Matt Taylor - sacked by Rotherham & employed by Bristol Rovers

[tavyred]

Get a grip, it’s not anti-Caldwell to respect a city legend.

It was also perhaps a bit unkind on GC for some to evoke KMT’s time here to unduly criticise him.

 

[Red Bill]

I don't understand why there would be any bitterness towards Matt. He gave us 10 years as player, coach and manager. As a player he was one of the best CBs we've ever had and as a manager he brought us exciting football and togetherness, after years of staleness and division. And of course most importantly, promotion. I always had my doubts as to whether his style would translate to league one and its something we never got to find out.

Matt is someone who is clearly very focused on his career as we found out when he left us as a player. His comments about wanting to move back up north and then signing for Charlton clearly demonstrated this IMO. He went then with thanks for his service and my best wishes and I felt exactly the same when he left us for Rotherham as a manager.

I really felt he could have a very successful managerial career ahead of him and thought Rotherham was the perfect fit for his next move. Despite their shiny new stadium giving the impression they're a bigger club than they really are, they're essentially a small club that's been punching above their weight for a few years, so I felt they would be a club Matt would easly fit into. Ultimately though, maybe the championship is just beyond them at the moment and the challenge for Matt, was to great for him to be successful there.

I don't get the animosity towards Rovers from some on here. They are a club with similarities to us , in that they've spent most of their history in the lower league and are always slightly in the shadow of their more successful neighbours and fierce rivals (sacrilege but true I'm afraid!). The difference between us IMO, being that Rovers have far greater potential to grow their club and maintain themselves higher up the league ladder. And for this reason I felt this was another good fit for Matt and represented a good platform for him to advance his career.

Living and working in Bristol I know a few Rovers fans and ST holders, and from talking to them, I know that Matt is really not popular, with a couple of them saying that the football they're playing at the moment is "truly awaful".
I have no idea whether he will keep his job there, but from the fans view, it's hanging in the balance and quite a few want him gone.

I'm truly sorry for Matt that things haven’t gone too well for him since he left us, maybe Matt's style just doesn't work above L2 level or maybe he just hasn't found the right fit yet. But what ever happens in the future, nothing will change the gratitude and respect I feel towards him for his great service to our club. To me he's cemented his place as a club legend and I will always wish him well.

 

[Elstree Grecian]

Makes no sense to keep him over the Summer, let him sign a new team then get rid. Either they decide when the season is over or wait until January

My mate's view not mine

 

[Rosencrantz]

Ultimately it is down to the Rovers board who made the appointment. Changing managers mid-season who play a different style of football will almost always be difficult to implement quickly. The new manager will have a squad not only used to playing a different style but also assembled to play it. The new manager will need more than just one January transfer window to get players suited to his style.

So either the Rovers board hold their nerve and back Matt through another couple of transfer windows at least to see if progress is made or they admit they made a mistake and Matt's style of play wasn't what they thought, which would be poor recruitment by them.

From Matt's point of view, if he does get backed, he needs to recruit well and show some progression in performance and results, but it could well still need patience from the board and supporters. I know that might be in short supply, as that is what happens at all clubs. But sometimes being an outlier doesn't mean you are necessarily wrong

 

[arthur]

So either the Rovers board hold their nerve and back Matt through another couple of transfer windows at least to see if progress is made or they admit they made a mistake and Matt's style of play wasn't what they thought, which would be poor recruitment by them.

I don't think its so much Matt's style of play that is the issue, more the quality of his leadership skills and ability to motivate people.

Look at how Arsene Wenger managed to be accepted by, and then improve, George Graham's established back 4. I would argue that Caldwell was also able to gain the confidence of a squad he had not recruited fairly quickly. Taylor is clearly struggling to do the same and his public musings on the problems within the squad are, to put it mildly, not helpful.

 

[StudentGrecian]

It was also perhaps a bit unkind on GC for some to evoke KMT’s time here to unduly criticise him.

Perhaps. Still think it's weird that you 'hope he crashes and burns at Rovers' because a few exewebbers compared GC to Taylor.

 

[geoffwp]

I don't understand why there would be any bitterness towards Matt. He gave us 10 years as player, coach and manager. As a player he was one of the best CBs we've ever had and as a manager he brought us exciting football and togetherness, after years of staleness and division. And of course most importantly, promotion. I always had my doubts as to whether his style would translate to league one and its something we never got to find out.

Matt is someone who is clearly very focused on his career as we found out when he left us as a player. His comments about wanting to move back up north and then signing for Charlton clearly demonstrated this IMO. He went then with thanks for his service and my best wishes and I felt exactly the same when he left us for Rotherham as a manager.

I really felt he could have a very successful managerial career ahead of him and thought Rotherham was the perfect fit for his next move. Despite their shiny new stadium giving the impression they're a bigger club than they really are, they're essentially a small club that's been punching above their weight for a few years, so I felt they would be a club Matt would easly fit into. Ultimately though, maybe the championship is just beyond them at the moment and the challenge for Matt, was to great for him to be successful there.

I don't get the animosity towards Rovers from some on here. They are a club with similarities to us , in that they've spent most of their history in the lower league and are always slightly in the shadow of their more successful neighbours and fierce rivals (sacrilege but true I'm afraid!). The difference between us IMO, being that Rovers have far greater potential to grow their club and maintain themselves higher up the league ladder. And for this reason I felt this was another good fit for Matt and represented a good platform for him to advance his career.

Living and working in Bristol I know a few Rovers fans and ST holders, and from talking to them, I know that Matt is really not popular, with a couple of them saying that the football they're playing at the moment is "truly awaful".
I have no idea whether he will keep his job there, but from the fans view, it's hanging in the balance and quite a few want him gone.

I'm truly sorry for Matt that things haven’t gone too well for him since he left us, maybe Matt's style just doesn't work above L2 level or maybe he just hasn't found the right fit yet. But what ever happens in the future, nothing will change the gratitude and respect I feel towards him for his great service to our club. To me he's cemented his place as a club legend and I will always wish him well.

Excellent post RB, agree with every word. Should be a sticky at the start of the thread.

 

[geoffwp]

Perhaps. Still think it's weird that you 'hope he crashes and burns at Rovers' because a few exewebbers compared GC to Taylor.

Some folk live their lives full of bitterness, it never leaves them.

 

[tavyred]

Perhaps. Still think it's weird that you 'hope he crashes and burns at Rovers' because a few exewebbers compared GC to Taylor.

No it was funny because the evoking of KMT has in hindsight been made to look a bit silly.
My desire to see him crash and burn is because he left us in the lurch (understandably) and I thought in a couple of interviews before he left, he knew he was leaving and came across as a bit dismissive of the club who gave him his chance in coaching.

 

[Sexton Blake]

Some folk live their lives full of bitterness, it never leaves them.

no one should feel bitter MT is a club legend and let’s not forget he came within an ace of winning what would have been only the club’s second major trophy after chasing down FGR‘s phenomenal lead only to miss out in the end to losing at home to todays opponents