The not not "STFC Transfer Rumours" thread

[DMC]

Nothing that people don't know about?

Still a broken tannoy system in DRS (H&S issue), debt has been re-allocated to Clem rather than reduced as they say, little money but random trips to Karachi OK, really strange social media on-goings during Lindsey saga (should have released a short statement saying discussions were ongoing) and with Austin (Sky publishing it days before), as well as many advisory board questions not being answered despite "full transparency" being promised. There's plenty to question atm.

Just out of interest as i do miss them. What questions have been unanswered? Also they have made everyone aware already in the past that Karachi is paid by Zav personally not the club

The rest needs sorting asap

[swindonmaniac]

Just out of interest as i do miss them. What questions have been unanswered? Also they have made everyone aware already in the past that Karachi is paid by Zav personally not the club

The rest needs sorting asap

As well as the loudspeaker problem in the Town End (been inaudable for years), and whilst we’re at it could also do with some wifi, almost impossible to get any signal in the Town End !!.

[RedRag]

I've not aware of anyone on here who hasn't questioned the recruitment, apart from the odd wind up merchant.
It's clearly been a shitshow, even if all of them as individuals go on to play in the prem, the balance has been wrong and a total of 5 wins in 5 months for 2 different mangers in the basement league proves that.
 

There are many, many better judges and more informed posters than me here but I do have the feeling that the seemingly most popular lines that Scott Lindsey's and Sandro's individual uselessness are to blame for this season's disappointment are rather simplistic.

1.  On 1st January, when SL was reported as having quit, after a defeat at Colchester, STFC stood in 6th place, 5 points off Northampton in 3rd.

2.  For the 10 games since Gav's goal fiesta at the end of Jan, STFC sits 4th from bottom. 3 points off bottom.

Of course SL and Sandro's roles were rightly being questioned earlier but January is when the wheels came off.  Conroy and MacDonald off with no replacement.  We've then lost Khan for a ridiculous 5 games.  And FBT with injury.  Following Baudry's early season injury.  

We seem to have been asleep at the wheel when January came along.  Probably for months.  As has been hinted, there is a look of amateurishness about the footballing side of a club enjoying near 10k gates.  

And talk of seeing how Morris goes once he has recruited his own players for next season - whilst fair to Morris - presumes a degree of ambition and cogency in recruitment that appears not to be there.  If we judge how difficult getting Ed Brand over the line turned out to be.  

Sandro may have a contribution to make and we can hope Morris and Brand have some interesting contacts.  Can our recruitment rely on them?   Not in my opinion.  Where is the commitment to getting the fuck out of L2 that having a Paul Jewel and an experienced player spine with the necessary physical presence and nous?  

I pray the club starts to up its game and intensifies promotion-orientated recruitment - right up there next to or even ahead of speculative sell-on strategies.

[RobertT]

I don't "blame" the Director of Football Operations in so far as any of us would likely have taken such a role, even if we were wholly unqualified for it.  I blame whoever recruited him and how that was allowed to transpire - it simply makes zero sense on paper.  I blame why on earth we'd think doing this would replace a person with contacts in the game without providing all the necessary infrastructure around them - a one man band this type of dept is not (it can be if you rely on someone who knows a few people and call in favours).

However, if January is when the wheels came off - we can blame the Board (which seems to be an owner and CEO, but maybe a few others in dark corners) and the person heading up recruitment.  We fucked an already creaking squad and a Manager replacement.  We essentially went on holiday and left the kids behind in the house, and wondered why some of them had fucked off only to replaced by a few homeless people.

My biggest concern for the summer is that we haven't really enhanced the Operational/Recruitment side of the club since January.  Who on earth knows anything about running a football club in there?

My one hope is that Morris does have contacts, and we start to lean on him.

My next biggest worry is that Morris is a dud.

I'd say, an owner looking at this, would assess the season and determine something needs changing to ensure improvement.  Unfortunately SDM is the likeliest candidate for replacement.  You need not abandon the project, but get a proper project Manager in and suck up the cost of doing so.  Support them with the right people to make it work, start working on the training facilities.

[mexico red]

Think you are right Rob.

One thing that cannot be overlooked is the lack of decent training facilities. People keep harping on about Brentford and Brighton but Brighton early doors built a state of the art training center at Lancing just off the A27. Its arguably the best in the country and helps attract players to the club. Now I'm not saying we can do this just yet but something more than a ploughed field in Wiltshire would be nice.

https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/club/stadiums/training-centre

[Jimmy HaveHave]

The director of football approach is fine if you get in the right players. The emphasis this season was to get in a lot of young inexperienced players in the hope that they would hit the ground running and help us get promotion as well as increasing their values for any sale purposes. In my opinion Sandro got the balance all wrong and needs to change his formula and add more experience if he wants to compete and get promoted out of league 2 asap.

[Bennett]

Defining "right" is step 1 for the DoF.
This season we've moved on competent* players on presumably because they had no resale value, contract expiry and/or contract amount.
In the vein of being open and transparent I'd like to know if "right" will continue to be an intentional shop window for younger players or if we're going to make a concerted bash at getting out of this shitty league.

*I'd argue better than their replacements but that's a separate point

[Jimmy HaveHave]

I've no problem getting 2/3 academy players but you have to balance it with some older heads with league 1/2 experience just like Orient, Northampton & Stevenage have in their side and like we had last season & the promotion season when Wellens was in charge.

[JoeMezz]

I've no problem getting 2/3 academy players but you have to balance it with some older heads with league 1/2 experience just like Orient, Northampton & Stevenage have in their side and like we had last season & the promotion season when Wellens was in charge.

100%. Grant signing was a masterstroke that season.

[Jimmy HaveHave]

100%. Grant signing was a masterstroke that season.

Agreed.

[Batch]

Also they have made everyone aware already in the past that Karachi is paid by Zav personally not the club

Does Zav get paid by the club? Does he post for the STFC coaches wages time?

(ok ok, the main point is the club isn't funding it)

It's still just weird as fuck to be honest.
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Personally think the most pressing issues are things like the 'maybe' situation over season ticket financing, and people not being able to get in contact with the club at times.

[Mooneyraker]

Think you are right Rob.

One thing that cannot be overlooked is the lack of decent training facilities. People keep harping on about Brentford and Brighton but Brighton early doors built a state of the art training center at Lancing just off the A27. Its arguably the best in the country and helps attract players to the club. Now I'm not saying we can do this just yet but something more than a ploughed field in Wiltshire would be nice.

https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/club/stadiums/training-centre

The training ground situation is embarrassing.

Sadly I don’t think Clem has anywhere near the money to take that on too.

We’d need a freak transfer sale or a new owner before anything can happen in that dept.

[DMC]

Does Zav get paid by the club? Does he post for the STFC coaches wages time?

(ok ok, the main point is the club isn't funding it)

It's still just weird as fuck to be honest.
----
Personally think the most pressing issues are things like the 'maybe' situation over season ticket financing, and people not being able to get in contact with the club at times.

They have anwered those questions previously though . It is weird as fuck don't disagagree, i still think personally he is hoping for some kind of Austin/Fitton situation

[RobertT]

I still reckon he is looking at the Visa route - financial rewards for obtaining Visa's in a perfectly legal way (if morally a bit dodgy), leveraging the club connection to do so.

[DiV]

The director of football approach is fine if you get in the right players.

You make it sound so simple…