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I don't think its a question of should Les be retained!
The question would have been better phrased -
What do you think tranmere will do about the managers position?
IMO, My heart says stay with Les, but my head says, I believe Rovers would be better off with a manager experienced at this level, who knows how to win enough to at least be in the play-offs come the end of next season!
The budget will dictate the decision, so I believe that Les will continue!

I'd definitely keep him on.

i said it a christmas saying it now hes done a great job and he finally got wins on the row and two clean sheets and 5 goals in to games you done great les

Les has done a great job. Back to back wins in crucial end of season fixtures, 2 clean sheets and 5 goals. Pretty good way to finish.

We have showed that even the current team, which is extremely weak, were able to beat Millwall, Southampton and Norwich at home, whilst also beating the teams that needed to be beaten at the time of play; Exeter, Gillingham and Stockport. All were crucial games, all were 'must-wins' and we won them...with Wycombe being the proverbial kink in the stats. All those games shows he is a good motivator, and someone who can get the best out of his team.

My only worry is the future. This squad is weak, it relies on loanees and the budget will be cut again next year. The only real change I want is a change in thinking. We have to get our kids in the first team, learning, week in week out - not giving other teams the platform to develop their talent. We should be better than that!

Other than Les - I would like the Chief as the Chief with Mathias to guide him. I like Ray, but he is not a manager. The Chief could well be.

I don't think it is realistic to demand that the Tranmere Manager next season delivers 'at least the playoffs'. Budgets for next season will be far lower than they were when Ronnie Moore narrowly missed out on a playoff place, and next season will be about establishing some stability in the squad and making sure we survive comfortably.

I think Les deserves to be given a chance to do that.

To keep them up with a poorly assembled and unbalanced squad was a fantastic achievement and Les, Chief and Shaun deserve a proper crack at it. They have proved they can sign good players, McCready, Labadie and others when they have had limited time and funds let them have the summer to assemble their own squad and then criticise them if it doesn't work out.
If any other manager had come in in October and kept them up them staying on would not be in question. Objective was to keep the club up and they achieved that - they couldn't have done more.

So what would Les have to do to get a chance ?he has kept us up with one of the worst sides I've seen in 45 years of watching TRFC ,which we were under Barnes with roughly the same squad they started to play for him and believe. We've all had a very long season and we've survived. But lets not kid ourselves that it will be much easier for a year or two as barnes signed some players on long contracts that we are stuck with.Les Parry may not have been a footballer but he is an excellent manager who knows he is still learning , his awareness of his role in creating an environment that people look forward to going to work is spot on. His inventiveness from set plays has kept us up.What i cannot understand is who we could get who would be better than Les. What i see in Les is someone who cares as much as I do ,that'll do for me.

Quote:

Dave 080510
If any other manager had come in in October and kept them up them staying on would not be in question. Objective was to keep the club up and they achieved that - they couldn't have done more.

That's the key thing for me Dave. If it had been anybody else, what some people class as a "proper manager" (like the ones who took Stockport, Southend, Wycombe and Gillingham down), then the fans would be in huge support of him. But because it's somebody with no experience he's immediately ridiculed and put down.

Les has surrounded himself with a wonderful team of coaching staff and between them they've done a terrific job. Give them a chance, they can't do much worse than Barnes

daveyc, what about the Hartlepool home game?

Or both games against Oldham when we either failed to show or couldn't be arsed?

Walsall away when we were leading?


Under Les we had the chances to change our last day circumstances, and because of him failed to do so.

i think.hell be kept on regardless so get used to it. i wasin favour of a new gaffer but when u put last season into perspective then you realise how well he done considering so I'm prepared to give him a 12 month deal and see how we go.. if it turns out we had a gem on our hands well atleast we don't have to worry about him walking fir a better job next summer.... its les,

But would you have took survival in October?

We were fighting relegation, we were never gonna win every game.

Whilst you've named four their what about the likes of Southampton, Norwich, Millwall, even Charlton away where I genuinely walked away from the ground as if we'd been beaten, because we were so good that day to get only a point from The Valley was a massive disapointment.

Then theirs games we've won such as Exeter, Orient, Yeovil, Bristol, Brentford, Southend, Brighton - all of which were six pointers at the time they were played because they were either against teams close to us or, were games we had to win to keep up with the teams just outside the r.zone. I know the four you've pointed out we lost (and disapointingly, especially Hpool which was arguably the worst football I've ever seen, but we got a point from it remember.. without that point we'd be in L2 right now!)

Whilst we always seemed to crumble from actually crossing the line until yesterday, we achieved exactly what we set out to, and many doubted we would.

We've also had a little cup run and we could have, on another day, beat Wolves. If Gornell had scored that open goal our finances may be a few hundred thousand better off. Equally had ITM scored that open goal against Carlisle at home (I think) we'd have been a little calmer on Saturday!

With his own squad I think Les could achieve mid-table easily. Obviously theirs some (and I don't mean anyone on this site) that expect promotion or something every season but our budget is the lowest in this league (yes.. worse than Stockports) so next year if we escape the drop on the last day then so be it.

Agree with most of the above if he was paul jewell he would be signed up on the spot, the job they have done is unbelievable, the signing top class, the tactics good enough to beat the top of the league, millwall pushing for the playoffs, southampton etc...

Also just to point out last 3 games draw away at Brentford beat millwall and thump stockport. What a way to stay up.

Why is les les qualified than an ex player to take charge????

He has been there for 16+ years listening to team talks tactics etc... Man management is a big part of being a physio which is a key. He appoints 2 great coaches to carry out the coaching (RM got shirliff to do majority of the coaching).

He has to be given the option to stay on with chief and garno.
Especially as our budget is small.

Hope we find a way so that if it does go pear shaped can go back to physio as this man deserves to be at the club for life!!!

Just listening to this exact debate on Citytalk as I was reading this...

Since October I've changed my mind a few times and more often have been in the 'need a new Manager' camp but having spoken to Les personally and onthings I've heard ahead of next season he definitely should have a chance to take us further next season.

The fact he may be a cheaper option is a bonus but not the main reason why he should be considered.

I really like and admire Les. He has done a good job in the circumstances.But if we had gone down would most remain as enthusiastic about his appointment? It is in effect one game taht divides many of the judgements and that is no way to make a decision about a manager.

My worry is that we have achair that is setting such a low budget (unrealistically and unreasonably low in my opinion) that only the most experienced of managers could even hope tp cope with the situation.The other factor is that an experienced manager is better placed to push PJ whereas I suspect LP has been too far down the food chain to really push achairman who at present is a liability. In normal circumstances Les would deserve achance but given PJ plans I think we need to put sentiment aside and go for an experienced manager although I am convinced for all the raesons above that PJ would prefer Parry

Amazing achievement from Les with one of the worst squads I have ever seen at Prenton Park. Thank God for ITM, Goodison and the excellent Bakayogo! Let's hope for improvement next season!! SUUUUUUUUwhite army!!!!!

He should be given the chance, however circumstances will be different next season, sure there'll be some unwanted leftovers from barnes regime but that's the case for any new manager. He can't live on the inheriting a doomed squad thing - if he's kept on he'll be judgged as per any manager.

I'm not going to be happy with 'hard to beat' tactics and a team full of loanees (if I wanted to watch a premiership nursery team I'd watch Liverpool reserves).

So yeah he deserves another season but I'd want a few changes.

As for the playing career. Who cares if he played? Management and Playing are 2 entirely different things - if he stays on he's a manager now - not a physio (most of the time).

Les was brought into keep us up. He kept us up. He's achieved his goal. What other manager achieve's his goal and gets sacked?

I agree with you Matthew. Considering Les's lack of experience he has done superbly well.
That is why so many people have a conflict between their heart (Les) and their head (someone with experience).
I think though this is a hard football decision that needs to be made with the head.
From a football perspective having Les as a permanent No2; makes perfect sense i.e. Wilkins (Chelsea), Lewington (Fulham) and it gives Les a reward for what he has gone through for the club this season. However also from a footballing perspective appointing an experienced No1 to lead and blend a team is my preference.

But what is the point of making Les some permanent number two?

If it's sentimental reasons then it's ridiculous, we either keep him on (which I think will happen), or he goes back to physio or leaves totally.

If they were going to make him a permanent number two they may as well give him a go at being number one.

He has done well. With a poor squad everyone on here is right but that shouldnt make him a shoe in for the managers job. I dont want him having the job for two reasons as 1, the football weve played at times has been bloody awful and 2, Les' legacy at the club is legendary and if he fails as a manager that will be tarnished.

He has done fantastically well with what he had, he should walk back to his kit room with his head held high and reputation as a tranmere legend (rightly) enhanced even further than it was before. Les, do yourself (and you wife) a favour and quit while your ahead mate.

My number 1 as always would be Mathias and the Chief (or a combination of the two)

But this season he has been pretty much working with what he was handed.

Six of those players have today been released and four more have gone back to their parent Clubs (even though one may return in Labidie).

That means that already the start of next season will look a lot different to the squad last August.

DS,

I believe in the principle of a permanent number 2.
As I said before someone like Ray Wilkins at Chelsea or Ray Lewington at Fulham, guys that have served under numberous managers, do this job effectively.
The point of the role is that:
1. There is always instability as far as the manager's job is concerned and if the manager were to depart then the 'permanent' number 2 can be trusted to fill the role until a new manager is found
2. They understand the culture of the club intimately and ensure that when the manager joins they know how to behave and play the game to get on the support of the chairman, fans, staff and players.
To a larger degree the Liverpool boot room served this purpose effectively for 2 decades.
I think that only a specific type of individual can perform the role effectively a. They need to be passionate about the club b. They need to represent the history and principles of the club c. They need to be respected by the fans, owner and players d. They need to be trusted as a man that they don't have intentions to take the managers job e. They need to be trusted that they have the ability to fill in to manage the club in a crisis.
For me Les has these qualities and to not have him in a senior position would be to waste his unique abilities.
To put him back to a physio role would be to waste his abiilties and my view is that there are people with a skill set more suited to management than he does. Therefore I would give him a responsible position at the club as a permanent number 2.

Fair enough but on point D, Les openly wants the managers job.

And as a physio I don't thing Doctor Parry would be 'wasted' so to speak.

although the slavish alliegance to 433 has been extremely trying in some games this season, I would give him the job, and expect that with budgets as they are, this is what will happen. But he needs to bring in about 8-10 players either on season long loans or contracts asap.

1. I remember on numerous occasions Les saying he didn't want the role full-time. Do you have any quotes of him saying he does want the job? Even if you do one of his qualities is his loyalty to the club and ability to see the big picture, and if he accepted such a role (i.e. No2); he would do it in a trustworthy manner which would not threaten his manager.
2. I'm sure a physio role is a very worthwhile profession, however I'm sure that it isn't a skill set that would be impossible to find with a strong ad pinned up at the local hospital. However how I invisage his role would be far more difficult to find a suitable candidate.
Peace and love,

Les: May 2010
“If the chairman says he wants us to stay I’ll be only too pleased to sit down with him and discuss it. But if at the end of the day the board think they want to look elsewhere, then I have got no control over that. I won’t spit my dummy out. The board will make that decision in good faith and I will respect that and I will just get on with being physio.”
This quote from Les states he would 'like' the managers job, however will be understanding and supportive if it is not given i.e. "The board will make that decision in good faith and I will respect that".
Cheers,

Yeah he is understanding and will support PJ's decision but as you pointed out - he wants the job. [www.liverpoolecho.co.uk]

Personally I think a manager should be able to bring his own Asst Manager (& coaching staff IF budgets allow.) Assistant Managers usually do all the coaching at teams, and Les has openly admitted Wayne and Shaun do all this because he isn't qualified.

I think the idea of Les remaining Physio but being a point of contact any manager can ask for help etc, an "Advisor" if you like but managers being forced to work with an Asst Manager may put them off.

At clubs like Fulham/Chelsea it works as they have the funds to bring in many coaches, we don't. Our Asst. Manager is also coach etc.

Les told me himself he really wants the job anyway!

DS
With regards to the posts that you deleted.
Can you explain what are the matters that have recently been brought to light that suggest that Les would be equiped for the No1 role.

I can't elaborate at the moment really which is partly why my posts and some that followed were deleted (as I felt it unfair to say I knew something and then elaborate on here).

Other posts on this thread were delted as the Thread had gone way off topic on certain posts so I tidied it up!

DS,
Fair enough, I completely understand.
I have nothing further to say on this topic.

All the best and I apologise for my contribution in making the thread go out of hand.

Cheers,