Look, I was just trying to defend myself against unfair criticism. If you disagree with me not spamming folks to get them to train players in a certain way, that criticism is valid.
Who said anything about spamming anyone. If you see basic communication from U21 NT manager to managers of players in the game, those who develop the players you are using, as spam - why take the job in the first place?
Saying "Hello, I'm the NT boss, if you need any help I can help in areas x, y, and z" when you first take the job is just a basic introduction and not spam. It shows responsibility to the role at the very least. And as for checking in from time to time, its just general, "how are things, is there anything I can help with". Some people will need more help or attention than others. Some people you might only have contact with once or twice a season. Some might not even respond.
Personally I believe that not taking the initiative and sending 1 email to say "hello I'm the new NT U21 boss, I'm here if you need help" or even making a press release and saying in it "you can contact me for help" (although not everyone may read an NT press release), does demonstrates a certain lack of responsibility and interest in the role.
although maybe don't praise his results in the same thread where you say results don't matter
Results do not matter, they are a bonus at U21 level. However, can I not compliment someone on being able to do well results wise as well as doing a good job in communication and help to managers? The only time results will matter if you have a manager come in and say, "if you do what I say for the next 4 years we'll be winning 5 or 6 games in a season" and after that time you have 0 wins in 4 years. Somethings very wrong in that scenario.
At the same time, I'm not going to sit back and allow myself to be lumped in with the current manager, who seems to be making exponentially less of an effort, simply because of assumptions you made based on neither of us contacting you about Haverty and Bradley.
Sure, you helped people who asked. Yes you booked scrimmages. Congratulations. I complimented you on helping people by the way.
But how many people may have contacted you for help had you sent that one message to say "Hey I'm U21 boss, if you need help I'm here". Let me ask a question -
Is it easier to ask someone for help if they have contacted you to let them know they are there to help you? It might have be only 1 or 2, or as high as 9 or 10, nobody knows, but at least you could have said that
you let everyone know you were there for help, and helped everyone who asked -
nobody can ask more than that.
In all fairness, if you have no interest in taking initiative in contacting a manager of players in your NT squad, then I see no reason why you would take time to take initiative and contact managers of players who are not in the U21 squad but on the verge of it, or
especially new managers who don't have players near the junior NT level.
Being an NT boss is far more than just picking a team every week. Responding to mails for help is one level of improvement, but being proactive and making sure everyone knows you're there for help if needed means you are leaving no stone unturned in your job.
-----
The last thing I'll say, is this. People make mistakes. Whether its lack of communication or picking the wrong team or tactics. All these things help us learn and improve the next time we do them.