| Parky - the truth 20:59 - Oct 2 with 620 views | durham_exile |
Following Tuesday night a number of observers have suggested that Parky was less than complimentary about Colchester United. It is clear from the following that the truth is somewhat different.
Parky will always be a favourite to many at Colchester for what he achieved and it is clear that his comments were most encouraging about the current team and administration.
The unexpurgated comments are as follows:
Bradford City boss Phil Parkinson, has revealed that he is yet to see a better team than his old club, Colchester United, in League One, this season.and plain-speaking Parkinson, the man who masterminded the U’s terrific promotion to the Championship in 2005-06, is certainly not surprised by how well his former club are doing, after a run of four wins on the bounce.
Parkinson’s current club were the latest to fall victim to Tony Humes’ super-confident Colchester side at the Weston Homes Community Stadium on Tuesday night.
First-half goals from Callum Harriott and Marvin Sordell secured a comfortable 2-0 home win, following on from away successes at Sheffield United (3-2) and Swindon Town (2-1), which had sandwiched a 2-1 home win over early league leaders Gillingham.
“Colchester are as good a team as I have seen,” admitted Parkinson, who had to endure his side’s third defeat on the trot on Tuesday night.
“Colchester are playing well. I saw them play at Sheffield United, and in fact I’ve seen every game that they’ve played on DVD.
“They are a team playing full of confidence, and obviously the loan signings have given them a huge lift. They are very, very good players.
“It’s just the opposite to us, because we’ve lost the likes of Billy Clarke, Josh Morris and Paul Anderson to injury in recent weeks, and it looked like that tonight (Tuesday evening).
“By contrast, Colchester’s new players were full of confidence, and it gave them a huge lift during the game.
“I remember when I was driving to the Sheffield game, to watch Sheffield United against Colchester, I said to (assistant manager) Steve Parkin that I fancied Colchester to win this, because I knew the players they had were good.
“I fancied them, and it didn’t surprise me. They won that night (at Sheffield), and it could have been 5-2 at half-time, easily.
“They are playing well, at the moment, and I wish them all the best for the rest of the season.”
Chorley-born Parkinson began his managerial career with Colchester, after moving from his long-term club Reading, where he was player-coach, in 2003.
He replaced Steve Whitton, transforming the U’s from perennial strugglers against relegation, to potential promotion candidates from the third tier.
Parkinson duly guided the U’s into the Championship, for the first and only time in the Essex club’s history, in 2005-06 after finishing second in League One. He also led them to a famous FA Cup run, which culminated in a trip to Chelsea.
After securing promotion for the U’s, Parkinson immediately departed for Hull City, where he endured a difficult few months, including suffering a humiliating 5-1 defeat at his old club.
But the 47-year-old found his feet again as manager of Charlton, and has now been at the helm at Bradford for more than four years.
Now Parkinson faces another tough challenge at Valley Parade, while his opposite number, Tony Humes, has seen his U’s side soar into the top 10, and within one point of the play-offs.
“We’ve lost a lot of players, and any team in this division losing that many players would also be finding it tough,” rued Parkinson.
“We just look like a team that is lacking a bit of spark to go and create and score a goal, but we never gave in.
“We restricted Colchester to two shots and two goals, but they were then able to sit back and keep their shape.
“They made it difficult for us, and what they are is a good counter-attacking team.”
A pretty fair assessment, rather than derogatory remarks!
Up the U's
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| Parky - the truth on 21:09 - Oct 2 with 612 views | Leadbelly |
I read that in the EADT. I thought Parky was generous in his praise of Col U, especially as Bradford had lost. I find it difficult to understand how you could construe his comments as anything other than positive. |  |
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| Parky - the truth on 22:00 - Oct 2 with 606 views | noah4x4 |
| Parky - the truth on 21:09 - Oct 2 by Leadbelly |
I read that in the EADT. I thought Parky was generous in his praise of Col U, especially as Bradford had lost. I find it difficult to understand how you could construe his comments as anything other than positive. |
He may have said such positive stuff in the EADT where he had an Essex audience and a local journalist was no doubt asking him loaded questions about the U's. But now listen to the interview that he gave on Bantams Player (n.b. you need a U's Player subscription to do so).
There he said; that Colchester were flat and should have been punished. That it was Bradford that gifted us the goals. That the reason for the defeat was that Bradford were lacking key players. That Matthew Briggs should have been sent off. That they were unlucky to hit the bar (etc. etc. etc.); absolutely no grace in defeat. NOT once does he utter any word of praise for how the U's played beyond a comment that once were we two goals ahead we had the confidence; kept our shape and were hard to break down. Frankly, I didn't recognise what he described as I reckon we were the very comfortable winners (the BBC agreed).
OK there he was addressing a potentially hostile Bradford audience of which 11,000 of their season ticket holders didn't see the game; his questioner let him off the hook as regards how well the U's played; plus his job might be under threat if they lose another on the spin; but it was is comments about Briggs that most annoyed me. At most it was 'handbags'; and it was their player that provoked the spat. But any thought that they gave us the goals and that we only won because Briggs stayed on the pitch; plus claims that they had more of a foothold in the game than they actually had was (IMHO) a bit disenginuous.
If he said what he said in the EADT; I guess has kept that readership happy. However, my lasting memory of Parky was how (after taking us up to the promised land); he promptly jumped ship to the highest bidder. In one sense we can't blame him for chasing the money, but IMHO it is no that different to the exit of Lambert or Boothroyd (that we loathe) or any players that jump ship to the highest bidder. I would perhaps stop short of chanting "There's only one greedy B***tard" - instead thanks for what you did; "but Parky Parky what's the score" was wholly appropriate. |  | | |
| Parky - the truth on 22:44 - Oct 2 with 590 views | wessex_exile |
In a way, it's sort of good to see the Parky debate rumble on. My take on Tuesday, two interviews for different audiences, one designed for Bradford City supporters, one for Colchester United supporters, and they're not necessarily mutually exclusive, you just have to put the two of them together to get the full story as he saw it. Parky is not on his own here, virtually every manager does it (okay, maybe apart from the charmless pricks of the game like Colin and Cotterill).
As for Parky's time at Col U - he revolutionised the club, the way we approached the game, our aspirations, our self-belief, and was (almost) impeccable in his ability to find hungry talent, bring to the club and get them performing at levels they had never achieved before, or thought they'd ever achieve again.
BUT
Having taken us to the Championship, he then cashed in when we potentially needed him most. Maybe I can't blame him for doing so, but it still f'cking hurt, and I personally still find it difficult to forgive him that. History shows that was probably a bad decision for Parky, after what happened at Hull, and then the wilderness years hiding under the coat-tails of others, but our history really ought to trumpet more the achievements of George Williams to take that rag-tag band of loanees and has-beens, despite the departures, and propel them to within a gnat's tadger of the play-offs to the Premier League.
Parky who? |  |
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| Parky - the truth on 23:00 - Oct 2 with 584 views | RSCOSWORTH |
Not sure about the two shots part. I saw Brad Jones make at least two saves, always an achievement for him, and Eastman missed a simple header in the second half. |  |
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| Parky - the truth on 08:11 - Oct 3 with 557 views | Gate16 |
I really find it hard to find any common ground with anybody who is other than totally gracious and complimentary towards Phil Parkinson. He masterminded our one and only promotion to the Championship, built the greatest team we have ever had and set the basis for the most fantastic two seasons 2005-7 that we may ever see, including the most amazing Chelsea cup game where for twenty minutes we dared believe we might even beat them. I was as disappointed as anybody when he left but as I recall it was (reportedly) not only all about his remuneration and ambition but that he had asked for funding as he knew the squad would need strengthening which was not forthcoming. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but who knows - had he been able to secure some of the money that within two years was being spent on the likes of Teddy Sheringham, Kevin Lisbie, Dean Hammond, Clive Platt etc we might even still be in the second tier and playing in front of 8,000 regularly. It makes me laugh really when fans are critical of a manager for leaving and the issue of loyalty are raised. The U's are having a good spell right now yet getting rid of Tony Humes has been a regular topic on both this and the official message board. I have seen similar debate at different times about Joe Dunne, John Ward, Aidy Boothroyd, Paul Lambert and Geraint Williams. Loyalty does often seem to be a one way street. |  | | |
| Parky - the truth on 09:59 - Oct 3 with 541 views | noah4x4 |
| Parky - the truth on 08:11 - Oct 3 by Gate16 |
I really find it hard to find any common ground with anybody who is other than totally gracious and complimentary towards Phil Parkinson. He masterminded our one and only promotion to the Championship, built the greatest team we have ever had and set the basis for the most fantastic two seasons 2005-7 that we may ever see, including the most amazing Chelsea cup game where for twenty minutes we dared believe we might even beat them. I was as disappointed as anybody when he left but as I recall it was (reportedly) not only all about his remuneration and ambition but that he had asked for funding as he knew the squad would need strengthening which was not forthcoming. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but who knows - had he been able to secure some of the money that within two years was being spent on the likes of Teddy Sheringham, Kevin Lisbie, Dean Hammond, Clive Platt etc we might even still be in the second tier and playing in front of 8,000 regularly. It makes me laugh really when fans are critical of a manager for leaving and the issue of loyalty are raised. The U's are having a good spell right now yet getting rid of Tony Humes has been a regular topic on both this and the official message board. I have seen similar debate at different times about Joe Dunne, John Ward, Aidy Boothroyd, Paul Lambert and Geraint Williams. Loyalty does often seem to be a one way street. |
You make a very good observation Gate about wondering if Parky would have stayed (I doubt it) and what would have happened "had Parkinson been able to secure the money that within two years was being spent on the likes of Sheringham, Lisbie, Hammond, Platt etc".
Unfortunately there was there was no money at Layer Road until Cowling took over. Then (I do agree with you) the following incumbent managers blew it on fanciful signings. Then we had the Lambert/Boothroyd/Ward era where more of Cowlings money was wasted by Big Name Managers to appease the fans. Eventually, Cowling decided that we had to have a longer term vision entailing a playing strategy that would be embraced by any subsequent managers and turned to his trusted lieutenants to deliver it. This coincided with Financial Fair Play and Cowling implemented such harsh rules a year before others. Sadly, Joe Dunne had inherited a squad that couldn't sustain this attacking entertaining style; and then added more of the same. I recall Cowling saying at a fans forum that the real problem was that whilst the untainted youngsters had easily found this route; it was the First XI that were struggling to adapt.
My take on things is then that Cowling had the vision to see that Humes had coached a group (albeit youngsters) to such aspirations and took the risk. It has since taken Humes a year to dispense with about a dozen "Sheringhams and Platts" to bring in the higher quality squad that we have today; which I believe is potentially better than the Parkinson squad. Only time will prove me right or wrong, but I am happy to take Durham's place as the U'sual's extreme optimist.
Like Wessex, I would say thanks to Parky as he did perform a miracle in a era when frankly the U's had no chance of sustaining Championship football. When Cowling took over, the doubters soon claimed their was no chance of us sustaining Division One (and they were nearly right!). But now we have both Humes and Cowling; who knows our destiny. [Post edited 3 Oct 2015 10:00]
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