Pep Clotet

[womble76]

Sacking your manager when mid table. Honest question for oxford fans. What were you expecting? You are probably at or just below your natural level.

 

[GFCSludge]

His name sounds like a breath mint.

 

[UTS]

Bury have ruined him 5-1 on aggregate he deserves the sack for that.

 

[Marked Ox]

We've been going backwards. We have been awful since late September/early October, apart from the odd game, and I include some of our wins in that.

Tactically and organisationally we aren't good, there is no spirit or passion in the team and have been making the same mistakes defensively for months; this after Pep kept saying we would learn after each game from these mistakes.

He comes across as a decent bloke but one who never shows emotion. He got angry once on the touchline, or so it seemed as he afterwards explained it was an act for the players. He showed no reaction whatsoever when we lost 7-0 and actually said there were some positives from the game!

That lack of visible passion/emotion seemed to spread to the team as the season went on which spread across the club. Michael Appleton was quiet and taciturn but he clearly had a passion and could show it.

 

[Marked Ox]

Bury have ruined him 5-1 on aggregate he deserves the sack for that.

The way we capitulated on Saturday deserves it alone.

 

[UTS]

We've been going backwards. We have been awful since late September/early October, apart from the odd game, and I include some of our wins in that.

Tactically and organisationally we aren't good, there is no spirit or passion in the team and have been making the same mistakes defensively for months; this after Pep kept saying we would learn after each game from these mistakes.

He comes across as a decent bloke but one who never shows emotion. He got angry once on the touchline, or so it seemed as he afterwards explained it was an act for the players. He showed no reaction whatsoever when we lost 7-0 and actually said there were some positives from the game!

That lack of visible passion/emotion seemed to spread to the team as the season went on which spread across the club. Michael Appleton was quiet and taciturn but he clearly had a passion and could show it.

Sounds to me like a manager who has potential but perhaps the Oxford job was too soon for him?

David Flitcroft had similarities to this when he was with us.

Perhaps Clotet going back to a coaching role and learning from mistakes could be a benefit for him.

Worth noting that you are 10th in the league, so he wasn't doing disastrously.

 

[GeneralLee]

I liked Pep in many ways, a really nice bloke but it wasn't working. I must say that I was surprised by the sacking, but in many ways relieved. As a club when Appleton took over he could be forgiven for inept performances because he didn't have the players. In Pep's case, he did.

We stopped doing the things that made us successful; if you watched the side during the early part of the season we pressed high up the pitch, putting pressure on the opposition forcing them into making mistakes. We defended stoutly, the experience of Williamson complimented Curtis Nelson... However after the first month we begun to show frailties and the capitulation at the likes of Wigan was coming for some time. Bad mistakes, failing to learn lessons, strange press conferences and players performing well below par all contributed to his ultimate demise.

To be fair, he probably wasn't helped by the sales of key players (Johnson and Lundstram) to name but a few, but sadly it wasn't meant to be.

 

[Marked Ox]

He has failed elsewhere as a manager. Possibly a good assistant manager considering he has been in reasonably successful partnerships (Garry Monk and at Malmö). Maybe he needs the right club but we certainly weren't it.

The problem with 10th is it kind of masks how bad we've been for months. It started well but things have been getting progressively worse. He even shushed the crowd behind him yesterday which isn't the brightest (personally don't care, give/take it etc is only fair) or help him get them back onside.

 

[Bobbin']

Wasn’t Chris Powell in the running for this job last year?

I know it looks likely he’s headed to Southend but would be interesting if Oxford made an approach too. He’s obviously a legend down at Southend but probably has more to work with at Oxford.

 

[Robie]

I'm quite surprised he's gone now. I would have liked to see him stay for another season but trust that the board know more behind the scenes.

Yes some results and performances have been terrible but he hadn't lost the dressing room and was trying to play a decent style of football keeping us mid table.

If it is true that he shushed the crowd at 1-0 then that is not on.

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

I'm quite surprised he's gone now. I would have liked to see him stay for another season but trust that the board know more behind the scenes.

Yes some results and performances have been terrible but he hadn't lost the dressing room and was trying to play a decent style of football keeping us mid table.

I would be genuinely worried about where he'd take us in another season. It didn't take long to reverse all the momentum we built up. His signings were terrible, all the key players regressed under him and he couldn't correct even the basic errors.

I personally didn't get much joy from his football either. Bossing possession isn't much fun when it's your back five recycling it from one to the other.

Do we even know he hasn't lost the dressing room? Plenty of leaders gone or trying to go, players like Payne wanting to be at a different L1 club.

 

[Marked Ox]

Wasn’t Chris Powell in the running for this job last year?

I know it looks likely he’s headed to Southend but would be interesting if Oxford made an approach too. He’s obviously a legend down at Southend but probably has more to work with at Oxford.

He could have been. The only other one I can remember is Frank Lampard.

 

[OUFC Dan]

I know it's a dodgy way of looking at it but if you ignore the opening 2 games of the season which we won, when we didn't know our best team, and so probably got a bit fortunate in winning them, without them we'd 18th, with all the teams below us having games in hand on us that could potentially see us in the relegation zone

Us being 10th is a bit false also as every team below us has a game in hand, and over the last 15-20 games we've taken almost exactly a point a game which if that continues would leave us with 55 which is comfortably above relegation but not by much

Pep had the basis of a philosophy but 0 understanding of how to implement it, coupled with some seriously disgusting defeats in recent times (Wigan, Blackburn and Bury all within a few weeks) he can have no complaints and I think it was the right decision

 

[OUFC Dan]

As Tinpot says as well so many of our key players regressed under him, for a side who has made some serious money in recent years selling our young players and replacing them on the cheap he failed at both, Ledson and Nelson have both been much worse than last season, established guys like Eastwood hasn't been as good either, and despite having Championship talent in Henry, Payne and Mowatt all 3 of them have been really underwhelming

I think the manager has to take a huge responsibility for that

 

[Jockney]

Not surprised. I thought Oxford were the best side to the come to the Den last season, and by a good distance. Wigan are an excellent side at this level, but i couldn't imagine the team I saw last April getting their bellies tickled like that.

 

[Robie]

When I see Henry's stupid shushing of the crowd and Thomas not speaking out about being played upfront with no support... all the players sticking with the tactics of playing it out the back throughout the game I get the feeling he hadn't lost the players. I suppose we will see how they perform under the next manager. There was also nothing from the manager in the post match interviews about players having to change their attitudes etc that you usually get when managers have lost the dressing room.

There was too much faffing around in the summer thanks to Appleton leaving so late. His signings were hurried which is why I was hoping he would do the business to stay in the job for the summer. If the rumours that he ignored the scouts already at the club are true then I have no sympathy for him.

 

[07.05.16]

Could have waited until after we played you!

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

When I see Henry's stupid shushing of the crowd

I assumed that was just Henry thinking that Henry was fantastic

 

[SMH]

We've been going backwards. We have been awful since late September/early October, apart from the odd game, and I include some of our wins in that.

Tactically and organisationally we aren't good, there is no spirit or passion in the team and have been making the same mistakes defensively for months; this after Pep kept saying we would learn after each game from these mistakes.

He comes across as a decent bloke but one who never shows emotion. He got angry once on the touchline, or so it seemed as he afterwards explained it was an act for the players. He showed no reaction whatsoever when we lost 7-0 and actually said there were some positives from the game!

That lack of visible passion/emotion seemed to spread to the team as the season went on which spread across the club. Michael Appleton was quiet and taciturn but he clearly had a passion and could show it.

There were positives for you from that game though. Us not hitting double figures for starters.

 

[eric read]

In a matter of a few months he undid three years of good work and progression under Michael Appleton. He fell out with players and back room staff, and ignored our excellent recruitment team and signed a bunch of foreign crocks and has beens.

Glad he's gone, the bloke was a fraud.

 

[eric read]

Not surprised. I thought Oxford were the best side to the come to the Den last season, and by a good distance. Wigan are an excellent side at this level, but i couldn't imagine the team I saw last April getting their bellies tickled like that.

Exactly this. He dismantled a great side and set up.

Pisses me off when jerks like him get a job and refer to it as "the project". It's not a project you fucking Spanish loser, it's my football club, and you've single handedly set it back 12/18 months.

 

[genesimmons]

Do continental managers work in league 1? Cant think of many success stories. I know the fleetwood managers german but he did play in england fora few year

 

[Jockney]

Do continental managers work in league 1? Cant think of many success stories. I know the fleetwood managers german but he did play in england fora few year

Gustavo Poyet and Roberto Martinez (though they received their education in the UK).

 

[SoutheySWFC]

Do continental managers work in league 1? Cant think of many success stories. I know the fleetwood managers german but he did play in england fora few year

Xenophobic Gene is here again.

 

[SoutheySWFC]

Exactly this. He dismantled a great side and set up.

Pisses me off when jerks like him get a job and refer to it as "the project". It's not a project you fucking Spanish loser, it's my football club, and you've single handedly set it back 12/18 months.

Why did you have to insert the Spanish bit into that?

We had a bit of debate about the term project re Carlos at SWFC, apparently it is an Iberian thing calling it that, whilst we may not like it means no harm.

 

[genesimmons]

Xenophobic Gene is here again.

Just stateing facts. Go and find me a team on league 1 or 2 with a manager from abroad thats never played in england but has done well at that level

 

[Indian Dan]

Seems a strange time to sack him. After the 7-0 would have been the time. Now you’ve got to find a new bloke which will probably take up the remaining days of the transfer window. If I was a conspiracy theorist I’d say it’s because your board don’t won’t to spend much.

How’s Obika doing?

 

[genesimmons]

Gustavo Poyet and Roberto Martinez (though they received their education in the UK).

Yeah good point but as you say they both played over here

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

Seems a strange time to sack him. After the 7-0 would have been the time. Now you’ve got to find a new bloke which will probably take up the remaining days of the transfer window. If I was a conspiracy theorist I’d say it’s because your board don’t won’t to spend much.

They've already paid out transfer fees for two young players so not sure you're at all right there.

Obika is alright. Competent and uninspiring like the rest of our team.

 

[Indian Dan]

It’ll be the perma tanned one for you, I reckon.

So, we’re those signings Clothead’s or the board’s? Strange to let him sign players then days later boot him out