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Mark Ashton


shelts

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8 minutes ago, Furious Custard said:

I dont understand the hate myself either. He facilitates the running of the club, we aren't going bust anytime soon, he has negotiated good deals on players in and out of the club. I don't think he is a fault for the current situation. It always been clear that the manager has had the final say on recruitment on and off the pitch. 

I would take him over any of the names I have seen suggested on this forum.  

He might be good at negotiating the fees and finances but when it comes to appointing to the football-facing positions, such as coaches or medical teams, his record ranges from poor to abysmal, while also picking people that he can easily control. Yet he takes no responsibility for what goes wrong with the football side when things aren’t going well, even though he is the major architect of our set-up.

If we are ever to make it to the Premier League it won’t be with Mark Ashton in his current role.

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In short he's got a bad track record, just ask Watford fans what they think of him. 

On top of that the recruitment has been poor since he's been here. 

He rarely talks to the media and the club's communication with fans has been awful since he's been here, same case at Watford. 

He appointed Holden despite the vast majority of the fan base being very much against it. 

Then there's the appaling amount of injuries and general lack of clarity around everything. 

I don't like the bloke but JL seems to get a hell of a lot less stick which I don't really understand. SL has done some good for this club so I understand why he doesn't get more flack but not sure JL should get a free pass as he's SLs son.

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4 minutes ago, westonred said:

Yes it is the clubs policy so when are we going to get Brownhills replacement ? And can you please tell me which cheaper options that we have made better ?

We never replaced Brownhill . Webster?

Academy players Bobby and Bryan . 
If we have good players we will sell them 

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8 minutes ago, westonred said:

Sold our best players (some for good money granted) but not replaced them with same quality.

Signings all round have been poor and the squad is unbalanced in certain areas,

Not getting a LB in the last transfer window was a crime it was obvious Rowe was injured and possibly out for a while. 

Appointed Holden because he is a yes man. Turned down more experienced managers who obviously know more about managing a club than he or DH does

Appointed a Medical team and coaches that clearly do not work

Everything seems to be his way or no way

He goes into hiding when things turn nasty When season tickets are up for renewal he's all over us

If he cannot see the problems at the club at the moment he shouldn't be in the job but I'm afraid he will throw DH under the bus and will remain here  

Agree with all of that apart from the first point, and this is important - 

They way football works nowadays means that ALL clubs will sell their best players IF the deal is right and that includes the wealthy PL clubs.

As a middle level club in the Championship when a PL club comes calling any players head will be turned, (as will their agent). 

Few players are supporters of the club they play for and even the exceptions to that I.E. Joe and Bobby followed the money - it is the way it is.

That nice Mr Ashton was left with no choice and I am absolutely certain SL said sell in ALL cases.

We run at a massive lost - that debate is for a different day - so we have to cash in whenever we can, that is not going to change.

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There's an extent to which I think Ashton is an easy scapegoat. His job to run the club overall, rather than just the football side, and as is pointed out in the McGregor article on the other thread, everything at the club except the first team football is in pretty good shape. So he obviously is not by any means incompetent.

But, on the other hand, saying everything at a football works except the actual football is a bit like saying Abraham Lincoln had a lovely evening at the theatre except for the assassination. And, whilst there is some debate as to the extent to which Ashton is involved with transfer policy, team selection etc, there is no doubt that he is the one the buck stops with. I also think he does himself no favours when he gets involved in interviews and PR as he is not an easy person to warm to. 

It's not a popular view but I honestly think the best solution would be that he stay but appoint a Director of Football (I mean a real one - not an experienced manager who would rather be managing) to oversee the football strategy, managerial appointments, staffing appointments and transfer policy. But the club can only move forward if he and the board accept that there appear to have been major errors of judgment in managerial appointments, signings and appointments to the medical team and the club urgently need outside expertise to get things right. 

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43 minutes ago, shelts said:

Can you guys explain to me why Ashton is such a hated figure ?

 

It started with the fact that he wears a suite, is well presented and uses a lot of "corporate speak". That in itself is sufficient for many fans to take an instant dislike to and suspicion of him ( or anyone like him). 

It doesn’t take much from that starting point, for him to become the target for blame for  anything that goes wrong at the club, although he hasn't helped his cause with some of his utterances, being happy to come to the fore in public when things are going well but being noticeably absent when things are not going so well. Over time fans have become increasingly suspicious that he is responsible for many less than successful decisions.

Other than that I don’t have any idea why he’s become such a hated figure!  :)

 

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1 minute ago, JonDolman said:

Jon Lansdown was in the interviews so I imagine he'd have the final say over Ashton in appointing Holden.

For all we know Ashton may have preferred a different candidate. 

Judging by JL and MA's interviews at the Holden appointment presser, I think it's a fair assumption that both preferred a different candidate. 

Only Steve Lansdown gave an impassioned defence of the appointment. 

It's clear as day that he still calls the shots on the big decisions.

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2 minutes ago, shelts said:

We never replaced Brownhill . Webster?

Academy players Bobby and Bryan . 
If we have good players we will sell them 

I have no problem in selling players all clubs have to do this but we sold Brownhill before getting in a replacement then we got in Henrikon on loan from Hull who left us shortly after We needed to bring in a quality replacement before letting him go

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1 minute ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Judging by JL and MA's interviews at the Holden appointment presser, I think it's a fair assumption that both preferred a different candidate. 

Only Steve Lansdown gave an impassioned defence of the appointment. 

It's clear as day that he still calls the shots on the big decisions.

If it was my money I’d have the final say and appoint my man as CEO 

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1 minute ago, westonred said:

I have no problem in selling players all clubs have to do this but we sold Brownhill before getting in a replacement then we got in Henrikon on loan from Hull who left us shortly after We needed to bring in a quality replacement before letting him go

None of the current midfielders have Brownhills energy. Poor really . 

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3 minutes ago, ScottishRed said:

One word -  ‘control’.

It is his trainset and nobody else gets to play with it.

In that analogy, would you let the CEO, that's good with negotiation stuff but has little train knowledge, choose which trains run on it, even though they may be the wrong gauge or diesel rather than electric or would you let someone that knows his trains choose? 

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3 minutes ago, westonred said:

I have no problem in selling players all clubs have to do this but we sold Brownhill before getting in a replacement then we got in Henrikon on loan from Hull who left us shortly after We needed to bring in a quality replacement before letting him go

It doesn’t work that way BUT, a replacement should have been at least lined up.

Brownhill was in effect part of the Wells deal, that was the reason Nakki came here and not QPR.

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1 minute ago, Ska Junkie said:

In that analogy, would you let the CEO, that's good with negotiation stuff but has little train knowledge, choose which trains run on it, even though they may be the wrong gauge or diesel rather than electric or would you let someone that knows his trains choose? 

He doesn’t.

SL calls the shots on all big decisions.

MA is a highly paid Yes man.

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5 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Judging by JL and MA's interviews at the Holden appointment presser, I think it's a fair assumption that both preferred a different candidate. 

Only Steve Lansdown gave an impassioned defence of the appointment. 

It's clear as day that he still calls the shots on the big decisions.

If that is the case then is he the right person for the job? Surely a CEO worth his salt has to tell the owner “this is ridiculous and I’m going to be copping the flak when it all goes tits up”. The problem I suppose is when you are on a high salary there is a temptation to say sod it. Many CEO’s with big egos would resign in those circumstances.

The appointment of Rolls though is a massive negative on his record.

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1 minute ago, shelts said:

If it was my money I’d have the final say and appoint my man as CEO 

Agreed.

Going back a couple of years I think MA was doing a good job, There was little doubt about his ability in the transfer market and the profit generated through player sales, which we have to accept is essential to help cover losses and keep within ffp limits. At the same time, despite selling our better players we remained competitive at the top end of the table, albeit just falling short of top 6.

The problem SL has to consider is that, in the last year particularly, that equation has changed. Even allowing for the new coach and an horrendous injury list, we are now in danger of fighting a rearguard action to avoid a relegation battle this season, and the warning signs were showing even during LJ’s time in charge.

If SL sees and thinks that MA’s actions and decisions are adversely affecting on field performance, to the degree that our championship status could be under threat, then surely that would put a different complexion on his view of MA?

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6 minutes ago, shelts said:

None of the current midfielders have Brownhills energy. Poor really . 

Weimann ( although not at the moment.  obviously!) - although is he more of a forward?

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5 minutes ago, ScottishRed said:

He doesn’t.

SL calls the shots on all big decisions.

MA is a highly paid Yes man.

Dos he SR? I genuinely have no idea. 

I understood Ashton to run BCFC on SL's behalf, or at least that's what he's employed for. 

The impression is that MA, rather than utilising or employing people with particular skillsets, does everything himself, even if others are far more qualified.

Is that true?

He also has appointed the most inept head coach we've probably ever had and shouldn't he be judged on such?

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Just now, Ska Junkie said:

Dos he SR? I genuinely have no idea. 

I understood Ashton to run BCFC on SL's behalf, r at least that's what he's employed for. 

The impression is that MA, rather than utilising or employing people with particular skillsets, does everything himself, even if others are far more qualified.

Is that true?

I think it is clear that SL has a very firm hand on the wheel of BCFC and is insistent on doing it ‘his way’.

That interview on RB with 20man just before a game a few years back made that clear.

His response to a question on LJ remaining in charge during a massive run of losses was very telling.

I am paraphrasing hear, but in effect ‘ I put in more money than the supporters so it is my decision’.

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4 minutes ago, Wokingham_Red said:

I watched the conference again the other day and I have to agree, Mark Ashton looked like he was trying to sell the impossible and was struggling to look like he really believed what he was saying. Both when they were all on the pitch and his one on one interview. I would love to have been a fly on the wall over that period to see what really happened as I can't for the life of me believe Holden came out as the best candidate, especially after a 6 week period.

An interesting point Geoff Twentyman made during the phone in after the Watford defeat. 

He stated that he knows Paul Cook very well, and said Paul is the sort of Manager who wants complete control. 

There's a reason why he'll never join us whilst Ashton is around. Possibly a reason why others didn't get the job?

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2 minutes ago, phantom said:

An interesting point Geoff Twentyman made during the phone in after the Watford defeat. 

He stated that he knows Paul Cook very well, and said Paul is the sort of Manager who wants complete control. 

There's a reason why he'll never join us whilst Ashton is around. Possibly a reason why others didn't get the job?

I don’ think that is in doubt at all.

SL strikes me as a stubborn sort - he will stick with DH, maybe until it is too late.

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1 minute ago, phantom said:

An interesting point Geoff Twentyman made during the phone in after the Watford defeat. 

He stated that he knows Paul Cook very well, and said Paul is the sort of Manager who wants complete control. 

There's a reason why he'll never join us whilst Ashton is around. Possibly a reason why others didn't get the job?

So, being the CEO, shouldn't MA give the head coach a budget / limitations and let them do their job, without interference? By al means get involved in contractual stuff if required but take an overall view rather than having any say on the paying side?

That would give the likes of cook control while MA still runs the football club as a business entity.

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