Last week’s sacking of Adam Hinshelwood by York City caught quite a few people off guard. Managers and coaches get sacked all the time, but what made this one catch the eye a little more?
Well that’s depends on whether you’re looking at it from an outsider’s point of view or one closer to the club itself. Having been brought in by Matt Uggla less than two years ago, Hinshelwood managed just about to keep York in the National League on the final day of the season.
They were in a terrible state prior to his arrival thanks to some dubious managerial appointments and a squad littered with an unbalanced feeling, that due to questionable summer recruitment.
I’ve know Adam for almost 10 years down here on the South Coast, watched his Worthing sides sweep all by the wayside with their quick movement and playing through the pitch on their way through the ranks up to the National League South.
To read through the rest of the article and open the archive up of more than 900 other pieces of work take advantage of this super offer below
The content below was originally paywalled.
If he could get that style into York City they were in for a treat as I told many of them. However, their league position didn’t allow for that and he had to not quite abandon his beliefs but use the means necessary to secure survival.
One or two thumping’s followed in that short period, but survive they did and a summer of his own recruitment. Not surprisingly one or two arrived from Worthing, plus others that had played for him previously there and incoming via other clubs.
I had York to finish 8th last season, easily the potential to finish there knowing what I believed Hinshelwood could deliver but too much for anything else. I got that wrong! They went toe to toe with Forest Green and Barnet, the former eventually falling away to leave a two horse race, the latter too strong in the second half of the season and York finished on 96 pts, six behind the Bees.
A remarkable turnaround given their finishing position the year previous, Hinshelwood’s stock rising still on the back of strong performances at both clubs he’s managed in the last five years.
They were however outfought and outplayed by the eventual play-off winners Oldham Athletic, a quite tepid performance on the night which surprised a lot of people.
How much you can levy at the 15 days break between the final game of the season and their semi-final I’m not sure but considering 3rd placed Forest Green suffered the same losing fate, there must be something within that notion.
Weirdly the club released a statement weeks after with rumours circulating that Hinshelwood was NOT being sacked. That’s a strange thing to have to release for me despite the play-off defeat. City fans, cast your eyes back the 12 months to Barnet heavily outplayed by Solihull Moors and their championship winning season to follow, history could repeat itself.
Clearly at that point there, it seemed something wasn’t quite adding up. I was aware Adam wouldn’t sign a new contract, reasons unknown but absolutely could be a number of things.
Not settling away from the South despite his family moving up the country, a breakdown in relationship with the owner, still with players he didn’t see fitting into his mould and system, could be any, all or none of those.
The summer recruitment I think has been brilliant, bringing in players who’ve won the league before, important to have that culture. Opportunity to get rid of those who don’t fit the system, more of a Hinshelwood moulded squad.
The season begun with one win and three draws from their opening four games, only one at home due to their stadium owners renting out for the Women’s Rugby World Cup, not a poor start by any stretch of the imagination but not setting the world alight.
A reminder though that Barnet side had lost three games by the end of August last year, they went on to lose only three more in the entire campaign.
Then came the news midweek that Hinshelwood was gone and replaced within hours by Stuart Maynard. From the outside it looks very messy, an unbeaten start to the National League campaign, compared to Yeovil’s Mark Cooper who went last Tuesday with one win under his belt.
If as reported there was that breakdown in relationship, get it sorted in the summer. Not only does it look messy Maynard is now working with Hinshelwood’s players and signings, will there be a response and a good one?
Last season one of my good mates said way before the play-offs began, indeed a few months before ‘York will lose in those play-offs and Adam won’t see out next season’.
He was right, but even he didn’t expect the Spanish elbow this early in the season. There has been comments of not knowing his best eleven this season, his tactics not bringing the best out of everyone. The question now for me is who actually signed the players this summer and how many were actually wanted by the manager?
I readily admitted all through last season that Josh Stones cost York promotion. Not single handedly before everyone jumps on my case, but for me he upset the balance of the team.
The National League’s top goalscorer sidelined in games so Stones could be shoehorned into a system that he didn’t fit into. Don’t get me wrong here, I think Stones fits into a lot of teams, not York City though. Remember I’ve seen Hinsh at close quarters for years and how his system works, that wasn’t a component part.
So to Maynard. Worked wonders at Wealdstone in keeping them in the division comfortably, but a huge jump between part time National League and a League Two Notts County expecting to be promoted and of course full time, a club that enjoyed recent success, a fanbase expecting more of that.
He plays good, tidy football, but that same expectation that was there at County is at the LNER Stadium as well, can he deliver? He needs to get off to a fast start, there is no honeymoon period here and he’s playing catch up in games thanks to the rugby.
What that has done however is given him a week and a half to get some ideas and methods across, as always time will tell whether he’s the right fit or not, can York afford another missed campaign of promotion? That could be an even more interesting summer because in Uggla’s words last term ‘there is no pressure for promotion’, Maynard HAS to deliver it this year surely.
What for Hinshelwood? Well as I said stock is high across the game, he will be linked with jobs once they arise because of his record, the question is will be remain north based or once more head back south to more comfortable surroundings?
