The Championship Thread - 2023/24

[Chez]

10 hours ago, SuperSAINT said:

Decent: like a championship avengers.

Is this the kind of 'experience' some on here want us to sign? Big ball winner at the back, a strong 'ugly' CF and a little bit of creativity in midfield. 

[CSA96]

 

[Saint Fan CaM]

15 minutes ago, CSA96 said:

 

Sometimes an average manager comes together with an average team and their sum is better than the equal parts, so magic is created. Such as it was for Rodgers and Leicester until time took its toll and so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rodgers fade away over time.

Saints couldn’t keep hold of their decent managers and so a different type of decline occurred - bloated squad and ever decreasing poor managerial appointments. Ultimately both clubs faced the harsh truth of poor tactical leadership in the face of unrelenting financial pressure in the EPL.

Both clubs have now got hugely important decisions to get right in the next managerial appointment. It will be fascinating to compare the outcome of the appointments in terms of player trading, adopted playing style and the results over the coming season.

[Pamplemousse]

In managerial news, Neil Warnock's signed a deal with Huddersfield to stay there this season.

[disconnect]

9 hours ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Ryan Fraser will inevitably score 2/3 past us then 

and not be seen for the rest of the season... 

[The Cat]

Pitch being sorted, new screens up too.

 

 

[CSA96]

 

[CSA96]

 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

18 hours ago, The Cat said:

Pitch being sorted, new screens up too.

 

 

I did wonder why there wasn't a concert at the ground this summer. 

[HarvSFC]

Thought he turned us down to stay another year with Guardiola? 🤷‍♂️

[santolijador]

1 minute ago, HarvSFC said:

Thought he turned us down to stay another year with Guardiola? 🤷‍♂️

wouldn't worry too much, 14 games in charge of Parma with a 29% win rate (also has a PL2 but I'd wager thats not a difficult task with City youth system) - hopefully he's a bust and takes Leicester to deeper depths

[CSA96]

 

[CSA96]

 

[FarehamSaintJames]

22 minutes ago, CSA96 said:

 

Madness. Wonder what’s happened behind the scenes

[Convict Colony]

Just seen the fixtures list comes out on Thurs at 9am, yippee.

Hope we get a home game, I want to see if the ground staff are allowed to be more creative again with their patterns on the pitch now we are in the championship.

A few years ago the most creative aspect of our club were the ground staff before the premier league realised the rest for he leagues pitches were shit in comparison.

[Saint Garrett]

2 hours ago, CSA96 said:

 

WTF

[bpsaint]

3 hours ago, CSA96 said:

 

That’s mental, and from my neutral viewpoint incredibly harsh. Even as an ex skate he seems like a really decent bloke. Loved the way he overcame all the abuse and a 4-0 1st leg deficit to win the play offs.

Didn’t he get harshly sacked by West Brom a few years ago too?

[The Cat]

16 minutes ago, bpsaint said:

That’s mental, and from my neutral viewpoint incredibly harsh. Even as an ex skate he seems like a really decent bloke. Loved the way he overcame all the abuse and a 4-0 1st leg deficit to win the play offs.

Didn’t he get harshly sacked by West Brom a few years ago too?

There has to be something else going on as all the backroom staff left too. Maybe he has another job lined up.

[egg]

59 minutes ago, Saint Garrett said:

WTF

Yep. Makes no sense whatsoever - unless he's got a better offer. 

[bpsaint]

48 minutes ago, The Cat said:

There has to be something else going on as all the backroom staff left too. Maybe he has another job lined up.

Maybe? But then surely it wouldn’t be mutual consent? Either way very odd.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 hour ago, The Cat said:

There has to be something else going on as all the backroom staff left too. Maybe he has another job lined up.

Wouldn't be surprised if he ends up at Leeds

[a1ex2001]

10 hours ago, bpsaint said:

Maybe? But then surely it wouldn’t be mutual consent? Either way very odd.

Definitely something gone in behind the scenes they had a great season and would have one the league most years with the points they amassed.  Seems crazy to unsettle the team going into the championship but there has been tension with the board before and the owner is a bit bonkers.

[Convict Colony]

wrong

 

Edited 22 June, 2023 by Convict Colony

[CSA96]

 

[goodymatt]

 

[CSA96]

 

[niceandfriendly]

Decent appointment for Leeds. I’m looking forward to this upcoming Championship season more than I have for any of the last 5/6 seasons in the Prem. 

[JRM]

Dejphon Chansiri the Thai businessman who owns Sheffield Wednesday has released a statement on the club's website detailing why Darren Moore left the club.

“Following the Q&A I conducted last week, speculation has continued in the local and national media which is first and foremost incorrect but also damaging to our club. This speculation has now gone too far with some people putting out completely misleading information. I now wish to put the record straight and hope this will draw a line beneath Darren’s departure and we can look forwards, to the appointment of a new manager and the new season.

Initially, I said I would help Darren silently. I offered not to talk and Darren agreed. Since I have been here, I have always looked to protect my people, unless I have no choice. If this speculation was just local then fine, I know people will come to me, but when it goes wider from some who do not understand the situation then that is different and I have to act.

Now, over a week later, the speculation continues. People who do not have the correct information are saying things completely wrong in the media. I am not worried about myself but when this speculation damages our club, I have to explain the truth and if Darren wishes to say something publicly then I would welcome that.

So I decided to speak to Darren last Sunday night, 25th June about this situation. I said I had helped him a lot but you must understand I need to tell the whole story – you could speak yourself or we could talk together but I did not expect that to happen so I am releasing this statement today to end the speculation.

After the end of the season, we had achieved promotion and as far as I was concerned, there was no issue. We completed the retained list on Thursday 1 June and began discussing the recruitment of new players, and the targets identified for the Championship, and I asked Darren to summarise and present. We arranged to talk the following week to prepare the final information and begin coordinating the process.

Darren went on holiday and we spoke again during his holiday. We talked more about the recruitment of players, and then Darren mentioned the contracts of his coaching team, which expired at the end of June. I asked Darren to send me his proposals for them because I was happy to talk.

He then mentioned his own contract which I said was automatically active following our promotion. But I said I was happy to discuss a new contract and asked Darren to send me the details and his proposals so I can study them.

After a few days, he sent me his proposals for his contract and I asked Darren to rethink and said, are you sure? I asked him if this proposal was instigated by his agent and Darren told me it was a guideline. I asked Darren if he wanted an answer yes or no or can we talk again? Darren said it was a guideline and he would think about the details again.

We arranged to meet face-to-face in my office on Wednesday 14 June. We talked some more about players and Darren asked about the contracts of his coaching staff. I said we needed Darren to resolve his own situation first because whenever this was an issue, we could not talk further about his staff.

I said we need a conclusion before Thursday as we could not take too long when we needed to begin the recruitment process. Even if we could not agree, this is the football business, but we would still maintain friendly relations with each other, but we need to resolve this situation.

I told Darren I was happy for him to stay, he achieved promotion and deserved a chance in the Championship. I said I was happy to increase his salary and add more bonuses into the contract, with the highest bonus if we reached the Premier League. But the proposal Darren presented was significantly in excess of his contract and I said I cannot offer a minimum of four times your current salary on a three-year contract, I have to be realistic and protect the club.

I advised Darren to rethink very carefully, do you really think this is a good idea? I offered my full support during all his time at our club and I wanted us to continue and succeed together. I asked him to think and let me know your decision by Thursday because we are not getting anywhere here other than back to the starting point. Darren said he would think about the details again.

We met again on Thursday 15 June and Darren told me that he could not accept. I said okay, that is your decision and I don’t think it will be difficult for you to get another job. I said I would help Darren by announcing his departure via mutual consent because that will help for the future.

I was fully aware the fans would believe this is my issue but for Darren, there would be only good things because he achieved promotion. But I was happy to take that on my shoulders to help. I said I would not talk too much, only if I was left with no choice.

I told Darren we had to announce his departure on the Thursday, the same day, which would allow me to begin the recruitment of a new manager. He asked for Monday 19th June but I was not keen on that date because the players would be coming back to pre-season training very soon and I needed to resolve. Finally though, I agreed to his request to announce on the Monday.

In the meantime, we still had good relations, we had dinner together on Saturday 17th June and personally in my heart, I was hoping he would have a change of heart but unfortunately nothing changed.

We spoke about the players as if everything was normal and Darren asked me if I would keep his coaching team at the club. But I said that would be difficult because if Darren took another role, he would need his team around him and obviously then we would have a problem at our club.

I said there was a chance I would retain Adriano Basso and I would speak to the team but when I recruited a new manager he will wish to bring in his own staff. Normally I like at least one member of staff to work with the new team to help the transition process.

We continued to talk about general matters over dinner, about the team, the players, the Championship, but the proposal remained the same and we agreed a parting of the ways would be the best way forward, which we announced on Monday 19th June.

So that is the story about why Darren left our club, I wish him nothing but the best and I hope he is appointed to a new position soon. Now these details have been made clear, I hope we can all move on and look forward to the next era for Sheffield Wednesday.

The recruitment process for the new manager is well underway and I wish to get back to normal as soon as possible. The appointment will not be rushed, it must be the right person and the right fit for our club and the process continues."

 

#swfc

[SotonianWill]

33 minutes ago, JRM said:

Dejphon Chansiri the Thai businessman who owns Sheffield Wednesday has released a statement on the club's website detailing why Darren Moore left the club.

“Following the Q&A I conducted last week, speculation has continued in the local and national media which is first and foremost incorrect but also damaging to our club. This speculation has now gone too far with some people putting out completely misleading information. I now wish to put the record straight and hope this will draw a line beneath Darren’s departure and we can look forwards, to the appointment of a new manager and the new season.

Initially, I said I would help Darren silently. I offered not to talk and Darren agreed. Since I have been here, I have always looked to protect my people, unless I have no choice. If this speculation was just local then fine, I know people will come to me, but when it goes wider from some who do not understand the situation then that is different and I have to act.

Now, over a week later, the speculation continues. People who do not have the correct information are saying things completely wrong in the media. I am not worried about myself but when this speculation damages our club, I have to explain the truth and if Darren wishes to say something publicly then I would welcome that.

So I decided to speak to Darren last Sunday night, 25th June about this situation. I said I had helped him a lot but you must understand I need to tell the whole story – you could speak yourself or we could talk together but I did not expect that to happen so I am releasing this statement today to end the speculation.

After the end of the season, we had achieved promotion and as far as I was concerned, there was no issue. We completed the retained list on Thursday 1 June and began discussing the recruitment of new players, and the targets identified for the Championship, and I asked Darren to summarise and present. We arranged to talk the following week to prepare the final information and begin coordinating the process.

Darren went on holiday and we spoke again during his holiday. We talked more about the recruitment of players, and then Darren mentioned the contracts of his coaching team, which expired at the end of June. I asked Darren to send me his proposals for them because I was happy to talk.

He then mentioned his own contract which I said was automatically active following our promotion. But I said I was happy to discuss a new contract and asked Darren to send me the details and his proposals so I can study them.

After a few days, he sent me his proposals for his contract and I asked Darren to rethink and said, are you sure? I asked him if this proposal was instigated by his agent and Darren told me it was a guideline. I asked Darren if he wanted an answer yes or no or can we talk again? Darren said it was a guideline and he would think about the details again.

We arranged to meet face-to-face in my office on Wednesday 14 June. We talked some more about players and Darren asked about the contracts of his coaching staff. I said we needed Darren to resolve his own situation first because whenever this was an issue, we could not talk further about his staff.

I said we need a conclusion before Thursday as we could not take too long when we needed to begin the recruitment process. Even if we could not agree, this is the football business, but we would still maintain friendly relations with each other, but we need to resolve this situation.

I told Darren I was happy for him to stay, he achieved promotion and deserved a chance in the Championship. I said I was happy to increase his salary and add more bonuses into the contract, with the highest bonus if we reached the Premier League. But the proposal Darren presented was significantly in excess of his contract and I said I cannot offer a minimum of four times your current salary on a three-year contract, I have to be realistic and protect the club.

I advised Darren to rethink very carefully, do you really think this is a good idea? I offered my full support during all his time at our club and I wanted us to continue and succeed together. I asked him to think and let me know your decision by Thursday because we are not getting anywhere here other than back to the starting point. Darren said he would think about the details again.

We met again on Thursday 15 June and Darren told me that he could not accept. I said okay, that is your decision and I don’t think it will be difficult for you to get another job. I said I would help Darren by announcing his departure via mutual consent because that will help for the future.

I was fully aware the fans would believe this is my issue but for Darren, there would be only good things because he achieved promotion. But I was happy to take that on my shoulders to help. I said I would not talk too much, only if I was left with no choice.

I told Darren we had to announce his departure on the Thursday, the same day, which would allow me to begin the recruitment of a new manager. He asked for Monday 19th June but I was not keen on that date because the players would be coming back to pre-season training very soon and I needed to resolve. Finally though, I agreed to his request to announce on the Monday.

In the meantime, we still had good relations, we had dinner together on Saturday 17th June and personally in my heart, I was hoping he would have a change of heart but unfortunately nothing changed.

We spoke about the players as if everything was normal and Darren asked me if I would keep his coaching team at the club. But I said that would be difficult because if Darren took another role, he would need his team around him and obviously then we would have a problem at our club.

I said there was a chance I would retain Adriano Basso and I would speak to the team but when I recruited a new manager he will wish to bring in his own staff. Normally I like at least one member of staff to work with the new team to help the transition process.

We continued to talk about general matters over dinner, about the team, the players, the Championship, but the proposal remained the same and we agreed a parting of the ways would be the best way forward, which we announced on Monday 19th June.

So that is the story about why Darren left our club, I wish him nothing but the best and I hope he is appointed to a new position soon. Now these details have been made clear, I hope we can all move on and look forward to the next era for Sheffield Wednesday.

The recruitment process for the new manager is well underway and I wish to get back to normal as soon as possible. The appointment will not be rushed, it must be the right person and the right fit for our club and the process continues."

 

#swfc

It’s a bit odd. If he goes to Barnsley surely they won’t be paying him 4x his Sheffield Wednesday salary.

[JRM]

1 hour ago, SotonianWill said:

It’s a bit odd. If he goes to Barnsley surely they won’t be paying him 4x his Sheffield Wednesday salary.

I thought it was very odd, like a ranting Facebook statement from someone "putting out the truth " when others gossip behind their back, but sounds like he's trying to cover himself. Either way Sheffield Wednesday seem a bit all over the place which is bound to lose some of their promotion feelgood factor, bad news is they'll have the  dreaded new manager bounce when we play them 

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

45 minutes ago, JRM said:

I thought it was very odd, like a ranting Facebook statement from someone "putting out the truth " when others gossip behind their back, but sounds like he's trying to cover himself. Either way Sheffield Wednesday seem a bit all over the place which is bound to lose some of their promotion feelgood factor, bad news is they'll have the  dreaded new manager bounce when we play them 

So will we

[Turkish]

8 minutes ago, Golac's Cunning Stunts said:

So will we

we dont get that.

[CB Fry]

1 hour ago, JRM said:

they'll have the  dreaded new manager bounce when we play them 

Jesus wept

[CSA96]

7 hours ago, JRM said:

Dejphon Chansiri the Thai businessman who owns Sheffield Wednesday has released a statement on the club's website detailing why Darren Moore left the club.

“Following the Q&A I conducted last week, speculation has continued in the local and national media which is first and foremost incorrect but also damaging to our club. This speculation has now gone too far with some people putting out completely misleading information. I now wish to put the record straight and hope this will draw a line beneath Darren’s departure and we can look forwards, to the appointment of a new manager and the new season.

Initially, I said I would help Darren silently. I offered not to talk and Darren agreed. Since I have been here, I have always looked to protect my people, unless I have no choice. If this speculation was just local then fine, I know people will come to me, but when it goes wider from some who do not understand the situation then that is different and I have to act.

Now, over a week later, the speculation continues. People who do not have the correct information are saying things completely wrong in the media. I am not worried about myself but when this speculation damages our club, I have to explain the truth and if Darren wishes to say something publicly then I would welcome that.

So I decided to speak to Darren last Sunday night, 25th June about this situation. I said I had helped him a lot but you must understand I need to tell the whole story – you could speak yourself or we could talk together but I did not expect that to happen so I am releasing this statement today to end the speculation.

After the end of the season, we had achieved promotion and as far as I was concerned, there was no issue. We completed the retained list on Thursday 1 June and began discussing the recruitment of new players, and the targets identified for the Championship, and I asked Darren to summarise and present. We arranged to talk the following week to prepare the final information and begin coordinating the process.

Darren went on holiday and we spoke again during his holiday. We talked more about the recruitment of players, and then Darren mentioned the contracts of his coaching team, which expired at the end of June. I asked Darren to send me his proposals for them because I was happy to talk.

He then mentioned his own contract which I said was automatically active following our promotion. But I said I was happy to discuss a new contract and asked Darren to send me the details and his proposals so I can study them.

After a few days, he sent me his proposals for his contract and I asked Darren to rethink and said, are you sure? I asked him if this proposal was instigated by his agent and Darren told me it was a guideline. I asked Darren if he wanted an answer yes or no or can we talk again? Darren said it was a guideline and he would think about the details again.

We arranged to meet face-to-face in my office on Wednesday 14 June. We talked some more about players and Darren asked about the contracts of his coaching staff. I said we needed Darren to resolve his own situation first because whenever this was an issue, we could not talk further about his staff.

I said we need a conclusion before Thursday as we could not take too long when we needed to begin the recruitment process. Even if we could not agree, this is the football business, but we would still maintain friendly relations with each other, but we need to resolve this situation.

I told Darren I was happy for him to stay, he achieved promotion and deserved a chance in the Championship. I said I was happy to increase his salary and add more bonuses into the contract, with the highest bonus if we reached the Premier League. But the proposal Darren presented was significantly in excess of his contract and I said I cannot offer a minimum of four times your current salary on a three-year contract, I have to be realistic and protect the club.

I advised Darren to rethink very carefully, do you really think this is a good idea? I offered my full support during all his time at our club and I wanted us to continue and succeed together. I asked him to think and let me know your decision by Thursday because we are not getting anywhere here other than back to the starting point. Darren said he would think about the details again.

We met again on Thursday 15 June and Darren told me that he could not accept. I said okay, that is your decision and I don’t think it will be difficult for you to get another job. I said I would help Darren by announcing his departure via mutual consent because that will help for the future.

I was fully aware the fans would believe this is my issue but for Darren, there would be only good things because he achieved promotion. But I was happy to take that on my shoulders to help. I said I would not talk too much, only if I was left with no choice.

I told Darren we had to announce his departure on the Thursday, the same day, which would allow me to begin the recruitment of a new manager. He asked for Monday 19th June but I was not keen on that date because the players would be coming back to pre-season training very soon and I needed to resolve. Finally though, I agreed to his request to announce on the Monday.

In the meantime, we still had good relations, we had dinner together on Saturday 17th June and personally in my heart, I was hoping he would have a change of heart but unfortunately nothing changed.

We spoke about the players as if everything was normal and Darren asked me if I would keep his coaching team at the club. But I said that would be difficult because if Darren took another role, he would need his team around him and obviously then we would have a problem at our club.

I said there was a chance I would retain Adriano Basso and I would speak to the team but when I recruited a new manager he will wish to bring in his own staff. Normally I like at least one member of staff to work with the new team to help the transition process.

We continued to talk about general matters over dinner, about the team, the players, the Championship, but the proposal remained the same and we agreed a parting of the ways would be the best way forward, which we announced on Monday 19th June.

So that is the story about why Darren left our club, I wish him nothing but the best and I hope he is appointed to a new position soon. Now these details have been made clear, I hope we can all move on and look forward to the next era for Sheffield Wednesday.

The recruitment process for the new manager is well underway and I wish to get back to normal as soon as possible. The appointment will not be rushed, it must be the right person and the right fit for our club and the process continues."

 

#swfc

I said I would help Darren silently. I offered not to talk and Darren agreed. 

That went well.

[Mallagroth]

7 hours ago, CSA96 said:

I said I would help Darren silently. I offered not to talk and Darren agreed. 

That went well.

He really held his nerve with that one… 😂

[JRM]

11 hours ago, CB Fry said:

Jesus wept

I wasn't being serious, over the years as a Saints fan we all fear playing a new manager though don't we 

[Chez]

There's me thinking the chairman had simply refused to not sell Josh Windass.

The championship has no money. Giving everyone a 300% raise would be challenging. Maybe the Sheff Wednesday owner wants to avoid the tens of millions of losses each year many clubs are willing to make to try and make it into the prem. 

Edited 30 June, 2023 by Chez

[FarehamSaintJames]

Maddening story about Darren Moore that.

Will be interesting to see if he responds in any way. 😂

[Chez]

bizarre. Hopefully they struggle early doors to our benefit

 

 

Edited 30 June, 2023 by Chez

[the saint in winchester]

Obviously we've only heard one side of the story, but sounds like a sensible chairman so far. As Chez said, it doesn't make economic sense to give DM a 300% rise, plus his entire team a (presumably large) rise, and for 3 years. Imagine if they get relegated after first season? I guess he could insert a clause that salary falls to original level on relegation?

So far it sounds like Darren Moore thought Sheff Wed had reached Man City income levels?

[Saint86]

23 hours ago, JRM said:

Dejphon Chansiri the Thai businessman who owns Sheffield Wednesday has released a statement on the club's website detailing why Darren Moore left the club.

“Following the Q&A I conducted last week, speculation has continued in the local and national media which is first and foremost incorrect but also damaging to our club. This speculation has now gone too far with some people putting out completely misleading information. I now wish to put the record straight and hope this will draw a line beneath Darren’s departure and we can look forwards, to the appointment of a new manager and the new season.

Initially, I said I would help Darren silently. I offered not to talk and Darren agreed. Since I have been here, I have always looked to protect my people, unless I have no choice. If this speculation was just local then fine, I know people will come to me, but when it goes wider from some who do not understand the situation then that is different and I have to act.

Now, over a week later, the speculation continues. People who do not have the correct information are saying things completely wrong in the media. I am not worried about myself but when this speculation damages our club, I have to explain the truth and if Darren wishes to say something publicly then I would welcome that.

So I decided to speak to Darren last Sunday night, 25th June about this situation. I said I had helped him a lot but you must understand I need to tell the whole story – you could speak yourself or we could talk together but I did not expect that to happen so I am releasing this statement today to end the speculation.

After the end of the season, we had achieved promotion and as far as I was concerned, there was no issue. We completed the retained list on Thursday 1 June and began discussing the recruitment of new players, and the targets identified for the Championship, and I asked Darren to summarise and present. We arranged to talk the following week to prepare the final information and begin coordinating the process.

Darren went on holiday and we spoke again during his holiday. We talked more about the recruitment of players, and then Darren mentioned the contracts of his coaching team, which expired at the end of June. I asked Darren to send me his proposals for them because I was happy to talk.

He then mentioned his own contract which I said was automatically active following our promotion. But I said I was happy to discuss a new contract and asked Darren to send me the details and his proposals so I can study them.

After a few days, he sent me his proposals for his contract and I asked Darren to rethink and said, are you sure? I asked him if this proposal was instigated by his agent and Darren told me it was a guideline. I asked Darren if he wanted an answer yes or no or can we talk again? Darren said it was a guideline and he would think about the details again.

We arranged to meet face-to-face in my office on Wednesday 14 June. We talked some more about players and Darren asked about the contracts of his coaching staff. I said we needed Darren to resolve his own situation first because whenever this was an issue, we could not talk further about his staff.

I said we need a conclusion before Thursday as we could not take too long when we needed to begin the recruitment process. Even if we could not agree, this is the football business, but we would still maintain friendly relations with each other, but we need to resolve this situation.

I told Darren I was happy for him to stay, he achieved promotion and deserved a chance in the Championship. I said I was happy to increase his salary and add more bonuses into the contract, with the highest bonus if we reached the Premier League. But the proposal Darren presented was significantly in excess of his contract and I said I cannot offer a minimum of four times your current salary on a three-year contract, I have to be realistic and protect the club.

I advised Darren to rethink very carefully, do you really think this is a good idea? I offered my full support during all his time at our club and I wanted us to continue and succeed together. I asked him to think and let me know your decision by Thursday because we are not getting anywhere here other than back to the starting point. Darren said he would think about the details again.

We met again on Thursday 15 June and Darren told me that he could not accept. I said okay, that is your decision and I don’t think it will be difficult for you to get another job. I said I would help Darren by announcing his departure via mutual consent because that will help for the future.

I was fully aware the fans would believe this is my issue but for Darren, there would be only good things because he achieved promotion. But I was happy to take that on my shoulders to help. I said I would not talk too much, only if I was left with no choice.

I told Darren we had to announce his departure on the Thursday, the same day, which would allow me to begin the recruitment of a new manager. He asked for Monday 19th June but I was not keen on that date because the players would be coming back to pre-season training very soon and I needed to resolve. Finally though, I agreed to his request to announce on the Monday.

In the meantime, we still had good relations, we had dinner together on Saturday 17th June and personally in my heart, I was hoping he would have a change of heart but unfortunately nothing changed.

We spoke about the players as if everything was normal and Darren asked me if I would keep his coaching team at the club. But I said that would be difficult because if Darren took another role, he would need his team around him and obviously then we would have a problem at our club.

I said there was a chance I would retain Adriano Basso and I would speak to the team but when I recruited a new manager he will wish to bring in his own staff. Normally I like at least one member of staff to work with the new team to help the transition process.

We continued to talk about general matters over dinner, about the team, the players, the Championship, but the proposal remained the same and we agreed a parting of the ways would be the best way forward, which we announced on Monday 19th June.

So that is the story about why Darren left our club, I wish him nothing but the best and I hope he is appointed to a new position soon. Now these details have been made clear, I hope we can all move on and look forward to the next era for Sheffield Wednesday.

The recruitment process for the new manager is well underway and I wish to get back to normal as soon as possible. The appointment will not be rushed, it must be the right person and the right fit for our club and the process continues."

 

#swfc

Absolute bullshit klaxon!

I'm sure the players know what's gone on, and will be interesting to see how many they retain before the season starts.

"The likes of Byers, Dele-Bashiru, Johnson, and Windass will be among those that Moore will be desperate to keep hold of while Galvin, Hunt, and Stockdale seem the prime candidates to depart". Talk about self destructing a pivotal summer for your club.
 

[Miltonaggro]

On 29/06/2023 at 17:51, JRM said:

Dejphon Chansiri the Thai businessman who owns Sheffield Wednesday has released a statement on the club's website detailing why Darren Moore left the club.

“Following the Q&A I conducted last week, speculation has continued in the local and national media which is first and foremost incorrect but also damaging to our club. This speculation has now gone too far with some people putting out completely misleading information. I now wish to put the record straight and hope this will draw a line beneath Darren’s departure and we can look forwards, to the appointment of a new manager and the new season.

Initially, I said I would help Darren silently. I offered not to talk and Darren agreed. Since I have been here, I have always looked to protect my people, unless I have no choice. If this speculation was just local then fine, I know people will come to me, but when it goes wider from some who do not understand the situation then that is different and I have to act.

Now, over a week later, the speculation continues. People who do not have the correct information are saying things completely wrong in the media. I am not worried about myself but when this speculation damages our club, I have to explain the truth and if Darren wishes to say something publicly then I would welcome that.

So I decided to speak to Darren last Sunday night, 25th June about this situation. I said I had helped him a lot but you must understand I need to tell the whole story – you could speak yourself or we could talk together but I did not expect that to happen so I am releasing this statement today to end the speculation.

After the end of the season, we had achieved promotion and as far as I was concerned, there was no issue. We completed the retained list on Thursday 1 June and began discussing the recruitment of new players, and the targets identified for the Championship, and I asked Darren to summarise and present. We arranged to talk the following week to prepare the final information and begin coordinating the process.

Darren went on holiday and we spoke again during his holiday. We talked more about the recruitment of players, and then Darren mentioned the contracts of his coaching team, which expired at the end of June. I asked Darren to send me his proposals for them because I was happy to talk.

He then mentioned his own contract which I said was automatically active following our promotion. But I said I was happy to discuss a new contract and asked Darren to send me the details and his proposals so I can study them.

After a few days, he sent me his proposals for his contract and I asked Darren to rethink and said, are you sure? I asked him if this proposal was instigated by his agent and Darren told me it was a guideline. I asked Darren if he wanted an answer yes or no or can we talk again? Darren said it was a guideline and he would think about the details again.

We arranged to meet face-to-face in my office on Wednesday 14 June. We talked some more about players and Darren asked about the contracts of his coaching staff. I said we needed Darren to resolve his own situation first because whenever this was an issue, we could not talk further about his staff.

I said we need a conclusion before Thursday as we could not take too long when we needed to begin the recruitment process. Even if we could not agree, this is the football business, but we would still maintain friendly relations with each other, but we need to resolve this situation.

I told Darren I was happy for him to stay, he achieved promotion and deserved a chance in the Championship. I said I was happy to increase his salary and add more bonuses into the contract, with the highest bonus if we reached the Premier League. But the proposal Darren presented was significantly in excess of his contract and I said I cannot offer a minimum of four times your current salary on a three-year contract, I have to be realistic and protect the club.

I advised Darren to rethink very carefully, do you really think this is a good idea? I offered my full support during all his time at our club and I wanted us to continue and succeed together. I asked him to think and let me know your decision by Thursday because we are not getting anywhere here other than back to the starting point. Darren said he would think about the details again.

We met again on Thursday 15 June and Darren told me that he could not accept. I said okay, that is your decision and I don’t think it will be difficult for you to get another job. I said I would help Darren by announcing his departure via mutual consent because that will help for the future.

I was fully aware the fans would believe this is my issue but for Darren, there would be only good things because he achieved promotion. But I was happy to take that on my shoulders to help. I said I would not talk too much, only if I was left with no choice.

I told Darren we had to announce his departure on the Thursday, the same day, which would allow me to begin the recruitment of a new manager. He asked for Monday 19th June but I was not keen on that date because the players would be coming back to pre-season training very soon and I needed to resolve. Finally though, I agreed to his request to announce on the Monday.

In the meantime, we still had good relations, we had dinner together on Saturday 17th June and personally in my heart, I was hoping he would have a change of heart but unfortunately nothing changed.

We spoke about the players as if everything was normal and Darren asked me if I would keep his coaching team at the club. But I said that would be difficult because if Darren took another role, he would need his team around him and obviously then we would have a problem at our club.

I said there was a chance I would retain Adriano Basso and I would speak to the team but when I recruited a new manager he will wish to bring in his own staff. Normally I like at least one member of staff to work with the new team to help the transition process.

We continued to talk about general matters over dinner, about the team, the players, the Championship, but the proposal remained the same and we agreed a parting of the ways would be the best way forward, which we announced on Monday 19th June.

So that is the story about why Darren left our club, I wish him nothing but the best and I hope he is appointed to a new position soon. Now these details have been made clear, I hope we can all move on and look forward to the next era for Sheffield Wednesday.

The recruitment process for the new manager is well underway and I wish to get back to normal as soon as possible. The appointment will not be rushed, it must be the right person and the right fit for our club and the process continues."

 

#swfc

Dejphon 0 Darren 3 (aet) 😂

[CB Fry]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jun/30/farke-set-to-be-named-as-new-leeds-manager-as-vieira-heads-for-strasbourg?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

 

Farke for Leeds then. 

Not Graham Potter. 

Leicester didn't seem to recruit Graham Potter either.

Funny really, it's almost like there was no fucking chance whatsoever that Graham Potter’s next job was going to be in the Championship.

Maybe people on this forum are just utterly deluded?

[Tamesaint]

22 hours ago, Chez said:

There's me thinking the chairman had simply refused to not sell Josh Windass.

The championship has no money. Giving everyone a 300% raise would be challenging. Maybe the Sheff Wednesday owner wants to avoid the tens of millions of losses each year many clubs are willing to make to try and make it into the prem. 

Remember that Darren Moore played for Pompey so played for a team who never worried about affordability or balancing the books.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Personally I suspect Moore’s agent has told him to hold out for the 3 x deal and the Chairman, rightly, has called his bluff. To be fair, the club offered an increase but we don’t know what the starting salary was - 3 x £10k a year is still a bit of a piss-take, but I doubt that’s anywhere near the case.

[david in sweden]

On 14/06/2023 at 11:16, Saint Fan CaM said:

Sometimes an average manager comes together with an average team and their sum is better than the equal parts, so magic is created. Such as it was for Rodgers and Leicester until time took its toll and so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rodgers fade away over time.

Saints couldn’t keep hold of their decent managers and so a different type of decline occurred - bloated squad and ever decreasing poor managerial appointments. Ultimately both clubs faced the harsh truth of poor tactical leadership in the face of unrelenting financial pressure in the EPL.

Both clubs have now got hugely important decisions to get right in the next managerial appointment. It will be fascinating to compare the outcome of the appointments in terms of player trading, adopted playing style and the results over the coming season.

A lot went wrong after Koeman jumped ship.   A move that undoubtedly enlarged his pension fund in a very few months before departing Everton.

You can only employ managers who are " available " and there were very few to recruit and it was Claude Puel who drew the  shi**y end of the stick.

All new managers are given money to sign "someone"  and Puel chose Boufal, remembered mostly for a  few magnificent goals he scored, and his

frustrating ability to nutmeg opponents twice over ...whilst still on the halfway line, and blatantly ignoring team mates in every attacking build-up. 

Despite finishing in the top half and making it to a Wembley final, Saints' pathetic ability to score goals at SMS led to Puel's inevitable dismissal.

 

Once again we had to choose from " the best of the worst"  available replacements, and Pellegrino's sojourn is remembered mainly for his

now-notorious record signing of Carrillo ...(a forerunner to the Onuachu-type panic signing)... with a similarly pathetic, and costly outcome. 

Mark Hughes' short-lived appointment was marked only by his blatant determination to continue playing those in an already-failing squad,

whilst ignoring younger talents like Jan Bednarek, who later developed into an international CB  despite his occasionally predictable faults.

 

Ralph Hasenhuttl's  arrival was a welcome relief (with / without his fridge guarantee) and in retrospect we may consider he did the best job, 

despite a significant lack of  investment and an inability to transfer his " Leipzig success-formula " to a lacklustre squad incapable of scoring goals.   

Too much has already been written about his successors in the coaching role, but it's now clear that Russell Martin will need to construct 

a decent group, (with what will remain of last season's squad) and the acquisition of  some of the players who DAJF him in his previous clubs.

His  "new-look squad" will be revealed in the coming weeks, and we must live in hopes that they can kick-start the new season, whilst

continuing to learn the way to Staplewood, (suggest taxi-sharing), learning each other's names... and remember the roles they should be playing.  

It should make for an interesting new season. 

 

Edited 1 July, 2023 by david in sweden

[ErwinK1961]

Saw this earlier - this league is madness and why first 15 games don’t necessarily mean much.

[CB Fry]

5 minutes ago, ErwinK1961 said:

Saw this earlier - this league is madness and why first 15 games don’t necessarily mean much.

Interesting stuff - three of the final top six in that top six, but another two of them in the bottom six....

Plus Sunderland in the middle.

......also Swansea doing okay....

 

Edited 1 July, 2023 by CB Fry

[CB Fry]

However, looking at it another way, the three promoted teams were all top 5 after 15 games, so not that mind-blowing at all.

If you want to go up, try not to be shit at all.

[Hodgey]

7 minutes ago, ErwinK1961 said:

Saw this earlier - this league is madness and why first 15 games don’t necessarily mean much.

Guess you mean because Coventry and Boro were bottom 5. However Burnley, Shef Utd, and Luton were 1 to 3 points off top spot.

Its certainly a league you can still finish in the play offs if you have a terrible start - but odds on you going up are much lower…