• You may have to login or register before you can post and view our exclusive members only forums.
    To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Sean O'Driscoll

Forums New posts
Status
Not open for further replies.
Strange.



O’Driscoll has managed several lower league clubs in his coaching career, including Doncaster Rovers, Crawley Town, Nottingham Forest and Bristol City, but will become part of a new-look coaching set-up at Anfield.

Liverpool have been searching for replacements for Colin Pascoe and Mike Marsh, who were sacked and released respectively after a review into last season.

Academy U16s coach Pepijn Lijnders is being promoted to Rodgers’ team and now O’Driscoll is set to come in as well. It is possible there could yet be further additions.

O’Driscoll, who joined the Football Association last September to work at youth level, was name-checked by Rodgers last season as one of the leading coaches in the country despite a relatively low profile. He shares the same philosophy as Rodgers, who said back in October he feared O’Driscoll would never have the opportunity to shine at the top level.

“The problem is that the guys who are ‘that type’ of [expansive] coach, you never hear of them really,” said Rodgers. “Look at Sean O’Driscoll. He is one of the best coaches I have ever come across.

“He has never had a chance in the top flight. His teams were expressive, had movement, they were technical, but he will probably never get a chance at a higher level.”

That opportunity is set to now follow which will leave the FA looking for two new youth coaches. U17s head coach John Peacock has quit to join Derby County as Paul Clement’s assistant.

Liverpool begin pre-season training on July 6 and Rodgers will hope to have O’Driscoll, 57, in place by then. Nathaniel Clyne will also be in situ after the Southampton right-back underwent a medical on Merseyside yesterday to seal his £10.5m, rising to £12.5m, move from St Mary’s on a five-year deal.
Click to expand...


I guess that makes clear he is Rodgers' choice. I was hoping someone would be imposed on him. The first team doesn't really need THREE coaches (all of whom share exactly the same vision). It needs at least one person who is experienced, able to step back and look at the big picture, sometimes play devil's advocate and offer the manager shrewd advice. This just smacks of Rodgers getting MORE people who'll agree with him rather than show enough courage to take on board someone with a bit of independence. How's that defence going to improve if his two new assistants look at him and say, 'Keep the faith'?
 
Maybe he's replacing Ljinders as Youth Coach.
 
Guardian carrying the same story:

The Liverpool manager has been without a No2 since Pascoe and Marsh, paid the price for last season’s disappointments following a review conducted by the club’s owner, Fenway Sports Group. It initially appeared Rodgers had been left isolated by their departures, with Pascoe in particular a long-time confidante, but the Northern Irishman is a firm admirer of O’Driscoll and has been instrumental in the approach.

Rodgers paid tribute to O’Driscoll’s qualities as part of a wider critique into the standard of English coaches in October 2013, when he claimed natural talent was being stifled by archaic coaching methods.

“We need to stop blaming the players,” Rodgers said at the time. “The players get the blame in this country. No, it is the coaching. The problem is that the guys who are ’that type’ of coach you never hear of them really. Look at Sean O’Driscoll. He is one of the best coaches I have ever come across. He is working at Bristol City. He has never had a chance in the top flight. His teams were expressive, had movement, they were technical, but he will probably never get a chance at a higher level.”

Liverpool now look set to give O’Driscoll that chance, only nine months after he replaced Noel Blake as head coach of England’s Under-19s side.

O’Driscoll, who was capped by the Republic of Ireland as a player but was born in Wolverhampton, spent six years in charge of Bournemouth, five at Doncaster and also had brief spells at Crawley Town, Nottingham Forest and Bristol City before his move to the FA.
Click to expand...
 
It doesn't sound as though the dug out will be any less meek and mild than it was last season. Of course, you don't need to be at all fiery to be effective - and maybe O'Driscoll will supply great technical insights for all I know - but this squad badly needs more drive and aggression and discipline, and this guy sounds unlikely to provide it:


This is from when he was sacked by Bristol City:


ULTIMATELY, Sean O'Driscoll paid the price for not winning football matches in a result-driven industry. But Bristol City's decision to dispense with their head coach is as much about personalities as it is results.

Quite simply, those responsible for the running of the football club are looking for a new head coach who exudes passion, one capable of motivating players and getting the best out of the first-team squad.

A very singular man, O'Driscoll has his own way of working, which is different to many other managers. Certainly, his methods are different to anything City's directors are likely to have experienced in the past and it seems reasonable to conclude that the relationship between the head coach and the board could have been better.

Similarly, City fans found it difficult to warm to O'Driscoll, despite the Midlander's exhaustive attempts to communicate in the media, through his programme notes and by attending supporter meetings.

The perception derived from his body language and mannerisms was that he lacked an inspirational personality and was dour. Whatever the reasons, he failed to build a close rapport with a majority of the club's support-base.

When push came to shove, the fact certain individuals on the board found O'Driscoll difficult to work with mitigated against him being afforded more time. How else can we explain the timing of his departure? O'Driscoll had identified loan targets and was in the process of securing those players ahead of yesterday's deadline.

When I spoke to City vice chairman Jon Lansdown yesterday, he alluded to O'Driscoll's perceived lack of passion. Adopting a diplomatic approach, he told me: "All coaches and managers are different and they all have their own styles and work in their own various ways.

"Whichever way you go about doing the job, you have to be successful. That is the bottom line. Sean has had the opportunity, has had the time and had the players to do it. I'm sure someone will come in and give it a slightly different approach."

He added: "We have good players – I don't think there is any question about that. It's about getting the best out of them.

"We are looking for a head coach who fits into our strategy and our plan and who can get the best out of those players. That is the role of the head coach and he is in charge of the first team and is responsible for delivering results on the pitch.

"I think we need to inject a bit of passion into that and start getting those results."

As in all cases where a football manager loses his job, there is a bottom line. Since succeeding Derek McInnes in January, O'Driscoll presided over a record of seven wins, 13 draws and 18 defeats in 38 league games. He failed to keep City in the Championship last season and leaves the club in 22nd position in League One, two points adrift of safety.

That record in itself would be sufficient to see most managers out of a job, and it could be argued that Robins owner Steve Lansdown and his board of directors have been remarkably patient. But, in the final analysis, a return of 34 points from 38 league games tells its own story.

"There is never a right time to do it, but you only have to look at the league table to see we are the third worst team in League One," said Lansdown.

"I understand there will always be questions concerning the specific timing of these things, but it won't come as a complete shock to people.

"We're five games away from being halfway through the season and we are third from bottom of the league. That is clearly unacceptable and that is why we have acted now."

Great strides have been made within the club's academy and Under-21 set-ups, while fundamental changes have been implemented to ensure future player recruitment is sustainable. But as Lansdown was quick to point out, head coaches are judged by results on the pitch.

He said: "Sean has helped us to implement our club strategy and I thank him for that. We have made a lot of improvements, but a club is only as good as its results on the pitch and those have not matched the good work that has gone on behind the scenes.

"We're not impatient and we want managers to succeed and head coaches to succeed.

"We try to allow as much time and give as much backing as we can to ensure that happens.

"There are a lot of other clubs in the league that have got rid for a lot less. You have to make these decisions when you feel the time is right and, for us, we need to pick up. I think that is clear for everybody to see."


Read more: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/appare...tory-20238718-detail/story.html#ixzz3eUWe51Ow
Follow us: @BristolPost on Twitter | bristolpost on Facebook
Click to expand...
 
Rodgers just cannot work with anybody who might seem even slightly like his equal. The man is too insecure to have someone who'll challenge him sometimes no matter how diplomatically. You can see him thinking now, 'Yep, that's a huge favour to old Sean, giving him the chance he never looked like getting. I bet he'll treat those cones like his own children...'
 
This is going to go down like a lead balloon with the supporters. An assistant that the vast majority have never heard of and has a track record that is'nt going to inspire or impress anyone. So much for getting an assistant who will add experience of winning things and achieving things in the game (Johnstone paint Trophy aside).
Underwhelming.
 
How have we gone from the Houlliers and Benitezs of this world to giving failed lower league manager, Sean O'Driscoll, his chance at the big time?

He might be great for all we know but it doesn't do a great deal for our profile in the game.
 
For fucks sake let's hope he isn't going to give the teamtalks before the game as half the players will top themselves just to drown his boring monotone voice out. He sounds like he should be reading out train station announcements.
 
I just don't get it. FSG sacked Marsh and Pascoe because they felt Brendan needed more experience on the bench so they've promoted the coach of the under 16's and are going for O'Driscoll as assistant Manager?

I'm hoping this is some ploy so that Brendan fails and Klopp takes over
 
Fuck me, how underwhelming... we have this boring fella and Rodgers..

Post match press conferences are going to be great..

Not going down too well on twitter..

I'm with @FoxForceFive on this..

Filler option.. How uninspiring...
 
Surely this fella is taking care of the youth team rather than the assistant managers position.. ??
 
Has previously managed Bournemouth, Doncaster, Crawley, Nottingham Forest and Bristol City," says Wikipedia....

Good to see we are getting European experience to help Rodgers
 
davud graham said:
This is going to go down like a lead balloon with the supporters. An assistant that the vast majority have never heard of and has a track record that is'nt going to inspire or impress anyone. So much for getting an assistant who will add experience of winning things and achieving things in the game (Johnstone paint Trophy aside).
Underwhelming.
Click to expand...



Yes. I guess - straining to consider the positive - no one would have been excited if Shanks had brought in someone like Bob Paisley or Joe Fagan, or Brian Clough brought in Peter Taylor - from the outside, but as they quietly went about their job no one expected anything else. So I guess Driscoll could surprise us all by proving a cool head behind the scenes. But as you suggest, it requires a big leap of faith.
 
I don't believe, yet, that FSG would sack the backroom team and then allow Rodgers to handpick another team with little scrutiny. There would be absolutely no point.

Personally I think we should offer the job to any man who can convince Lacazette to come play for Liverpool.
 
Bascombe:

O’Driscoll has been a regular visitor to Melwood in recent years, invited to observe Rodgers’ coaching sessions, and after productive talks regarding the assistant manager vacancy Liverpool are confident of securing his services for the start of pre-season.
brendan_point_3358651b.jpg


The former Republic of Ireland international joined the England set‑up a year ago and Rodgers sees O’Driscoll as part of a generation of coaches who has dedicated his career to evolving a more technical game in this country. There is no doubt that the duo share a similar philosophy in terms of developing talent, with O’Driscoll’s teams regularly praised for their purist approach.
Click to expand...

Do FSG really think what the club needs is another 'purist' when it needs to start winning things?
 
O'Driscoll has been sacked from every post he has managed in the lower leagues..

I just don't get it..
 
Looking more and more that the end of season review was purely cosmetic. Designed to shift the blame for last seasons horror show away from Rodgers and onto the anonymous first team coach and assistant manager who are now replaced by the fella working with the u16's and the ex Doncaster manager. I bet the top 4 teams are shitting themselves.
 
gkmacca said:
Yes. I guess - straining to consider the positive - no one would have been excited if Shanks had brought in someone like Bob Paisley or Joe Fagan, or Brian Clough brought in Peter Taylor - from the outside, but as they quietly went about their job no one expected anything else. So I guess Driscoll could surprise us all by proving a cool head behind the scenes. But as you suggest, it requires a big leap of faith.
Click to expand...


That's true, but I suppose the rather obvious response is that footballers are a different breed to the players back then. Higher egos, more distractions, higher wages. It's certainly harder for a coach to come from the lower leagues and command respect in the methods he once imposed on Doncaster Rovers. It would require a larger personality than what we just viewed in that video for sure.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom