ShockingBadBuy
Often disappointed, never discouraged
The main issues were training ground and academy investment. Both promised for several seasons and never started. Part of the reason we agreed on a chronically low budget was that infrastructure would happen in line with us stopping in the PL. Two projects should have started now, alas.
Transfers: Instead of the one vote, one man (the majority Prince's men) they wanted to take all the votes away from the management and coaching staff. Most of the players brought in by these people have been expensive and shit, hence CW's reluctance. Also unhappiness with Coulibaly as he was parachuted in with club funds without consultation with SUFC staff and committee. The next manager will be a puppet if he accedes to this system. We now have a bunch of unqualified people playing real life fantasy football with SUFC. People need to realise that all signings were voted on by the transfer committee since the Prince got sole ownership, and that the Prince set the transfer agenda: young players who wouldn't be big drains if relegated, so we could develop them and bounce back. All signings were the fault of the committee, not CW/AK specifically - contrary to Phipps' propaganda. We simply do not have the infrastructure for Brentfordesque recruitment or a foreign based scouting system.
Sales policy: Despite the overarching policy being to come back with this young squad, the Prince changed the plan and demanded big sales of key players.
I won’t push you on your sources, nopigfansintown But bits of that make worrying reading, regards how things might play out in the medium term.
As everyone keeps saying, we can’t afford to get the next appointment wrong. If the regime is indeed now “a bunch of unqualified people playing real life fantasy football with SUFC”, it will take a pretty robust personality and skill-set to navigate it.