SLF Interview

Also, Lee Hoos getting a grilling on the Open All Rs podcast this week.

The heirarchy not hiding away even though we are struggling (much like Hoos, who carried out this interview whilst struggling with Covid)

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4obYOOP1TXwsxTWaDA9HDB?si=NydaprWoR8yfuIYlbGppWQ

 

Great interview and really good, tough questions to SLF. He did his best to answer them but I feel he's not providing any reassurances that he has the ability to turn things around. Fact is, under his watch things are spiralling downward and he doesn't seem to have the answers to improve the situation.

 

This makes a good read: always nice to get the "inside" story, even if it is - understandably - impossible to get 100% candour in all the answers. I think Clive asked all the right questions and pushed hard when the reply wasn't quite up to standard. Confidentiality issues make it difficult for Les to be totally open but credit to him for saying as much as he did.

He volunteered a comment about our owners really wanting to spend more money but find it impossible under FFP. I doubt that this will stem the criticisms from some quarters.

Given our current form, the interview is somewhat downbeat and I was left with the conclusion that, in the medium to long-term, the development of Heston might be our only saviour, provided it's not undermined by other clubs nicking our youngsters. This seems to be a real problem and it must be so frustrating for everyone involved in running the club (and us supporters).

 

Ferdinand says the owners would spend more money but they can't due to the threat of further punishments, including points deductions.

The 'lack of ambition' brigade should take note.

 

Lack of identifying talent during his time in charge. Maybe him and his staff need to stop relying so heavily on algorithms and get out there.

 

Not sure I can say I 'enjoyed' this because some of it is so depressing, but I think Clive asked really good questions, and pushed hard for better answers in places. Credit to SLF for being as honest as he could be - and being willing to put himself in the spotlight. Not listened to Hoos yet - does it add much of interest to this?

 

It won't be enough to appease the 'burn the witch' crowd but fair play to SLF for fronting up and Clive for securing this interview. We are where we are and we are what we are. You do need some good fortune in our position too, which I'd say we've probably been lacking recently.

 

Think those interviews was done so some of crowd wouldn’t lay into the hierarchy for the home match Saturday, whether it stops some we shall see

 

Much more in depth about the financials, without giving away anything. Lot of questions about the lack of stadium experience on matchday, and how he could improve it, which he batted quite well although think the panel would've wanted more from him. Some questions regarding training ground and player recruitment, very similar to the SLF answers. A good listen

 

Well, I think that is good of SLF to agree to what might have been / was uncomfortable questioning.

Seems the summary is FFP stuffed us, Mick Beale stuffed us but the owners are still committed to seeing success sometime over the next twenty years or so.

 

When Fat Boy Martin slams in his third for his hat-trick no-one is going to be thinking about the board

 

From what I read on Twitter….Hoos didn’t come over that great on the podcast.
But seems he wasn’t well

 

Loaded with Covid I think

 

Liked most of what Les said in that interview. One bit still stuck out and made me laugh out loud though......


'When you bring Ethan Laird in, Tim Iroegbunam in, you say to your players ‘look, this is the level we need to get to, this is where we’re trying to get you to’. It’s where we’re trying to get Ozzie Kakay to, where we’re trying to get Nico Hamailainen to'

Good luck with that last part!!!

 

Yeah, those were pathetic comparisons. If Kakay and Nico had anything about them, they'd be aspiring to be like Trippier or Bellingham in their respective positions ! One look at Nico and I'd be happy if he aspired to be like Carlton Palmer !

 

He's on a par with Carlton Banks.

 

Fair play to SLF he seemed to give honest answers to a strong set of questions (most of what we are all thinking). It just shows the mess we’ve come to be in and there wasn’t too much said to defend ‘the snake’ - quite rightly. Good interview.

SLF and the coaches have some serious work to do across the playing staff to regain their reputation and the clubs reputation if we want to draw good prospects to our ‘youth policy’.

 

A lack of ambition doesn't necessarily relate to spending money on players. Having read the SLF interview with great interest, the ambition of our club, immediately and for the future, is to sell our best players. If we can stay around mid table in the championship whilst doing so then that's as good as it gets. At the moment that's a million miles away as we are developing players for other clubs over developing our own. How does the sight of playing 19 year olds from Villa, show a pathway into the squad for our kids??? What a croc of ****.

 

Selling our best players is not an 'ambition', it's a financial necessity. I agree with you about loan players, but we have to have youngsters good enough to step up before we can dispense with them. We plainly don't at the moment - Ferdinand talks about losing 13 youth players with good potential to other clubs.