Director of Football

[BanderSerge]

The Prince deserves a lot of respect for putting up with CW shit this season

The man who put £236m into his pocket?

 

[BanderSerge]

Feel sick

That info has obv come from Wilder’s mouth. No way would he go out on a limb and put that out if he wasn’t 100% sure.

 

[BanderSerge]

I have never really understood what a DoF does

Summat like that pub owning mate of Hancock’s who got a £22m PPE contract? Basically sucks the chairman’s botty!

 

[dc_blade]

Is there anyone who doesn’t exaggerate on this board?

No, not one single person.

 

[Addison]

Sheffield United stance on Director of Football after claims of unrest

EXCLUSIVE: Sheffield United have no plans to appoint a Director of Football to work above Chris Wilder, despite claims in a national newspaper it is the reason for unrest behind the scenes

www.examinerlive.co.uk

" Sheffield United have no plans to recruit a Director of Football above Chris Wilder."

Hopefully this will put to bed the shit stirring from the Daily Fail who took an article in the Athletic yesterday put two and two together and got 25 as they always do when its about our Club.

 

[MalmoBlade]

Isn't Rip Van Winkel the de facto DOF already?

 

[Silent Blade]

A DOF, with a degree of understanding on where job roles and boundaries are set, SHOULD be a major benefit and not the interference it most probably is perceived as being !!

WHO would make a good DoF for us then?

SERIOUS QUESTION

 

[Robboblade1889]

The Prince deserves a lot of respect for putting up with CW shit this season

Save this when it goes tits up and the shoes are off in the car park calling for the owner to fuck off! If he orchestrates Wilder walking he better make sure we get promoted because if we don’t the fans won’t be chucking the elephants in the don they will chucking him in!

 

[PokerBlade]

To me it’s simply a role that ensures a strategy is place that spans managerial tenures. Clubs shouldn’t do what Wednesday are doing right now in appointing and backing managers of polar opposite methods. The academy, the manager, the players all need to be aligned.

It doesn’t have to be one person, but we need something at board level that ensures continuity and footballing sense. McCabe or Chansiri show what can happen when that’s missing.

Okay, but two possible points; one is that you're then relying on your DoF to stay at the club, which isn't a given, and two is that we still might be talking about a job title rather than a new function. Don't we already have some kind of long term strategy and vision for the club in spite of not having someone labelled DoF? Even if for some reason we don't, I'd assume plenty of clubs without an official DoF do.

Like I said, I'm not opposed to the position being offered if there's someone available that would have an influence that could help us, but it's not clear to me that when people say they want one that they're talking about the same role or responsibilities.

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

I put

No - but we do need to get better at recruitment (e.g. larger scouting network)​

I don't actually think recruitment over the last two seasons has been bad, but I think there are two factors (amongst others) which i think have made it look bad:
a) We've recruited mostly young, raw players, lacking Premier League experience
b) We have an ageing squad which has probably just reached its limit

I've said this for a while, we're in transition. We've moved too fast as a club to allow an organic transition to happen, with the next Billy Sharp, Basham, Stevens, Norwood coming through at Championship level, playing their part, understanding the unique way we play and then eventually forcing their way through and taking up the responsibility.

Robinson, Ampadu, Bryan, Bogle, Berge, Osborn, Brewster, Mousset, McBurnie and Burke have all got the right attributes, they've shown the signs but they're not ready to take over from the Original Journeymen that we came up with. So we have chopped and changed.

Ramsdale, has had to step up, learn, make mistakes and show character and in fairness he probably wanted some time out, but couldn't get it.

So i don't think the recruitment of individuals has been bad. I think we've been unable to buy a player in their prime, not because we can't afford the fee, but because wages over the contract would kill us and it would smash the wage structure. Perhaps another year in the Prem could've seen us go for that player.

We've not got depth to the squad either, when we lose a player like O'Connell or Berge or Fleck we struggle. The Premier League has shown that even Liverpool don't have the depth to take some of their players out and still compete.

Norwich didn't invest at all when we came up, they've kept their squad together and smashed the Championship. I think our recruitment is strong for the Championship and yes we've had a lot of bad luck, but we're fishing in a Burnley and Brighton pond, even Wolves have struggled with a couple of losses.

I actually think we work in a way that needs a bigger network to find the gems, we've brought in the likes of Berge, but we need to be doing more along these lines....

Cracking post mate...

I'd also add a c) not been able to add to the starting XI for the past two windows.

Wilder's been able to evolve the squad by adding potential first teamers every window. Whether it's a Berge or a Gary Madine, he's always brought competition for the jersey is every window. Last summer and this Jan we really haven't which is one of the main reasons we are where we are...

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Not true......apparently.

 

[metalblade]

I can remember when the DOF was the old 1st team manager who had been a long and good servant to their club but were getting a bit out of touch and failing. Rather than sack them they would be moved upstairs while a younger more up to date fella took over the 1st team manager spot. Out of sight out of mind after a few years they would mostly fade away or if they knew what was what they would be the football brain in the boardroom.

 

[jono_t2000]

I'm going to put the cat among the pigeons here. What if the prince has some strong backing lined up but part of their conditions is to bring in some really top players.

Would you be opposed to Wilder leaving if it meant we get additional Saudi backing some top players signing for us and we walk the Championship and establish ourselves in premier league regardless who manager is.

If prince does have additional backing lined up, i doubt they would be happy for their in non premier league quality, championship fodder.

What i guess I'm saying, is if it meant opportunity of becoming a a established premier league team with much bigger additional investment. Would you still be adverse to Wilder leaving?

 

[metalblade]

BTW you only have to look at that lot in S6 to see what happens when some numpty buys the players and the managers is told to make a team from this lot it always ends badly.

 

[metalblade]

I'm going to put the cat among the pigeons here. What if the prince has some strong backing lined up but part of their conditions is to bring in some really top players.

Would you be opposed to Wilder leaving if it meant we get additional Saudi backing some top players signing for us and we walk the Championship and establish ourselves in premier league regardless who manager is.

If prince does have additional backing lined up, i doubt they would be happy for their in non premier league quality, championship fodder.

What i guess I'm saying, is if it meant opportunity of becoming a a established premier league team with much bigger additional investment. Would you still be adverse to Wilder leaving?

I touched on this earlier if you are talking Chelsea /Man City type of recruiting where you have 25 players capable of being in most PL line ups week in week out and a load of youngsters out on loan then why would Wilder want to leave?
At the moment we have all on getting15 who can be called good PL players we are in no position to go and buy players just because they are available we have to target players to fill a position that improves our starting eleven which makes our recruitment a lot harder to get right.

 

[Sam64]

Won't lie, I've got no idea what a director of football actually is

 

[jono_t2000]

I touched on this earlier if you are talking Chelsea /Man City type of recruiting where you have 25 players capable of being in most PL line ups week in week out and a load of youngsters out on loan then why would Wilder want to leave?
At the moment we have all on getting15 who can be called good PL players we are in no position to go and buy players just because they are available we have to target players to fill a position that improves our starting eleven which makes our recruitment a lot harder to get right.

Not with significant additional investment which may or may not be being held back due to not liking the type of players Wilder likes to sign

 

[metalblade]

Not with significant additional investment which may or may not be being held back due to not liking the type of players Wilder likes to sign

With significant additional investment I can assure you Wilder would not be fishing in the championship pond.

 

[jono_t2000]

With significant additional investment I can assure you Wilder would not be fishing in the championship pond.

Can you prove that? Wilder has said on more than one occasion he wants spine of his squad to be from the UK as that's his style and what works for him.

This is probably the biggest stumbling block in terms of direction between the prince + (future investors) and Wilder

 

[CrookesBlade]

Is there anyone who doesn’t exaggerate on this board? You’d have thought Wilder’s recruitment took us from the Prem to League One rather than the other way round. Christ above.

I think complaining about “recruitment” is “weerz munneh gone” for the 2020s.

When did people even start saying “recruitment” anyway?

 

[bornablade]

Won't lie, I've got no idea what a director of football actually is

Closest we have possibly come to having a DOF.

1968 Arthur Rowley appointed team manager and John Harris moved 'upstairs' to become General Manager.

That worked out well.

 

[Blade1959]

Closest we have possibly come to having a DOF.

1968 Arthur Rowley appointed team manager and John Harris moved 'upstairs' to become General Manager.

That worked out well.

 

[Blade1959]

Charles Green was even worse

 

[ormester]

Voted for the top one. Wilder needs to accept the recruitment was abysmal this season. He can't run every aspect of the club, and he isn't bigger than the club itself. The credit he had is dwindling after this season, so I'd like to see a dof come in, and if wilder gets pissy then so be it. It's for the benefit of the club, not the manager.

Why was it bad because we wont pay wages Norwich have a bigger wage budget

 

[10-0 win]

Sir Alex Ferguson never came near the players in training in latter years, bet Wilder rarely join in every day. everything moves on, the oldfashioned british manager is a dying breed with all foreign owners. Why couldn't the sheffield council sell the owls to some malaysian zoo and invest in south york. and blades as the peoples club, with unlimited money. Just a thought ! Could be fun

 

[ormester]

Van Winkel. He's on the transfer committee already and just as responsible for the signings as CW/AK. I'd hazard Berge, Verrips, Restos, Coulibaly etc have his fingers all over them. We know Bogle was Wilder's doing as the online fans forum revealed that Wilder was initially refused the funds to sign him.

But had cakir Dennis to that amongst others

 

[10-0 win]

Closest we have possibly come to having a DOF.

1968 Arthur Rowley appointed team manager and John Harris moved 'upstairs' to become General Manager.

That worked out well.

and Rowley got sacked after signing most of the players to bring pride to the club in coming years....................Harris did get credit for building the 71 promotion, but sure Rowley made the important signings that took some time to emerge as first teamers. Even then long term was not the essentiel.

 

[Sheffsteel]

D of F is a wide job title and we don’t know what it would entail here or at any specific club.
Similarly its success is based on the successful applicant’s ability
For anyone to say we should have one without knowing the remit is just hot air

That’s my viewpoint too.

It appears that almost all successful big clubs have a director of football.
where as lower league small clubs don’t.

So I suppose our owner has sort plenty of advice and is thinking that’s where we’ve gone wrong.
As Wilder himself says ‘no player is bigger than the club“ and he makes decision solely to improve the club.
Well...maybe the Prince is thinking the same....”no manager can be bigger than the club”

So I’m possibly more for having a director of football but I don’t know enough regards the situation.

 

[SwissBlade]

Cracking post mate...

I'd also add a c) not been able to add to the starting XI for the past two windows.

Wilder's been able to evolve the squad by adding potential first teamers every window. Whether it's a Berge or a Gary Madine, he's always brought competition for the jersey is every window. Last summer and this Jan we really haven't which is one of the main reasons we are where we are...

I know Wilder had targets in Jan, whether they would’ve been the answer is another question.

We sorely needed an LCB to replace JOC, but found Ampadu and Bryan since.

RCM has been without competition for Lundstram since Berge got injured.

However, I don’t think I’d have invested in Jan if I was the Prince. We’ve got two seasons worth of signings which are still in transition and sometimes you just need to let the side cope before you bring an endless supply of players in.

The other issue is that we’ve not really moved any first teamers on. We talk of freshening up the squad, but perhaps Jan or the summer business should’ve been to move Lundstram or some others on. It’s not having a dig at Lundstram to say that, but I think we’ve perhaps been a little too sentimental.

End of this season will be interesting. More for who leaves rather than who comes in.

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

I know Wilder had targets in Jan, whether they would’ve been the answer is another question.

We sorely needed an LCB to replace JOC, but found Ampadu and Bryan since.

RCM has been without competition for Lundstram since Berge got injured.

However, I don’t think I’d have invested in Jan if I was the Prince. We’ve got two seasons worth of signings which are still in transition and sometimes you just need to let the side cope before you bring an endless supply of players in.

The other issue is that we’ve not really moved any first teamers on. We talk of freshening up the squad, but perhaps Jan or the summer business should’ve been to move Lundstram or some others on. It’s not having a dig at Lundstram to say that, but I think we’ve perhaps been a little too sentimental.

End of this season will be interesting. More for who leaves rather than who comes in.

Absolutely. In any other walk of life the board of an underperforming organisation wouldn't approve the MD spending further without a full business appraisal taking place. If I were the Prince I'd be wanting to see the whites of Wilder's eyes as he explained what has gone wrong this season...

I'm still flabbergasted that we spent the £20m on Brewster but not on one or two additional midfielders. I know we couldn't foresee Norwood ageing 20 years and Lundstram mailing it in, but still only having x4 midfielders for a 38 game season was optimistic at best...