ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

This Forum is the main messageboard to discuss all things Claret and Blue and beyond
ClaretTony
Posts: 67423
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32237 times
Has Liked: 5253 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by ClaretTony » Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:08 am

The latest in the managers series, and again I've tried to be fair to someone who, shall we say, wasn't our most successful manager.

See link
https://www.uptheclarets.com/brian-laws ... ember-2010
These 2 users liked this post: longsidepies FactualFrank

NottsClaret
Posts: 3576
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 10:05 am
Been Liked: 2588 times
Has Liked: 1 time

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by NottsClaret » Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:21 am

That Boxing Day game at Barnsley was possibly the most drunken away end I've been in.

Local cricketer
Posts: 2347
Joined: Mon May 13, 2019 5:46 pm
Been Liked: 412 times
Has Liked: 87 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by Local cricketer » Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:22 am

Difficult to decide what was better about that boxing day. Events in Melbourne or Barnsley

Down_Rover
Posts: 1749
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:09 pm
Been Liked: 445 times
Has Liked: 187 times
Location: Manchester

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by Down_Rover » Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:32 am

Talk about being passed a poisoned chalice. I strongly suspect that he was the best of a very bad bunch of applicants for the job and that it would have proved impossible for most

He wasn't up to the job but who would have been given the hand he was dealt. The team that got promoted in 2009 was a little fortunate to get promoted and by the time he was appointed were fast running out of ideas

I prefer to remember him as possibly the best right back we had between relegation in the seventies and regaining top flight status

Murger
Posts: 4206
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2016 12:55 pm
Been Liked: 1235 times
Has Liked: 844 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by Murger » Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:50 am

Christ, I still have nightmares about his appointment.

ClaretTony
Posts: 67423
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32237 times
Has Liked: 5253 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by ClaretTony » Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:50 am

Down_Rover wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:32 am
I prefer to remember him as possibly the best right back we had between relegation in the seventies and regaining top flight status
Not the only player to have his reputation tarnished at a club having returned as manager, but he was hugely popular for us as a young player and he went on to have a really good career in the top flight with Forest.

dandeclaret
Posts: 3513
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:55 am
Been Liked: 2560 times
Has Liked: 300 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by dandeclaret » Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:57 am

Wis it a Youth FA Cup game, or a reserve game that was on at the Turf the night before he was appointed? I remember sitting in a total despirited haze at the fact that he was coming in as manager. A manager sacked in the league below, now getting a premier league job. I couldn't think of anybody else that would get that chance, and at the time, I thought showed how Burnley had failed to capitalise on being in the prem. Now it's just the reality of football.

I think in the main his signings were expensive and uninspiring. I remember Enola Gay saying it looked like he'd found a piece of paper with the championship team of the year on from 3 or 4 years previous. Marney, Cort, Iwelumo..... and then the mystery that was Big Fred. Where did he come from, where did he go?

He was never going to be up to the job, there was nothing in his managerial career that remotely hinted he would be up to it, and so it was as it played out. My memories of him will be jumping the canal, and when he gatecrashed the BBC studio after the Preston win.

TommyJohnson
Posts: 133
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 12:18 pm
Been Liked: 28 times
Has Liked: 16 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by TommyJohnson » Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:58 am

Never seen us turn on a manager like at boxing day at Barnsley the amount of **** he was getting was unreal I bet he wished the tunnel wasnt in the away end that day even when we won he had to get a police escort and lots of stewards had to hold of an angry Burnley end. How many did we take that day was it about 4.5k ?

TommyJohnson
Posts: 133
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 12:18 pm
Been Liked: 28 times
Has Liked: 16 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by TommyJohnson » Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:02 am

NottsClaret wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:21 am
That Boxing Day game at Barnsley was possibly the most drunken away end I've been in.
I agree. Wasn't a nice sight seeing fellow Burnley fans fight amongst each other just after we had just won especially.


https://youtu.be/HeuyVhEl3Uc

ClaretTony
Posts: 67423
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32237 times
Has Liked: 5253 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by ClaretTony » Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:04 am

dandeclaret wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:57 am
Wis it a Youth FA Cup game, or a reserve game that was on at the Turf the night before he was appointed? I remember sitting in a total despirited haze at the fact that he was coming in as manager. A manager sacked in the league below, now getting a premier league job. I couldn't think of anybody else that would get that chance, and at the time, I thought showed how Burnley had failed to capitalise on being in the prem. Now it's just the reality of football.

I think in the main his signings were expensive and uninspiring. I remember Enola Gay saying it looked like he'd found a piece of paper with the championship team of the year on from 3 or 4 years previous. Marney, Cort, Iwelumo..... and then the mystery that was Big Fred. Where did he come from, where did he go?

He was never going to be up to the job, there was nothing in his managerial career that remotely hinted he would be up to it, and so it was as it played out. My memories of him will be jumping the canal, and when he gatecrashed the BBC studio after the Preston win.
FA Youth Cup v Manchester United Dan, just a couple of hours after the appointment. In fairness to him, the Nimani deal had already been set up and he was on his way from France. I'm told Laws couldn't believe how poor he was when he signed, and I don't think he had much to do with the Cort and Fox signings either.

As an aside, these were the teams for that Youth Cup game - Michael Keane was out injured.

Burnley: Danny McDonald, Ed Williams, Jake McEneaney, Dave Lynch, Tom Anderson, Curtis Woods, Ross Wilson (James Taylor 66), Joe McKee, Dom Knowles, Liam Newman (Joe Jackson 66), Michael King (Stephen Edwards 74. Subs not used: Josh Cooke, Stephen Hewitt.

Manchester United: Conor Devlin, Alberto Massacci (Michele Fornasier 76), Nicholas Ajose, Scott Wootton, Sean McGinty, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Larnell Cole, Paul Pogba, William Keane, Davide Petrucci (Jesse Lingard 67), Josh King (John Cofie 63). Subs not used: Samual Johnstone, Etzaz Hussain.

TommyJohnson
Posts: 133
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 12:18 pm
Been Liked: 28 times
Has Liked: 16 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by TommyJohnson » Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:17 am

Alot of that United team have gone on to have very good careers.

Nicky Ajose
Scott Wooton
Ryan Tunnicliffe
Will Keane

All had(having) decent careers in the football league.

Paul Pogba doesn't need to introduction. Lingard is robbing 100k a week at United still and Josh King has made a very good name for himself especially after the back of last season. The biggest flop on that list though is Larnell Cole. Along with Ravel Morrison he was supposed to be the best of the lot. He has just recently signed for...... FC United of Manchester.

Also John Cofie aswell :lol: :lol:

martin_p
Posts: 10368
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 3:40 pm
Been Liked: 3764 times
Has Liked: 696 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by martin_p » Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:29 am

That’s a very fair précis of his time in charge. I’ll always have a soft spot for Brian Laws because of his playing days for us and, whilst being underwhelmed by his appointment as manager, desperately wanted to see it work. I think he was given an impossible task that even a man with better managerial qualities would have struggled with. There was a toxic atmosphere around the club at the time with what went on with Coyle, a real feeling that our one season (or at least that’s what I thought at the time) in the prem had been soured.

randomclaret2
Posts: 6880
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2016 5:04 pm
Been Liked: 2742 times
Has Liked: 4314 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by randomclaret2 » Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:34 am

I could never understand anything Laws said ; interviews ...before or after games, always left me wondering what he was talking about.

Spijed
Posts: 17112
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2016 12:33 pm
Been Liked: 2892 times
Has Liked: 1294 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by Spijed » Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:38 am

dandeclaret wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:57 am
He was never going to be up to the job, there was nothing in his managerial career that remotely hinted he would be up to it, and so it was as it played out. My memories of him will be jumping the canal, and when he gatecrashed the BBC studio after the Preston win.
On the flip side to that who can tell how a manager is going to work out beforehand? You only have to look at OGS at Man U. or even Frank Lampard.

Had they not played for their respective clubs beforehand then neither would have been within a million miles of getting the jobs they did.

ClaretTony
Posts: 67423
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32237 times
Has Liked: 5253 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by ClaretTony » Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:44 am

Here's an interesting stat about Laws that I didn't know. He is the only Sheffield Wednesday manager since 2000 to have been in charge for more than 150 games.

claretonthecoast1882
Posts: 10085
Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2018 1:59 pm
Been Liked: 4161 times
Has Liked: 57 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by claretonthecoast1882 » Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:56 am

NottsClaret wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:21 am
That Boxing Day game at Barnsley was possibly the most drunken away end I've been in.

That Boxing Day game at Barnsley was possibly the most drunken I've been in an away end

dandeclaret
Posts: 3513
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:55 am
Been Liked: 2560 times
Has Liked: 300 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by dandeclaret » Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:59 am

Spijed wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:38 am
On the flip side to that who can tell how a manager is going to work out beforehand? You only have to look at OGS at Man U. or even Frank Lampard.

Had they not played for their respective clubs beforehand then neither would have been within a million miles of getting the jobs they did.
Hiring potential of an unproven manager is one thing...... hiring a manager with proven capabilities as not good enough is another.

Herts Clarets
Posts: 3937
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2016 6:18 pm
Been Liked: 1754 times
Has Liked: 469 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by Herts Clarets » Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:59 am

Out of interest who were the other candidates at the time who fell away? Laws was dealt the most difficult of hands but ultimately the board were culpable for this most uninspiring appointment. As soon as the ink dried on the contract you felt the writing was on the wall. Sadly most people who could see what was coming were proven right throughout most of his tenure.

dandeclaret
Posts: 3513
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:55 am
Been Liked: 2560 times
Has Liked: 300 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by dandeclaret » Tue Sep 01, 2020 12:01 pm

ClaretTony wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:04 am
FA Youth Cup v Manchester United Dan, just a couple of hours after the appointment. In fairness to him, the Nimani deal had already been set up and he was on his way from France. I'm told Laws couldn't believe how poor he was when he signed, and I don't think he had much to do with the Cort and Fox signings either.

As an aside, these were the teams for that Youth Cup game - Michael Keane was out injured.

Burnley: Danny McDonald, Ed Williams, Jake McEneaney, Dave Lynch, Tom Anderson, Curtis Woods, Ross Wilson (James Taylor 66), Joe McKee, Dom Knowles, Liam Newman (Joe Jackson 66), Michael King (Stephen Edwards 74. Subs not used: Josh Cooke, Stephen Hewitt.

Manchester United: Conor Devlin, Alberto Massacci (Michele Fornasier 76), Nicholas Ajose, Scott Wootton, Sean McGinty, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Larnell Cole, Paul Pogba, William Keane, Davide Petrucci (Jesse Lingard 67), Josh King (John Cofie 63). Subs not used: Samual Johnstone, Etzaz Hussain.

Ah yes - Pogba looked like a rolls royce that night (totally unsurprising now obviously). The fact the manager didn't have anything to do with signings probably tells you all you need to know, about a manager out of his depth. We didn't have a sporting / technical director, so it should have been the manager's decision on who he signed.

ClaretTony
Posts: 67423
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32237 times
Has Liked: 5253 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by ClaretTony » Tue Sep 01, 2020 12:06 pm

dandeclaret wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 12:01 pm
The fact the manager didn't have anything to do with signings probably tells you all you need to know, about a manager out of his depth. We didn't have a sporting / technical director, so it should have been the manager's decision on who he signed.
He wasn’t the only Burnley manager around that time though.

Cirrus_Minor
Posts: 4394
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2016 8:20 pm
Been Liked: 1156 times
Has Liked: 1282 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by Cirrus_Minor » Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:52 pm

It was hard for him too take over without most of the backroom staff gone and a team that was now finding it difficult to make any impression in the Premier league. I like many thought highly of him as a player but I could not understand why we set him as manager apart from he was readily available after being recently sacked by Wednesday.

The win on last game of the season against Spurs was for me the highlight and the most embarrassing was the stuffing at home to Man city. The gate crash on the match of the day pundits were mind numbingly cringing.

Local cricketer
Posts: 2347
Joined: Mon May 13, 2019 5:46 pm
Been Liked: 412 times
Has Liked: 87 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by Local cricketer » Tue Sep 01, 2020 3:49 pm

Spijed wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:38 am
On the flip side to that who can tell how a manager is going to work out beforehand? You only have to look at OGS at Man U. or even Frank Lampard.

Had they not played for their respective clubs beforehand then neither would have been within a million miles of getting the jobs they did.
Spijed clinging on to the tiniest possibility that Laws was hard do and in turn trying to compare him to OGS and Frank Lampard

Rowls
Posts: 13163
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2016 11:00 pm
Been Liked: 5065 times
Has Liked: 5124 times
Location: Montpellier, France

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by Rowls » Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:14 pm

Best Laws acquisitions:

1. Dean Marney
2. Billy Mercer

ClaretTony
Posts: 67423
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32237 times
Has Liked: 5253 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by ClaretTony » Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:15 pm

Rowls wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:14 pm
Best Laws acquisitions:

1. Dean Marney
2. Billy Mercer
You forget Billy who Laws inherited at Hillsborough.

Rowls
Posts: 13163
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2016 11:00 pm
Been Liked: 5065 times
Has Liked: 5124 times
Location: Montpellier, France

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by Rowls » Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:21 pm

He brought him to Burnley and that's been the key thing.

Laws had the most impossible job given to a Burnley manager ever. I've nothing against Laws and although I didn't enjoy his tenure he conducted himself with a good deal of dignity.

ClaretTony
Posts: 67423
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32237 times
Has Liked: 5253 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by ClaretTony » Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:25 pm

Rowls wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:21 pm
He brought him to Burnley and that's been the key thing.

Laws had the most impossible job given to a Burnley manager ever. I've nothing against Laws and although I didn't enjoy his tenure he conducted himself with a good deal of dignity.
The only time I saw him lose it in any way was at the AGM just before Christmas in 2010. He seemed fine before the meeting and I was talking to him about the big news that had broken at Ewood just before the meeting with the new owners having sacked Sam Allardyce.

But he turned on Suzanne from the Lancashire Telegraph in the meeting, unnecessarily I thought, but he was undoubtedly a man under pressure by then. I always remember the Leeds game at home just before. We were walking up Harry Potts Way when Brendan Flood came out and told us that he'd instructed Laws to play 4-4-2 that day. He was, by then, a dead man walking.

aggi
Posts: 8762
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:31 am
Been Liked: 2109 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by aggi » Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:33 pm

It was a desperately poor appointment but that was on the board, not Laws. It was never going to be an easy appointment given that our squad may not have been the best but Coyle had got them working miracles by boosting their confidence. Having him walking out saying there is better elsewhere must have shattered it.

I think the vast majority of people, excluding the board, could see it was a bad appointment though. He wasn't a man who was going to motivate the team out of a relegation battle, he'd just been sacked from one in the division below. He wasn't a forward looking managerial appointment like most of our recent ones have been, it was just a panicked nothing appointment. By all accounts he couldn't cope with the dressing room and didn't have the strength of character of Howe to actually start sorting things out.

My two abiding memories of his time in charge are the one that Dan has referenced with his stumbling into the interview after the Preston game as if by accident and the Fulham away game early in his reign. He received vocal support throughout but the actual match was a shocker and we never looked anywhere near scoring, never mind getting a result. At that point I knew we were going down.

Actually I guess my third memory is the Scunthorpe game but I've tried to block that out.

fidelcastro
Posts: 7235
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2016 8:45 pm
Been Liked: 2195 times
Has Liked: 2175 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by fidelcastro » Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:41 pm

aggi wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:33 pm
It was a desperately poor appointment but that was on the board, not Laws. It was never going to be an easy appointment given that our squad may not have been the best but Coyle had got them working miracles by boosting their confidence. Having him walking out saying there is better elsewhere must have shattered it.

I think the vast majority of people, excluding the board, could see it was a bad appointment though. He wasn't a man who was going to motivate the team out of a relegation battle, he'd just been sacked from one in the division below. He wasn't a forward looking managerial appointment like most of our recent ones have been, it was just a panicked nothing appointment. By all accounts he couldn't cope with the dressing room and didn't have the strength of character of Howe to actually start sorting things out.

My two abiding memories of his time in charge are the one that Dan has referenced with his stumbling into the interview after the Preston game as if by accident and the Fulham away game early in his reign. Hegg received vocal support throughout but the actual match was a shocker and we never looked anywhere near scoring, never mind getting a result. At that point I knew we were going down.

Actually I guess my third memory is the Scunthorpe game but I've tried to block that out.
I agree with a lot of that, but I also think you're being very kind to Howe by suggesting he sorted things out. We were on a downward trajectory by the time Howe left.

In fact, from memory, I don't think their respective records at championship level with Burnley were much different.

Fretters
Posts: 2530
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 7:56 am
Been Liked: 1034 times
Has Liked: 543 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by Fretters » Tue Sep 01, 2020 5:01 pm

I'm not sure his appointment was ever as desperate as it seemed - we'd approached Sheff Weds for permission to speak to him prior to appointing Coyle, so we'd obviously had our eye on him anyway.

Still the wrong appointment, though,

aggi
Posts: 8762
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:31 am
Been Liked: 2109 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by aggi » Tue Sep 01, 2020 5:01 pm

fidelcastro wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:41 pm
I agree with a lot of that, but I also think you're being very kind to Howe by suggesting he sorted things out. We were on a downward trajectory by the time Howe left.

In fact, from memory, I don't think their respective records at championship level with Burnley were much different.
By sorting things out I'm referring to the squad and some of the senior players who, according to multiple reports afterwards, were wielding a lot of player power, to put it politely.

Agreed that the results weren't that different but he also oversaw a squad refresh which was the beginning of what Dyche then did. He cleared out a fair number of the senior pros that Laws tried, and by all accounts failed, to get onside.

daveisaclaret
Posts: 2057
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2016 9:23 pm
Been Liked: 1129 times
Has Liked: 94 times
Location: your mum

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by daveisaclaret » Tue Sep 01, 2020 5:03 pm

Fretters wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 5:01 pm
I'm not sure his appointment was ever as desperate as it seemed - we'd approached Sheff Weds for permission to speak to him prior to appointing Coyle, so we'd obviously had our eye on him anyway.

Still the wrong appointment, though,
Don't think I agree with that - in the time since we'd approached them we'd been promoted and he'd been sacked because he was taking them down. The fact that we still went back for him when we were better off and he had a worse CV was sheer desperation.

wilks_bfc
Posts: 11410
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:33 pm
Been Liked: 3170 times
Has Liked: 1848 times
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by wilks_bfc » Tue Sep 01, 2020 6:22 pm

Is Laws the only manager ever to be blamed for 2 relegations in the same season?

ClaretTony
Posts: 67423
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32237 times
Has Liked: 5253 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by ClaretTony » Tue Sep 01, 2020 6:25 pm

wilks_bfc wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 6:22 pm
Is Laws the only manager ever to be blamed for 2 relegations in the same season?
Billy McNeill moved from Manchester City to Aston Villa during the 1986/87 season and both were relegated from the old first division that season. I think he remains the only manager to achieve that although Mark Hughes came perilously close two seasons ago with Stoke and Southampton.

ClaretTony
Posts: 67423
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32237 times
Has Liked: 5253 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by ClaretTony » Tue Sep 01, 2020 6:30 pm

fidelcastro wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:41 pm

In fact, from memory, I don't think their respective records at championship level with Burnley were much different.
For what it's worth, this is the breakdown of each manager since 2000 at Championship level.

Sean Dyche - 230 points from 125 games at 1.84 points/game
Owen Coyle - 117 points from 77 games at 1.52 points/game
Brian Laws - 32 points from 22 games at 1.45 points/game
Stan Ternent - 263 points from 184 games at 1.43 points/game
Eddie Howe - 105 points from 77 games at 1.36 points/game
Steve Cotterill - 189 points from 152 games at 1.24 points/game
This user liked this post: fidelcastro

andyh
Posts: 1385
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2016 2:27 am
Been Liked: 483 times
Has Liked: 102 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by andyh » Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:00 pm

I bumped into Laws in a bar in Portugal a couple of years after his dismissal. He said it was an impossible job Cos the senior players just didn’t want him and thought they knew best. I agreed and added the fans didn’t want him either.

That said I think he would have been an ok manager if we’d got him at Championship level. For that season we needed Prem experience and he didn’t have it.

ClaretTony
Posts: 67423
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32237 times
Has Liked: 5253 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by ClaretTony » Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:17 pm

andyh wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:00 pm
I bumped into Laws in a bar in Portugal a couple of years after his dismissal. He said it was an impossible job Cos the senior players just didn’t want him and thought they knew best. I agreed and added the fans didn’t want him either.

That said I think he would have been an ok manager if we’d got him at Championship level. For that season we needed Prem experience and he didn’t have it.
The same players tried the same tricks with Howe. Laws tried to win them over, Howe got them out of the club.

matttheclaret
Posts: 581
Joined: Mon May 04, 2020 10:17 am
Been Liked: 147 times
Has Liked: 24 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by matttheclaret » Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:24 pm

ClaretTony wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:17 pm
The same players tried the same tricks with Howe. Laws tried to win them over, Howe got them out of the club.
From memory, Howe got rid of Carlisle, Alexander, Elliott and Thompson almost straight away. There may have been others I'm forgetting.

Think Mears, Eagles and Fox went too although I think he actually wanted to keep them.

aggi
Posts: 8762
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:31 am
Been Liked: 2109 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by aggi » Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:27 pm

ClaretTony wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:17 pm
The same players tried the same tricks with Howe. Laws tried to win them over, Howe got them out of the club.
I remember he was pilloried for it by some on here. Lots of posts about how he couldn't cope with senior players due to his age.

LAM
Posts: 155
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2016 10:57 pm
Been Liked: 33 times
Has Liked: 27 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by LAM » Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:29 pm

Very fair write up.

A very underwhelming appointment and one the board needs to be accountable for. You never wanted to turn on him, but it always seemed clear it was never working. That City game was the only one I left at half time - I honestly thought they’d get double figures.

The only positive I can take from his tenure is Dean Marney’s arrival

Swizzlestick
Posts: 3978
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2016 9:40 pm
Been Liked: 1503 times
Has Liked: 577 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by Swizzlestick » Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:46 pm

Always came across as a decent enough bloke, but the appointment was, and remains, utterly inexplicable. Can’t imagine what the players thought when we hired somebody who had failed a level below.

Throwing away a two goal lead against Leeds to lose 3-2 was a particular low point.

ClaretTony
Posts: 67423
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32237 times
Has Liked: 5253 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by ClaretTony » Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:56 pm

aggi wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:27 pm
I remember he was pilloried for it by some on here. Lots of posts about how he couldn't cope with senior players due to his age.
There’s truth in that. When Michael Duff told fans that Howe never spoke to him there was clearly a problem.

ClaretTony
Posts: 67423
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32237 times
Has Liked: 5253 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by ClaretTony » Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:57 pm

matttheclaret wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:24 pm
From memory, Howe got rid of Carlisle, Alexander, Elliott and Thompson almost straight away. There may have been others I'm forgetting.

Think Mears, Eagles and Fox went too although I think he actually wanted to keep them.
I’d suggest three from the first group of names

elwaclaret
Posts: 8925
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 9:57 am
Been Liked: 1984 times
Has Liked: 2874 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by elwaclaret » Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:34 pm

Swizzlestick wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:46 pm
Always came across as a decent enough bloke, but the appointment was, and remains, utterly inexplicable. Can’t imagine what the players thought when we hired somebody who had failed a level below.

Throwing away a two goal lead against Leeds to lose 3-2 was a particular low point.
Think it was mostly due to Brendan Flood that Brian Laws was appointed. I was surprised, but was desperate for it to work out. Really liked the guy and hoped after bedding in he would settle into making us a decent shout for the season after but some of the signings were, frankly, bewildering. While I will always remember him with fondness, I think there was little option but to call it a day when we did.

Still remember his sliding tackle in the snow starting the ITV footy highlights. That was some slide.

levraiclaret
Posts: 1566
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:40 am
Been Liked: 428 times
Has Liked: 1460 times
Location: Leicestershire
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by levraiclaret » Wed Sep 02, 2020 11:09 am

Herts Clarets wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:59 am
Out of interest who were the other candidates at the time who fell away? Laws was dealt the most difficult of hands but ultimately the board were culpable for this most uninspiring appointment. As soon as the ink dried on the contract you felt the writing was on the wall. Sadly most people who could see what was coming were proven right throughout most of his tenure.
I remember Paul Lambert and Simon Grayson ruling themselves out, and that Portuguese chap Vilas Boas apparently applied. The only other name I remember being mentioned was Paul Ince so I was relieved when Laws was appointed, but maybe Ince would have tamed the dressing room.
Short term pain, long term gain. The Board acted decisively at the end.

fidelcastro
Posts: 7235
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2016 8:45 pm
Been Liked: 2195 times
Has Liked: 2175 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by fidelcastro » Wed Sep 02, 2020 7:13 pm

levraiclaret wrote:
Wed Sep 02, 2020 11:09 am
I remember Paul Lambert and Simon Grayson ruling themselves out, and that Portuguese chap Vilas Boas apparently applied. The only other name I remember being mentioned was Paul Ince so I was relieved when Laws was appointed, but maybe Ince would have tamed the dressing room.
Short term pain, long term gain. The Board acted decisively at the end.
Wasn't O'Driscoll in the frame too?

Whatever happened to him?

ClaretTony
Posts: 67423
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32237 times
Has Liked: 5253 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by ClaretTony » Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:28 am

levraiclaret wrote:
Wed Sep 02, 2020 11:09 am
I remember Paul Lambert and Simon Grayson ruling themselves out, and that Portuguese chap Vilas Boas apparently applied. The only other name I remember being mentioned was Paul Ince so I was relieved when Laws was appointed, but maybe Ince would have tamed the dressing room.
Short term pain, long term gain. The Board acted decisively at the end.
The Lambert link was when Laws left and I think he was offered and had all but accepted the job before then going and signing a new deal at Norwich.

Rowls
Posts: 13163
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2016 11:00 pm
Been Liked: 5065 times
Has Liked: 5124 times
Location: Montpellier, France

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by Rowls » Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:32 am

fidelcastro wrote:
Wed Sep 02, 2020 7:13 pm
Wasn't O'Driscoll in the frame too?

Whatever happened to him?
Yes. Barry Kilby remarked that he simply wasn't "inspiring" in any way after he interviewed. We were looking for somebody with more hunger and desire than he expressed.

Since his success at Doncaster he's dropped out of the spotlight entirely suggesting Barry was maybe onto something.

ClaretTony
Posts: 67423
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32237 times
Has Liked: 5253 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by ClaretTony » Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:43 am

Rowls wrote:
Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:32 am
Yes. Barry Kilby remarked that he simply wasn't "inspiring" in any way after he interviewed. We were looking for somebody with more hunger and desire than he expressed.

Since his success at Doncaster he's dropped out of the spotlight entirely suggesting Barry was maybe onto something.
I know someone who had worked for some time alongside O'Driscoll. He told me that he'd never cope as a Premier League manager because he wouldn't be able to deal with the media. Good coach he said but not the front man.

If you look at our three Premier League managers, it does fit. Coyle loved it, Dyche has his own style but can deal with the media, Laws I always felt couldn't and you always got the impression he was bumbling along in interviews.

It was a job that nobody really wanted back in January 2010 and I don't recall anyone other than Laws and SOD being in the frame at all.

Swansea too went down a couple of years ago having appointed a manager who had just been sacked by Sheffield Wednesday.

Murger
Posts: 4206
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2016 12:55 pm
Been Liked: 1235 times
Has Liked: 844 times

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by Murger » Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:51 am

ClaretTony wrote:
Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:43 am
I know someone who had worked for some time alongside O'Driscoll. He told me that he'd never cope as a Premier League manager because he wouldn't be able to deal with the media. Good coach he said but not the front man.

If you look at our three Premier League managers, it does fit. Coyle loved it, Dyche has his own style but can deal with the media, Laws I always felt couldn't and you always got the impression he was bumbling along in interviews.

It was a job that nobody really wanted back in January 2010 and I don't recall anyone other than Laws and SOD being in the frame at all.

Swansea too went down a couple of years ago having appointed a manager who had just been sacked by Sheffield Wednesday.
I'm not surprised he's disappeared. Losing out to Brian Laws would be enough to put anyone off.

ClaretTony
Posts: 67423
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
Been Liked: 32237 times
Has Liked: 5253 times
Location: Burnley
Contact:

Re: ARTICLE: Brian Laws – January 2010 to December 2010

Post by ClaretTony » Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:59 am

Murger wrote:
Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:51 am
I'm not surprised he's disappeared. Losing out to Brian Laws would be enough to put anyone off.
I know which of the two I'd have preferred and it certainly wasn't SOD. But neither of them ever looked capable of being Premier League managers to be honest although both had enjoyed decent runs lower down.
This user liked this post: levraiclaret

Post Reply