Reply With QuoteOriginally Posted by Ponte_Steve24
Steve, surely tha can see that the crop of young players in season 15/16 who you call 'Lee Johnsons team' were nurtured by Hecky on the training ground. Hecky was their mentor, he worked with them both individually and collectively, knew their strengths and weaknesses and got us playing the best football I've seen in years.
Lee Johnson stifled these same players deciding on playing a defensive style leading to them having no confidence and losing 7 league 1 games on the trot culminating in a FA cup defeat to non league Altrincham.
Hecky took or when Johnson left and implemented his own style based on the judgement he'd seen working with these players on the training ground when he was 1st team coach. The likes of Marc Roberts who couldn't get a look in when Johnson was here excelled under Hecky, Hourihane developed his all round game whilst Winnall started hitting the net regularly due to the change in tactics and better service. Tha could see the confidence ooze as Hecky hit the ground running after tekkin over. We went on to get promoted and then excel in the championship, this is despite the loss of Mawson who was replaced by Angus McDonald, another player who came from non league and looked at home playing championship football.
Hecky also moved Scowen into the central role in midfield after the departure of loanee Josh Brownhill and Scowen again excelled in that role alongside Hourihane. Andy Yiadom came to the club from lower division obscurity and excelled under Hecky. Marley Watkins was another barely able to get in Johnsons side yet he was very comfortable playing championship football under Hecky.
To have that side completely ripped apart must've been heart breaking to Hecky having helped them through the ranks and established a good understanding together. Then the players chucked at him by Goat and the board in the summer of 2017 was always going to be too big a challenge. Ok, he played more defensively but he had to play with the cards he was dealt and to overturn almost an entire squad during the summer gave him very little time to assess the situation. Despite this he kept us above the relegation zone, quite an achievement in my eyes.
Nobody thinks he walks on water, he deserved critics as much as anyone else but I can't help feel that thaz got an agenda against the guy. Words like w @ n k e r were used by your good self on more than one occasion, out of order imo for a blowk who was working under trying circumstances and gave the club 15/16 hours a day juggling various roles. Just an honest hard working blowk which is all we ever ask for. Its obvious you'll never see it that way but that your opinion and you're entitled to it. Its not about winning arguments either mate, it's about acknowledgement and looking at the entire picture rather than simply having a fall guy or scapegoat who's hands are tied to a certain extent.
Our current head coach looks to be onto summat but mark my words he'll more than likely be presented with the impossible challenge that Hecky faced last season sooner or later when too many players are sold and replaced with wet behind the ears youngsters who collectively will be out of their depth in the championship.
My only hope is that the consortium look upon last season and learn from it. Its inevitable that players will be sold and I've no problem with that provided we don't sell the entire team or allow their contracts to run darn as we did previously under Cryne, in fairness they have addressed the contract situation so we have aif a chance should we go up, it's just the scale of the outgoings I'm concerned about.
In this division tha can get away with it, the championship is a different story and a large degree of continuity is needed if we aren't to come straight back darn. To rip apart this team would be stupid and Stendel may well come in for the flack. I hope that doesn't happen. Remember the sole responsibility doesn't always lie with the head coach Steve.
