Cooper left by mutual consent

[mall]

Think we had reached the stage where he had to go, but as Chris Lumsden said on the radio post match, the players have to look at themselves as well, and ask if they were doing all they could.
As for Keith Curle, many of the things being said about him are the same things that were being said about Cooper when he was appointed - experienced, good contacts, mid-table consolidation, etc - so who knows?!!

Keith Curle does not aim or settle for mid-table just ask Andrew Jenkins and the Carlisle board he ended up leaving because their ambition didn't match his.

"he ended up leaving because their ambition didn't match his." - You mean they are skint !!

[spirit of 1990]

Absolutely the right decision, although I must admit to being surprised it happened.
We definitely have some decent players but it just needs the right person (or persons) to get the best out of them, get the bounce back in the dressing room, play players to their strengths and I believe we’ll be safe. The biggest problem anyone taking charge will have is trying to find a way for our strikers to start scoring a couple of goals….because I don’t fancy holding out for nine draws.

The problem being that the strikers we have just won't score goals because they just aren't good enough. Whoever is manager won't change that fact. None of them have any strengths. None can head a ball, none can finish even the easiest of chances, none of them are quick, none of them are skilful. I'll make a slight exception to that in that Sea shows occasional glimpses of promise. The rest are totally useless and would struggle to get in almost all National League sides.

I totally agree, I wasn’t saying a new manager could suddenly get them playing well and they’d miraculously start to find the net. My point was any new manager will need to find a way of getting the odd goal out of them because at the moment we’re relying on Banks or Rooney.
I can’t ever remember us having such a weak forward line. Ever.

[Jonty]

The problem being that the strikers we have just won't score goals because they just aren't good enough. Whoever is manager won't change that fact. None of them have any strengths. None can head a ball, none can finish even the easiest of chances, none of them are quick, none of them are skilful. I'll make a slight exception to that in that Sea shows occasional glimpses of promise. The rest are totally useless and would struggle to get in almost all National League sides.

I totally agree, I wasn’t saying a new manager could suddenly get them playing well and they’d miraculously start to find the net. My point was any new manager will need to find a way of getting the odd goal out of them because at the moment we’re relying on Banks or Rooney.
I can’t ever remember us having such a weak forward line. Ever.

That won’t change with a new Manager E. its still the same players who miss the good chances week after week yet the Manager ultimately pays the price.

[Bakewell Blue]

You’re all mentioning my summarisers - when am I going to get linked with the job like

Well…. You do seem to be available on match days! (and really care about Barrow)

[walneyroad]

That won’t change with a new Manager. its still the same players who miss the good chances week after week yet the Manager ultimately pays the price.

Don't underestimate the effect of the New Manager Bounce!

A new manager can breathe a new lease of life into a team by playing players in their correct positions, not leaving good players on the bench or in the stand (keeping Cooper company), getting them to have a sense of a belief in themselves.

I believe this is exactly the right move which could make a positive difference and give us a chance to stay up.

[Scott]

Not totally surprised but the timing more than anything is. Cooper was backed in January and allowed to bring in his players and I thought we'd stick till the end of the season with him, hopefully stay up and rebuild in the summer. He knew what we were lacking it was obvious.

The effort for the most part was there but there's something missing, the spark that there was earlier in the season when we played some good football at times and were good to watch. Confidence is a big thing too but we seemed unable to do what Cooper wanted on the pitch, either the players aren't capable which I think is partly it or they just didn't follow it - bit of both perhaps.

We've had some horrendous luck with injuries which hasn't helped but our goalscoring or lack of has killed us. So many games we'd have been fine with a half decent forward up there ie. a Quigley. Goals change games, we can't score apart from Rooney and I expected a bit more from Gordon and Holloway yesterday. Recruitment there can be questioned but replacing Quigley was always going to be tough.

I'm not sure if it's the right decision, if we stay up then yes you can say it worked but this constant changing of managers isn't good. We got what we wanted an experienced manager after Dunn and Jolley, we backed him for the most part and I thought we'd give him until next season to have a proper go. I just hope the board have someone lined up as we've only got 9 games left and it seems a bit of a sudden reaction and decision. Yesterday was poor and for a game of that importance the lack of appetite from us was worrying.

Good luck to Mark Cooper for the future. Not sure why he wasn't so popular he might've came across as a bit dour but no doubting his effort when you heard him in the stand. It hasn't worked out as we'd have hoped, now what next...

[bhbb]

Weird one and I’m not sure where I stand with this decision. Think we’ve been defensively solid-ish most the season and our goals against column is up there with some of the top teams but the goal scoring problem is glaringly obvious. At times we’ve played some decent effective football but have been toothless up front from the off.

Footballs a funny game and I think any other season and we’d converted a few of the numerous chances missed and we’d be sitting mid table planning for next season already. We haven’t and we’re now looking over our shoulder relying on oldhams results and the points in hand over them which is a recipe for disaster so you’ve probably got to get rid of him really.

We’ve got 9 cup finals to go and I think 3 wins from them will keep us up, get someone in now who’s gonna build something good for next year and have a real go at cementing a place in the league.

[M6 BLUE]

Keith Curle does not aim or settle for mid-table just ask Andrew Jenkins and the Carlisle board he ended up leaving because their ambition didn't match his.

"he ended up leaving because their ambition didn't match his." - You mean they are skint !!

If you get knocked out in the play off semi finals its pretty obvious the way to go is to gamble on increasing your budget and player quality the following season to increase the probability of getting over the line that season.

Jenkins lost his bottle because Keith kept kicking his door in and couldn't say no to him So Nixon brought Clibbins in and put him between the two of them Keith didn't work like that so basically told them to get fu**ed and spent a year signing shite players just to show them the standard of players they could get with their reduced budget.

What do you think a Clough or a Shankley would have said to an owner who mentioned budget cuts ? Your owner is perceived as being one who can be persuaded to spend that bit extra to get that bit of extra quality just a shame you.ve employed manager after manager since Evvett who wouldn't know quality if it smacked them in the face.

[mall]

"he ended up leaving because their ambition didn't match his." - You mean they are skint !!

If you get knocked out in the play off semi finals its pretty obvious the way to go is to gamble on increasing your budget and player quality the following season to increase the probability of getting over the line that season.

Jenkins lost his bottle because Keith kept kicking his door in and couldn't say no to him So Nixon brought Clibbins in and put him between the two of them Keith didn't work like that so basically told them to get fu**ed and spent a year signing shite players just to show them the standard of players they could get with their reduced budget.

What do you think a Clough or a Shankley would have said to an owner who mentioned budget cuts ? Your owner is perceived as being one who can be persuaded to spend that bit extra to get that bit of extra quality just a shame you.ve employed manager after manager since Evvett who wouldn't know quality if it smacked them in the face.

Correct, thanks.
Learnt so much more about Carlisle ununited this last few hours-nice to have it all out in the open!.

[andyg]

I really don't know where I stand with this decision. Agree and see the point of both sides of the argument. But we are six points clear of the drop - but with a pretty tough run in to the end of the season. So is that the right move to get rid? I really don't know. Wonder if the 8 match ban had anything to do with the decision. However, I thought we were so poor against Carlisle - so was the decision a knee jerk reaction by the board? I hope not as that means there is no forward planning and panic is setting in. Even when we beat 10 man Scunny was the writing on the wall - I'd love to know but probably never will.

I don't really want a couple of players taking over or having some non league manager taking over until, say, the end of the season in our predicament as that will not work. (However, what do I know). I just want the decision to be made that is effective with some sort of long term strategy. What Evatt, Kelly & Cooper have tried to do is drag Barrow away from a non league club mentality. Unfortunately I get the impression that this mentality still exists at the club - but I have no evidence of that just a gut feeling. That is why I don't want to see a manager appointed that has that way of thinking and that is why we must go for an experienced EFL person. The club still has a long way to go. Lets hope we are spending next season in the EFL and not in non league.

[sambino]

We need someone not only to keep us up but also to build the structures facilities for training we need going forward Carlisle need similar which Simpson has mentioned on RC and sure if they keep him they have to listen to him we need someone as positive as Simmo in charge of us Evett would have got a tune out of these players there not that bad in my opinion but we have brought Rooney back and we don’t seem to have been using him in the right position quite a few bang on about lack of a quality no 9 which we cannot do a lot about at the moment but we could get more goals out of Rooney and Gotts with a more attaching line up which I hope we see with the new man whoever it is

[Hitthebar22]

I really don't know where I stand with this decision. Agree and see the point of both sides of the argument. But we are six points clear of the drop - but with a pretty tough run in to the end of the season. So is that the right move to get rid? I really don't know. Wonder if the 8 match ban had anything to do with the decision. However, I thought we were so poor against Carlisle - so was the decision a knee jerk reaction by the board? I hope not as that means there is no forward planning and panic is setting in. Even when we beat 10 man Scunny was the writing on the wall - I'd love to know but probably never will.

I don't really want a couple of players taking over or having some non league manager taking over until, say, the end of the season in our predicament as that will not work. (However, what do I know). I just want the decision to be made that is effective with some sort of long term strategy. What Evatt, Kelly & Cooper have tried to do is drag Barrow away from a non league club mentality. Unfortunately I get the impression that this mentality still exists at the club - but I have no evidence of that just a gut feeling. That is why I don't want to see a manager appointed that has that way of thinking and that is why we must go for an experienced EFL person. The club still has a long way to go. Lets hope we are spending next season in the EFL and not in non league.

After careful reflection, I see the sacking as a big mistake, unless he’s lost the dressing room like Jolley and Dunn did. A long term replacement isn’t worth considering. We need someone to keep us up, end of argument. Who is appointed next will be fascinating. A poisoned chalice in some ways given the proximity to the drop. If the idea is to “build” - what, from the National League? Cooper is/was an enigmatic character certainly. Pointless to say this now I know, but if we were to survive under him, next season would have been a big step forward. Now, whoever is shoed into the role has massive pressure to maintain L2 status. If he succeeds it shouldn’t necessarily be a given that he is here next season. I just hope that the owners have/have had someone decent in their sights to come in in really difficult and pressurised circumstances to take over from Cooper. Suicide otherwise.

[HenneysKnee]

What's the manger at Dalton United called. Seems to know his stuff. Couldn't be any worse than Cooper

Jason Walker's doing a good job at Holker. They are the verge of promotion!

Dalton gaffer and Jason Walkers blue and white army
Can just see it now

[Hadrian]

With the Lancaster City manager coaching, don't forget.

[Hadrian]

Keith Curle does not aim or settle for mid-table just ask Andrew Jenkins and the Carlisle board he ended up leaving because their ambition didn't match his.

An interesting view.

Out of interest, would you put Curle in charge of your piggy bank?