Time runs out for Beadle

Well here we are again! It seems and it really was only a few weeks ago I produced a blog piece on Peter Beadle and Barnet, the jury was out. Now here we are on a Sunday evening the jury’s been in, the judge has presided and the former striker is no more at The Hive.

I think it’s fair to say right from the very beginning that despite the relationship I have with Darren Currie, I wanted this to work for Beads because he was managing my football club, he might have only appeared 12 times in the black and amber but was still a former player. But having seen what he had to follow in effect with the way Currie’s relationship was with the supporters and how his team were set up to play it was a tough act to follow.

It wasn’t helped by being a late appointment, but he knew what he was getting when he interviewed for the job, if it wasn’t workable why take it? Others interviewed, more experienced too at this level and in the Football League, the only conclusion you can come to is the chairman went for a cheaper option which we have seen in the past only comes back to bite you on the bum and cost you more to correct the errors.

I’m undecided how much quality there is brought into the 26 man squad. Yes, we have injuries or suspensions, tell me what club doesn’t, that’s the purpose of a squad those coming in are able to deputise and are coached and managed to do that, there seems an alarming lack of that throughout the 13 league games so far.

What I couldn’t fathom was seeing the side put in a decent performance and then turn in three consecutive poor performances, the capitulation at Woking where the home side were down to ten men to me was the start of the end, Beadle looked bereft of ideas in the post-match interview, a man out of his depth at this level and cruelly exposed.

His whole body language, standing at the back of the home dugout with his hands in his pockets more often that not didn’t look like a man in his comfort zone and on hearing after the Wealdstone game there was no acknowledgement of the fans on their first game back at The Hive was a PR disaster in itself.

I didn’t watch the annihilation Chesterfield inflicted upon the Bees on Saturday; indeed I was in attendance with Steve and Ann Percy at East Preston, an earlier kick off meant we were only 1-0 down as they left at full time on their journey back to Hertfordshire, me five minutes down the road, God knows what his reaction was when the goals were flying in on his way home!

That of course then brings you to the million dollar question, who is next in the manager’s office at The Hive? This next appointment is crucial, more so than the one in late summer when Beadle arrived, we’re close to the cusp of being the worst team in the National League, scoring at less than one goal per game and a goal difference of minus twenty-one, everyone else with games in hand around us.

What I’d like to see this weekend as I alluded to on Twitter is keeper Scott Loach and captain James Dunne to oversee this week into the FA Trophy game against Dorking Wanderers or Hungerford Town, maybe with the help of an interim coach for the week and a sideline presence, that gives breathing space unless Tony Kleanthous has already the ace up his sleeve.

The names, well here we go! As much as I would love to see Ben Strevens or Neil Smith in the home dug-out, its not going to happen, the former I know would rule himself out and the latter has a very good thing going on at Hayes Lane.

DC, well of course we’d all love to see that, or at least most would, but he walked away for reasons, who swallows more pride if he were to return? Never say never though, you’d be foolish to rule it out.

Of course I will bang the drum for Hendo, I mean when the title winning skipper of 2004/05 wants you to publicise he wants the job and seeks you out to try and make it happen, I’ll happily do it. Whilst his spell as manager previously didn’t work out exactly as he wanted, he has experience and that unity between fans and the club that would be repaired in the short term.

I like Kevin Watson, I like Andy Hessenthaler, both would be sensible appointments, the latter would need to either resign from Dover Athletic or negotiate his release. Watson I was impressed with what he did at Ebbsfleet last season against no end of issues and got a team bang in form, a wild card pick if you like.

Tim Flowers I expect to be in the mix, rumoured last week to be incoming and knowing he interviewed in the summer as did a few others it could be re-visited. I’ve seen a few others mentioned such as Wealdstone’s Dean Brennan and Sutton Utd’s Matt Gray but why would they swap the top half of the table for the mess at the bottom because in all honesty it’s what we look like.

It’s never been dull as a Barnet fan for over 20 years, and these few months have been no different, interesting times as always, nice that people ask my opinion too, I’m just lucky to have the ear and confidence of a few National League managers, I’ll leave you though to make up your own mind who’s in next, don’t rule anyone out………