MALKY MACKAY....my humble opinion....
Wed Feb 08, 2012 7:39 am
I've just read Carl's latest post "" TRAVEL GROUP MEETING UPDATE " 6th Feb 2012.." and feel I have to put into words my feelings for our manager. (For the record....they are not sexual....much!! 
)
Whatever happens this season, and there will be many twists and turns, this man has already achieved in my book.
We already have the glory of going to our 1st Carling Cup Final......a feat probably unimaginable in July 2011.
On top of that I believe he has achieved something that I thought would take a few years to sort out.
I am not ashamed to say that until the 2nd half of last season I was as pro Dave Jones as they come. I backed him and defended him through all the criticism that came his way and believed that he would deliver the Holy Grail that we have been yearning for for so long. Although he had the footballing knowledge and managerial credentials, there was one niggling aspect of his tenureship that I could not defend, and that was his relationship with us, the fans. For reasons only known to himself, he distanced himself and the team from not only us, the paying public, but also the written press and extended media, which in this day and age is a very "interesting" choice to make!
When Malky was appointed my first reaction was "Malky who?" as I, along with many others I suspect, were waiting for the big name signing of Martin O'Neill, Chris Hughton, Gus Poyet, even Alan Shearer at the last minute, but no, the board went for Mr Malcolm Mackay......Malky!!! I'll be honest, I'd never heard of him until Jones was sacked and we started looking for a new man.
As I am now an exile living in Christchurch near Bournemouth for the last three years, I was struggling to keep up with events that were going on back home. My best recourse was the Cardiff City player subscription and quite quickly Malky started giving interviews along with videos of pre season training in Spain. It was quite evident that he was not only committed to CCFC but he always talked about the passion and desire of the fans, who quite frankly at that time he had not experienced! This was a pole shift away from the previous 6 years of management.
Since then I have been to roughly 6-7 home games and 4 away and on every occassion I have witnessed Malky's applause and appreciation of the fans. (For the record I was a season ticket holder for 18 years prior to living with the enemy!) Not only that he has obviously instilled into the players how important we are / can be and makes sure the players applaud us for our efforts. This is such a marked reversal on last year, it is like supporting a different club!!!
I have also had the privilege of meeting this guy at the FAW Awards ceremony and he had nothing but time for me, a total stranger asking him his views on the previous management!!! He was very diplomatic and stressed that it was now HIS team and we all need to move forward "together" to achieve "our" desired result.
This guy IS the real deal. Whether we achieve promotion or not it cannot be said that he has not transformed this club. If we actually pinch ourselves, and remind ourselves of our hopes and aspirations for this season, I'm sure mid table mediocrity would have been the thought of many. He has actually made it a season to remember whatever the league outcome.
In my opinion he deserves our total support, as he has shown us, in whatever transfer dealings he undertakes. He knows what he wants, and over time I'm sure he will get it. Fortunately for us he is destined for big things, and quite frankly I'm happy for the club to hang on to his shirt tails as he marches to the top, as that way we all get there together.
In conclusion I'd just like to thank Malky, and all of the team and backroom staff, for their efforts this year. Whilst we have obvious skill and passing ability, the commitment and desire has been second to none. I cannot predict the future, and like all of you, I would love it if we were in the Premier next season. But whatever happens this season, always remember that if we succeed, it will be by pure effort, commitment and belief. If we fail, those qualities will still be there in the same proportions.
Good luck Malky and the team, our hearts are with you.....always.
P.S. I am not Malky's bitch but for a small fee I would definitely consider it!
)Whatever happens this season, and there will be many twists and turns, this man has already achieved in my book.
We already have the glory of going to our 1st Carling Cup Final......a feat probably unimaginable in July 2011.
On top of that I believe he has achieved something that I thought would take a few years to sort out.
I am not ashamed to say that until the 2nd half of last season I was as pro Dave Jones as they come. I backed him and defended him through all the criticism that came his way and believed that he would deliver the Holy Grail that we have been yearning for for so long. Although he had the footballing knowledge and managerial credentials, there was one niggling aspect of his tenureship that I could not defend, and that was his relationship with us, the fans. For reasons only known to himself, he distanced himself and the team from not only us, the paying public, but also the written press and extended media, which in this day and age is a very "interesting" choice to make!
When Malky was appointed my first reaction was "Malky who?" as I, along with many others I suspect, were waiting for the big name signing of Martin O'Neill, Chris Hughton, Gus Poyet, even Alan Shearer at the last minute, but no, the board went for Mr Malcolm Mackay......Malky!!! I'll be honest, I'd never heard of him until Jones was sacked and we started looking for a new man.
As I am now an exile living in Christchurch near Bournemouth for the last three years, I was struggling to keep up with events that were going on back home. My best recourse was the Cardiff City player subscription and quite quickly Malky started giving interviews along with videos of pre season training in Spain. It was quite evident that he was not only committed to CCFC but he always talked about the passion and desire of the fans, who quite frankly at that time he had not experienced! This was a pole shift away from the previous 6 years of management.
Since then I have been to roughly 6-7 home games and 4 away and on every occassion I have witnessed Malky's applause and appreciation of the fans. (For the record I was a season ticket holder for 18 years prior to living with the enemy!) Not only that he has obviously instilled into the players how important we are / can be and makes sure the players applaud us for our efforts. This is such a marked reversal on last year, it is like supporting a different club!!!
I have also had the privilege of meeting this guy at the FAW Awards ceremony and he had nothing but time for me, a total stranger asking him his views on the previous management!!! He was very diplomatic and stressed that it was now HIS team and we all need to move forward "together" to achieve "our" desired result.
This guy IS the real deal. Whether we achieve promotion or not it cannot be said that he has not transformed this club. If we actually pinch ourselves, and remind ourselves of our hopes and aspirations for this season, I'm sure mid table mediocrity would have been the thought of many. He has actually made it a season to remember whatever the league outcome.
In my opinion he deserves our total support, as he has shown us, in whatever transfer dealings he undertakes. He knows what he wants, and over time I'm sure he will get it. Fortunately for us he is destined for big things, and quite frankly I'm happy for the club to hang on to his shirt tails as he marches to the top, as that way we all get there together.
In conclusion I'd just like to thank Malky, and all of the team and backroom staff, for their efforts this year. Whilst we have obvious skill and passing ability, the commitment and desire has been second to none. I cannot predict the future, and like all of you, I would love it if we were in the Premier next season. But whatever happens this season, always remember that if we succeed, it will be by pure effort, commitment and belief. If we fail, those qualities will still be there in the same proportions.
Good luck Malky and the team, our hearts are with you.....always.
P.S. I am not Malky's bitch but for a small fee I would definitely consider it!
Re: MALKY MACKAY....my humble opinion....
Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:09 am
I agree mate - met Malky at the Vale during pre-season training and he encouraged all the players to come and talk to me and my boys and sign autographs. He also spent ten minutes with me discussing his new signings attributes - Gunnar "hes as strong as an ox", Cowie "never stops working for the team" and made a few diplomatic comments regarding one or two of DJs signings who lets say haven't featured very much - even under DJ!! I was also wondering whether he was the right man after watching Watford fall away last season, but regardless of any success on the pitch, if we want a manager with passion for the club and who obviously loves his job, then we have the right man no question.