Hot on the heels of the reports about Gareth Ainsworth, another former Imps’ player has emerged as a candidate for the role, according to the odds.
That candidate is Michael Appleton, a player who made four appearances for us on loan from Manchester United back in the early nineties. I recall his short spell vividly, I believed we’d signed the next big thing when he arrived. He only played a handful of matches, loans back then usually being a month, before he returned to United.
He never reached the heights of some other famous United graduates, but he did have a decent career, mostly playing for Preston North End and West Brom. Injury curtailed his career and he moved into coaching.
At first glance, he does look to have had a few jobs, but the first three roles of his career were all with troubled clubs. He spent time with West Brom as a coach and assistant manager, before making the step up to management with Portsmouth. This was mid-collapse Portsmouth and it was an unhappy time; he had a win ratio of 25% and left when they entered administration.
He went out of the frying pan and right into the fire, joining an Oyston-led Blackpool. He had lost his entire first team squad whilst at Portsmouth and took over the Seasiders whilst they were in the Championship. 12 games and two wins later, he joined Blackburn Rovers.
67 days later, he was gone again. This was crisis Blackburn, the same side that had forced Steve Kean to resign and appointed Hennig Berg as manager, only to then sack him for Appleton. After that mad few months, Michael Appleton took some time out of the game.
Up to this point, I would imagine there are some of you thinking things like ‘barge pole’ in relation to Appleton, but his time with Oxford United is impressive. He joined in July 2014, taking them to promotion in 2016 as well as the EFL Trophy final. In his first season in League One they were back at Wembley for the trophy final, finishing eighth in League One. That took him to Leicester City as assistant manager, ending his tenure is the hot seat.
I’m not entirely sold on the need for a manager who ‘has won things’. Impressive jobs can be done without winning silverware and someone like Appleton would be an interesting prospect. He’s a hugely respected coach, Claude Puel described him as; “a good man, a strong character and an excellent coach with the leadership qualities to continue building a successful career.” Craig Shakespeare, on appointing him at Leicester, said Appleton had ‘been acknowledged by many as one of the most talented coaches in English football’.
Appleton is a coach as well as a manager some don’t get their hands dirty on the training ground, but he does. He has contacts too, lots of them, which would keep the steady flow of loans players coming into the squad.
He wouldn’t command any compensation either, meaning anything we made on Danny going to Huddersfield could be invested back into the club. He’s 43, he gave Oxford fans what some describe as the best three years of the modern era and he’s keen to get back into management.
“I would prefer to go back in as a manager, I feel that’s what suits my personality and my abilities,” he told the NTT20 podcast last year.
“It’s not about the level, I would love the opportunity to manage in the Championship to put a few ghosts to bed and prove people wrong, but it’s not about that. For me, it’s about the club. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt, whatever you do, don’t pick the level, pick the club.
“Ultimately if you want to be a Championship manager there might be a club in League Two capable of doing that in two seasons.”
His odds are falling; is he looking to pick our club? I’m not so sure he’d be a popular appointment, but there are positives worth considering.
Whatever happened to Flynn? His credentials are as good as any out there hence him being the bookies favourite.
Strong character and his record with a low budget is excellent.
Looks promising – well spotted
I prefer Appleton to Flynn. More experience, more conatcts, more exposure.