity to restore the club to its former position in the FL, and he did it in style. He will be looking at Portsmouth and seeing the chance to take the club back to the Premier League. He will say the opposite in public to avoid raising expectations, which he never does, but he will certainly be thinking it. A big club fallen on hard times: exactly the situation he found at Lincoln, only on a larger scale.

b) The size and commitment of the support at Portsmouth will be attractive.

c) He will have the chance to build a good squad with a decent budget. He had no money to work with at Concord, Braintree and initially Lincoln, and surely he will want to see how far he can go with some money behind him.

The suggestion is that Danny turned Sunderland down a few months ago because he was not willing to agree to certain demands and expectations from the prospective new owner. Sunderland and Portsmouth - that gives you an idea of where his mind is.

The one guarantee is a great work ethic. The Cowleys live and breathe football - they built a dugout in their bedroom when they were boys in order to play at being football managers - and were pretty much working 24/7 at Lincoln. If they ever fail, it will never be due to a lack of application or commitment.

[Imp Act]

Danny's record to date also suggests that he hits the ground running.

First season at Concord (as joint manager): Essex Senior League champions and FA Vase quarter-final.

First season at Concord (as sole manager): finished fifth in Isthmian League Division One North, lost in play-off final.

First season at Braintree: finished third in the National League, lost in play-off semi-final.

First season at Lincoln: National League champions, FA Cup quarter-final, FA Trophy semi-final.

First season at Huddersfield: joined in September, manager of the month for October, kept the side in the Championship.

Plenty of evidence to suggest he can get things moving quickly at Portsmouth.

[Pompey Penguin]

Play-off defeats.
Semi-final defeats.

He is going to fit right in.