um pahars

Absolutely. The appointment of Wotte is nothing more than trying to mop up the fcking awful mess of an appointment that Poortvliet was. No more and no less than a damage limitation exercise. If Lowe wanted Wotte in place fromt eh start, then he's the type of guy who would have done that from the off. He didn't because Jan was his first choice and that choice turned out to be a spectacular failure.

This response probably rtesonates the most with me. Sure, the Club have finally admitted that we have someone else on the payroll (oops, I meant invoicing us), but IMHO this article asks as many questions as it answers. Who is he advising? The Chairman or the Manager/Head Coach or both? Is he responsible for any of the failings we have witnessed this season (poor purchases, poor strategy etc etc etc) Who does he report to? What's his full brief? What's his previous experience and how did we get to use him? Is he involved in idedntifying our weaknesses and identifying players, or does he just tie up the deals? Why are we using an intermediary to tie up deals, surely given our financial situation we should be doing this in house? If he is a mere scout/middle man why is he involved in team management meetings, training and present at all games (in the Director's box)? I think it's good that we have a start on his role, but he would appear to be doing much more than a normal scout/middle man would do? Don't think we've been told the full story here, so I'll push my contact at the Club to find out just how deeply he is involved in footballing matters, particularly when the original article has him saying him and Lowe set out the strategy for the Club (which is slightly more than the average scout/middle man does!!!!!!!!!!!!!).

We had to give Jan almost 30 games before the penny dropped that we had dropped a humungous clanger!!!!!!!!

If we're now moving away from the Total Football concept does that mean that all the hype, all the soundbites and all the promises preseason and throughout the Autumn are all redundant??? Or are these new words just a load of ******??? The only thing that matters is results on the pitch and so far we have been found very wanting, despite being told we have been playing fantastic football. I have no confidence in those running the Club at the moment and seeing as they have selected Wotte, and also because he is deeply implicated with the poor season so far, then I am afraid to say I'm remain very sceptical that he can pull this off. I hope I'm wrong, but with Poortvliet, hope was not enough.

He is also the CEO, a paid Executive in charge of day to day affairs.

Wigley did have a press conference, but it was a farce. Afterwards, upstairs were briefing it was only a temporary appointment and the structure hadn't been fully resolved, downstairs Wigley was annoucing he was full time manager in total control. Just go back to the archives and have a read of Graham Hiley's reports on the events (clarification and retractions galore LOL). Also agree that there is a world of difference between issuing a rallying call and having a pop at various people. Certainly not a direction I would have advised him to go down, very strange and certain to get some people's backs up. Also had to giggle over his line that a Club needs to be stable for it to be successful!!! Well the bloke who put you here came in and took over the reins in the boardroom from someone else, sacked one manager, appointed another, introduced a brand new "Revolutionary Coaching Set Up" on the footballing side, pushed that bloke out the door, which is why you've got the job and now apparently you're up for making changes to the style of play. I'd hardly call that stable;)

Been said a number of times, in that any fool can slash and cut costs, but what sets a real leader and entrepeneur apart is either maintaining revenues despite those cuts or even better still growing revenues. Lowe's "Revolutionary Coaching Set Up" and his inability to galvanise the fanbase has cost us money from the top line.

Speaking for myself, absolutely. A pat on the back and a wedge in the pocket when he gets it right, a kick in the balls and a P45 when he continually gets it wrong. But getting back to your opening post, I'm surprised you are confused. After all I think most of us want him doing things a football CEO does and not the things a CEO shouldn't be doing (e.g. deal with negotiations as opposed to targeting players, employing the manager as opposed to meddling with team affairs, turning up on matchdays as opposed to mossing them)

6 points for me. As usual not enough for us to pull clear, but too many for us to be cut adrift. IMHO this will go to the wire.

Jonah did say since relegation!!!!! Get your edit button working and put another reply in and then I'll delete this post;)

Absolutely, and there was me thinking we had this fluid 4-3-3 Total Football style running throughout the Club.:rolleyes:

Granger can be seen putting the keepers throught their paces at SMS prior to the match (and works with the sub keeper at half time). He's been doing it since Webster went on gardening leave (it's just that we've never been told!!!).

As others have quite rightly pointed out, it is rather disengenuous to ask that we put aside relegation from the top flight, not least because: (a) Lowe was at the heart of all the major decisions that enusred we went down, particularly those relating to the appointments of Wigley and Redknapp, and, (b) The financial fall out from it tainted the last three and a bit years. It certainly didn't excuse some of the poor decisions made by a number of those in charge, but it is rather difficult to ignore. As for poor decisions (I think crimes is somewhat OTT) since relegation, then how about (in no particular order and with varying degrees of c*ck uppedness): 1) Retaining a disinterested and non motivated Redknapp upon relegation. 2) Bringing in Simon Clifford. 3) Investing time, money and effort in bringing in Woodward (maybe the right man, but so not the right time). 4) Trying to forge a working relationship between Redknapp, Woodward & Clifford (including that scary press conference where they said everything was brilliant). 5) Not having a different pricing structure for the Championship 6) Appointing Woodward as Director Of Football. 7) Wasting the first season down following relegation where we never in the races for promotion. Investing money in non essential infrastructure and sports science at Staplewood, when the priority should have been on the pitch (as with Woodward, they may have been a good idea in the long term, or when established in the Premiership, but we were just causing distractions in that first season down). 9) Sacking Pearson. 10) Appointing Jan Poortvliet 11) Overseeing a transfer policy and strategy that has not delivered this season (There are a number of transfers & loans that have been found wanting). 12) Failure to win back the support and confidence of the fans. 13) Overseeing and establishing the atmosphere for a poisonous AGM with his opening gambit. 14) Demanding a compensation fee for Webster, which when refused meant we just had to pay his wages whilst he is on gardening leave. 15) Keeping supporters in the dark with regards Hockaday, Webster & Kim Van Der Waals. 16) Overhyping the "Revolutionary Coaching Set Up", putting pressure on Jan and the team. 17) Creating an unnecessary furore and adverse publicity over the "Train Painting" 18) Failing to attend first team matches, a day where it all comes together and a day on which the Manager should be judged (and as his boss he really should be there). 19) Ultimately, results this season under his tenure. 20) Bored now, but maybe I'll add some more later.

Keith Granger is now goalkeeping coach. Kim Van Der Waals has still to be oinned down LOL

If the prognosis is that all we need is a bit of luck, something that Wotte goes on and on about in his interview, then IMHO we are doomed. Anyone who has been to St Mary's this season will know that our problems run much deeper than being unlucky!!!! Thinking all we need is a change of luck is head in the sand thinking.

Wigley didn't want the role first time around, but a few months later he was "shoe horned" into the position of Head Coach. Now Wotte didn't want the role 7 months or so ago and now he's been "shoe horned" into it. The thought that we now have a reluctant manager who didn't really want the job is scary (I think we've been there before with Redknapp).

What would you say if they rang you???

I know exactly where you're coming from, but you never know we may have managed to stolen a march on someone here by using our contacts. He could well be the lump who can bring other players into the game. Not saying he's ht or good, but you never know.

Glad we cleared that up;) Well considering that on Friday evening, Wilde said he was hopeful of signing a striker, then unless Wotte moves as quick in the transfer market as Wilde did to his car on Saturday, then I would say this deal was in motion before Jan got the boot (and you'll have to trust me on this one, because I know it was in motion before Wotte took over).

Certainly not advocating a pitch invasion, but I very much doubt we'd get a points deduction (or even a fine). The FA took no action at all when the Leeds fans invaded the pitch for half an hour when their game against Ipswich was coming to a close.

I don't think I've said he was sht as that would be rather presumptious. In fact I think I've said he looks liek the big lump that we need in this division (and I certainly hope and pray he is). I was merely questioning who/how/why we identify and select players, because it has been a major problem for me this season in that what little money we may have has been used poorly. You and others may be OK with the concept that others bring the players in and the Coach merely coaches them but there is another train of thought that says this undermines the manager and has not worked to date.

I'm not sure who is involved in buying the players, hence why I was asking the question. I worry that Lowe has more of an involvement than merely negotiating terms, I worry that Van Der Waals has an input and yet we know nothing about him, I worry about who else is advising who and who has the final decision. Our policy to date this season has been poor, but I don't know who was responsible. I think Poortvliet going is a positive (sadly negated by the appointment of Wotte), but if Poortvliet was not the main mover and shaker with regards transfer targets, then his removal will not solve that particular problem.

Reactionary??? I was questioning Poortvliet's suitability from day one (surekly you remember that;))

And Poortvliet's;)

Personally, given our current predicament, I would rather we had appointed an experienced and qualified coach to be Assistant First Team Coach. This is no time for people learning on the job, we needed someone to come in and hit the ground running. We had enough problems the last time we employed a Jan who was learning as he went along. I would have no problem him coming in on the backroom staff at a less exposed position and lending a hand, providing inspiration, motivation and passing on his experience, but IMHO he's not what we need right at the sharp end as we sit here today.