Why should it need to be subtle? Wilder is not going to be here in 3 years. He might not be here in 3 months at this rate. We have had years to sort this but failed. Abdullah has to take a lot of the blame as does Bettis who said at the forum last year they didn't need a DOF. He talked about him and Shieber, Hoyland, Allen. Sadly I think he is protecting his own job. Maybe I am wrong but we are run like no other club as
Roygbiv said above. Its like a Sunday league set up.
Him and Shieber know little about football recruitment. Bettis has admitted he's just an accountant. Yet despite this admission has ever addressed it or advised Abdullah or Rosen etc to change this vital infrastructure and get a/some football people in above the manager.
Gulp, even them across the city did that as soon as the new owners came in.
If Hoyland/Allen are quite involved in identifying targets then their success rate is frankly appalling and the board should have moved them on.
They have identified old, slow, unfit players who have no resell value and have not improved us. Worryingly I think Wilder is the one who is earmarked the signings as most are players been here before, thus not being scouted (maybe they should have watched Rothwell, Choudhury etc for previous clubs and realised they were not close to players of 2 years ago in form/fitness).
I just fail to see how they have not brought in a technical football side/people who can oversee recruitment. If Wilder goes, who then identifies the targets? If its the people (assume Hoyland/Allen) that identified Chong Matos, McGuiness etc, then we really are in trouble.
The fact they have not done this says a lot about their (including Abdullah before) naivety and lack of awareness how this business works. Rosen admitted they dont know about a lot of the nuances and how football worked. So bring people in who do! No guarantee any DoF or technical football advisor/s will work of course. You have to get the right ones but we have to try and move away from being run like a Sunday league pub side.
Maybe they wait till Wilder does go but unless they are afraid of upsetting him - but got rid of Knill? Seems like they are frightened over what happened with Selles and their experience with Bord - so just went back to what the club did before with one man running it all with all the power to do what he wants.
We really need a new modern progressive coach, a new scouting team and football people above them to see us move into 2026, not like we are still operating in the 80s with a manager, a couple of his pals finding players and a CEO that is almost like a club secretary overseeing a junior club - doing the raffle, overseeing tickets/merchandise and helping with the 1st team too!