Paul Cook joins Wigan *Updated*

[K-Win]

Darrell Clarke of Fratton Park. Has a nice ring to it.

 

[Aber gas]

Darrell Clarke of Fratton Park. Has a nice ring to it.

As I told yer mate FarehamPompey you lot can get to fuck. You can have Jacket potato and be happy.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

It will be interesting to see how Cook goes about things at Wigan. When he came to us we had about three-quarters of the first team squad up for contract renewal, which allowed him to completely clear the decks and rebuild the squad to his liking. By the close of the transfer window there were very few survivors from the previous, under-achieving team.

Overall, he did a very good job for us considering that in two years he never really solved the lone striker role that is pivotal to his 4-2-3-1 system. Basically the lone striker has to be the best player in the squad, have a high work rate and an eye for goal. The closest he got to this with us was a short loan spell for Caolan Lavery back in 2015/16. We controlled most games under Cook's tenure, but the lack of a decent leader of the line meant that we couldn't always turn dominance into points.

Personally, I'm sorry to see Cook go (despite all the acrimony). It certainly upsets the momentum we had from the end of last season. I'm not 100% sure that the incoming new owners really went out of their way to keep him. He probably sensed that and didn't hang about when a new opportunity came along.

I got the sense in his first year that Cook had the squad to get promoted he just could not work out who his team should be, and so you underperformed at the beginning. Is this fair?

 

[Don Tonberry]

That would be fair but with the talent and resources he had at his disposal he should have still been finishing higher than Bristol Rovers and Accrington Stanley.

He'll be a good appointment for Wigan but we're not too fussed about losing him, in spite of what he did for us.

 

[FarehamPompey]

Jackett apparently just agreeing terms and at 1/6.

 

[Spirederman]

So looks like it's happening, then. He's supposedly flying out to Majorca to meet Wigan's owner and talk terms whilst a compensation deal is being agreed.

To preach such loyalty and then leave at the first smell of extra cash is not going to go down well here. We'll move on and maybe find an even better manager.

Ayup mate.

You got the exact same speech as we got, loyalty, love the club, love the fans, won't leave etc...

That said he clearly knew something was amiss here as was alluded to in a thread on Bob's Board 'This is as good as it gets' weeks before our play off semi final against PNE, knew he wouldn't be backed and the squad would be tore apart.

I'm not saying the situation at Nottarf Krap is the same, but I don't believe Eisner and Catlin did 'everything' they could to keep him as the soundbites suggest or that he was comfortable with a potential DoF and other uncertainties that surround PFC at the minute, but I don't blame him for moving on and closer to home in that situation.

Despite all this, he built the best CFC side I've seen in 28 years of watching town, and although we all know his faults and the fact he likes a drink or 10 with the locals, I'd have him back here in a heartbeat.

As someone else has said, I don't believe he'd have said what he did about not leaving if he knew what was about to happen.

Yes, he does preach loyalty, but in neither situation either here or at Nottarf Krap do I believe he's been disloyal.

 

[Jockney]

Can't argue against Ken's record at this level. Took us over when we were battling relegation to L2: play-off final in his first full season, 3rd place and play-off success the next. The following season he led us to 9th in the Championship, which only three other play-off winners have bettered since their introduction.

Then there's the small matter of his league record points tally with Wolves.

Perfect appointment for Pompey.

 

[HertsWolf]

We had our ups and downs with Kenny Jackett and you have to acknowledge that he does looks uncannily like a capybara, but I reckon he's a great League 1 and Championship manager. He took us from playing at lower league haunts like Vale Park and Bramall Lane, and took us to within 5 goals of a play-off position.

His football isn't the most entertaining and many suspect he can't get a team into the PL, but I reckon he probably could. He builds solid teams and the team left behind by Cook will suit him well. I suspect you will see some old favourites coming in and I wouldn't be surprised to see some former players drop down a division for a Pompey/Jackett combination. Perhaps McDonald and Stearman from Fulham, James Henry maybe. Perhaps even Dicko. All have played at League 1 level with him and none are getting younger.

I agree, he's perfect for Pompey and I think he'll take you straight into the Championship. Then to the verge of the playoffs. Then you'll get all pissy and "we're a bigger club and we should have got into the PL" and you'll sack him and sign some unknown Italian former goalkeeper with huge character and no clue.

 

[FarehamPompey]

It's official.. good upgrade from Cook (on paper), plus a £200k compensation fee (apparently).

 

[Bucket_]

Bizarrely I can't help but wonder if we've come out of this week better off.. don't claim to know much about Kenny (and if he leaves a la Rotherham I'll be eating my words) other than him just being a recognisable football face over the years, but his first interviews have really impressed me. Seems cool headed, realistic, and ambitious. Good combo.

 

[Aber gas]

Great news.

 

[Millwall_Matt]

IMO he's the best manager that any decent sized team in this division could get.
He's exactly as the Wolves fan described, except to say that he's been successful in this league with teams that don't have their budget before.
He also built the foundations for Swansea's success, which Rodgers and Martinez then benefited from. He's a lovely bloke too, honest and level headed. I wish him all the luck in the world.