posted Jun 11, 2008

Ince will be off as soon as he gets the right offer. He's shown this throughout his career - leopards don't change their spots. He's savvy enough to say the right thing to the fans now - he's been caught out before - but he will show loyalty to no one other than himself.

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posted Jun 11, 2008

I think Paul Ince would do a good job,if given the chance.Has for the stupid remarks about loyalty,how many players can you name who are loyal.Atleast Ince would be much better than the bottler called Shearer,all mouth on the tv but not got what it takes to do a job has manager,for any club.There are some good young managers coming through,and will do the job.If the older managers where any good,they would not be applying for the job.

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posted Jun 11, 2008

seabrookcrisp (U12287585)
_________________

I'd agree with some of what GreenleysCobbler says in his reply to you, but I have to say your argument about doing nothing to support 'professional' clubs created since 1945 is just stupid. The town is only just 40 years old and that's saying it was a proper town in 1968 - there was barely anything here then, apart from the beginnings of the Open University, which was a few small buildings! There were no 'professional' clubs ever in MK until Wimbledon came here. There were a few MK clubs yes, but these were tiny Sunday league style clubs that were for their members and families. They were never professional and never made an attempt to gain support and represent the community, small as it was then.

It's not ideal that effectively MK took a club from another locale. But I'd argue was it not better that it did, rather than Wimbledon went out of business and disappeared? No one was going to take them over and they weren't offered the same kind of support that Gretna were last season in the SPL.

I'm assuming from your comments that you know nothing about Milton Keynes and the community here, so please don’t make comments as if they are facts when you have no clue what you're on about. GreenleysCobbler has a much better idea, even though he probably won’t agree totally with my opinion. The people of MK deserve a chance - they are supporting (and very well I may add) a team that's finally been marketed at them - Winkelman is clever, he's aimed it at the youth of MK, knowing they will grow up supporting a local team. I never had that chance when I grew up here and wish I had done, as I definitely would have supported a 'proper' MK team. Instead, I was drummed into supporting Liverpool from 2 years old by my uncle, a lifelong Liverpool fan. You no doubt have a problem with that as well I assume!

I can't agree with everything GreenleysCobbler says. Crowds at the StadiumMK have been very good all season - you have to look at them in context - they were a League 2 club. Their average attendance was the highest in the league. They had the highest attendance at any game in the division too . Yes, the ground had around 8000 seats more than the average attendance, but not all of it could be used due to safety certificates in place for the start of the season. I'm sure next season you'll see bigger attendances, with a better certificate and League 1 football against more renowned teams. Plus, more people will have discovered the club in the course of last season and will hopefully buy a season ticket for next season.

I'm sick of having everyone bash MK Dons. They aren't my team (I stick with Liverpool through thick and thin, e/g Souness, etc!) but I do respect the way the community here has got behind them and the way the club is being developed. The history should be forgotten - most fans don't even consider it as an 'old' club and know they don't have Wimbledon's history. It was done messily, but the club is in MK now and they are starting to create some of their own history. Give them a chance!

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posted Jun 11, 2008

Paul Ince will abandon ship as soon as he receives an offer from a club with a bigger budget. As admirable a job as he's done, MK is never going to offer him the kind of coin Leicester or Blackburn would. It's not fair to say he's disloyal or knock him in any way for doing this either - it's called career progression. Would you stay at Woolworths on £14k when WHS were offering you £30k to do the same job? Would the fact that Mrs Smith came in every Weds for her pick and mix and had a bit of a chat to you sway your decision? Would it b****ks! So why knock Incey or any other manager for doing so?
Yeah, ok he stitched the Hammers up when he moved to Man Utd (again career progression) but has been a fairly loyal servant to his other clubs since. I have nothing against players or managers moving on if it's to better their careers. What really irks me is when you get greedy backstabbers like Flamini showing no loyalty and upping sticks for a club who can't offer him the sort of football he's been used to. Instead he swans off after ONE decent season in four and joins a club NOT in the Champions League, WITHOUT a solid infrastructure - they don't even own their own stadium! Why did he go? Lure of the Euro. That's not career progression - when you're Matthieu Flamini its plain career SUICIDE! Good luck dislodging Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf and anyone else they care to sign. Hope he enjoys reserve team football - oh hang on... they don't have that over there either! Doh!

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posted Jun 11, 2008

amcd

It’s nice to see such a thoughtful reply to a thread where people have different opinions. I agree completely with 99% of what you say. I to would have supported an MK team had one been available when I was younger. I also agree 100% with your comments about PW. I for one don’t buy into this pantomime villain thing that some supporters have about him. I think he is to be admired for his vision and marketing skills. Your spot on about the anti MK bashing to, I truly feel it’s an extension of the general negative impression much of the country has of us. I truly don’t believe the Dons would have got half as much grief if they’d moved elsewhere.

My main gripe about Ron’s post was his slight at the community in Northampton. Sixfields genuinely is a community stadium. StadiumMK as I have correctly pointed out was built by big businesses to sidestep planning legislation. I feel Ron’s post suggest that MK built the stadium for the Dons and that Northampton doesn’t support its team! This is wrong! Yes attendances at Sixfields are down but that is symptom of the wider decline of the town’s leisure facilities and the change in allegiance of hundreds of local football fans in MK. I may be wrong but I’m also pretty sure that Bradford had the highest average. The Dons attendances hovered between 6000 and 8000 until the late season successes, high for league 2 but high for a league 2 without many big clubs.

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posted Jun 11, 2008

I really hope Paul Ince doesn't leave MK Dons. I think it is inevitable he will go at some time but he should really consider whether he is ready for it yet.

To date he has had one season with Macclesfield and completed the job he was hired for. He has also had one season with MK Dons where he has had success.

I don't see any point in him going to Leicester as they will be in the same division and their owner is not on par with PW. I would prefer to see him do more of an apprenticeship first and become an outstanding manager as opposed to a middling.

Anyway, there is nothing to say that MKD can't get promoted next season as well and follow in the steps of the crazy gang whom I followed for many, many years. Wimbledon may be dead and buried but out of the ashes has come a club that has everything to look forward to and at the same time be very successful. WFC will never be forgotten but that's finished and people who wont accept that perhaps don't deserve a place at MKD.

Success breeds success and the more people that get behind the club, the more revenue that will be raised to help improve the team.

Paul Ince should give MKD a minimum of two years and PW should do all in his power, benefit wise, to ensure he does not want to leave.

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posted Jun 11, 2008

Paul Ince would be crazy for me to leave a decent enough side in MK dons to leave for Blackburn. No offence currently blackburn are miles ahead of MK dons, however there is potential for Ince to take MK dons a lot further than he already has and build an even bigger and better reputation as one of the brightest young coaches around, he could easily go to blackbrun and fail and it would be a major setback. however he will probably leave and i do think that would be a shame, he should stay with the dons for another year and see if he can gain promotion again, then if he is unsuccessful look to move on then, seems stupid to leave when your in the middle of something potentially good. PW should be doing everything to keep him at the club though.

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posted Jun 11, 2008

Blackburn fan here in peace,

Just wanted to say Ince has done a great job at MK Dons and it looks like he has all the attributes to become a top class manager.

Whilst i wouldn't be opposed to him becoming our next manager i just think we are looking for someone a bit more experienced at this moment in time. I see this next period (in particular if a lot of players decide they want to leave) as one of stabilisation.

I think a job of this size is too soon for him. I hope he stays at MK Dons and continues his great job there.

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posted Jun 12, 2008

GreenleysCobbler

If I'm wrong about attendances I apologse - had read on another footy site it was the highest, but I can't obviously confirm, so hold my hands up.

I had no problem with your view on Northampton. I think Sixfields is a nice stadium and totally agree with the way it came into existence and was a shining example of what supporters and a community can do if they put their mind to it and get organised. Fair enough MK were given a stadium on a plate - thankfully though they have taken to it, rather than leave it empty for most games.

Would really love to see Liverpool follow the community route - the Share Liverpool FC idea is great, but I can't see it getting enough money in today's world - I'd love to have £5k to put in for a share, but I simply don't on my wage! It worked abroad as implemented when there was considerably less money in the game! Anyway, I digress!

I really hope we can keep up proper football debate in these forums - there's some brilliant posts put up in these pages but also some terrible, inflamatory ones - shame we don't follow goal.com's example, nice posts there generally!

All the best for next season GreenleysCobbler!

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posted Jun 13, 2008

I live in MK but am a Forest fan but now also follow the Dons as they are my local team.

Like many others from MK i wish people who do not know the area would stop slagging the town and club off as franshise football.

As can be seen from Gretna when a club with no fans and no ground gets into trouble then they are likely to have to close down.

Wimbledon were in that position and had they stayed as tenants of Palace by now they would not exist.

MK offered them the chance to form a new identity but with a reference in their name to the old club.

Initially attendance was small and the club initially in the Championship had a number of years of struggle going down to league 1, followed by a 2 year fight agains relegation to league 2 which they eventually lost.

The team were playing in a converted hockey stadium with temporary stands but once in league 2 they began to find some form under Martin Allen.

He was poached by Leicester given money to spend and then sacked before the season had barely started.

MK now have a fantastic stadium and a great manager in Paul Ince. The chairman is fantasitc and is building the fan base all the time.

He has the right idea to make the market the club at the youth of the town as they are the once who will become the mk dons fans of present and future and help the club grow in League 1 and hopefully onwards and upwards towards championship and Prem football.

No disrespect to Leicester but they are in the same league as MK dons and as a town MK is growing fast and can attract fans from the surrounding area so has the potential to become a much bigger club than Leicester.

If i was Paul Ince Blackburn would be an extremely tempting proposition, a well run team with a good chairman. But the danger is that the team has over achieved under Mark Hughes.

Other teams who were below them last season are likely to become stronger such as Man City who are looking to spend a fortune and bring in world famous names.

Tottenham are also likely to be stronger.

There is therefore a danger of Paul Ince going there and damaging his growing reputation.

Martin O'Neill showed in his early career that you can afford to turn down a 'big club' as he turned down Forest and decided to stay with Wycombe for a further season.

Hopefully Paul will be with MK dons next season.

If not they will be a tempting proposition for many managers.

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