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Have we seen the light ?


bcfc01

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For years we have been trying to emulate other clubs and put in place a process whereby if we lose a head coach, another comes in seamlessly and carries on with the process. LJ and DH being the prime examples over the last 4 years.

Unfortunately, it hasn't worked.

The reasons for that are numerous;

Absent owner who placed placed trust in one bloke to run the show who then stabbed him in the back.

Absent Chairman, ditto above, but possibly doesn't have the nouse to suss out what Ashton was up to.

Head coach (LJ) being hamstrung by Ashton, ditto DH.

The club being as soft as shite, players comfortable, renewing contracts when they should be moved on etc.

End product being left in a complete mess by Ashton.

What I'm seeing now (and please feel free to disagree) is a complete change. Instead of trying to emulate other clubs we are keeping it in house and looking to the Rugby club to see how they have delivered success. Pat Lam having full control over everything to do with what goes on the pitch and off it.

It seems we have now put NP in place to emulate Pat Lam and the rugby set up.

Its risky, but nowhere near as risky as giving Ashton full control over the club - the bloke was out of his depth in many areas and the only positive I saw was negotiation of transfers in and out on an individual basis with no regard to the collective effect of what he was doing.

NP has a bit more about him in football terms.

I sincerely hop that NP can be as inspirational and successful as Pat Lam, but its a lot more difficult in football and in the Championship.

Can he do it ? I'm 50/50 but I'd like to hear others views on it - do you agree that we are now setting up akin to the rugby club and, if so, is NP the right bloke ?

 

 

 

 

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I’m just going to try and keep the perspective of a 3-5 year rebuild and not expect instant success. Slow & steady with good decision making along the way. For me, NP gets a clean slate going into the season with a window behind him. 

I have slight concerns in the back of my mind about what will happen if NP fails to deliver the progress SL wants? Does the club simply continue its direction but with a new manager? Will it fall apart without NP at the wheel and need another overhaul? 

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14 minutes ago, SBB said:

I’m just going to try and keep the perspective of a 3-5 year rebuild and not expect instant success. Slow & steady with good decision making along the way. For me, NP gets a clean slate going into the season with a window behind him. 

I have slight concerns in the back of my mind about what will happen if NP fails to deliver the progress SL wants? Does the club simply continue its direction but with a new manager? Will it fall apart without NP at the wheel and need another overhaul? 

You can bet that if we are in the bottom third after 15 games, the sensible patience of most fans will disappear!

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I am personally quite optimistic and willing to be patient. I believe this is the start of something positive. Hopefully some decent game time for the youngsters too.It won't happen overnight though. 

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I largely agree with what you've said. If nothing else, we seem to have realised that whatever we're doing right now is not working. I also agree that we seem to have a desire to eliminate the soft underbelly from the club.

All in all, I feel positive about our supposed new direction (could it be worse than the our previous direction?). If nothing else, I'm hoping that we can lay some really strong foundations football-wise.

2 hours ago, bcfc01 said:

What I'm seeing now (and please feel free to disagree) is a complete change. Instead of trying to emulate other clubs we are keeping it in house and looking to the Rugby club to see how they have delivered success. Pat Lam having full control over everything to do with what goes on the pitch and off it.

It seems we have now put NP in place to emulate Pat Lam and the rugby set up.

If I'm being picky, I think/hope this isn't entirely accurate. I still feel that we need more football minds towards the top end of the club (i.e. a DoF/HoR) and wouldn't want one man in charge of EVERYTHING. I gather that's the direction we're likely to move in (NP doesn't want the extra work, and realistically might not have the time for it during the season)

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21 minutes ago, Supersonic Robin said:

I largely agree with what you've said. If nothing else, we seem to have realised that whatever we're doing right now is not working. I also agree that we seem to have a desire to eliminate the soft underbelly from the club.

All in all, I feel positive about our supposed new direction (could it be worse than the our previous direction?). If nothing else, I'm hoping that we can lay some really strong foundations football-wise.

If I'm being picky, I think/hope this isn't entirely accurate. I still feel that we need more football minds towards the top end of the club (i.e. a DoF/HoR) and wouldn't want one man in charge of EVERYTHING. 

I'm hoping so too. Maybe if NP does well he could become the DoF in time and hand over the coaching role to a younger successor? 

If he doesn't work out I do feel we need a proper football man, who can work with the owners/board, to set the football philosophy which the club implements for years to come. 

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Speaking with fans that have experienced Nigel Pearson in charge of their clubs previously they generally recognise his strengths but don’t share the high level of belief in his abilities that currently exist within our fan base. Personally I am really pleased we have at last appointed a manager with proven experience of managing at the top end of the championship/ Bottom of Premiership. He will at least recognise the standard of player required and the size of the challenge that confronts him.

I got the impression that the selling of Josh Brownhill was the final straw for Lee Johnson with his relationship with Mark Ashton and he realised that we were never going to make the the top 6 if we kept selling our best players without an a ready made replacement available within the squad. For me the only time we did this was when we sold Kelly but converted Jay into a permanent signing. Letting Josh go without Liam Walsh being ready to replace him combined with some very poor loan signings completely derailed Johnson’s final season.  Going into his final season letting Pack go after we had already sold Webster created huge problems as we had no one to bring the ball out from the back.  

Pearsons  main challenge is recruitment, and getting the balance right within the squad between players who are at their peak now and players who are going to get better year on year but ultimately will leave us to further their careers.  He has got a hard job selling us as an upwardly mobile club at present because we played like a bottom half League 1 team last year.  If Brentford get promoted that might make our task of attracting up and coming talent more possible assuming we have the resources to identify the right targets

Without a great transfer window I fear for us next year because NP was not able to get a performance out of existing squad  We should never have signed Wells and I would be a lot more confident if we had Fam upfront rather than Wells going into next season 

 

 

 

 

On 20/03/2021 at 15:43, And Its Smith said:

Massengo once again playing well. Needs to keep his place now. 

 

On 05/04/2021 at 15:46, Banjo Island said:

Ha the long hopefull one very rarely works quite futile really

 

On 05/05/2021 at 18:09, RedRoss said:

Feel like we are all saying the same because its true. This is the worst team/football played collectively that I've seen watching City.

 

3 hours ago, bcfc01 said:

For years we have been trying to emulate other clubs and put in place a process whereby if we lose a head coach, another comes in seamlessly and carries on with the process. LJ and DH being the prime examples over the last 4 years.

Unfortunately, it hasn't worked.

The reasons for that are numerous;

Absent owner who placed placed trust in one bloke to run the show who then stabbed him in the back.

Absent Chairman, ditto above, but possibly doesn't have the nouse to suss out what Ashton was up to.

Head coach (LJ) being hamstrung by Ashton, ditto DH.

The club being as soft as shite, players comfortable, renewing contracts when they should be moved on etc.

End product being left in a complete mess by Ashton.

What I'm seeing now (and please feel free to disagree) is a complete change. Instead of trying to emulate other clubs we are keeping it in house and looking to the Rugby club to see how they have delivered success. Pat Lam having full control over everything to do with what goes on the pitch and off it.

It seems we have now put NP in place to emulate Pat Lam and the rugby set up.

Its risky, but nowhere near as risky as giving Ashton full control over the club - the bloke was out of his depth in many areas and the only positive I saw was negotiation of transfers in and out on an individual basis with no regard to the collective effect of what he was doing.

NP has a bit more about him in football terms.

I sincerely hop that NP can be as inspirational and successful as Pat Lam, but its a lot more difficult in football and in the Championship.

Can he do it ? I'm 50/50 but I'd like to hear others views on it - do you agree that we are now setting up akin to the rugby club and, if so, is NP the right bloke ?

 

 

 

 

 

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6 hours ago, GBF said:

Speaking with fans that have experienced Nigel Pearson in charge of their clubs previously they generally recognise his strengths but don’t share the high level of belief in his abilities that currently exist within our fan base. Personally I am really pleased we have at last appointed a manager with proven experience of managing at the top end of the championship/ Bottom of Premiership. He will at least recognise the standard of player required and the size of the challenge that confronts him.

I got the impression that the selling of Josh Brownhill was the final straw for Lee Johnson with his relationship with Mark Ashton and he realised that we were never going to make the the top 6 if we kept selling our best players without an a ready made replacement available within the squad. For me the only time we did this was when we sold Kelly but converted Jay into a permanent signing. Letting Josh go without Liam Walsh being ready to replace him combined with some very poor loan signings completely derailed Johnson’s final season.  Going into his final season letting Pack go after we had already sold Webster created huge problems as we had no one to bring the ball out from the back.  

Pearsons  main challenge is recruitment, and getting the balance right within the squad between players who are at their peak now and players who are going to get better year on year but ultimately will leave us to further their careers.  He has got a hard job selling us as an upwardly mobile club at present because we played like a bottom half League 1 team last year.  If Brentford get promoted that might make our task of attracting up and coming talent more possible assuming we have the resources to identify the right targets

Without a great transfer window I fear for us next year because NP was not able to get a performance out of existing squad  We should never have signed Wells and I would be a lot more confident if we had Fam upfront rather than Wells going into next season 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here we go again. I simply do not understand why some people do not get that any club in this league will always run the risk of having to sell a player if the PL come calling.

The players are professional sportsmen - it is their job, in most cases they do not support the club they play for - so, if someone comes in for them and makes it known that they would be prepared to increase their wages by a factor of 3/4 times, maybe more, wild horses would not keep them in-situ.

There is also the desire to test yourself at the highest level possible. Ideally, you would have someone already at the club or lined up from elsewhere to replace them but that is not always possible.

From a clubs prospective they almost all lose money in this league so any decent offer is likely to be accepted- it is just the way it is and Covid has made this even more likely.

There are lots on here that talk about buying players from lower league clubs and that is no different, the fees and wages are, but the principal isn’t.

As for  feeling more confident if we still had Famara........I think you are in a huge minority on that one!

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12 hours ago, bcfc01 said:

Absent owner who placed placed trust in one bloke to run the show who then stabbed him in the back.

Absent Chairman, ditto above, but possibly doesn't have the nouse to suss out what Ashton was up to.

Head coach (LJ) being hamstrung by Ashton, ditto DH.

Absent owner & chairman? Explain? I know it'll come as a shock to many in BS3 but successful organisations can be run remotely from anywhere, as shown by Bristol Bears & it's absent (sic) owner. 

As for Johnson being 'hamstrung' by Ashton, that only applies if you believe Johnson had no say in who was acquired and what resource he had at his disposal. If that was true (it wasn't) one would have to ask what type of spineless, gutless, impotent coach must Johnson have been not to have control over the very resource upon which his job & reputation depends? It implies he didn't have any pride or ambition to further himself, that he was there either because he had nowhere else to go, else was happy to prostitute himself for the cash.  It also fails to explain why he didn't raise concern after the arrival of dross, after dross, after dross? There were nigh-on 70 missed opportunities. Or does that imply Johnson is so poor a coach he is unable to identify rubbish when he sees it? The problem with that argument is it doesn't explain why certain playing detritus follows Johnson from club to club? Clubs where Ashton has yet to set foot?

 

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50 minutes ago, BTRFTG said:

Absent owner & chairman? Explain? I know it'll come as a shock to many in BS3 but successful organisations can be run remotely from anywhere, as shown by Bristol Bears & it's absent (sic) owner. 

As for Johnson being 'hamstrung' by Ashton, that only applies if you believe Johnson had no say in who was acquired and what resource he had at his disposal. If that was true (it wasn't) one would have to ask what type of spineless, gutless, impotent coach must Johnson have been not to have control over the very resource upon which his job & reputation depends? It implies he didn't have any pride or ambition to further himself, that he was there either because he had nowhere else to go, else was happy to prostitute himself for the cash.  It also fails to explain why he didn't raise concern after the arrival of dross, after dross, after dross? There were nigh-on 70 missed opportunities. Or does that imply Johnson is so poor a coach he is unable to identify rubbish when he sees it? The problem with that argument is it doesn't explain why certain playing detritus follows Johnson from club to club? Clubs where Ashton has yet to set foot?

 

Great second para.  Pretty much my thoughts to a tee.

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1 hour ago, BTRFTG said:

Absent owner & chairman? Explain? I know it'll come as a shock to many in BS3 but successful organisations can be run remotely from anywhere, as shown by Bristol Bears & it's absent (sic) owner. 

As for Johnson being 'hamstrung' by Ashton, that only applies if you believe Johnson had no say in who was acquired and what resource he had at his disposal. If that was true (it wasn't) one would have to ask what type of spineless, gutless, impotent coach must Johnson have been not to have control over the very resource upon which his job & reputation depends? It implies he didn't have any pride or ambition to further himself, that he was there either because he had nowhere else to go, else was happy to prostitute himself for the cash.  It also fails to explain why he didn't raise concern after the arrival of dross, after dross, after dross? There were nigh-on 70 missed opportunities. Or does that imply Johnson is so poor a coach he is unable to identify rubbish when he sees it? The problem with that argument is it doesn't explain why certain playing detritus follows Johnson from club to club? Clubs where Ashton has yet to set foot?

 

I realise that in your eyes LJ was the devil incarnate who could do no right, but how do you know that he didn’t raise concerns, that he wasn’t exasperated by the sale of, for instance, Brownhill, an adequate replacement being in place? Just maybe that’s some of what he meant when he talked about writing a book? 

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9 hours ago, GBF said:

Speaking with fans that have experienced Nigel Pearson in charge of their clubs previously they generally recognise his strengths but don’t share the high level of belief in his abilities that currently exist within our fan base. Personally I am really pleased we have at last appointed a manager with proven experience of managing at the top end of the championship/ Bottom of Premiership. He will at least recognise the standard of player required and the size of the challenge that confronts him.

I got the impression that the selling of Josh Brownhill was the final straw for Lee Johnson with his relationship with Mark Ashton and he realised that we were never going to make the the top 6 if we kept selling our best players without an a ready made replacement available within the squad. For me the only time we did this was when we sold Kelly but converted Jay into a permanent signing. Letting Josh go without Liam Walsh being ready to replace him combined with some very poor loan signings completely derailed Johnson’s final season.  Going into his final season letting Pack go after we had already sold Webster created huge problems as we had no one to bring the ball out from the back.  

Pearsons  main challenge is recruitment, and getting the balance right within the squad between players who are at their peak now and players who are going to get better year on year but ultimately will leave us to further their careers.  He has got a hard job selling us as an upwardly mobile club at present because we played like a bottom half League 1 team last year.  If Brentford get promoted that might make our task of attracting up and coming talent more possible assuming we have the resources to identify the right targets

Without a great transfer window I fear for us next year because NP was not able to get a performance out of existing squad  We should never have signed Wells and I would be a lot more confident if we had Fam upfront rather than Wells going into next season 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For me, this is spot on, GBF. 

Ive a couple of friends who’ve known NP as manager of their clubs and say exactly the same. And ironically for us, given the past few years, one thing that crops up is getting that final push, that bit extra, out of players when it really matters.  Like you, I’m confident it’s a good appointment but it’s not a magic bullet and a lot depends of recruitment on and off the pitch.

I feel exactly the same way about LJ and those departures of Webster and Brownhill compared to Kelly.

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2 hours ago, ScottishRed said:

Here we go again. I simply do not understand why some people do not get that any club in this league will always run the risk of having to sell a player if the PL come calling.

The players are professional sportsmen - it is their job, in most cases they do not support the club they play for - so, if someone comes in for them and makes it known that they would be prepared to increase their wages by a factor of 3/4 times, maybe more, wild horses would not keep them in-situ.

There is also the desire to test yourself at the highest level possible. Ideally, you would have someone already at the club or lined up from elsewhere to replace them but that is not always possible.

From a clubs prospective they almost all lose money in this league so any decent offer is likely to be accepted- it is just the way it is and Covid has made this even more likely.

There are lots on here that talk about buying players from lower league clubs and that is no different, the fees and wages are, but the principal isn’t.

As for  feeling more confident if we still had Famara........I think you are in a huge minority on that one!

I think most of us, GBF included, understand the need to sell. But the point he or she is making is that you have a succession plan in place that means you don’t lose a fundamental piece of your jigsaw without having a replacement or an alternative plan in place. When we sold Kelly, Reid, Kodjia, we had that. When we sold Webster, Brownhill, we didn’t. 

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14 minutes ago, italian dave said:

I realise that in your eyes LJ was the devil incarnate who could do no right, but how do you know that he didn’t raise concerns, that he wasn’t exasperated by the sale of, for instance, Brownhill, an adequate replacement being in place? Just maybe that’s some of what he meant when he talked about writing a book? 

I don't think Johnson is devil incarnate. I KNOW he's a bang average, lower league manager, devoid of success. That was his reputation when he came to us and he delivered nothing but vast losses and an aggregation of dross by the time he left.

Now if Johnson didn't realise that by signing nearly 70 players, many on huge contracts and few of whom were remotely good enough to play in The Championship, let alone a higher grade, that he'd have to sell the odd decent player we had to offset his folly, then again that shows a complete and utter lack of understanding as to how to manage a club. Under Johnson City's wage bill went through the roof and City routinely delivered operational losses in excess of £30m a season.

If you sign enough Watkins on £20k a week, retaining the likes of Brownhill isn't and never was an option. But most damning, if that was Johnson's strategy, was how the hell do we find ourselves looking at posting losses in excess of £40m and who do we have to sell to offset such losses? Nobody, that's who - nobody. Most of those arriving under Johnson you'd have to pay to offload, that's how bad they are.

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2 minutes ago, BTRFTG said:

I don't think Johnson is devil incarnate. I KNOW he's a bang average, lower league manager, devoid of success. That was his reputation when he came to us and he delivered nothing but vast losses and an aggregation of dross by the time he left.

Now if Johnson didn't realise that by signing nearly 70 players, many on huge contracts and few of whom were remotely good enough to play in The Championship, let alone a higher grade, that he'd have to sell the odd decent player we had to offset his folly, then again that shows a complete and utter lack of understanding as to how to manage a club. Under Johnson City's wage bill went through the roof and City routinely delivered operational losses in excess of £30m a season.

If you sign enough Watkins on £20k a week, retaining the likes of Brownhill isn't and never was an option. But most damning, if that was Johnson's strategy, was how the hell do we find ourselves looking at posting losses in excess of £40m and who do we have to sell to offset such losses? Nobody, that's who - nobody. Most of those arriving under Johnson you'd have to pay to offload, that's how bad they are.

But all you’re doing is continuing your anti Johnson diatribe. All I asked, and you haven’t answered, was whether you’d considered that it might just be possible that there were others involved in and making some of the decisions about all this, and that LJ himself wasn’t always the driver, and indeed wasn’t always happy with those decisions. 

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2 minutes ago, italian dave said:

But all you’re doing is continuing your anti Johnson diatribe. All I asked, and you haven’t answered, was whether you’d considered that it might just be possible that there were others involved in and making some of the decisions about all this, and that LJ himself wasn’t always the driver, and indeed wasn’t always happy with those decisions. 

City's accounts show there was a plethora of scouts, football management & club officials who collectively conspired to deliver this shambles.

But as Coach it was for Johnson & Johnson alone to agree what resource he wanted. It's his vision that formed the squad, he alone who chose the team, hence should have asked what X or Y brought to the party, how did they fit in, did they improve the squad? Either Johnson was lying when he repeatedly spoke highly of those arriving, of their potential, of their experience and talent, of the world-beating displays they routinely turned out in training, else he's honest but a very bad judge of a footballer (not a great trait for a coach)?  We know of only one instance in recent times when a player was foisted on a City manager and within days the manager walked. Lansdown has kept his nose out since. We know of only one indiscretion to which Johnson admitted which was when, with Engvald still on the books, he disclosed to Senior Reds that his signing had been a disastrous mistake. That he had come on a personal recommendation, that Johnson knew nothing of him and had never seen him play, had never had him scouted but, in his own words, 'we were desperate so gambled'. 

If you had a performance related job yet had no influence over the tools and resource by which you were able to dictate your performance, would you stay? If the answer is yes, then you're an unambitious, journeyman loser. Either that applied to Johnson, else he's a useless coach. Damning appraisal either way.

 

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@BTRFTG so agree.  The two “most important” people in scope of what you state were MA and LJ.  I think they were as bad as each other in many respects.  Needing to satisfy their egos and their insecurities; LJ - being his Dad’s son and MA not being a true football person (footballer wannabe as I put it).  A dangerous combination, not able to see the other’s weaknesses..

Following on from what you say, if LJ was genuinely being given dross by Ashton, then you either call him out or you move on, with the confidence that you will get your next role.  He knew he had it good here.

The fact that both men had to go down a division speaks volumes.  I appreciate LJ has gone to a big club in Sunderland.  I’d have had much more resoect had he gone to a smaller club, because he’s gonna be able to play big fish, and will get pretty much what / who he wants.  Sunderland are much bigger than City, especially in Lg1 and he took over with them in a decent position.  He will be under massive pressure next season.

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I personally think that Brownhill leaving was pivotal in our decline. We were already ‘wobbling’ but that pushed us over. 
Opinions will always be polarised on LJ. I am one of those who thought he did ok - not brilliant, but ok. He deserved criticism at times for sure, but got a lot more than he deserved from certain sections of our fan base. 
We will never know how much influence on player purchases and sales LJ really had, but thankfully now Nigel will have not just the ‘final’ say but the ONLY say. 
A change of organisation at the very top was exactly what we needed to release us to push on. 
I’m cautiously optimistic about the future. COYR!!

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1 minute ago, bcfcredandwhite said:

I personally think that Brownhill leaving was pivotal in our decline. We were already ‘wobbling’ but that pushed us over. 
Opinions will always be polarised on LJ. I am one of those who thought he did ok - not brilliant, but ok. 
We will never know how much influence on player purchases and sales LJ really had, but thankfully now Nigel will have not just the ‘final’ say but the ONLY say. 
A change of organisation at the very top was exactly what we needed to release us to push on. 
I’m cautiously optimistic about the future. COYR!!

It was a big loss….made worse by completing knackering Marcus Henriksen within a fortnight of arriving.  He showed v Derby on debut he could be a good temporary replacement once up to speed.  But LJ fooked him over 4 games, fell out with him, and that was that.

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14 hours ago, bcfc01 said:

For years we have been trying to emulate other clubs and put in place a process whereby if we lose a head coach, another comes in seamlessly and carries on with the process. LJ and DH being the prime examples over the last 4 years.

Unfortunately, it hasn't worked.

The reasons for that are numerous;

Absent owner who placed placed trust in one bloke to run the show who then stabbed him in the back.

Absent Chairman, ditto above, but possibly doesn't have the nouse to suss out what Ashton was up to.

Head coach (LJ) being hamstrung by Ashton, ditto DH.

The club being as soft as shite, players comfortable, renewing contracts when they should be moved on etc.

End product being left in a complete mess by Ashton.

What I'm seeing now (and please feel free to disagree) is a complete change. Instead of trying to emulate other clubs we are keeping it in house and looking to the Rugby club to see how they have delivered success. Pat Lam having full control over everything to do with what goes on the pitch and off it.

It seems we have now put NP in place to emulate Pat Lam and the rugby set up.

Its risky, but nowhere near as risky as giving Ashton full control over the club - the bloke was out of his depth in many areas and the only positive I saw was negotiation of transfers in and out on an individual basis with no regard to the collective effect of what he was doing.

NP has a bit more about him in football terms.

I sincerely hop that NP can be as inspirational and successful as Pat Lam, but its a lot more difficult in football and in the Championship.

Can he do it ? I'm 50/50 but I'd like to hear others views on it - do you agree that we are now setting up akin to the rugby club and, if so, is NP the right bloke ?

 

 

 

STOP right there and do not compare to a rugby club. "NP to emulatePat Clamb" Are we not a football club that has bought in NP. What has that got too do with rugby.

 

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If NP can improve the defence, midfield and attack then I will be happy

Lets be honest last season was diabolical and most of it was the doing of Ashton/fitness team and in some part the situation of so many players being either allegedly injured or biding their time as they ran down their contracts 

hopefully we will have a reinvigorated squad bolstered with new signings and an appetite to make an impact next season

i live in hope!!

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16 hours ago, ScottishRed said:

Here we go again. I simply do not understand why some people do not get that any club in this league will always run the risk of having to sell a player if the PL come calling.

The players are professional sportsmen - it is their job, in most cases they do not support the club they play for - so, if someone comes in for them and makes it known that they would be prepared to increase their wages by a factor of 3/4 times, maybe more, wild horses would not keep them in-situ.

There is also the desire to test yourself at the highest level possible. Ideally, you would have someone already at the club or lined up from elsewhere to replace them but that is not always possible.

From a clubs prospective they almost all lose money in this league so any decent offer is likely to be accepted- it is just the way it is and Covid has made this even more likely.

There are lots on here that talk about buying players from lower league clubs and that is no different, the fees and wages are, but the principal isn’t.

As for  feeling more confident if we still had Famara........I think you are in a huge minority on that one!

Maybe i got the tone wrong in my original post but I fully appreciate the need to sell players on both for the benefit of the club as well as the player.   The reason I said that we may have a better chance of getting good up and coming players in if Brentford got promoted was that their track record of doing this is better than ours .  Personally I would prefer us to sign up and coming players rather than experienced players that have already peaked but I recognise you need a balance within the squad. 
 

As for Fam he clearly downed tools last season .  No fan likes a player not giving a 100%. If he has played the club in the way Nicky Maynard did then I understand why the majority are happy he has gone.  However as I have no knowledge of what actually happened I wish it had played out differently and instead of signing Wells we had offered him a better deal well in advance of his contract being allowed to be run down 

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On 28/05/2021 at 20:25, bcfc01 said:

For years we have been trying to emulate other clubs and put in place a process whereby if we lose a head coach, another comes in seamlessly and carries on with the process. LJ and DH being the prime examples over the last 4 years.

Unfortunately, it hasn't worked.

The reasons for that are numerous;

Absent owner who placed placed trust in one bloke to run the show who then stabbed him in the back.

Absent Chairman, ditto above, but possibly doesn't have the nouse to suss out what Ashton was up to.

Head coach (LJ) being hamstrung by Ashton, ditto DH.

The club being as soft as shite, players comfortable, renewing contracts when they should be moved on etc.

End product being left in a complete mess by Ashton.

What I'm seeing now (and please feel free to disagree) is a complete change. Instead of trying to emulate other clubs we are keeping it in house and looking to the Rugby club to see how they have delivered success. Pat Lam having full control over everything to do with what goes on the pitch and off it.

It seems we have now put NP in place to emulate Pat Lam and the rugby set up.

Its risky, but nowhere near as risky as giving Ashton full control over the club - the bloke was out of his depth in many areas and the only positive I saw was negotiation of transfers in and out on an individual basis with no regard to the collective effect of what he was doing.

NP has a bit more about him in football terms.

I sincerely hop that NP can be as inspirational and successful as Pat Lam, but its a lot more difficult in football and in the Championship.

Can he do it ? I'm 50/50 but I'd like to hear others views on it - do you agree that we are now setting up akin to the rugby club and, if so, is NP the right bloke ?

 

 

 

 

What clubs and what processes?

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On 28/05/2021 at 21:05, Leveller said:

You can bet that if we are in the bottom third after 15 games, the sensible patience of most fans will disappear!

That could be in the laps of the gods, or more accurately, the fixture makers.

Two away games at Sheff U, Fulham with WBA in between at home and we could have "nul points". 

But three games against established middle of table, especially those who will also be rebuilding and, maybe, a different picture.

The majority will he looking for performance over points; do we actually look like a pro football team instead of last season's under eight nursery school side.

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