Reds Independent today calls for Shelbourne FC manager Alan Mathews to tender his resignation to the Board of Management forthwith.
It seems apparent- and has been for some time- that the manager is in no position to preserve our Premier Division status, and this along with the terrible style of football employed, his poor results record, an obvious lack of discipline, his inability to get the best out of players and his barely-disguised contempt for both supporters and volunteers renders his exit from the club a necessity at this juncture.
As a group, Reds Independent expressed our concern and reservation during the off season regarding the re-appointment of Alan Mathews, and since then our suspicions have been confirmed to the extent that we believe his position to be untenable. In particular, we have always questioned the logic of re-appointing a manager, who has already failed to produce adequate returns on much greater resources, to operate on the necessity of a reduced budget. A forewarning was evident all last season, a campaign which saw the Reds finish with just 2 wins from our last 13 league fixtures. In this regard, the Board of Management must shoulder the burden of responsibility in making such an unsuitable appointment, and it would be interesting to hear exactly what their managerial selection policy was during the winter.
We now find ourselves languishing at the very foot of the table, adrift from safety continuing last season’s end of year slide and making a mockery of the manager’s suggestion that he had put together a side capable of finishing fourth. The league position, the wanton indiscipline within the squad and the dreadful predictable style of football are not only unacceptable and driving supporters away, but pose a serious threat to both the club’s Premier Division status and more worryingly, our long-term future as a senior football club.
Reds Independent also reject the recent assertion by the manager in the media that the supporters of the club crave success. While no doubt there may be a small few who are of this mindset, the vast majority of the fans are far more realistic and have far more modest ambitions and expectations. No, what we as supporters crave is stability not success.
On this basis, we call on Alan Mathews to do the honourable thing and what is best for Shelbourne Football Club by tendering his resignation with immediate effect.
Reds Independent
