Keith Hill Sacked!!

We only had to finish above 4 other teams 53, we didn’t need to win the title, finish in the play offs or even in the top half, just above those four. When you look at some of the players we did have, Verlinden, Bridcutt, Daryl Murphy, plus some of our better young players like Denis Politic, Brocky and Ronan. I know we only had some of these players on loan for the first half of the year but I wonder if the reason they didn’t want to return was because of KH himself? It’s history now but I’ve never believed we should have gone down.

I reckon finishing above four other teams is a tough ask with a new squad, most of whom have not played together before, and a twelve point deduction. Nonetheless, I’m not at all convinced that KH got the best out of players and I’m personally glad we got shot of him.

... and another thing. Perhaps not totally relevant to this thread, but a comment on points deductions for clubs going into administration - really, in part, a reflection on our 2019/20 season.
It seems to me that a points deduction for going into administration is too blunt a weapon. Of course owners should not be able to do that without sanction, but it is a huge disincentive for a new, completely independent owner coming in. It’s not the fault of the players, fans or new owner, but all three suffer when the old owner walks away unscathed.
Not, by the way, it would have necessarily saved us, but the players start with a mountain to climb, which must be pretty dispiriting. Obviously, it wasn’t disincentive enough in our case to prevent FV stepping in, but it made their lives more difficult.
In the Championship there’s an issue over both Sheffield Wednesday and Derby. Not insolvency, but breaking financial rules. Sheffield Wednesday suffered a mid-season deduction whereas Derby may or may not. If Derby have broken the rules and don’t it’ll be massively unfair on Wycombe.

Evatt had them training in July and it was November when we got properly off beating Salford which lead to a mini run.

Hill got his team August and yes started well but dont think fitness really works like that. These players werent Jardels and then get better week by week. They all were physically fit enough but couldnt really maintain performances so when adrenaline wears off the fatigue sets in.

Plus when Evatt had his bad spell others around were likewise. When Hill had a bad spell we were already cut adrift and teams getting further. Psychologically that had to hit hard.


I think up until Jan the impossible dream was still alive. For some reason the squad was dismantled, the interviews erratic and writing on the wall. I guess yes you could pin point that with Operation Phoenix.


But when Hill spoke he alienated everyone. Fans, players, owners i think he even bizarrely hung out flitcroft it i remember it.

If youre going to run your mouth as he did here and maybe at Tranmere you better be Klopp, Pep, Tuchel. Not bottom of L1 or 7th in L2

Thought i'd dig a little deeper to see if this was footballing reasons or had something happened. Found this

www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/19295352.palios-cuts-losses-hill-bid-win-fans-promotion/?ref=twtrec


Hope the link works. If not heres some of the best bits. Recognise any of it.

"Hill's quotable press conference appearances and notable habit to just keep talking were a football reporter's dream"

Hill claimed that he did not do social media....With each passing game, the Rovers boss would take a swipe at an opinion or school of thought that had almost certainly originated from Twitter.

He took great offence to one disappointing draw being labelled a disaster and followed it up by suggesting that other negative opinions were fickle. A comment that was latched on to by supporters."

But ultimately Hill's unique PR approach has not ended his Prenton Park tenure all on it's own, even if he did his best to ensure that....

Divisions in the squad and disgruntlement between the manager and the players appeared to be brewing.

Hill's long-standing approach of defending his team was abandoned near the end as he refused to take responsibility for the performance.

In game sniping between players was glaringly evident in the final match of the regular season.

Just prior to his Colchester pre-match press conference, he let out a huge aching sigh as he sat down.

I asked him if he needed some Cod Liver Oil tablets. He responded by saying: "No, that was just the weight of expectation."


I suspect that is how Hill felt when he decided to get more than a bit off his chest straight after the Colchester match, criticising his players, questioning the workrate of Corey Blackett-Taylor, begrudging sharing fitness updates on Paul Lewis and Vaughan, and generally playing down Tranmere's hopes of playoff success, even peculiarly suggesting that they might do it with three draws.


But when he effectively made light of Tranmere's controversial Points Per Game demotion from League One last season, by bluntly pointing out that the club had been relegated for losing 18 games, not winning their last three, he was verbally signing his own contract termination.

Club Chairman Mark Palios would be all too aware that the manager of Tranmere Rovers simply cannot say things like that and expect there not to repercussions. I suspect that Hill knew there would be.


But all parties can agree that he was simply not the right fit for Tranmere Rovers and Palios' decision to cut his losses.




Wow. Like a time warp from 18 months ago. Hill like here was out of contract and expext he knew, as he did here, his time was up and gave up. Talked himself out of a job rather than trying to make it impossible to fire. I.e getting fans on side and winning promotion/survival.

One out one in then, as Gary Bowyer is confirmed as Salford City’s new manager with a two year contract. I wonder how much of that two years he’ll actually see out?