Lancashire's situation is bleak, but Dale Benkenstein shouldn't shoulder all of the blame

Posted by Lloyd Birch on 10/05/2024 at 12:24

I, along with many Lancs members, couldn't believe this appointment!!! I have said for some time now that the whole Cricket Board at Lancs wants clearing out!!! Sooner the better. Chilton-et-al. Before it's too late.

Posted by Nick Jamieson on 09/05/2024 at 16:27

I second Accyman's comment. The appointment was astounding and those responsible need to be held accountable. I'm an exiled Lancastrian who watches a lot of cricket at Gloucestershire and was shocked when news broke that Lancs had signed Benkenstein. Remember, he'd taken over at a Div 1 side and led them to just 2 wins in 14 Championship matches, getting them immediately relegated in his first season. In his second season things got even worse when they won not even a single Championship game in Div 2. And then Lancs signed him. Almost as bad as these unflattering statistics, I attended the Glos AGM last year where he gave (against stiff competition) the worst presentation I've seen in many a long year: he shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, looked mostly at the floor, and mumbled often inaudibly through an evasive little spiel in which he didn't really say anything beyond cliches about "the boys". He seemed a man deeply uncomfortable speaking in public and as though he'd not even prepared anything for this scheduled gathering and instead was just making it up as he went along. I know we live in a world where "failing upwards" is alarmingly common in organisations but I simply cannot see how Lancs managed to persuade themselves that on his terrible results across the two most recent seasons and with the lack of presence I witnessed he was the inspirational leader a club wanting to contest the title actually needed.

Posted by Accyman on 07/05/2024 at 08:46

This is what happens when you hire as head coach someone who in his last coaching job had two wins out of 22 games over two seasons. In 2022 Gloucs finished bottom of Div 1, in 2023 they finished bottom of Div 2, below even Yorkshire who had had 50 points deducted. One does wonder what qualities the Lancs panel discerned in Mr Benkenstein in their 'rigourous' recruitment process to compensate for his recent track record of utter failure. Perhaps they would like to tell us? But Ms Botcherby is right the blame isn't all his: the buck should stop with Chilton who is actually responsible for all this. To the list of lost players should be added Alex Davies (500+ runs already this season), Jordan Clarke and several others: all on Chilton's watch. He is adept at talking Modern Sports Management Gibberish (partly learned from the useless Giles and supplemented by a pointless course at MMU) but little else. His reign as 'Director of Cricket Performance' (classic MSMG talk) has been disastrous for the club. Benkenstein wants senior players to 'step up' (an old cliché will never let you down) Chilton should step down.