Originally Posted by
WTF11
Ok, you asked for it.......
Sometimes your pontificating and superciliousness knows no bounds…..
“Critical people…..etc etc b0ll0x b0ll0x, blah blah……”
People capable of critical thought are also much more capable than those who simply accept the status quo of finding solutions to the problems they identify (Get a look at ITIL and the handling of Problem Management it recommends, and the kind of skills and qualities teams made up to address Issue and Problem management are expected to have)
I have pointed out problems with the club, and their source. Issues of poor performance of the 1st team stem from two key causes/problems;
1. The role of DoF being occupied by an individual who is patently incapable of both managing a budget and securing suitably skilled players able to be formed into a competitive squad/team
2. The head coach & coaching staff introduced immediately following the appointment of Orta as DoF, who have/had little or no experience in professional football at any level, and who are (or were) as patently unfit to perform such duties as the person who appointed them is of performing his
To address these problems, the following actions are required (I have stated these before, but just so its easy for you I’ll repeat them here);
1. Dismiss the Director of Football, and do not appoint a replacement
2. Appoint the current Head Coach as 1st team Manager
3. Devolve responsibilities previously allocated to the DoF role to the 1st team Manager
4. Dismiss coaching staff appointed by the DoF
5. Review the remaining coaching staff complement and appoint suitably qualified coaching staff, selected and recommended by the 1st team Manager to ensure a full and competent staffing level
6. Terminate the “arrangement” currently in place between Leeds United and Cultural Leonora
7. Any players currently on loan to Cultural Leonora should be incorporated into the Leeds United development squads (which team would be based on their age and current state of development)
8. At seasons end the 1st team squad to be reviewed by the Manager with a view to reducing its size, either by selling or placing on loan those players not considered likely to be capable to further development or those who are not yet of suitable quality but are seen as having potential, as appropriate
9. All 1st team selection, tactics and other football-related matters to be the ultimate responsibility of the 1st team Manager
10. The owner to make available to the 1st team Manager a suitable budget for the acquisition of a select number of key players for the 2018/19 season, the positions of play and numbers to be advised by the 1st team Manager
I am not privy to the details of salaries paid to the DoF, coaching staff, or the costs of the arrangement with Cultural Leonora, but I suspect that the short-term suggestions above, from 1 – 6 are probably cost neutral, perhaps even beneficial in reducing opex.
Provided surplus players can be removed from the wage bill, either sold or sent out on loan with the loaning club paying the majority of player wages, substantial further reductions in opex could be achieved during the summer (8 above). If slaes or loan under the conditions described can’t be achieved, then there are two alternatives;
a. Player is no longer selected for any team, and is paid the minimum subject to their contractual terms
b. Player contracts are terminated via mutual consent, with zero compensation (if not agreeable (a) applies
None of the above reduces the clubs ability to scout, although it probably makes the Managers job more challenging, which is precisely the aim, (don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better!)
None of this reduces commercial activity, (I hope our DoF isn’t involved in marketing, he has shown that simply acquiring good players is a struggle, he doesn’t need additional burdens!), although I’d suggest the relationship with Aspire and the role of Bravo should be reviewed for its benefit (short and long term) to Leeds United.
We currently charge PL-type prices for Championship football. That would be bad enough as an offering to a fan base that most clubs would die for. As it is, we rub salt in the wound by fielding sub-standard players brought in over the head of those responsible for coaching, and the results are painfully obvious for all to see, whatever role they have, from supporter to owner. Making the changes I suggest will bring about improvements in performance, which in turn will improve the supporter experience with results on the pitch.
I could go on about how we should be engaging with the young fans, as many other clubs do (the article you highlighted about Bristol City being one excellent example), about removing rip-off prices from the concessions, allowing profitable performance but not excessively so, ditto for the club shop, where Leeds could win so many friends (and by doing so generate even more good news by mouth-to-mouth recommendation) by reducing the profits made on each item, and by doing so making sure that volume of sales improves (I’d rather Leeds was as successful as Primark with its price/value proposition than Marks & Spencer with its!), but frankly I can’t be ar5ed, as the likelihood that the club will do anything of the sort is “negligible”
So, enough to be going on with, or do I get another “looking down your nose on the little people” response?