cityfan1958

22 hours ago, IAmNick said:

Can someone explain this to me?

At work I'm used to the opposite being beneficial - focusing on processes rather than outcomes may not achieve anything and can promote almost cargo cult behaviour (which I see a lot in the tech world). What's the point in processes if they don't achieve an outcome? Does it matter how you achieve the outcome?

Why is this seen as a good thing here? Am I wrong thinking that an example would be passing it around the back (because good teams do it) without focusing on the outcome l outcome (what they achieve by doing it)?

The difference is football is a competitive sport. There is an opposition. You can’t control outcomes relating to the opposition, the goalkeeper who pulls off a worldly save, or a defender get a toe in as a shot is being made. What you can control is the processes, positions pass rates, movement off the ball etc that create passing opportunities which create goal scoring opportunities. The better the processes the more scoring opportunities, and therefore the more goals. The same also applies to defensive processes preventing scoring opportunities.

1 hour ago, Ghost Rider said:

I've literally just posted about this. I get the same impression too. I'm going to get hammered for this, but NP always came across to me as being a bit workshy. He didn't enjoy recruitment (own admission), didn't enjoy talking to the press, didn't coach ("on the grass"). I always used to think, well, what do you do? 

Workshy, really ?  
I think you will find he was prepared to delegate to his staff, and trust them to carry out their roles without interference. Exactly what all good managers do. 
And if reports are to be believed those above him might want to learn that.

The only worth while protest is not to go.

Anything else is a waste of time

An empty stadium is the most powerful message.

To underscore what others have said. The loudest protest will be a silent stadium. 
 

My boyhood hero. The only person I have ever got an autograph from. 
I remember, some time in the late  ‘80’s, being in the White Heart at Congresbury. The place was packed and rocking. Chris came in with a lady and tripped over a mat. The place went silent, and then erupted in one of the biggest cheers I have ever heard. I was sat at the bar all evening and I know he had to pay for nothing that night. 

3 hours ago, Major Isewater said:

You must read very slowly. I can see your lips move as you read this post.

Thanks for that. Saw the Facebook post as I was dashing out to collect a family member from a very long day at work, and put the comment on as I was walking out the door, hence not reading the whole thread. I post very infrequently, and you just reminded we why. Won’t make that mistake again. 

Bolton News on Facebook saying he’s at Bolton for medical.

Sorry if already posted, didn’t have time to read whole thread.

8 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

There’s a hint that they might do a set at Glasto too.

Warm up at Cheese and Grain ??

5 minutes ago, TomF said:

Pretty sure that’s why Maguire always seems to play well for England - because Stones is alongside him 

Read this quick, for a second thought you were saying he played well for England because he was stoned.

Can’t point to anything exact, but a few quotes I have seen from Nige leaves me to think, win, loose or draw, we may be his last managerial job.

If nothing else it’s going to be entertaining this season. We are going to score a lot of goals, and also conceded more than a few.

Didn’t/don’t we have the record for the number of goals in a season for one of the divisions (3rd, in old money ? ) but finished mid table because we conceded nearly as many ?

Who ever goes up this season, or any other, will need luck, parachute payments or not, with injuries and refereeing decisions, so no chance for us then.

As mentioned before we have a far more balanced squad than last season, and we are no longer carrying players who are never going to play, so that’s two, and arguably three, players better off than last season. Also given the history over the last couple of seasons it’s highly likely that another of the younger players will have a break through season.

As far as I am aware we have not had any, remotely, acceptable offers for any of the current squad. The most likely movement will be some team panicking and making a last minute silly offer, and that’s more likely to be for a fully proven player, so most likely Wells.

Outside of the above, this is our squad until January, or when ever the window is this season.

4 minutes ago, Simon bristol said:

It doesnt read very well, but if his best option was the irish league at this point, then presumably we were right to doubt whether he could play consistently in the championship 

The level of his current employer would seem to tell the story. Having Said that I hope he makes a good career for himself.

This summer is about who goes, as much as who comes in. The nightmare scenario was losing our quality younger players, and not shifting those we need to go, Palmer etc.

If the move for Bakinson goes through you have to say the management are batting 100%. 
This takes the pressure off should a late bid come in for one of the starlets, and those who have come in, or re signed, improve us in areas that needed it. 
Whilst I don’t see us as promotion candidates there is no reason not to expect a better season this year.

17 minutes ago, ScottishRed said:

There was real rivalries between all 4 Fife teams but as the years have passed that has disapated to a certain extent. Mainly due to East Fife’s and Cowdenbeaths demise down the leagues.

Big Jim - what a man! 

Was treated very badly by the club in the early 80’s and left / was fired.

This led to protest marches from the town to the ground on match days, led by the late great Stuart Adamson of Big Country and The Skids.

Stuart was a huge Pars fan but none  of the corporate stuff for him, you would see him on the terraces if he was not away working.

Stuart Adamson, R.I.P. such a waste to loose him so young. Superb song writer and front man, and as you alluded to a genuine ‘ man of  the people’.

Appointing the best qualified person for the job, not someone who’s main qualification is being one of our ex players.

Most important transfer of the summer. I really thought we would struggle to get him gone. 
i have no knowledge of the deal, but I would guess, minimal fee (enough to cover admin legal fees etc). With no transfer fee Coventry can give him a signing fee, and then lower wages over the 3 year period of the contract.

A player who was ‘King of the Academy’ but can’t/won’t step up to the full man’s game.

10 minutes ago, Jerseybean said:

My mate lives in Perth and watches PG, who have btw featured a few ex City players in recent years. He says that Sturbridge is woeful and hasn’t often started this season.

The couple of games I have seen with him my overwhelming reaction was how much he reminded me of Marcus Stewart when he came to city. Ran around a bit, lots of pointing, and a few flicks and tricks but actually contributed very little to winning a game

Daniel Sturridge is also at Perth, not the player he was …

Sat here in Hamilton NZ watching the high lights from the Aussie A league. 
Game involving Perth Glory came up, and the name Andy Keogh made my ears ***** up. A Google search showed he was on loan, 9 games, with us in 2011, from Wolves ?

Commentator made a comment that it was his last game for Perth, my assumption was that he was retiring, but maybe not.

Just a minor city connection on a slow news day.

2 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

The chatter in respect of Pride Park is that the council will buy Pride Park, suggested it would be purchased via borrowed money.

Public Works Loan Board (disclaimer, I know little about this) was one suggested loan source. However devil in the detail a bit?

https://www.ashfords.co.uk/news-and-media/general/hm-treasury-stops-public-loans-to-council-s-for-commercial-property

Would borrowing to purchase Pride Park thereby indirectly paying the MSD loan and structuring a deal in this way fall into this category?

Government should be watching this closely, local rate payers should be watching this closely- what about rate payers elsewhere given that councils are partially subsidised via central funding after all. Any grounds for a Judicial Review or alternative form of legal challenge?

Although a little more devil and detail.

https://www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/projects-and-regeneration/403-projects-news/48010-treasury-guidance-sees-councils-allowed-to-use-public-works-loan-board-to-refinance-commercial-property-debt-that-would-otherwise-be-ineligible-for-support

Is it just me, they fail to pay between 20 and 30 million in tax, and then the tax payers buy’s their ground for them, a ground that was “sold” as a means of cheating to start with, un real !

10 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

What we could do, we'd want fees for players of course but if final year of contract offering to pay a slug of the contract and we pay a chunk still creates a net saving for us.

That scenario would be more likely needed to fill the FFP hole I fear than to make new additions. If for example we were set to breach this upcoming season, why would the EFL let us sign anyone at all while that situation was in play? I'd have thought fill hole and then £1 in, £1 out in football expenditure. Any new signing when set to breach would only add to the size of the deficit.

OTOH, sales etc.

Illustrative example.

We're set to breach by (just say for arguments sake) £5m. We sell Massengo for £7m, that combined with wage savings for him and others and his amortisation falling off say takes it to £10m.

We can only put £5m back into the team. Amortisation, wages, agents fees etc. Whereas if no sale at all we're still set to breach by a few million, then Palmer leaving in your scenario would only take a small chunk out of that- still set to breach, then why would the EFL allow us to add someone and increase the deficit?

I was taking Palmer in isolation, because I feel the club as a whole needs him to go, even if he is not actively undermining the squad, his mere presence, imo, is. Obviously funds from other transfers or sell on clauses will make this a more or less likely.

12 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

The big question imho for the likes of Palmer and Wells (and probably Kalas too) is do you sacrifice some of next season’s wage to get a deal beyond next summer, because next summer you will be on £0 p.w.  On the flipside what is the incentive to the player too.

Lets just assume:

Wells £25k p.w - 32 in June - might someone offer him enough over a 2 or 3 (2+1???) year deal to make it worthwhile him moving on.  In pure maths would he take £15k p.w for 2 years?  He might for regular football, he might if City paid the residual £10k p.w for the rest of his contract.  We might do that if we can get a fee for him.  If someone wants him enough to offer him a couple of years they might pay a fee for him.  The other option is City renegotiate his current deal down to a lower wage.  We saw a similar(ish) scenario with Weimann.  There are financial benefits to us smoothing his amortisation out over a longer period.

Palmer £20k p.w - 26 in November - he really is at a crossroads.  I can’t imagine anyone is going to offer him more than £10k p.w…so he’s effectively sat on 2 years wages.  He just needs to decide what he wants out of football.  Because a year stagnating at City will mean next summer, he’s gonna struggle to get anything decent.  He will end up with offers like JET (comparing situation not players).  So if he really wants to keep his career going at a good level, he needs to bite the bullet.

Kalas £25k p.w - 29 in May - probably the player with a sellable quality.  Might not get £25k p.w but certainly good enough to get something decent, and the club get a good fee for him.  Either that, or he re-contracts here and smoothing his amortisation plus hopefully a reduced wage helps City’s finances.  I’m not worried what really happens with Kalas, we either sell or extend.

 

 

Palmer is the one that paying up a proportion of his outstanding contract is likely to be worth while.

if for example we can sign a decent right back for half of the money Palmer is on, we could pay up half of Palmers contract as a sweetener to go and have a player filling a position we need to fill, and loose the “dead shirt” we currently have. The down side being that, short term, the over all finances don’t improve.

24 minutes ago, Roger Red Hat said:

Or he'll stay and see out his contract on good money and not play football.

First, the comment is just managing expectations of wholesale changes this summer.

I see Palmer as the most important move. Having him hanging around and not playing, whilst on top money is a constant distraction from the job in hand. I don’t know what he is like as a person ie. Is football just a job, or does he have a real passion for playing the game.

If it’s the former he could just see out his contract, or wait and see if there is a change of manager who might play him. He might also be thinking that in another 12 months football finances will improve and he will get a better contract than moving now. The down side is he wasn’t pulling up any trees last season, has not played this, and there is no expectation of him playing next season. If he waits out his contract finding another club on any sort of decent money is pretty close to zero. So there is pressure on him to move, if he is actually bothered about playing. I think the reality is, for Wells as well, we will have to pay up a proportion of his outstanding contract to get him to go.

Normally just laugh at the thought of either of these two coming back. What worries me slightly is NP comment a few days back about city being an odd club, or words to that effect, so I wonder if something was mooted ?