Martin Allen - Poll

[drummindefender]

same duzza but tbh it seems like we can't actually get anyone better

 

[fosseman]

Be ready for another manager coming in mid=season!

 

[glyn]

If Allen is appointed manager then I will support him but IMO he is the wrong choice and if he becomes manager I will give him a season and a half before fans are wanting him sacked.

From past experience I don't think Mandaric will give him that long

 

[Brown Nose]

An article from a year ago when he introduced himself to MK Dons.


Martin Allen is the man in charge of halting the slide of the Milton Keynes Dons down the Divisions of the Football League. The three years in Milton Keynes have seen relegation, a relegation battle and then relegation again and the Dons will start the 2006/07 season in League Two.

But, in enticing Martin Allen to Buckinghamshire, Chairman Pete Winkleman has pulled off quite a coup. It was no real surprise when Allen left Brentford following their play-off defeat in May but most expected to see him step up to the Championship or certainly stay in League One.

He says that the potential at the Dons is the reason he's decided to drop down a division. And the Press Conference was held at the new Denbeigh Stadium which is fast taking shape - as if to re-inforce this.

But the man nicknamed Mad Dog must first instil some bite into a team which massively underachieved last season.

Simon Oxley spoke to Martin Allen just after the appointment was announced.

When you first spoke to Pete Winkleman what were your feelings? Did you think you'd just go and have a look?
Martin: If you want my honest opinion I was on my way up north to sign for another club! It was out of courtesy that I went and saw him and had a chat with him. I didn't really speak much. he spoke for about half an hour and at the end of it he said "I want you to be the manager. So that knocked me back a bit.

I've spoken to a lot of clubs this summer but he was the first person that looked me in the eye and pointed his finger in my face and said "I want you to be the manager and I want you to take it. I'll issue you the challenge."

Everybody wants to feel wanted. I don't like waiting by my phone umming and ahhing or being told to wait in the waiting room while I see everybody else. He was the first person that grabbed me and told me I want you to do it. I was impressed with that.

Then he said come and have a look at the stadium. When I came round the corner and saw the size of it, I really never knew that this was here.

I find it quite frightening and staggering and even today I can't quite get my head round it. That this place has been built! It's amazing to look at it and it's amazing the feeling when you are stood in the middle of it.

I've got one year in this division and I've got to try and make it a place where people want to come and watch football and to watch a team that can do these supporters proud and do something that justifies this stadium.

Has that potential and desire overcome the fact that you have dropped down a division?
Martin: My own opinion is that I should have been working in the Premiership but that's another thing. One day that will happen and a lot of clubs I think have missed a great opportunity. But this man has taken me on board, grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and I'm going to repay him.

Did you need a lot of persuading?
Martin: No - and people don't believe me. I was about half an hour at his house. I had one cup of coffee, he spoke for 29 minutes. The we came down to the stadium. I shook his hand while we were in the middle of this building site and said "I'll do it".

It's not all doom and gloom at this place. The enthusiasm and energy of the crowd when I visited here near the end of the season was excellent. We've got to get a team together now, that can do this stadium proud. Then hopefully the people of Milton Keynes are going to get behind it and this could be a big one.

Can you keep all the players?
Martin: I will be discussing that with the Chairman over the next 48 hours but we will be making moves as quickly as possible. We can't waste opportunities - we've got to get in amongst it right now. There will be lots of phone calls taking place to see what's available in what areas.

And you're bringing staff with you from Brentford, Adrian Whitbread and sports scientist Damien Doyle?

Martin: Yes - both of them worked with me from my start at Barnet Football Club. Both of them are young and both of them have got a fantastic work ethic. They are grafters and work long, long hours. Both have great skills and there's no doubt in my mind that both will go to the very top. They are terrific lads and the players will love working with them.

You have this Mad Dog nick name. Do you thrive on that? Do you see yourself coming in here and shaking things up?
Martin: I'll say "Good Morning, put your kit on and let's get out and train". Then we'll train and I'll try and get them fit and stronger and quicker and player some football. If they all do their best and have a go it will be a good day. Most people that want to do well will love it. That's it. As for Mad Dog - people who pay to come through the turnstiles can call me what they like, but people that know me, know what I'm really like. All that's mythological!

 

[Stevie Lynex on the wing]

Some sections of the media have described Martin Allen as a tacticion, so let's give him a chance if he gets the job, he may even surprise a few and have a Leicester team playing good football as MM will give him more money to spend than Brentford & MK Dons did.

 

[NN Fox]

I'm not too unhappy with Allen's appointment He has a reasonable record at two unfashionable clubs but I've no idea what sort of football he would like to play given a better choice of players and most importantly I've no idea how good he is at bringing through young players. The crop of talented youngsters we have in the acadamy will be an important part of any success at this club over the next few years and they need to be carefully nurtured. I would have prefered Coleman but we have no idea who has been approached and turned the job down and who was really on the possibles list. I'm happy to trust MM on this one and see how both MM and MA (seems odd to be typing those initials again) perform over the next season. I'm not expecting great things for next season but we have to show positive signs of progress.

 

[PFKAKTF FOX]

The more and more I think about this the more concerns I have, when you look at the list of available and potential managers who I would have thought would view this job as a real opportunity and then look at the who Mandaric has dismissed or has let fall by the way side, I am beginning to fear that this is more down to Milan's insistence on interfering rather than anything else.

Why have so many managers who have spoken to Milan to then suddenly drop out of the reckoning. Worthington, Warnock, Coleman and Dowie all managers with premiership experience and some sort of track record have been deemed not good enough or decided there future lies elsewhere and the man identified as being the best candidate is a manager who failed to win promotion from League Two with a side boasting the highest wage budget in the division.

Looks to me that Milan is looking to appoint a yes man, someone who will accept his interference and IMO this is a recipie for disaster.

 

[DesertFox]

If you're poor and mad, you're called "mental".

If you're rich or famous and mad, you're called "eccentric".

If you're Martin Allen and you play route one, you're a "long ball merchant, terrible style of football".

If you're MON and you play route one, you're called "direct, a tactical genius".

 

[Mike - True Blue Tinter]

The more and more I think about this the more concerns I have, when you look at the list of available and potential managers who I would have thought would view this job as a real opportunity and then look at the who Mandaric has dismissed or has let fall by the way side, I am beginning to fear that this is more down to Milan's insistence on interfering rather than anything else.

Why have so many managers who have spoken to Milan to then suddenly drop out of the reckoning. Worthington, Warnock, Coleman and Dowie all managers with premiership experience and some sort of track record have been deemed not good enough or decided there future lies elsewhere and the man identified as being the best candidate is a manager who failed to win promotion from League Two with a side boasting the highest wage budget in the division.

Looks to me that Milan is looking to appoint a yes man, someone who will accept his interference and IMO this is a recipie for disaster.

Doesn't seem to have destroyed Chelsea having the owner interfere a bit.

 

[DesertFox]

I don't think the Shevchenko/Mourhino/Abromovich love triangle has been especially helpful to their cause....

 

[Lako42]

Better than the Elvis, kelly, hughes love triangle we had.

 

[Naughty Fox]

Spoken to a few people today who support other teams and none have taken the piss about Allen, their comments have all been about 'he will sort the players out' and 'expect us to be up there next season'.
They took the piss more about it could be Warcock!!

 

[Lako42]

Spoken to a few people today who support other teams and none have taken the piss about Allen, their comments have all been about 'he will sort the players out' and 'expect us to be up there next season'.
They took the piss more about it could be Warcock!!

i was speaking to a forest fan last night who admitted to being envious of our situation. Said we would do well to get MA.

 

[Naughty Fox]

i was speaking to a forest fan last night who admitted to being envious of our situation. Said we would do well to get MA.

Then again they are envous of Yeovil :icon_lol:

 

[DesertFox]

Better than the Elvis, kelly, hughes love triangle we had.

What a terrible image!!! :icon_eek:

 

[Hazzman]

If you're poor and mad, you're called "mental".

If you're rich or famous and mad, you're called "eccentric".

If you're Martin Allen and you play route one, you're a "long ball merchant, terrible style of football".

If you're MON and you play route one, you're called "direct, a tactical genius".

 

[Polar Bear]

I wanted Allen when we got Levein and I'm very pleased about this development. As for 'style of football', this is almost always a red herring - a good manager devises tactics and 'style' according to the players available to him, and to my mind any 'style' played with purpose and panache is watchable and acceptable. That does not mean 'win at all costs' including cynicism and systematic cheating, it means being competitive, playing to your strengths and never being beaten until the final whistle (and hopefully not then!)- qualities which I believe Allen to have the ability to instil.

One last thing about styles - 'glamour' clubs/managers tend to be judged by how their teams play when playing well, unglamorous ones when playing badly (us under MON, Bolton with Allardyce). And beating a more glamorous team with a headed goal is a surefire way to get labelled 'long ball' by the media.

 

[cleefox]

I wanted Allen when we got Levein and I'm very pleased about this development. As for 'style of football', this is almost always a red herring - a good manager devises tactics and 'style' according to the players available to him, and to my mind any 'style' played with purpose and panache is watchable and acceptable. That does not mean 'win at all costs' including cynicism and systematic cheating, it means being competitive, playing to your strengths and never being beaten until the final whistle (and hopefully not then!)- qualities which I believe Allen to have the ability to instil.

One last thing about styles - 'glamour' clubs/managers tend to be judged by how their teams play when playing well, unglamorous ones when playing badly (us under MON, Bolton with Allardyce). And beating a more glamorous team with a headed goal is a surefire way to get labelled 'long ball' by the media.

Would agree, Russell Slade was pilloried by Grimsby fans for the 'direct' football he used here, and gave Yeovil fans loads of stick about how he was going to ruin their team. However, he got there and has continued the flowing football they have played for the last few years because he had the players to do that. So perhaps MA could do the same, given the right players, we will have to wait and see.

 

[Lako42]

Would agree, Russell Slade was pilloried by Grimsby fans for the 'direct' football he used here, and gave Yeovil fans loads of stick about how he was going to ruin their team. However, he got there and has continued the flowing football they have played for the last few years because he had the players to do that. So perhaps MA could do the same, given the right players, we will have to wait and see.

Spot on polar

I havn't understood from the beggining why people on here seem to think he wont change his style to suite the players he has.

 

[Jeff]

I havn't understood from the beggining why people on here seem to think he wont change his style to suite the players he has.

Because from what I've read on a Brentford site his tactics were always very one dimensional, he was unable to change things round during a game to make things happen. So he doesn't come across as someone who seems willing (or have the ideas) to try something new. I hope I'm wrong.