Matt Taylor appreciation thread

[Stelios]

I'm a big fan. I think his media persona has changed a little during the season. He seems to have got more frustrated/angry at certain results or mistakes. Or maybe not? Even on the good run at the start of the season he was constantly frustrated at conceding soft goals.

He's clearly massively driven and it looks like he will not suffer fools gladly. He seems a lot more driven by the end result than the performance. Personally I want to see good football and good results but he doesn't seem as fussed. Yet at the same time he has signed excellent footballers so he's obviously not just a hoofball merchant. He's making all the right noises about what he expects/demands from his players but the art of management is getting that out of the players. Not just demanding things in an interview before or after a game but actually getting his players to do it on the pitch. I'm not sure he's there yet.

Look at this interview pre-FGR. I love the way the interviewer catches him completely unawares at the end of the interview (3.05). How can that not make you pleased to have this guy as our manager?

[video=youtube;Mln5Jiz4Dz0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mln5Jiz4Dz0[/video]

 

[fred binneys head]

I bloody loves Matt Taylor, me.

 

[geoffwp]

I bloody loves Matt Taylor, me.

You bleddy love everyone you old hippy. Peace and love man.

 

[fred binneys head]

You bleddy love everyone you old hippy. Peace and love man.

Nah, not everyone. Just Ryan Bowman and Matt Taylor.

 

[haka]

Yes, thanks for a season that he can take pride in, and learn from. Despite today's disappointment, he must get a good pass mark.

Next season will probably be tougher, we've had a bunch of mediocre teams in contention this season, but those clubs coming down (and even coming up) will raise the standard. So we'll need to as well.

 

[Stelios]

B+ overall.

Had a really difficult 1st summer with players and back room staff going to MK Dons. Signed some good players. Great start. Terrible pre-Christmas. Great Christmas. Too inconsistent since the New Year. So many injuries and the loss of Stockley were just too much to get over.

Looking forward to next year.

 

[Temporarily Exiled]

He's done very well for a first season using a squad someone else assembled. If we look at who he brought in this season in terms of attacking players - Law, Lee Martin, Forte, Williams - we can clearly see what he wants from a team. To do pretty well despite having a team with very little pace shows some nous and flexibility. We've learnt what works (4 at the back) and we've learnt what doesn't (3 at the back - never again!). Next season we can push on and build a squad that can go straight up.

I think he has the fans on side, too. Gates have increased, and there just seems to be a better atmosphere around the club these days, even if we're not in the play-offs this season.

 

[CREDYGRECIAN]

Solid, dependable and seems like an honest bloke - no smokescreens no stupid comments about the opposition, proper chaps and the like and a top 10 finish despite losing his best player in January.

Well done Matty T

 

[Temporarily Exiled]

Stockley's departure is almost easy to forget, and that's a real credit to Taylor. Bowman took a while to bed in, and that hurt us, but he seems like a good player for this level and I'm really excited to see how he and Randell Williams link up next season. They have the potential to really terrorise League Two defences.

 

[Antony Moxey]

Good first season only missing the play offs by a single goal. Difficult to mount a successful campaign with the massive changes that happened in the close season, especially as those changes happened deep into the close season too. Plus as Creds says losing the best lower league striker half way through the season makes the job even more difficult.

Couple of poor results need looking into, and the squad could do with a bit of a shakeup but overall it’s a thumbs up I think.