FOOTBALL League Two Sport

Bristol Rovers journalist Sam Frost believes Paul Tisdale’s experience will help him “steady the ship” at Stevenage but questions whether he can lead them to League One

Stevenage’s appointment of Paul Tisdale is beginning to look smarter by the second, with his wealth of experience in League Two likely to ensure the club remain in the football league.

Alex Revell’s departure from the club in the middle of November didn’t come as a shock but was greeted with an element of disappointment after an encouraging end to the previous season and a positive start to this campaign.

However, what Stevenage have secured in Tisdale is someone who knows League Two like the back of his hand after managing both MK Dons and Exeter to promotions from England’s fourth tier.

But first and foremost, the 48-year-old’s mission is to build some foundations and consistency in Hertfordshire and likely for this season, just ensure they remain in League Two.

And Bristol Live journalist Sam Frost, who covered Tisdale’s short tenure in at Bristol Rovers expects him to do exactly that.

“Tisdale has managed as many games as anyone in the fourth tier”, Frost said. “If Stevenage have brought him in to steady the ship and keep them up, I think he will do that.

“He knows the league and I don’t think the league is very different now to what it was when he was at Exeter.”

However, he has cast some doubt over Tisdale’s ability to go beyond League Two and still succeed due to his more old-fashioned style of play.

“I think Tisdale has a limited ceiling in terms of going and winning things and getting promoted,” he said. “At Exeter he managed it twice and he did it with MK Dons but they had a very good squad.

“I think noticeably at the top of League Two, the teams are getting better at the football side to then survive in League One and I don’t know if Tisdale is the man to oversee that brand of football.”

Tisdale was relieved of his duties at MK Dons on November 2, 2019, yet just a few weeks later he was back in employment with Rovers and although he made a good start as the Gas boss, his brief stint will likely be remembered for one dismal decision.

“He got some good results early in his tenure,” he said. “He won three league games in pretty close succession throughout January and December.

“In the end though, I think he’ll mainly be remembered for a poor transfer window. He became overly-fixated with Jayden Stockley.

“Stockley was a high calibre striker that was in the Championship with Preston at the time, but he neglected to accept other targets or options and he ultimately went to Charlton.”

Although a long-term plan based around Tisdale may not be completely sustainable for his style of management, due to the position Stevenage currently find themselves in, it will likely prove to be a clever appointment for the now.

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