The Poolie Bunker

The sume total of Lee Catermole's coaching experience is 13 months with Middlesbrough's U-18s that ended in February 2023.

38 MONTHs AGO.

Give or take the 9 whole days he was set piece coach at Bristol Rovers in December 2024.

His name has been associated with the Pools managerial vacancy at least 4 times previous to the current one. Christ only knows how many times he's been interviewed for the job and knocked back.

Guaranteed too that he's applied for umpteen jobs at other clubs in the past 3+ years.

And now, courtersy of Landon Smith's highly paid consultants, he's apparently just the man we need.

Farce. Pure and simple. Mr. Smith, if the rumours of Catermole's imminent appointment are true, they are taking your eyes out. Don't listen to them.

I really hope it's not true. I'm not saying that managers don't have to start somewhere (because they do) but what we need is someone that knows the league and has a decent (even if short) track record in management.

If they give it to Cattermole then they might as well give Liddle a crack or Tommy Miller.

And how could they say that Featherstone doesn't fit the profile they're looking for then give it to a bloke with zero experience of first team management?

Way to early to be casting judgement on Bromby & Co or the next manager whoever it is.
Rumours and speculation count for nothing.

It strikes me that they are waiting for someone who hasn't finished their season yet.

Strikes me that it is a look after your mates set up. Can Bromby and Partners show any success story for the clubs that they are involved with. If Liddle is staying as a coach did he stab Fevs in the back. If the new manager does not work out will Bromby be paying hie contract up as he is their appointment.

Consultants don't guarantee success.
Lennie Lawrence a prime example.

Obviously you look at the league table in November to see if they are going to improve us.

All they done so far is destroy the wage bill of getting rid of the big payers and kept a few kids on the books and trying to talk a crock into staying.

The process of bringing the new allegedly better employees needs to get out of first gear.

Maybe next week.

UTP.

Looks that way.
But can't imagine a playoffs winning Manager wanting to come to Pools.
I still reckon our 2nd choice is Ian Watson.

This seems a bad move imo if we are serious about promotion . We really need a manager with experience of this league and higher .

I don't think Challinor had managed at NL level or higher.
All we can do is wait and see who gets the job and how we get on in the first dozen games or so.

Could be a fairy-tale end of season for DC.
Stockport in the Champo without the Wrexham Publicity for the same achievement.

The league table looked good last season after 12 games may be make it 24 this season.
The open transfer window can rectify a poor start.

UTP.

since dropping down to non league the first time we must have appointed every type of manager profile that exists. league of wales, rookies , ex NLN and league managers. only 1 really did a good job although a couple were sacked too early without a plan B.

we hear a lot of what they can do, but i,m yet to see or hear which other club have they worked closely with. on the plus side they are not just suits but mainly people who have played the game.

but cattermole saw it going to happen.

How about checking your facts before posting utter bilge? Challinor had been a manager for 7 seasons before coming to Pools. He won 4 promotions in 5 years, took Flyde to the National League Play-offs twice and won the FA Trophy.

Challinor is an always has been a serial winner. Cattermole is a serial wannabe.

the only way you cam knock challinor ot have doubts about him is that he has been well backed financially at all the clubs he has managed apart from pools. there will be others around who got similar financial backing but still managed to cock things up. one thing about challinor is that he did not start his management at our level but below the nat.league north where he got promoted to. i,d have more faith in the cattermole experiment if he had done the same and gained some success even by being bankrolled.

What's utter bilge about saying I didn't think Challinor had managed at this level before, it was a genuine misbelief? I thought he'd only managed Fylde at NLN level.
No need to be so irate is there?

Cattermole…wind up.

You were implying that Challinor hadn't been all that experienced when he came to Pools so his appointment was some sort of precedent for taking a wild punt on Cattermole.

Which is so far from the truth that "utter bilge" is a statement of fact.

I never mentioned Cattermole did I, you need to learn to read all of the post and comprehend what it says not just have a guess at the words.

No need for this OAP Rage.
Chill out.
It's only Football!!

So it was just a completely random comment about Challinor was it, in a thread about Cattermole?

It was a comment about a manager who did well who I mistakenly believed hadni't managed at NL level or above and that's all. Some are saying we need someone who's been successful at this level or above.

Had not realised Catermole had been appointed, There is an awful lot of ITKs on the bunker.
Some are shouting loud against it making me wonder whats the crac.
I don,t know him so i,m not going to call him.
I will reserve judgement and not spout crap now, Just so in the future i can say I told you so.

"And now, courtersy of Landon Smith's highly paid consultants, he's apparently just the man we need.

Farce. Pure and simple. Mr. Smith, if the rumours of Catermole's imminent appointment are true, they are taking your eyes out. Don't listen to them."

Or have some positivity and faith that they may know what they are doing and we have turned a corner? Half glass full or not I guess

He was very well regarded as a coach at Boro, if he's our new manager he may surprise a few of the nay sayers.

As a player Left everything on the pitch, Never hid, Never shirked a challenge, Never gave up.

Yes, and I'm not a glass half-empty type of person as a rule. It's just that I'm struggling to find any grounds for positivity in this case.

Cattermole hasn't got the kind of profile Bromby et al said they were looking for only a couple of weeks ago. What changed? I guess we'll see what spin they put on it next week.

How do you know cattermole hasn't got the kind of profile they're looking for? What is his profile? What profile are bromby and co looking for?

We can only go by the statement that was put out on the OS

“Following a thorough review of our football operations conducted by Bromby & Partners, we have taken the decision to move in a specific direction in terms of our first-team manager profile, and at this stage in Nicky’s career development, he does not fit that profile."

Do you not think the clear implication there is that they would be looking for someone with more experience than Feaths?

I just thought they were being diplomatic. To me the implication was someone not as shit

They don't mention experience. It could be that they want someone who plays more attacking football. Or someone who doesn't insist on having a say on signings. Or, so it seems, someone who fits their imaginary profile who has no experience but is quite well known as a player at a higher level. (which makes their statement sound like a load of old blue shirt, tight chinos corporate bollocks to me).

one thing this season is that the two promoted clubs from this league will have managers very few will know much about there playing careers. its two separate things.

Let’s be honest Bromby are just agents but working under the umbrella as consultants.

Thats that cleared up then.
Or are you saying they are Catermole,s agents.

Whoevers what.
We still have to finish at the worst 7th.
UTP.

No idea.

I don't know whether they are taking the piss but I do think they'll possibly be getting decent money. My stance let's see if we get value for it.
We'll just have to be as patient for that answer as all the others.
One thing for sure I'm getting good at this patience game. It's certainly teaching me to hold on to my brass (as they say round here).

What's Bromby previous form.

Have they been a success anywhere else.

It's fair to say the novelty of optimism is starting to wain.
UTP

They’d appointed a fella at Plymouth last summer who seems to have done a good job, to me tho if the Clark rumour is right they clearly have absolutely no idea about this level.

I wonder if part of their(Bromby) remit is to liaise or consult with the fans, or does anything like that have to come through the clubs official site only?, they don't have to name names just put out a statement saying we're having to be patient as our target(s) are currently still under contract, on holiday, busy etc..

I reckon they're on an hourly rate, so are happily spinning it out as long as possible.

As you say Paulus- surely they could have made some kind of statement by now- how many candidates, profile desired, logistics and a rough timeframe without giving the game away FFS!

Instead, we continue to be treated like mushrooms - (kept in the dark and fed on shit) Which creates wild speculation, half truth's and lies, amongst the growing frustration of silence. We just want somebody who is clearly proven at this level and L2, which therefore doesn't include the likes of Lee Clark and Cattermole.

I mean, how hard can it actually be?

I'd ring John Askey up- reckon he'd do a decent job with a budget that allows him to actually bring in his own players, instead of being saddled with a load of sub standard sweaties, like the last time. He signed Manni D the last time around and were playing well up until we got ravaged with injuries.

Yeah John Askey is a decent shout, the tools he was handed here would have tested the best of Managers, I liked the blokes calm demeanor and measured responses.

The new Manager should be walking into a dream job of his own team.

But looks like he Gunna be racing against the clock to get his ownish team together.

Maybe tomorrow or Thursday or Friday something positive happens.

UTP.

After digesting the above it seems worryingly obvious that if Landon isn't already here in the UK then he needs to get his butt over here ASAP. The early bird countdown clock is fast ticking but nothing that I have seen, read or heard since the encouraging early post season statements made by Landon has even remotely set my juices flowing in respect of ST renewal.

After what we’ve seen and heard so far this summer I’m actually more reluctant to buy a season ticket then I was a month ago, rob law confirming Lee rust is still massively involved and even advising Landon!

FFS- Rusty Lee is STILL stealing a wage out of the club, it's no wonder we can't sign a manager- his reputation clearly proceeds him. He should be nowhere near the club and have been gone on New Year's Day

Lennie Lawrence and Lee Rust are like turds that won't flush. Some kind of announcement about the Vics name needs to come soon as well. If it's still called the Prestige Stadium come the pre season friendlies then I'm seriously doubting that anything's actually changed.

I wonder if all part of take over negotiations with Raj his boy Lee Rust stays to look after his interests and the ground keeps the Name Prestige at no cost to him. Surely the shirts sponsors will not have Prestige on them.
Landon said ne would keep us informed did he forget to tell Bromby about this. Lets get a new coach in soon one experienced at this level not a novice taking his first steps. The owner said we are in this together so lets have some action on behalf of the club.

A bit like buying a cruise liner but keeping the same officers on the bridge who’ll give you trips around the North Sea oil rigs instead of the Caribbean because they don’t have the ambition or clue how to get there.