Dane Murphy

[Olé]

I searched and didn't see any prior threads on him. Barnsley "CEO". 34 years old. Ex MLS player, hired a year ago. No idea on his salary as Barnsley accounts for 19/20 are overdue, but safe to say will be on a lot less than our top man.

My view of Mark Ashton is probably well known. Even the things he's good at, I share the view @Harry shared in a thread last night - what is to say someone else couldn't have sold well too? Maybe Dane Murphy is our "control".

Under Murphy, Barnsley have got themselves comfortably into the play off picture, spending a fraction of us, and even going through a new managerial appointment too. Transfer activity he seems to have largely balanced the books.

He's only sold one player for money - Jacob Brown for £2m to Stoke, a 22 year old winger who played 40 games and 10 assists at this level. No idea if that represented value but I see he tried to re-contract and the player wanted out.

No doubt this summer, depending on the finish for Barnsley, we'll see first hand how he fares in wheeling and dealing as a progressive top half Championship team with a lot of saleable assets. Perhaps then we have comparison to MA.

In the meantime, here's one comparison, our respective managerial appointments from last summer - you'll notice that one is factual, clear and explicit about selection criteria, one (sadly as everyone long since knows) is just waffle:

• Murphy: "We are continually looking at head coaches who implement the pressing model, the gegenpressing, German high-press, create as many chances as possible, and last season Valerien was second in all of Europe, at LASK. He has a self-assurance and belief and directness to the message that he tries to convey. There’s no grey area. He doesn’t waver. He knows exactly what his approach is and how to garner success from that approach. It’s very hard, when you speak to Valerien, or you’re around him, to not believe in what he’s saying."
   
• Ashton: "We have run a thorough and vigorous process. We had wide-ranging candidates but again following a vigorous process we are convinced we have the right person for this football club. Dean has a number of attributes that make him an outstanding human and he's also an outstanding coach with a number of outstanding coaching attributes. We genuinely believe he is the right person for this football club. We ran a vigorous process."

If you're particularly bored, Murphy publishes a detailed update across everything from transfers/personnel to finance and community. I'm not saying this is too far removed from Ashton popping up on Geoff Twentyman once or twice a year. 

However for someone over from America and younger than some players, he seems to be a more convincing leader - a whole lot less self promotion and a whole lot more clear, transparent thinking, and not simply on his football operations. 

• https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/2020/september/dane-murphy-update/
• https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/2020/november/dane-murphy-update/
• https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/2021/february/murphy-update/

[Tin Soldier]

Was discussing this topic last night. Just wondered if SL already has an Ashton replacement lined up with a different role. Let NP run the football side of things in future. Most professional bosses will have a replacement in place before firing the employee, when a senior management position is being reviewed.

Either way, I am still not convinced SL has the balls to sack Ashton.

[mozo]

Is Lansdown waiting for investors to commit before he makes any decisions around CEO, manager, playing staff and other bits and bobs such as medical and coaching?

[Harry]

45 minutes ago, Olé said:

I searched and didn't see any prior threads on him. Barnsley "CEO". 34 years old. Ex MLS player, hired a year ago. No idea on his salary as Barnsley accounts for 19/20 are overdue, but safe to say will be on a lot less than our top man.

My view of Mark Ashton is probably well known. Even the things he's good at, I share the view @Harry shared in a thread last night - what is to say someone else couldn't have sold well too? Maybe Dane Murphy is our "control".

Under Murphy, Barnsley have got themselves comfortably into the play off picture, spending a fraction of us, and even going through a new managerial appointment too. Transfer activity he seems to have largely balanced the books.

He's only sold one player for money - Jacob Brown for £2m to Stoke, a 22 year old winger who played 40 games and 10 assists at this level. No idea if that represented value but I see he tried to re-contract and the player wanted out.

No doubt this summer, depending on the finish for Barnsley, we'll see first hand how he fares in wheeling and dealing as a progressive top half Championship team with a lot of saleable assets. Perhaps then we have comparison to MA.

In the meantime, here's one comparison, our respective managerial appointments from last summer - you'll notice that one is factual, clear and explicit about selection criteria, one (sadly as everyone long since knows) is just waffle:

• Murphy: "We are continually looking at head coaches who implement the pressing model, the gegenpressing, German high-press, create as many chances as possible, and last season Valerien was second in all of Europe, at LASK. He has a self-assurance and belief and directness to the message that he tries to convey. There’s no grey area. He doesn’t waver. He knows exactly what his approach is and how to garner success from that approach. It’s very hard, when you speak to Valerien, or you’re around him, to not believe in what he’s saying."
   
• Ashton: "We have run a thorough and vigorous process. We had wide-ranging candidates but again following a vigorous process we are convinced we have the right person for this football club. Dean has a number of attributes that make him an outstanding human and he's also an outstanding coach with a number of outstanding coaching attributes. We genuinely believe he is the right person for this football club. We ran a vigorous process."

If you're particularly bored, Murphy publishes a detailed update across everything from transfers/personnel to finance and community. I'm not saying this is too far removed from Ashton popping up on Geoff Twentyman once or twice a year. 

However for someone over from America and younger than some players, he seems to be a more convincing leader - a whole lot less self promotion and a whole lot more clear, transparent thinking, and not simply on his football operations. 

• https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/2020/september/dane-murphy-update/
• https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/2020/november/dane-murphy-update/
• https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/2021/february/murphy-update/

 

19 minutes ago, mozo said:

Is Lansdown waiting for investors to commit before he makes any decisions around CEO, manager, playing staff and other bits and bobs such as medical and coaching?

Great post Ole. Those 2 quotes, when read side by side, really are worlds apart aren’t they.

Mozo - yes, I fear that Ashton will be hanging around a while longer as he’s likely involved in the new investors talks. 
I mentioned a number of times over the last couple of years that the training camp in the US was being used as a business trip. I’d been aware of Ashton engaging in talks whilst he was over there - I thought at the time that it was for his own benefit, but I’m sure now it was the early introductions to these new potential investors. 

[headhunter]

36 minutes ago, mozo said:

Is Lansdown waiting for investors to commit before he makes any decisions around CEO, manager, playing staff and other bits and bobs such as medical and coaching?

I agree with this viewpoint.

SL's non face to face meeting with Pearson so far is a cop out. Ignoring the 90 day max he can spend in one year in the UK, he could fly to, say, Brussels and Pearson join him there - international business travel IS ALLOWED under covid.

My fear is that Ashton could emerge from all of this more powerful than ever!!

[mozo]

6 minutes ago, headhunter said:

I agree with this viewpoint.

SL's non face to face meeting with Pearson so far is a cop out. Ignoring the 90 day max he can spend in one year in the UK, he could fly to, say, Brussels and Pearson join him there - international business travel IS ALLOWED under covid.

My fear is that Ashton could emerge from all of this more powerful than ever!!

Mark Ashton to the US consortium:

"I've done a vigorous job as CEO so as part of this restructure I now want to be promoted to the position of Master of the Universe."

[Harry]

50 minutes ago, mozo said:

Mark Ashton to the US consortium:

"I've done a vigorous job as CEO so as part of this restructure I now want to be promoted to the position of Master of the Universe."

Master of the Universe. 
Jeez - it’s worse than I thought. He’s gonna bring in Skeletor as next manager!!! 

[Steve Watts]

1 hour ago, headhunter said:

I agree with this viewpoint.

SL's non face to face meeting with Pearson so far is a cop out. Ignoring the 90 day max he can spend in one year in the UK, he could fly to, say, Brussels and Pearson join him there - international business travel IS ALLOWED under covid.

My fear is that Ashton could emerge from all of this more powerful than ever!!

Different restrictions covered Guernsey. Essential travel only. That has only recently been lifted. With guidelines over here being reviewed he's likely waiting to see what he can and can't do here before travelling.

[wybmadwity]

Brentford are certainly doing well with Danes.

[Bristol Oil Services]

To sum up, then:

Barnsley are owned, administered, and coached by people who have been involved in English football for 5 minutes. And after finishing 21st last season, they are now 5th with six games to play. 

Meanwhile, Bristol City are owned, administered and coached by people that have been involved in English football for decades. And after finishing 12th last season, we are a bit of a shambles, doing worse than last season and unable to compete with Barnsley, let alone parachute payment clubs. 

[Superjack]

2 hours ago, GasDestroyer said:

Was discussing this topic last night. Just wondered if SL already has an Ashton replacement lined up with a different role. Let NP run the football side of things in future. Most professional bosses will have a replacement in place before firing the employee, when a senior management position is being reviewed.

Either way, I am still not convinced SL has the balls to sack Ashton.

Lansdown will not sack Ashton. If Pearson can't work with Ashton, he goes. It's as simple as that.

[Davefevs]

48 minutes ago, Moments of Pleasure said:

To sum up, then:

Barnsley are owned, administered, and coached by people who have been involved in English football for 5 minutes. And after finishing 21st last season, they are now 5th with six games to play. 

Meanwhile, Bristol City are owned, administered and coached by people that have been involved in English football for decades. And after finishing 12th last season, we are a bit of a shambles, doing worse than last season and unable to compete with Barnsley, let alone parachute payment clubs. 

That is what really bugs me.

There is a real chance, Brentford, Barnsley, Millwall, QPR, Luton, Blackburn and Preston could all finish higher than us.  2 of them in the play-offs....our goal, yet to be achieved.  Only Brentford and QPR have been in the Champ longer than us.  None of these are currently PP clubs!

[Davefevs]

@JonDolman ah, you’ve witnessed a strategy.  Nice post
 

Another thing Barnsley do is make 2/3 subs to replace their front line / midfield quite regularly.  Not double / triple subs LJ styles because he got the game plan wrong, but 2/3 subs to bring fresh legs to the energetic press.  No change, just more intensity against a flagging opposition who’ve been pressed to death for 55/60 minutes.  Unrelenting.

Is that why they’ve not had many injuries?  As you say their pitch is bloody awful.

Also, they play such a high line (possibly even a tad too high for my liking abd I like a high line) that they are actually covering less ground as a team. They swarm you.  They acknowledge it’s not pretty in the main.  But the little they do play is in the opposition final 30 yards.

They will get caught against teams that beat the press / time their runs behind Andersen or Helik, etc.  But they ain’t gonna change their way.  They have Collins as their sweeper keeper.  They are accepting that risk.

[Harry]

12 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

@JonDolman ah, you’ve witnessed a strategy.  Nice post
 

Another thing Barnsley do is make 2/3 subs to replace their front line / midfield quite regularly.  Not double / triple subs LJ styles because he got the game plan wrong, but 2/3 subs to bring fresh legs to the energetic press.  No change, just more intensity against a flagging opposition who’ve been pressed to death for 55/60 minutes.  Unrelenting.

Is that why they’ve not had many injuries?  As you say their pitch is bloody awful.

Also, they play such a high line (possibly even a tad too high for my liking abd I like a high line) that they are actually covering less ground as a team. They swarm you.  They acknowledge it’s not pretty in the main.  But the little they do play is in the opposition final 30 yards.

They will get caught against teams that beat the press / time their runs behind Andersen or Helik, etc.  But they ain’t gonna change their way.  They have Collins as their sweeper keeper.  They are accepting that risk.

Yep. They’ve utilised the new substitution rules brilliantly. 
Swapping out all 3 front men (the main ‘pressers’). Still leaving 2 other tactical subs. 

[Maltshoveller]

2 hours ago, Moments of Pleasure said:

To sum up, then:

Barnsley are owned, administered, and coached by people who have been involved in English football for 5 minutes. And after finishing 21st last season, they are now 5th with six games to play. 

 

This is good news for us

It shows however bad things seem It CAN be changed around and quick

[MATT BCFC]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

@JonDolman ah, you’ve witnessed a strategy.  Nice post
 

Another thing Barnsley do is make 2/3 subs to replace their front line / midfield quite regularly.  Not double / triple subs LJ styles because he got the game plan wrong, but 2/3 subs to bring fresh legs to the energetic press.  No change, just more intensity against a flagging opposition who’ve been pressed to death for 55/60 minutes.  Unrelenting.

Is that why they’ve not had many injuries?  As you say their pitch is bloody awful.

Also, they play such a high line (possibly even a tad too high for my liking abd I like a high line) that they are actually covering less ground as a team. They swarm you.  They acknowledge it’s not pretty in the main.  But the little they do play is in the opposition final 30 yards.

They will get caught against teams that beat the press / time their runs behind Andersen or Helik, etc.  But they ain’t gonna change their way.  They have Collins as their sweeper keeper.  They are accepting that risk.

It's very impressive tactically. It works well in this league because not many teams in the league have the ability to play out of a good press and so many teams away from home play a low block. 

[RED4LIFE]

9 hours ago, Olé said:

I searched and didn't see any prior threads on him. Barnsley "CEO". 34 years old. Ex MLS player, hired a year ago. No idea on his salary as Barnsley accounts for 19/20 are overdue, but safe to say will be on a lot less than our top man.

My view of Mark Ashton is probably well known. Even the things he's good at, I share the view @Harry shared in a thread last night - what is to say someone else couldn't have sold well too? Maybe Dane Murphy is our "control".

Under Murphy, Barnsley have got themselves comfortably into the play off picture, spending a fraction of us, and even going through a new managerial appointment too. Transfer activity he seems to have largely balanced the books.

He's only sold one player for money - Jacob Brown for £2m to Stoke, a 22 year old winger who played 40 games and 10 assists at this level. No idea if that represented value but I see he tried to re-contract and the player wanted out.

No doubt this summer, depending on the finish for Barnsley, we'll see first hand how he fares in wheeling and dealing as a progressive top half Championship team with a lot of saleable assets. Perhaps then we have comparison to MA.

In the meantime, here's one comparison, our respective managerial appointments from last summer - you'll notice that one is factual, clear and explicit about selection criteria, one (sadly as everyone long since knows) is just waffle:

• Murphy: "We are continually looking at head coaches who implement the pressing model, the gegenpressing, German high-press, create as many chances as possible, and last season Valerien was second in all of Europe, at LASK. He has a self-assurance and belief and directness to the message that he tries to convey. There’s no grey area. He doesn’t waver. He knows exactly what his approach is and how to garner success from that approach. It’s very hard, when you speak to Valerien, or you’re around him, to not believe in what he’s saying."
   
• Ashton: "We have run a thorough and vigorous process. We had wide-ranging candidates but again following a vigorous process we are convinced we have the right person for this football club. Dean has a number of attributes that make him an outstanding human and he's also an outstanding coach with a number of outstanding coaching attributes. We genuinely believe he is the right person for this football club. We ran a vigorous process."

If you're particularly bored, Murphy publishes a detailed update across everything from transfers/personnel to finance and community. I'm not saying this is too far removed from Ashton popping up on Geoff Twentyman once or twice a year. 

However for someone over from America and younger than some players, he seems to be a more convincing leader - a whole lot less self promotion and a whole lot more clear, transparent thinking, and not simply on his football operations. 

• https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/2020/september/dane-murphy-update/
• https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/2020/november/dane-murphy-update/
• https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/2021/february/murphy-update/

There's a decent article on The Athletic that explains how Barnsleys owners (Pacific Media Group), basically run all their clubs (Barnsley, Oostende, Esbjerg, Thun and Nancy) all along the same lines, I.e young players, German coach and an aggressive pressing game, backed up by analytical statistics and virtually all their clubs are performing above expectations. 

They also kept the 30 year old CEO, Gauthier Ganaye who the late owner Patrick Cryne brought in when they took over Barnsley who has since moved onto Nancy, who helped with the sale of both clubs