Where has it started to go wrong?

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

I think, for me, this is the clearest indication and has made the most sense to me, dependent on the level of truth within it. This interchange between our Royston (Roygbiv) and Dazzler - sorry, I know. I try not to use his attention needing posts but it adds context in a way that I don't think(?!) has been covered.



Within it is El's original thread too:


Now, I don't think last season's tactics or style were good enough, or entertaining enough, and needed improving longer-term. We fell short and we tailed off. I wasn't opposed to Wilder leaving. But what has become clear is that his work ethic, experience and love for the club papered over the cracks and held the infrastructure of the club together. You can change that, of course and no one man is bigger than the club, but in doing so, you need to have the infrastructure ready to replace it - as both Carlton Blade and Roy have pointed out. We've effectively taken Wilder and the positives he brings out of the club and not replaced anything. By that, I mean his contacts, Knilly and the team's contacts, his presence in the game, his ability to protect the club, to guide (or not take any bullshit from) ownership and his ability to sell the club to prospective signings.

Was this one-man-bad model dated, yes. It needed to change. But I feel we've done it too quickly, and without the proper infrastructure and personnel to replace it. We've weakened the club in playing personnel (Anel, Moore, Souza and the returning loanees) and we've weakened the club off the field. It is now the inexperienced (Selles) leading (? Maybe not...) the inexperienced (the board) and signing well, hardly anyone - presumably due to reduced contacts in the game in the absence of a better recruitment team, see Selles' recent comments - or signing the inexperienced (current signings). This all whilst presumably asking far more of Bettis as the only one who knows the club and how to run things, leaving him mega stretched.

IMO, we've done too much, too soon in terms of changes and it has hugely set us back. You can future plan for the direction of the club, but you can't expect to achieve it one summer. Evolution not revolution. I'm not one to do an impassioned clamour to bring Wilder back and I do think we need to modernise the club at all levels, but I despair at how we're changing too much, too soon and in effect harming the club in the short-term and risking everything currently. We currently look like the least well prepared club in the division, the least active in the transfer market and at genuine risk of freefall. When one man almost held the process, and you then remove that man, the next man will bemoan a lack of discernible process. It's telling.

The more we flounder, fail to recruit, the more the current squad and manager are hung out to dry. The more confidence will continue to drop, and the greater the risk that any remaining key players will want out. New manager > new system > no backing > poor performances > lowering confidence > risk of free fall.

What we now know is that the layer above the squad is currently set up to fail and this genuinely feels like a risk to defining the next few years of the future of this club. We need to arrest the situation, the plummeting confidence and the lack of experience in the playing squad and in the club as a whole, or it could easily be disastrous.

Up the Blades.

I tried to find a thread that captured this issue best, but wasn't sure. So, happy if Foxy or Linz want to lock/move this in what is a time of ridiculous forum traffic for them.

 

[Aston max]

After yesterday I was left disillusioned, depressed and downright baffled !
The attacking play that we had up to the Birmingham game was really refreshing, I agree we're probably trying to change the philosophy of the club to quickly but I'm quite happy to let selles gets on with the job .
He was always going to have a issue taking over following who some supporters worshipped as a god and who won't be satisfied unless he comes backs!!
One of my major gripes though is with the owners due to no communication ! I honestly think we're in for a mediocre season hope I'm pleasantly wrong but the next 15 days will decide.

 

[Frank the tank]

It's hardly news is it. ?
Wilder was the club and we had to move away from that as it's not sustainable
The way we've moved away from it is the issue
We have stuck a new coach in not backed him and expected everything else to take care of itself

Selles should have been part of a wider overhaul of the clubs football strategy but aside from his appointment nothing has changed

 

[SwissBlade]

I think, for me, this is the clearest indication and has made the most sense to me, dependent on the level of truth within it. This interchange between our Royston (Roygbiv) and Dazzler - sorry, I know. I try not to use his attention needing posts but it adds context in a way that I don't think(?!) has been covered.



Within it is El's original thread too:


Now, I don't think last season's tactics or style were good enough, or entertaining enough, and needed improving longer-term. We fell short and we tailed off. I wasn't opposed to Wilder leaving. But what has become clear is that his work ethic, experience and love for the club papered over the cracks and held the infrastructure of the club together. You can change that, of course and no one man is bigger than the club, but in doing so, you need to have the infrastructure ready to replace it - as both Carlton Blade and Roy have pointed out. We've effectively taken Wilder and the positives he brings out of the club and not replaced anything. By that, I mean his contacts, Knilly and the team's contacts, his presence in the game, his ability to protect the club, to guide (or not take any bullshit from) ownership and his ability to sell the club to prospective signings.

Was this one-man-bad model dated, yes. It needed to change. But I feel we've done it too quickly, and without the proper infrastructure and personnel to replace it. We've weakened the club in playing personnel (Anel, Moore, Souza and the returning loanees) and we've weakened the club off the field. It is now the inexperienced (Selles) leading (? Maybe not...) the inexperienced (the board) and signing well, hardly anyone - presumably due to reduced contacts in the game in the absence of a better recruitment team, see Selles' recent comments - or signing the inexperienced (current signings). This all whilst presumably asking far more of Bettis as the only one who knows the club and how to run things, leaving him mega stretched.

IMO, we've done too much, too soon in terms of changes and it has hugely set us back. You can future plan for the direction of the club, but you can't expect to achieve it one summer. Evolution not revolution. I'm not one to do an impassioned clamour to bring Wilder back and I do think we need to modernise the club at all levels, but I despair at how we're changing too much, too soon and in effect harming the club in the short-term and risking everything currently. We currently look like the least well prepared club in the division, the least active in the transfer market and at genuine risk of freefall. When one man almost held the process, and you then remove that man, the next man will bemoan a lack of discernible process. It's telling.

The more we flounder, fail to recruit, the more the current squad and manager are hung out to dry. The more confidence will continue to drop, and the greater the risk that any remaining key players will want out. New manager > new system > no backing > poor performances > lowering confidence > risk of free fall.

What we now know is that the layer above the squad is currently set up to fail and this genuinely feels like a risk to defining the next few years of the future of this club. We need to arrest the situation, the plummeting confidence and the lack of experience in the playing squad and in the club as a whole, or it could easily be disastrous.

Up the Blades.

I tried to find a thread that captured this issue best, but wasn't sure. So, happy if Foxy or Linz want to lock/move this in what is a time of ridiculous forum traffic for them.

It's been mentioned many times, the concerns of bringing Selles in were not only with Selles himself, but with the failure to back Selles and his new culture... This was a lesson from Slav, which was why we ended up back with Hecky and then Wilder.

 

[Houston_Blade]

I’d say we haven’t done enough quick enough. Similar to Slav, we’ve asked a manager to come in and implement a new style, then gone half baked on the approach.

We get AI recommendations from Bulgaria only, we’ve not put a DoF in and we’ve sold some of our better players without replacing them. We’re working slowly in the transfer market and we’ve screwed up on the number of work permit players we’ve signed.

It’s ’club retard’ still but under new ownership.

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

I’m going to struggle for days to unravel the grammar of the OP

 

[Grizzly blade]

I think, for me, this is the clearest indication and has made the most sense to me, dependent on the level of truth within it. This interchange between our Royston (Roygbiv) and Dazzler - sorry, I know. I try not to use his attention needing posts but it adds context in a way that I don't think(?!) has been covered.



Within it is El's original thread too:


Now, I don't think last season's tactics or style were good enough, or entertaining enough, and needed improving longer-term. We fell short and we tailed off. I wasn't opposed to Wilder leaving. But what has become clear is that his work ethic, experience and love for the club papered over the cracks and held the infrastructure of the club together. You can change that, of course and no one man is bigger than the club, but in doing so, you need to have the infrastructure ready to replace it - as both Carlton Blade and Roy have pointed out. We've effectively taken Wilder and the positives he brings out of the club and not replaced anything. By that, I mean his contacts, Knilly and the team's contacts, his presence in the game, his ability to protect the club, to guide (or not take any bullshit from) ownership and his ability to sell the club to prospective signings.

Was this one-man-bad model dated, yes. It needed to change. But I feel we've done it too quickly, and without the proper infrastructure and personnel to replace it. We've weakened the club in playing personnel (Anel, Moore, Souza and the returning loanees) and we've weakened the club off the field. It is now the inexperienced (Selles) leading (? Maybe not...) the inexperienced (the board) and signing well, hardly anyone - presumably due to reduced contacts in the game in the absence of a better recruitment team, see Selles' recent comments - or signing the inexperienced (current signings). This all whilst presumably asking far more of Bettis as the only one who knows the club and how to run things, leaving him mega stretched.

IMO, we've done too much, too soon in terms of changes and it has hugely set us back. You can future plan for the direction of the club, but you can't expect to achieve it one summer. Evolution not revolution. I'm not one to do an impassioned clamour to bring Wilder back and I do think we need to modernise the club at all levels, but I despair at how we're changing too much, too soon and in effect harming the club in the short-term and risking everything currently. We currently look like the least well prepared club in the division, the least active in the transfer market and at genuine risk of freefall. When one man almost held the process, and you then remove that man, the next man will bemoan a lack of discernible process. It's telling.

The more we flounder, fail to recruit, the more the current squad and manager are hung out to dry. The more confidence will continue to drop, and the greater the risk that any remaining key players will want out. New manager > new system > no backing > poor performances > lowering confidence > risk of free fall.

What we now know is that the layer above the squad is currently set up to fail and this genuinely feels like a risk to defining the next few years of the future of this club. We need to arrest the situation, the plummeting confidence and the lack of experience in the playing squad and in the club as a whole, or it could easily be disastrous.

Up the Blades.

I tried to find a thread that captured this issue best, but wasn't sure. So, happy if Foxy or Linz want to lock/move this in what is a time of ridiculous forum traffic for them.

What’s astonishing is how few realised this and what Wilder brought.
Selles needs a full team and a well run board.

New owners clearly not getting the right advice at any level.

 

[coolasanidiot]

I’d say we haven’t done enough quick enough. Similar to Slav, we’ve asked a manager to come in and implement a new style, then gone half baked on the approach.

We get AI recommendations from Bulgaria only, we’ve not put a DoF in and we’ve sold some of our better players without replacing them. We’re working slowly in the transfer market and we’ve screwed up on the number of work permit players we’ve signed.

It’s ’club retard’ still but under new ownership.

Should have left Chris in charge until they had properly set up 'behind the scenes' - 'club retard' is correct - the way these clowns have gone about it is negligent and shows such a lack of 'the market' they are in. All really clever in their own field but 'thick' away from their specialities.

You can't help but say 'I really wish they hadn't bothered' to come at it like this half cocked is bad news for us and they are now losing money hand over fist. Zero credibility.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

It's hardly news is it. ?
Wilder was the club and we had to move away from that as it's not sustainable
The way we've moved away from it is the issue
We have stuck a new coach in not backed him and expected everything else to take care of itself

Selles should have been part of a wider overhaul of the clubs football strategy but aside from his appointment nothing has changed

This is my case in point. To make the culture shift they were seeking presumably requires recruitment, expenditure and time. We've tried to do it in a matter of weeks, without any additional recruitment of operational staff. All whilst crossing our fingers and toes that it'll still be OK and that we'll remain in the promotion hunt.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

I’m going to struggle for days to unravel the grammar of the OP

Cheers for that. Drop me a message when you've managed it.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

It starts by taking for granted what you had

 

[peakblade]

The situation cries out for a director of football experienced in dealing with transfer market recruitment , as i fear letting
Selles loose with a few million could set this club back years especially as i suspect that he will be gone by the end of September.

 

[Tom Bott]

Surely AI would have predicted all this.

Hello Mr Chat GPT we are the new owners of the Blades soccer club, we are thinking of replacing one of the best managers the club has ever had.
A manager who United the whole club from top to bottom (apart from a few miserable Blades).
We are thinking of replacing him with, well yourself, will this (you) lead the club to greater things.

Yours respectfully

Analogue American owners.

 

[Wirral Blade]

Couldn't agree more with the above comment. Chat GPT must also have advised on how the new owners can keep a low profile and remove any leadership on and off the pitch.

 

[JayGreen17]

I think, for me, this is the clearest indication and has made the most sense to me, dependent on the level of truth within it. This interchange between our Royston (Roygbiv) and Dazzler - sorry, I know. I try not to use his attention needing posts but it adds context in a way that I don't think(?!) has been covered.



Within it is El's original thread too:


Now, I don't think last season's tactics or style were good enough, or entertaining enough, and needed improving longer-term. We fell short and we tailed off. I wasn't opposed to Wilder leaving. But what has become clear is that his work ethic, experience and love for the club papered over the cracks and held the infrastructure of the club together. You can change that, of course and no one man is bigger than the club, but in doing so, you need to have the infrastructure ready to replace it - as both Carlton Blade and Roy have pointed out. We've effectively taken Wilder and the positives he brings out of the club and not replaced anything. By that, I mean his contacts, Knilly and the team's contacts, his presence in the game, his ability to protect the club, to guide (or not take any bullshit from) ownership and his ability to sell the club to prospective signings.

Was this one-man-bad model dated, yes. It needed to change. But I feel we've done it too quickly, and without the proper infrastructure and personnel to replace it. We've weakened the club in playing personnel (Anel, Moore, Souza and the returning loanees) and we've weakened the club off the field. It is now the inexperienced (Selles) leading (? Maybe not...) the inexperienced (the board) and signing well, hardly anyone - presumably due to reduced contacts in the game in the absence of a better recruitment team, see Selles' recent comments - or signing the inexperienced (current signings). This all whilst presumably asking far more of Bettis as the only one who knows the club and how to run things, leaving him mega stretched.

IMO, we've done too much, too soon in terms of changes and it has hugely set us back. You can future plan for the direction of the club, but you can't expect to achieve it one summer. Evolution not revolution. I'm not one to do an impassioned clamour to bring Wilder back and I do think we need to modernise the club at all levels, but I despair at how we're changing too much, too soon and in effect harming the club in the short-term and risking everything currently. We currently look like the least well prepared club in the division, the least active in the transfer market and at genuine risk of freefall. When one man almost held the process, and you then remove that man, the next man will bemoan a lack of discernible process. It's telling.

The more we flounder, fail to recruit, the more the current squad and manager are hung out to dry. The more confidence will continue to drop, and the greater the risk that any remaining key players will want out. New manager > new system > no backing > poor performances > lowering confidence > risk of free fall.

What we now know is that the layer above the squad is currently set up to fail and this genuinely feels like a risk to defining the next few years of the future of this club. We need to arrest the situation, the plummeting confidence and the lack of experience in the playing squad and in the club as a whole, or it could easily be disastrous.

Up the Blades.

I tried to find a thread that captured this issue best, but wasn't sure. So, happy if Foxy or Linz want to lock/move this in what is a time of ridiculous forum traffic for them.

Amazing post, couldn’t agree more.

 

[KMC-1889]

Maybe the board explained the plan to Wilder and he didn’t fancy it?

 

[Shirty Blade]

If the plan was to sell our best players and Moore and not replace them no wonder!

 

[Youngand70]

I think, for me, this is the clearest indication and has made the most sense to me, dependent on the level of truth within it. This interchange between our Royston (Roygbiv) and Dazzler - sorry, I know. I try not to use his attention needing posts but it adds context in a way that I don't think(?!) has been covered.



Within it is El's original thread too:


Now, I don't think last season's tactics or style were good enough, or entertaining enough, and needed improving longer-term. We fell short and we tailed off. I wasn't opposed to Wilder leaving. But what has become clear is that his work ethic, experience and love for the club papered over the cracks and held the infrastructure of the club together. You can change that, of course and no one man is bigger than the club, but in doing so, you need to have the infrastructure ready to replace it - as both Carlton Blade and Roy have pointed out. We've effectively taken Wilder and the positives he brings out of the club and not replaced anything. By that, I mean his contacts, Knilly and the team's contacts, his presence in the game, his ability to protect the club, to guide (or not take any bullshit from) ownership and his ability to sell the club to prospective signings.

Was this one-man-bad model dated, yes. It needed to change. But I feel we've done it too quickly, and without the proper infrastructure and personnel to replace it. We've weakened the club in playing personnel (Anel, Moore, Souza and the returning loanees) and we've weakened the club off the field. It is now the inexperienced (Selles) leading (? Maybe not...) the inexperienced (the board) and signing well, hardly anyone - presumably due to reduced contacts in the game in the absence of a better recruitment team, see Selles' recent comments - or signing the inexperienced (current signings). This all whilst presumably asking far more of Bettis as the only one who knows the club and how to run things, leaving him mega stretched.

IMO, we've done too much, too soon in terms of changes and it has hugely set us back. You can future plan for the direction of the club, but you can't expect to achieve it one summer. Evolution not revolution. I'm not one to do an impassioned clamour to bring Wilder back and I do think we need to modernise the club at all levels, but I despair at how we're changing too much, too soon and in effect harming the club in the short-term and risking everything currently. We currently look like the least well prepared club in the division, the least active in the transfer market and at genuine risk of freefall. When one man almost held the process, and you then remove that man, the next man will bemoan a lack of discernible process. It's telling.

The more we flounder, fail to recruit, the more the current squad and manager are hung out to dry. The more confidence will continue to drop, and the greater the risk that any remaining key players will want out. New manager > new system > no backing > poor performances > lowering confidence > risk of free fall.

What we now know is that the layer above the squad is currently set up to fail and this genuinely feels like a risk to defining the next few years of the future of this club. We need to arrest the situation, the plummeting confidence and the lack of experience in the playing squad and in the club as a whole, or it could easily be disastrous.

Up the Blades.

I tried to find a thread that captured this issue best, but wasn't sure. So, happy if Foxy or Linz want to lock/move this in what is a time of ridiculous forum traffic for them.

9

I think, for me, this is the clearest indication and has made the most sense to me, dependent on the level of truth within it. This interchange between our Royston (Roygbiv) and Dazzler - sorry, I know. I try not to use his attention needing posts but it adds context in a way that I don't think(?!) has been covered.



Within it is El's original thread too:


Now, I don't think last season's tactics or style were good enough, or entertaining enough, and needed improving longer-term. We fell short and we tailed off. I wasn't opposed to Wilder leaving. But what has become clear is that his work ethic, experience and love for the club papered over the cracks and held the infrastructure of the club together. You can change that, of course and no one man is bigger than the club, but in doing so, you need to have the infrastructure ready to replace it - as both Carlton Blade and Roy have pointed out. We've effectively taken Wilder and the positives he brings out of the club and not replaced anything. By that, I mean his contacts, Knilly and the team's contacts, his presence in the game, his ability to protect the club, to guide (or not take any bullshit from) ownership and his ability to sell the club to prospective signings.

Was this one-man-bad model dated, yes. It needed to change. But I feel we've done it too quickly, and without the proper infrastructure and personnel to replace it. We've weakened the club in playing personnel (Anel, Moore, Souza and the returning loanees) and we've weakened the club off the field. It is now the inexperienced (Selles) leading (? Maybe not...) the inexperienced (the board) and signing well, hardly anyone - presumably due to reduced contacts in the game in the absence of a better recruitment team, see Selles' recent comments - or signing the inexperienced (current signings). This all whilst presumably asking far more of Bettis as the only one who knows the club and how to run things, leaving him mega stretched.

IMO, we've done too much, too soon in terms of changes and it has hugely set us back. You can future plan for the direction of the club, but you can't expect to achieve it one summer. Evolution not revolution. I'm not one to do an impassioned clamour to bring Wilder back and I do think we need to modernise the club at all levels, but I despair at how we're changing too much, too soon and in effect harming the club in the short-term and risking everything currently. We currently look like the least well prepared club in the division, the least active in the transfer market and at genuine risk of freefall. When one man almost held the process, and you then remove that man, the next man will bemoan a lack of discernible process. It's telling.

The more we flounder, fail to recruit, the more the current squad and manager are hung out to dry. The more confidence will continue to drop, and the greater the risk that any remaining key players will want out. New manager > new system > no backing > poor performances > lowering confidence > risk of free fall.

What we now know is that the layer above the squad is currently set up to fail and this genuinely feels like a risk to defining the next few years of the future of this club. We need to arrest the situation, the plummeting confidence and the lack of experience in the playing squad and in the club as a whole, or it could easily be disastrous.

Up the Blades.

I tried to find a thread that captured this issue best, but wasn't sure. So, happy if Foxy or Linz want to lock/move this in what is a time of ridiculous forum traffic for them.

The comment about needing a structure overhaul is something I have banged on about for sometime but very few people seem interested. Quite rightly a well run club shouldn't go into melt down just because a manager/coach leaves. Prime example is Bayern Munich - since 2018 they have had 5 coaches - won the Bundesliga 6 times and Champions League once. The reason - they have a Managing Director for Sport Max Eberl and a Sporting Director Christoph Freund within an experienced management structure within a world class club structure. Vincent Kompany works under them as Head Coach and I, like many others, when he got the job thought WHAT the F, especially after leading Burnley to relegation, but due to the structure Bayern have had for years he just slotted in and hey presto another Bundesliga title. Therefore we need a Director of Football/Sporting Director along with a complete overall of the management structure. Included in that restructuring should be a dynamic, forward thinking, proactive, highly motivated CEO with a high level of footballing knowledge and excellent communication skills. Something we certainly do not have at present!!! I won't hold my breath!!!

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Where has it started to go wrong?

About half an hour after this.

View attachment ssvid.net--SUNDERLAND-PROMOTED-TO-THE-PREMIER-LEAGUE-Sheffield-Utd-1-2_v720P~3.mp4

 

[Champagneblade]

About half an hour after this.

View attachment 219488

yep as well as record semi final score, record losses in play offs didn’t we also change the narrative of winning at half time and losing at full time.

Still irks that VAR call, given it was subjective, it felt like they didn’t take all angles into consideration. Then you have Keith Hackett, ex ref’s chief and Wednesday fan saying he would have allowed it.

 

[dingledog]

The only metaphor I can think of for how the owners are currently appearing to act is this. It’s like kid who gets a present, plays with it for a while, then loses interest and it gets pushed to the bottom of the toy box, never to be played with again.

 

[metalblade]

I have to agree with most that has been posted in this thread most clubs went down the route of having a director of football years ago. Probably the last time we had a man in the boardroom that knew anything about football was when Derick Dooley was around. More and more money coming into the game has slowly pushed out the managers who run everything with a finger in every pie. Chris wilder is that type of manger and had great success in the lower leagues and dragging us out of league one, but get to the Premier league and life becomes so much harder the workload doubles and I think it is too much for one man. CW was never enthusiastic about working with a DoF and maybe helped create his own downfall, in that 2nd Prem season the guy looked absolutely worn out and ended up walking. I wish he had taken gardening leave and let Hecky run the show for a while.
At this time we had the Prince owning the club maybe to him it was a rich man's football manager game. When the Prince was called back to run something or other back in Saudi who was in the boardroom at this time Bettis an Italian lawyer and one of the Prince's sons the club was largely left to run itself, there has been no one a manager could consult with who understood the football side. We have new owners and now have a few more people at boardroom level they may be experts in their fields but none seem to have much of a clue how to run a large football club. Like others have said the structure should have been put in place last year instead we have Selles who is not that experienced and is getting very little help from above. The job would be hard enough for an old school gaffer like Wilder but Selles I think is on a hiding to nothing, he might come good eventually but I'm not holding my breath. I'm feeling very let down by the owners just now are they going to be our Chansiri?

 

[PrestwichBlade]

Should have left Chris in charge until they had properly set up 'behind the scenes' - 'club retard' is correct - the way these clowns have gone about it is negligent and shows such a lack of 'the market' they are in. All really clever in their own field but 'thick' away from their specialities.

You can't help but say 'I really wish they hadn't bothered' to come at it like this half cocked is bad news for us and they are now losing money hand over fist. Zero credibility.

You say that, but perhaps Wilder just wasn't willing to accept those changes, to relinquish the control and influence he had? It's not a healthy position to be in and to get away from that, to have a structure in place that allows things to be more sustainable might well be painful and might take a bit of time. I do think it was interesting that in the owner's most recent statement there was a broad appeal for patience and I also think they are likely to get some things wrong too (I think they've shown some naivety in this window and the comms could be a bit better), but if they learn from those and ultimately we progress as a club, then personally I'm willing to be patient.

 

[Jon Bon II]

One of my major gripes though is with the owners due to no communication ! I honestly think we're in for a mediocre season hope I'm pleasantly wrong but the next 15 days will decide.

I would snatch someone's hand off right now for a mediocre season. Sadly, I think it will be far worse, unless the right players are brought in and big changes are made without delay. Can't see it happening with this set of owners though and we'll blindly bumble on until it's too late. The rumours circulating that James Bord is in charge of recruitment chill me to the bone, if they are true.

 

[Numpty's Dusty Ruts.]

Cheers for that. Drop me a message when you've managed it.

Don't be downhearted Kozzy, it's a great post!!

 

[Lord Eddard Muir]

I think, for me, this is the clearest indication and has made the most sense to me, dependent on the level of truth within it. This interchange between our Royston (Roygbiv) and Dazzler - sorry, I know. I try not to use his attention needing posts but it adds context in a way that I don't think(?!) has been covered.



Within it is El's original thread too:


Now, I don't think last season's tactics or style were good enough, or entertaining enough, and needed improving longer-term. We fell short and we tailed off. I wasn't opposed to Wilder leaving. But what has become clear is that his work ethic, experience and love for the club papered over the cracks and held the infrastructure of the club together. You can change that, of course and no one man is bigger than the club, but in doing so, you need to have the infrastructure ready to replace it - as both Carlton Blade and Roy have pointed out. We've effectively taken Wilder and the positives he brings out of the club and not replaced anything. By that, I mean his contacts, Knilly and the team's contacts, his presence in the game, his ability to protect the club, to guide (or not take any bullshit from) ownership and his ability to sell the club to prospective signings.

Was this one-man-bad model dated, yes. It needed to change. But I feel we've done it too quickly, and without the proper infrastructure and personnel to replace it. We've weakened the club in playing personnel (Anel, Moore, Souza and the returning loanees) and we've weakened the club off the field. It is now the inexperienced (Selles) leading (? Maybe not...) the inexperienced (the board) and signing well, hardly anyone - presumably due to reduced contacts in the game in the absence of a better recruitment team, see Selles' recent comments - or signing the inexperienced (current signings). This all whilst presumably asking far more of Bettis as the only one who knows the club and how to run things, leaving him mega stretched.

IMO, we've done too much, too soon in terms of changes and it has hugely set us back. You can future plan for the direction of the club, but you can't expect to achieve it one summer. Evolution not revolution. I'm not one to do an impassioned clamour to bring Wilder back and I do think we need to modernise the club at all levels, but I despair at how we're changing too much, too soon and in effect harming the club in the short-term and risking everything currently. We currently look like the least well prepared club in the division, the least active in the transfer market and at genuine risk of freefall. When one man almost held the process, and you then remove that man, the next man will bemoan a lack of discernible process. It's telling.

The more we flounder, fail to recruit, the more the current squad and manager are hung out to dry. The more confidence will continue to drop, and the greater the risk that any remaining key players will want out. New manager > new system > no backing > poor performances > lowering confidence > risk of free fall.

What we now know is that the layer above the squad is currently set up to fail and this genuinely feels like a risk to defining the next few years of the future of this club. We need to arrest the situation, the plummeting confidence and the lack of experience in the playing squad and in the club as a whole, or it could easily be disastrous.

Up the Blades.

I tried to find a thread that captured this issue best, but wasn't sure. So, happy if Foxy or Linz want to lock/move this in what is a time of ridiculous forum traffic for them.

Really good post. There has been so, so much written on here about the current issues but I think this kind of level-headed summary has been lacking.

 

[dexter101]

DoF would have made sense to be their first appointment.

It does feel like they are doing more changes than maybe we see (seems like academy and backroom staff are still being played around with) but surely a DoF should have been the person directing this. If its not them, who is it? Selles? Bettis? I am not really sure.

 

[Tom Bott]

The rumours circulating that James Bord is in charge of recruitment chill me to the bone, if they are true.

Dunfermline Athletic: US analytics firm completes takeover

Las Vegas-based businessmen James Bord and Evan Sofer complete their takeover of Dunfermline Athletic aiming to realise the Scottish Championship club's "immense potential".

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