| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 14:26 - Jun 18 with 6499 views | E17hoop |
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| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 15:35 - Jun 18 with 6258 views | Antti_Heinola |
Fabulous article Clive.
I always think when support is polarised over something (Marc Bircham as a player, for example), both extremes are wrong, and the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
I think you nailed it there. Les did a lot right; Les did a fair bit wrong too; yes, it's time for fresh blood; but also yes, for better or worse, whoever takes over must be given full control. And if they eff it up: you replace them. |  |
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| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 15:59 - Jun 18 with 6177 views | colinallcars |
Excellent, thank you Clive. |  | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 16:10 - Jun 18 with 6135 views | numbers912 |
Marvellous stuff |  | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 16:19 - Jun 18 with 6084 views | Benny_the_Ball |
8 years ago aboard that plane crossing the Atlantic you wrote:
"Rangers have no kind of image, ethos or identity at the moment."
8 years on, little has changed in that regard, it still feels very pick 'n' mix.
Whilst I maintain that Les wasn't suitable for the role in the first place, I think it's fair to say that even a seasoned DoF would have struggled to succeed at a club that lacks identity and is continuously pulling in different directions. |  | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 16:31 - Jun 18 with 6041 views | Wilkinswatercarrier |
Top article and nails the central problem at the club; the DoF role. It will never work if the owners do not leave the DoF to do the job without interfering. I've thought for a long time that Les did the job with one hand tied behind his back, but he also made some woeful decisions as well, so a good time to leave.
People getting very animated on another thread over who will replace him, but it will make no difference if the DoF role is not implemented correctly. I'm not holding my breath that anything will change. | | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 17:15 - Jun 18 with 5888 views | stevec |
Agree with the too many chefs scenario but it’s the DOF who should be putting his foot down in these situations.
This club has always struggled with factions within but Les and his mates were just as culpable. Most of them will still be here next season, do you honestly think they’ll play along with a new DOF, not a chance.
As it stands, I’ve witnessed 7 promotions, none with a DOF running the show. We’re a renegade club that has always run best as a tin pot dictatorship, one autocratic owner calling all the shots. This lot we have now are far too timid.
Gallens/Ferdinands/Gallens, it doesn’t make a blind bit of difference, they’ll all fail and all for the same reasons.
Let GA and Dobson have a crack at the old method, it’s not like they’re going to spend a fortune anyway. It may well fail but I don’t see us having a viable alternative, certainly not right now.
The board need to reevaluate how they run this club, the dopey sods have had 10 years to think about it so admittedly they’re unlikely to have a radical solution but the one thing in favour of letting those two have a go is we might be able to break this faction led culture that leads to ruination |  | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 17:44 - Jun 18 with 5783 views | terryb |
Thanks Clive, a very interesting read that left me thinking about what is expected of a DoF.
Personally, I agree with the definitions that you put forward & agreed with the criticisms you levelled against Les. And yet, I asked myself, whether it was Fedinand's fault that we allowed every manager to sign who they wanted? Or was this due to our hierarchy supporting the manager rather than the DoF?
it is my opinion that our directors have not learnt from the mistakes they made on purchasing the club. Summer 2021 showed that they are more than ready to splash the cash in the same manner as they did between 2011 & 2015 & that is the model they really want!
It will be difficult for anyone to take over the role unless the board stop interfeering & allow them to carry out their duties. | | | |
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| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 18:57 - Jun 18 with 5555 views | francisbowles |
Really great article, Clive. I was also of the opinion that it was a mixed bag from Les and that it was now time to move on. The plan hasn't worked and we changed the plan back in February. As you say, why has it taken so long?
I hope Steve Gallen, or whoever we appoint, gets a watertight contract clause of where his authority lies. Then he, and hopefully others, will know exactly what he is responsible for and what targets have been set for him. | | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 19:04 - Jun 18 with 5522 views | Northernr |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 18:57 - Jun 18 by francisbowles |
Really great article, Clive. I was also of the opinion that it was a mixed bag from Les and that it was now time to move on. The plan hasn't worked and we changed the plan back in February. As you say, why has it taken so long?
I hope Steve Gallen, or whoever we appoint, gets a watertight contract clause of where his authority lies. Then he, and hopefully others, will know exactly what he is responsible for and what targets have been set for him. |
Could be tricky if you’ve already appointed Ainsworth with assurances the signings are his choice. |  | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 19:28 - Jun 18 with 5459 views | DejR_vu |
I’ll be interested to see where LF ends up, and in what capacity. Football is clearly, in the main, populated by egomaniacs, idiots either with more arrogance or money than sense. That’s why anyone genuinely smart stands out like a beacon. If LF ends up at one of those smartly run clubs, in a similar capacity on the back of the work he’s done here, it will say one thing, equally, if he ends up at one of the others, it says another. Maybe that will finally put the debate to bed. | |
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| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 20:02 - Jun 18 with 5365 views | Northernr |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 19:28 - Jun 18 by DejR_vu |
I’ll be interested to see where LF ends up, and in what capacity. Football is clearly, in the main, populated by egomaniacs, idiots either with more arrogance or money than sense. That’s why anyone genuinely smart stands out like a beacon. If LF ends up at one of those smartly run clubs, in a similar capacity on the back of the work he’s done here, it will say one thing, equally, if he ends up at one of the others, it says another. Maybe that will finally put the debate to bed. |
On the punditry circuit would be my guess. | | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 20:24 - Jun 18 with 5308 views | FDC |
Fabulous, thoughtful article. Comprehensive.
And fwiw I totally agree that the problem is largely in not fully committing to the dof model, which is in part due to no one individual having ultimate say over what the strategy is here. [Post edited 18 Jun 2023 20:27]
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| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 21:13 - Jun 18 with 5152 views | derbyhoop |
Les was certainly a mixed bag. It's understandable why he chose to.jack it in, after last season and a the criticism he got.
Warburton, Beale, Critchley made sense. Followed by GA, doesn't.
We're back In pre season this week, with 1 First XI player gone and several.others looking likely to go. The few hints of potential.incomers don't inspire confidence. A
But if its the manager deciding without DOF input, I fear for the squad makeup.
It could be a Charlton/Curbishley "be careful what you wish for". |  |
| "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one's lifetime." (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop and now on Bluesky |
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| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 21:50 - Jun 18 with 5042 views | CateLeBonR |
I was reading this and all the way through thinking yeh great article but why isn't he talking about who comes next. Then at the end bang.
I'd be genuinely over the moon if it's Steve Gallen.
As almost everyone is saying there's a very good chance we get relegated next season. I can't think of a better trio than Ainsworth, Dobson and Gallen to take us there and at the same time I can't think of anyone I'd rather keep us up right now. Les was not the man to take us to League 1. [Post edited 18 Jun 2023 21:53]
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| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 21:59 - Jun 18 with 5005 views | ozranger |
I know it is hard to put everything there with only a certain word count, but I think there really needs to be more said in these articles about the effect of the fan base. We all say that Les, Lee, the Board, etc should take the blame for X happening, but in a rather large number of cases (and this is endemic more so in this day of social media) the fans are actually making the choices. Les said it himself that he would have been lynched if he did this or that with Willock. But why is he even considering what the fans want or listen to what they say? His job should be "what I want", as you say, and not what the fans want. This same problem reverberates throughout the club, and many other clubs as well. Pandering to the fans is not a way to run a club. Les fell for that, like too many in the club and probably still do.
The big trouble in making Les the central point of all transactions, manager appointments, playing style, etc, means that you need to get that right. If you do not, then you can go backwards pretty fast. It does appear to be the optimum model for a club of our size playing in the Championship. This is, though I rather think those who have asked for him really don't understand, why Warbs could be a good choice. Would Gallen have the experience of running a club, by himself? That is the big question. The other question that requires a big answer is will the Board allow for this type of person to run the club, ostensibly? However, whomever comes in, if someone will, has to also work with Lee where the latter's task should be generally to make sure that the monetary side stays within the realms of reasonableness and FFP. Yet, more so, that person will also need to hire a manager that fit's the new DoF's style and the new manager will also have to understand that he can only make recommendations to the DoF about recruits. How many managers will come to a Championship club under those restraints?
I believe that the Board brought in Les more of an experiment and also to try to find a way to clean up the mess that they and their predecessors had accumulated. However, they were unsure what to do when things really started to go awry. They wanted more control and could also see someone (as you said Clive, Les in Feb already looked and felt done) whom they could handle without too much interference. I really do not think Les knew exactly what was required of the job and possibly the same could be said about the Board who hired him. By the time that light was turned on, it was too late. |  | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 22:02 - Jun 18 with 4996 views | SAPilgrim |
Sterling article as ever Clive. What’d we do without you? |  | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 22:03 - Jun 18 with 4989 views | Wilkinswatercarrier |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 20:24 - Jun 18 by FDC |
Fabulous, thoughtful article. Comprehensive.
And fwiw I totally agree that the problem is largely in not fully committing to the dof model, which is in part due to no one individual having ultimate say over what the strategy is here. [Post edited 18 Jun 2023 20:27]
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The probable reason no one person has ultimate say over the strategy is that their isn't one, and if there is, no one knows what it is! It appears to vear from either blind panic to down right incompetence, and then the owners hide behind the DoF. Steve Gallen with not make any difference and you can see the upcoming season being a disaster from a mile off. My money is Ainsworth will be gone by Xmas, and then we get that Sedish bloke that was linked last summer.
I am coming to the conclusion that for anything to change the owners would need to sell up, but who the fcuk would want to buy us?! So we are stuck in this circus. | | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 22:04 - Jun 18 with 4980 views | Northernr |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 22:02 - Jun 18 by SAPilgrim |
Sterling article as ever Clive. What’d we do without you? |
Be a lot more upbeat and positive about life? | | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 22:22 - Jun 18 with 4931 views | SAPilgrim |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 22:04 - Jun 18 by Northernr |
Be a lot more upbeat and positive about life? |
Mate, you don’t know how much more depressing supporting this club would be without you  | | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 22:30 - Jun 18 with 4904 views | CateLeBonR |
@ozranger.
"Would Gallen have the experience of running a club, by himself?"
I mean 6 years as DOF at Charlton sounds like a good CV to me.
Warburton could have gone for a job like that if that's what he wants to do. | | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 00:14 - Jun 19 with 4727 views | californiahoop |
For me, that last MW transfer window was the end, even he knew we needed a CF, but he gave a lame arse interview admitting it but, used the excuse of the Manager had the final say.
As DOF, he deferred the decision making process to the manager and for me that constituted a dereliction of duty!
If the major decisions were being taken out of his hands, he should have walked ages ago!
Every manager seem to bring a bucket load of players with them which always left the question of, who were they watching previously?
It was obvious from the interviews GA was giving that he was going to be in charge of recruiting this season so, I don’t know why it took so long for him to leave!
He did well the first 5/6 yrs, made mistakes but, everyone does, for a player that came from non league, he was somewhat reticent to take chances on lower league players, seem to like the academy rejects.
Good luck to him, he guided us through a sticky period and as alluded to, other clubs have fallen but we have remained in the championship.
I really don’t know where we are going from here. [Post edited 19 Jun 2023 7:48]
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| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 02:12 - Jun 19 with 4640 views | SydneyRs |
Superbly written, again.
Also quite depressing. | | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 07:23 - Jun 19 with 4417 views | joe90 |
Good report, covers all angles.
Definitely worth reading the article linked to at the beginning for context.
Interesting to note where Southampton are now and how they’ve steadily declined and will be interesting to see where Luton/Brentford/Brighton are in 5/6 years time.
Given what we’ve seen over the last decade or so it’s difficulty to be optimistic with the current owners, but my hope is the new training ground will significantly change the way we do business.
Having all the teams and facilities in one place will make a huge difference in player development. Plus, for the first team any new training gadgets and data analysis has somewhere to go. For us the key will be how we manage all this and how much the owners interfere.
Next season isn’t looking to exciting. My hope is we have a classy home and away kit, preferably a Dennis the Menace. |  | | |
| Ferdinand departs, where to now driver? Column on 08:20 - Jun 19 with 4287 views | GaryBannister86 |
Great article, thanks Clive.
Even if we get a DofF in before transfer dealings start, it just seems that Ainsworth is going to make all the football decisions, presumably within Hoos' financial restrictions. Can't see a new DofF immediately being able to take part in all that.
So, what a situation that is. I hope I am wrong about Ainsworth, but this is going to be the gamble of all gambles.
Ainsworth's style means that he will have to produce some outstanding results or the natives are going to be restless very quickly. It's one thing getting beat trying to play a little football, another getting beat by trying to hoof and clog and timewaste....
What fun we have to look forward to. |  | | |
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