New beginnings - 25% Truth, 80% Bollocks

[horlock07]

Fuck knows what happened in the window that we now need to dredge the free agent list.

TBH probably the most factually correct thing that's been said in this entire thread (and the plethora of ones which all say the same).

[Bob's Orange]

I hate to use the T word but despite the pledge about it, there are so many chinese whispers and confusion going around that I really don't think it's being used as it probably should be. Yes, they answer questions in Advisory Boards but that hasn't stopped the endless questions, queries and doubts swilling around the fans of the club - the last few pages of this thread backs that up.

[Nemo]

I hate to use the T word but despite the pledge about it, there are so many chinese whispers and confusion going around that I really don't think it's being used as it probably should be. Yes, they answer questions in Advisory Boards but that hasn't stopped the endless questions, queries and doubts swilling around the fans of the club - the last few pages of this thread backs that up.

Tend to agree. I do think a few folk are getting themselves a bit worked up with believing every rumour that comes out, but there's clearly a bit of smoke around no matter how serious the fire might be, and it would be helpful if the club put some more effort into communicating with the fans. 

[DiV]

Nobody really has a clue about it.

You even get directors listed in programs without official announcement.  I suspect that isn't necessarily a negative - consultant non-exec as part of a firm hired by the club, etc.

But of course people wonder when a few reformed characters appear at a club staright after Power.

I think the top line is the key to what I’m saying.
Yes, there is a lot to question but I’m not sure all of those questions need to be directed at Sandro.  Some perhaps but the way some go on you’d think he was running the club like Diamond Mike.

No. I only know one that I think he scouted Lavinier.

I kind of assumed Sandro searches and passes it on to the scouts/manager.  I think that's how it was descirbed.

Fuck knows what happened in the window that we now need to dredge the free agent list.

I also assume our recruitment process has slightly more to that Sandro does a spreadsheet (like a lot imply) you’d think he’d come up with a pool of players and then our scout / manager would then look further into that pool of players and decide on the best player / the most suitable player etc

It almost feels like both our windows this season has been ruined by a previously happy player deciding last minute they want to move to Scotland. In both cases they haven’t been adequately replaced which is why creating/scoring (McKirdy) and no nonsense defending (MacDonald) have been our downfalls post window.

Questionable how last minute those were. Like the talk on here would indicate we knew MacDonald wanted to go so whilst the deal to let him go might have been last minute - knowing he wanted to go wasn’t last minute.

Shipping out two midfielders who were out of contract at the end of the season and not first team regulars for some money. No issues with that myself.

Our window wasn’t perfect though. The timing of the managerial change (from a window perspective) was shite as well but I fully get why we didn’t sack Lindsey and hang on for the compo.

Because clearly not every decision is fully Clem’s the whole Kiely thing and all the other murky characters needs to be explained as currently it’s all clear as mud. There’s nothing in the public domain that suggests Ralph is remotely qualified for the position he is in so leads to obvious question of why he is at the club. He’s recently been forced by Clem and Angus to mention the word promotion after basically saying his only interest was selling players for a profit, hardly a sign of joined up thinking across the club’s hierarchy!

There are definitely some murky characters and definitely some questions that need to be asked but I think we are being very short sighted if we are aiming EVERYTHING at Sandro.
I’m not saying he’s exempt from having questions asked of him, far from it but club ambition and the model are decisions that should be coming from above him and he’s acting out (for good or for bad)

[Nemo]

We should be due some more advisory board notes shortly (the last set were on January 17th) and I'd expect them to cover a fair bit, but some of these questions *are* being asked (whether they're satisfactorily answered is another matter)

We are grateful to Clem for saving the club from the previous incumbent and we appreciate the direction the club is going in terms of stability and ownership of the ground. However as a senior season ticket supporter i would like the club to answer in which direction the on field objective is going. Are we basing stability around bringing in relatively untried youngsters, developing them and then selling at a profit or are we genuinely trying to produce a football team that can be competitive over several seasons?

The first scenario requires a virtual rebuild every season, some years with relative success like last season but invariable will often produce variable results although we might find a gem to develop and sell. The second scenario relies on keeping the vast majority of a proven squad and adding a few where required to maintain a competitive team capable of promotion push.

As long as i am alive my season ticket purchase is not in doubt however i would like the club to be open and honest so that supporters can adjust their expectations if we are perusing a Crewe Alexander type model. For what its worth i would be very disappointed if our ambition was stability and ground purchase at the cost of on the field competitiveness. It would be nice to see my Swindon have a couple of promotions before i pop my cloggs.

CM is keen to build a sustainable Club both on and off the field- promotion is the aim this year.

When will Clem realise that tippy tappy won't get us promoted!

Clem is determined the Club progresses up the Divisions, and signing Charlie Austin is a statement of intent to that effect.

I re-purchased a season ticket this year, after not renewing under Lee Power several years ago. I have absolute faith in what is going on with the club behind the scenes so wanted to add my support and money to that. However, the football on offer at the county ground this season is very poor, it’s slow and predictable, lacking any real ambition. I travel for games and takes up majority of my Saturday, time away from my family and other responsibilities. As fans we are fickle, sadly the results have not backed up the style of play, but if it’s like this all season it will be difficult to justify renewal purely on enjoyment value.

I will absolutely support the club financially with one off games and shirts etc but I hope by the time you’re asking us to renew there is a significant improvement from Scott’s tactics or a change in direction happens sooner rather than later as I fear I am not the only one considering if they will renew or not

CM reiterated that it is his desire for promotion, and with Charlie now back, we should see a few changes!

[horlock07]

I hate to use the T word but despite the pledge about it, there are so many chinese whispers and confusion going around that I really don't think it's being used as it probably should be. Yes, they answer questions in Advisory Boards but that hasn't stopped the endless questions, queries and doubts swilling around the fans of the club - the last few pages of this thread backs that up.

But transparency is a two way street, yes certain matters need clarification, but its clear that for parts of the fan base, if what the club says does not tie in with the rumours they have heard or their ingrained positions they will just cry bullshit and start berating the club for perpetrating a cover up or the like.

Its honestly just a fucking great big mess and I honestly don't really see what can sort it.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

On a personal level there are 3 things I would like clarification on.

1. What has caused the series of admin hiccups regarding signing/not signing players and appointing staff?

2. Why is there such a time lapse in announcements?

3. Why have a significant number of both players and staff wanted to leave the club?

[Batch]

But transparency is a two way street, yes certain matters need clarification, but its clear that for parts of the fan base, if what the club says does not tie in with the rumours they have heard or their ingrained positions they will just cry bullshit and start berating the club for perpetrating a cover up or the like.

Its honestly just a fucking great big mess and I honestly don't really see what can sort it.

Fair comment.

Take the transfer policy. If they said "look, this is the only way we can afford to run the club at the moment. We think it can get promotion and the profits can be reinvested into infrastructure in the near term, then into a more traditional recruitment approach  in a couple of years."

Half would say fair enough. Honesty.
Half would say "no ambition".

I can see that. But saying nothing is as bad IMO.

If Morris can turn this around and show success next season then at least some of it goes away.

[derbystfc]

Well, in fairness you have made up two of those names…

Predictive text on my pho9ne, but, what's your point??

[Bob's Orange]

Fair comment.

Take the transfer policy. If they said "look, this is the only way we can afford to run the club at the moment. We think it can get promotion and the profits can be reinvested into infrastructure in the near term, then into a more traditional recruitment approach  in a couple of years."

Half would say enough. Honesty.
Half would say "no ambition".

I can see that. But saying nothing is as bad IMO.

If Morris can turn this around and show success next season then at least some of it goes away.

Personally I think that's very well summed up Batch. I think the general malaise of this season and the slow ebbing away of goodwill from the honeymoon season last year where we were so close to getting promoted and probably now face another season in the bottom tier is really eating away at fans.

[Trashbat?]

I recently read a former managers book, in it he said the key to successful transfer policy is that 3 out of 4 signings work out. I would argue we are nowhere near that ratio at the moment. This also means we are stuck with huge amounts of players taking up wages with another year left.

This is our transfer business since Sandro came onboard, is that good use of our budget?

The pieces also don’t seem to fit together as any sort of thought out formation.

Oscar Massey – Development player
Sol Brynn – Successful signing
Tyrese Shade – Not done enough to hold down a place
Reece Devine - Injured
Cian Harries – Injured and not convinced
Ciarán Brennan – Almost called back and not convinced
Jake Wakeling – Started well but has burnt out
Tom Clayton – Successful signing
Remeao Hutton – Successful signing
Ronan Darcy – Jury is out
Tomi Adeloye – What data was used for this signing?!
Saidou Khan - Successful signing, but spent too long suspended
Angus Macdonald – Marque signing, but already gone
Frazer Blake-Tracey - Successful signing
Conor Brann - Development player
Rushian Hepburn-Murphy – Signs of a good player but injured and suspended
Luke Jephcott - Not done enough to hold down a place
Marcel Lavinier – Good player but path to first team blocked
Morgan Roberts - Development player or not good enough?
Charlie Austin – Known quantity, but not Sandro’s man
Jake Cain – Too early to tell
Dylan Kadji – recommendation from Morris, not Sandro’s man
Joe Tomlinson – Injured, Panic signing?

[theakston2k]

Personally I’d be placated if we received truthful answers to the following 10 questions:

1. Zav Austin - why the radio silence on his fit and proper person test result. If he has failed as is the suspicion should he have any involvement in the club now?

2. Building on the above, factoring in work permits etc what real tangible benefit does the Karachi project led by Austin bring to the club? It was an odd endeavour at the start and remains odd.

3. Adam Hart - seemingly now on the clubs payroll in some operations role, this combined with his previous directorship at an Austin company suggests there’s more to his involvement at the club than has been previously explained. What is his new role?

4. Chris Kiely - appeared as a director but radio silence from the club on him. Why is he here, has he invested and what role is he filling.

5. Ralph - how did he get the job? Who recommended him and what were the credentials that led to him being identified as as the right appointment for the club? Where does he sit in the decision making hierarchy? What are his KPI’s to demonstrate success?

6. Clem is 100% owner but has he had 100% decision making ability up until recently? Are there any other silent individuals who have had influence over the club’s decisions. Has there been some hangover from the old regime?

7. Is the club struggling cash flow wise as it has felt like a fire sale at times.

8. Why does the clubs back of house (media, customer service, stewards etc) remain so shambolic, there’s been no noticeable improvement over the 18 months and if anything it’s got worst.

9. How does the club’s recruitment strategy align with being a successful football team, that remains the primary purpose of our existence does it not? We shouldn’t be operating purely to exist, we should be spending the money we do have to give us the best chance of being successful on the pitch each season. The best form of player development is playing in successful teams and learning from better players, this also makes players more likely to stay. Having a team full of inexperienced youngsters takes away a lot of this and is actually detrimental to the development of players as they lose confidence like we are seeing now.

10. Morris comes in with a much greater pedigree than Lindsey. Has he been given more licence to do what he wants and bring in his own players? If yes, does this not make Ralph redundant and instead we need a DoF with a footballing background to help with negotiations etc like Chorley and even Jewell in the past?


To be honest if items 1 to 5 were removed from the equation I’d largely be happy and remove some of my doubts. But having convicted career criminals and professional gamblers in the club’s hierarchy raises all sorts of red flags for me. With the history we have there just can’t be any grey areas or shady characters involved in the running of the club as it’s always going to lead to suspicion.

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

Personally I’d be placated if we received truthful answers to the following 10 questions:

1. Zav Austin - why the radio silence on his fit and proper person test result. If he has failed as is the suspicion should he have any involvement in the club now?

2. Building on the above, factoring in work permits etc what real tangible benefit does the Karachi project led by Austin bring to the club? It was an odd endeavour at the start and remains odd.

3. Adam Hart - seemingly now on the clubs payroll in some operations role, this combined with his previous directorship at an Austin company suggests there’s more to his involvement at the club than has been previously explained. What is his new role?

4. Chris Kiely - appeared as a director but radio silence from the club on him. Why is he here, has he invested and what role is he filling.

5. Ralph - how did he get the job? Who recommended him and what were the credentials that led to him being identified as as the right appointment for the club? Where does he sit in the decision making hierarchy? What are his KPI’s to demonstrate success?

6. Clem is 100% owner but has he had 100% decision making ability up until recently? Are there any other silent individuals who have had influence over the club’s decisions. Has there been some hangover from the old regime?

7. Is the club struggling cash flow wise as it has felt like a fire sale at times.

8. Why does the clubs back of house (media, customer service, stewards etc) remain so shambolic, there’s been no noticeable improvement over the 18 months and if anything it’s got worst.

9. How does the club’s recruitment strategy align with being a successful football team, that remains the primary purpose of our existence does it not? We shouldn’t be operating purely to exist, we should be spending the money we do have to give us the best chance of being successful on the pitch each season. The best form of player development is playing in successful teams and learning from better players, this also makes players more likely to stay. Having a team full of inexperienced youngsters takes away a lot of this and is actually detrimental to the development of players as they lose confidence like we are seeing now.

10. Morris comes in with a much greater pedigree than Lindsey. Has he been given more licence to do what he wants and bring in his own players? If yes, does this not make Ralph redundant and instead we need a DoF with a footballing background to help with negotiations etc like Chorley and even Jewell in the past?


To be honest if items 1 to 5 were removed from the equation I’d largely be happy and remove some of my doubts. But having convicted career criminals and professional gamblers in the club’s hierarchy raises all sorts of red flags for me. With the history we have there just can’t be any grey areas or shady characters involved in the running of the club as it’s always going to lead to suspicion.

Good post.

[DMC]

Literally any negativity or challenging comment no matter how warranted is immediately shut down by a section of our fans who would just prefer to pretend its sunshine and rainbows all the time. Constantly. Its fucking tiresome.

It works both ways though mate, as fans it gets tiresome seeing every fucking decision the club make just get battererd. I don't mean you here either. I have said hundreds of times this season that the club have royally fucked up this season, behind the scenes seems like its a mess and i think the goodwill the club had last year has gone, they have thrown all that away over the last 6 months. They need to come out and be public facing and answer some absolutely genuine questions but when people like myself come on and try and be balanced you get accused of being a happy clapper and burying your head in the sand.

When the club do answer some questions they are just met with abuse. If i was the owner i would be selling up at the end of the season , who knows maybe Zav and the others can buy it off him because i wouldn't wanna be running a club that's for sure

[DMC]

Personally I’d be placated if we received truthful answers to the following 10 questions:

1. Zav Austin - why the radio silence on his fit and proper person test result. If he has failed as is the suspicion should he have any involvement in the club now?

2. Building on the above, factoring in work permits etc what real tangible benefit does the Karachi project led by Austin bring to the club? It was an odd endeavour at the start and remains odd.

3. Adam Hart - seemingly now on the clubs payroll in some operations role, this combined with his previous directorship at an Austin company suggests there’s more to his involvement at the club than has been previously explained. What is his new role?

4. Chris Kiely - appeared as a director but radio silence from the club on him. Why is he here, has he invested and what role is he filling.

5. Ralph - how did he get the job? Who recommended him and what were the credentials that led to him being identified as as the right appointment for the club? Where does he sit in the decision making hierarchy? What are his KPI’s to demonstrate success?

6. Clem is 100% owner but has he had 100% decision making ability up until recently? Are there any other silent individuals who have had influence over the club’s decisions. Has there been some hangover from the old regime?

7. Is the club struggling cash flow wise as it has felt like a fire sale at times.

8. Why does the clubs back of house (media, customer service, stewards etc) remain so shambolic, there’s been no noticeable improvement over the 18 months and if anything it’s got worst.

9. How does the club’s recruitment strategy align with being a successful football team, that remains the primary purpose of our existence does it not? We shouldn’t be operating purely to exist, we should be spending the money we do have to give us the best chance of being successful on the pitch each season. The best form of player development is playing in successful teams and learning from better players, this also makes players more likely to stay. Having a team full of inexperienced youngsters takes away a lot of this and is actually detrimental to the development of players as they lose confidence like we are seeing now.

10. Morris comes in with a much greater pedigree than Lindsey. Has he been given more licence to do what he wants and bring in his own players? If yes, does this not make Ralph redundant and instead we need a DoF with a footballing background to help with negotiations etc like Chorley and even Jewell in the past?


To be honest if items 1 to 5 were removed from the equation I’d largely be happy and remove some of my doubts. But having convicted career criminals and professional gamblers in the club’s hierarchy raises all sorts of red flags for me. With the history we have there just can’t be any grey areas or shady characters involved in the running of the club as it’s always going to lead to suspicion.

Brilliant post that is. Have you sent this across to the club or the trust. Theres no reason they shouldn't ask them