Rumours are abounding that SLF and Ramsey and possibly Hoos are going at the end of season. Rumours are strong on SLF and Ransey...less so on Hoos, but have a rumours he is off to a job in the States. Can understand...but just be careful what we wish for
Deckchairs, titanic etc. Nothing will seriously change until we have owners that are completely serious about going about things the right way. Who knows, maybe, just maybe, this is a first step towards that, but I'll believe it when I see it.
Twice now, I've heard Ainsworth hint at things going on that we don't know about and how he wants to help bring about change at the club. Presumably all will become clear eventually.
I don't think SLF or Ramsey be missed at all. Gerry Francis would be much more suitable for the job, or dare I say the Breadman. The lack of youngsters coming through to compete in the first team is absolute scandalous, a vital cog for a club our size
I read somewhere that Ainsworth and Ferdinand don’t get on, and that predates Ainsworth’s appointment by some time. If true would indicate that Les might have been overruled picking GA, which wouldn’t be a surprise as he doesn’t fit the template of any other of Les’ appointments.
Not a great surprise. There has to be something done outside of the playing squad. SLF I can understand, it’s unfortunate but it really hasn’t improved. Should we have a new DoF? I think so - just please find the bloody right guy!!! Not sure about Ramsey, but that should be a decision with the DoF & manager/coach as it’s all about direction. Hoos I’m not surprised that he may move on - for all the comments I think he has been a good thing for us overall. We will, again, need a sound financial guy in who isn’t scared to stand his ground with the owners and playing side. So basically it’s all about making the right personnel choices. Oh sh1t!!!
That's what had occurred to me. Ainsworth wouldn't have been a Ferdinand appointment, which would support the suggestion that he will be going. A shame, because Beale could have proved to be a brilliant appointment.
If it is true it makes me wonder why Les hasn’t resigned. If, as DoF, your views on managerial appointments are ignored, surely that’s an unsustainable position? Perhaps he’s hanging round until the end of the season not to rock the boat further.
I'm probably in a minority of 1 but I think the appointments Les actually had control over - Warbs, Beale and Critchley (& Ainsworth?) - all made a lot of sense on paper, and Warbs and Beale worked out reasonably well. I think SLFs biggest weakness has been about then allowing managers too much control over transfers.
I think that's exactly what's happened. Warbs, Bum Hole Beale and Critchley were SLF appointments. Something may well be afoot.
Don't you think the owners may have had a say in Warburtons and then Beales push for glory ( buying in Austin, johannsen...not selling dieng, Chair, Willock...getting in Laird and Paal and Tim etc). Maybe SLF did not have the say...or contary, perhaps SLF persuaded the owners to let it happen...and it obviously failed....so he feels he has to go? Actually who knows
Can't say I'm surprised. As I said last week Ramsey has had a good few years to work with the youngsters find some gems and polish them up to make PL standard players out of them. Ferdinand has to take some responsibility eventually for the lack of progress on his watch and not backing the manager fully because of a fixed idea that we grow our own (when we have failed so badly over the last few years) makes it impossible, I would suggest, for any manager to deliver promotion back to the PL. Then of course there is the explicable (FDF) but completely irrational decision which has been repeated time and again not to approach Warnock. I know he is not everyone's cup of tea but there can be no denying that his teams perform to their full potential and 99% of all players want to play for him. He would have crawled over broken glass to come back. Hats off to the Club for keeping the wage bill down but recruitment and talent-spotting? Could do better. A lot better.
What concerns me most is being we are a club who don’t spend the coin on players, that’s fair enough but with what l have heard on this site that the upcoming development players are not up to scratch is a real worry. The impression has always been that cause we can’t spend the coin, we will nurture the upcoming talent. Where’s the talent for the last five or six years? Non existent so it seems. WTF have they been doing? The buck stops with Les F.
It is a bit more complex than that Didley. I read recently that at least 10 youngsters have been poached off us during their development by Premier league teams. And they can do that...and we get a minimal payment in response! Which is why we needed a proper academy and training centre.. as we can hold the young players better However I do agree that the final development is lacking.. we have had a number of stellar youngsters that seem to fade and die... Bettache, Duke-McKenna, Alfa jump to mind in the recent past. They get to a certain level and then fade. We don't get enough out of our buy-in youngsters either. Smythe, Kelman, Masterson, Washington for example. Really only Eze, BOS and Furlong have really worked....possibly Manning too There is a problem in the lower coaching I would say...and that extends to the upper coaching obviously too