Wait, you can just sack your head of recruitment? Has anyone told Doug?
I think King is responsible for the lack of loans an experience just based on his comments at the forum and how opinionated he is on the squad.
Still think DK provsionally lined up FL from moment he took over in late 2022/early 2023. I suspect he withheld some cash back for when Robins eventually left. I think we'll get at least 3 players in this transfer window.
Would be a bit difficult to sack Austin for performance related reasons I imagine as King has repeatedly said he is very happy with the performance of the recruitment team.I get that players and even managers have weird contracts that mean they can’t be sacked, but surely the other staff are just normal staff we can give notice to?
I never thought BTA had a great sell on value, he is already 26, should cover the outlay on the transfer but the time to buy for added value was what WBA did, they probably made £1.2m over 2 years even when you account for salary payments.Could it be DK has over-extended club finances and can’t commit further funds to squad without sales or risk of financial fair-play penalties? Perhaps a combination of DK over-promising what squad investment would come MR’s way and timing. I seem to remember a CT article referencing Bassette and BTA’s recruitment as being too good an opportunity to miss. Did DK simply get over excited at the promise of “bargain” prices and spent his wad for this season too soon - leaving key positions unaddressed. I guess this transfer window deadline will be telling. I don’t think any of the signings have been terrible, just too much disruption in terms of squad additions and a change in management where MR saw a different way to use his “deck” of players than Lampard sees the deck.
Could it be DK has over-extended club finances and can’t commit further funds to squad without sales or risk of financial fair-play penalties? Perhaps a combination of DK over-promising what squad investment would come MR’s way and timing. I seem to remember a CT article referencing Bassette and BTA’s recruitment as being too good an opportunity to miss. Did DK simply get over excited at the promise of “bargain” prices and spent his wad for this season too soon - leaving key positions unaddressed. I guess this transfer window deadline will be telling. I don’t think any of the signings have been terrible, just too much disruption in terms of squad additions and a change in management where MR saw a different way to use his “deck” of players than Lampard sees the deck.
Could it be DK has over-extended club finances and can’t commit further funds to squad without sales or risk of financial fair-play penalties? Perhaps a combination of DK over-promising what squad investment would come MR’s way and timing. I seem to remember a CT article referencing Bassette and BTA’s recruitment as being too good an opportunity to miss. Did DK simply get over excited at the promise of “bargain” prices and spent his wad for this season too soon - leaving key positions unaddressed. I guess this transfer window deadline will be telling. I don’t think any of the signings have been terrible, just too much disruption in terms of squad additions and a change in management where MR saw a different way to use his “deck” of players than Lampard sees the deck.
I've wondered for a while now how many of the incoming players over the past few years were actually targets of MR. Players that he identified as fitting his system and that he wanted to recruit.
Obviously Ady had the Chelsea link so Collins, JDS, Palmer and Dabo were known quantities to Ady having coached them all in the Chelsea youth system. Did MR actually want them or was he led by Ady?
Now we have an Owner / Chairman that isn't a football guy. He's not lived a breathed the sport for years like the majority in the same position, he's a business man. He see's an outlay for a player and then a potential sale value, much like trading a commodity. Has Dean Austin highlighted players to DK that have large potential, DK done the deal and then given them to the Manager? Bassette springs to mind with this. MR didn't seem too keen on him although it might be that MR loved him but didn't think he was ready.
Maybe I am being a little unfair on DK and Dean Austin but if it is true it could explain some of the signings.
I've wondered for a while now how many of the incoming players over the past few years were actually targets of MR. Players that he identified as fitting his system and that he wanted to recruit.
Obviously Ady had the Chelsea link so Collins, JDS, Palmer and Dabo were known quantities to Ady having coached them all in the Chelsea youth system. Did MR actually want them or was he led by Ady?
Now we have an Owner / Chairman that isn't a football guy. He's not lived a breathed the sport for years like the majority in the same position, he's a business man. He see's an outlay for a player and then a potential sale value, much like trading a commodity. Has Dean Austin highlighted players to DK that have large potential, DK done the deal and then given them to the Manager? Bassette springs to mind with this. MR didn't seem too keen on him although it might be that MR loved him but didn't think he was ready.
Maybe I am being a little unfair on DK and Dean Austin but if it is true it could explain some of the signings.
So basically robins signed no one? Didnt coach either? What did he do
He was complicit in that he got Dean Austin his post. Beyond that I don’t know, how easy is it to bring quite a few new players up to speed in a new team, with new culture, new play practices. If it was a business they’d get longer than 5 months, unless they were actively disruptive. And you wouldn’t fire HR or their line manager for not being up to speed after 5 months. I appreciate this is football and not a business, so what is a reasonable time frame? Will the same time frame be given to FL?
My bad then, I didn’t have that impression.We have no idea who appointed Austin. The idea he was Robins mate is based entirely on one quote where he says he’s been on training courses with him and is aware of him.
My bad then, I didn’t have that impression.
He was brought in in the period between King agreeing to buy us and him having the takeover approved. It’s a fair assumption, but it’s also a fair assumption King had some oversight during that period. We just don’t know.
Robins was quite obviously heavily involved in his appointment.
Can you explain why you think it’s obvious?
Can you explain why it's not and how DK was apparently secretly involved?
The response to Dovin signing felt a bit like this as well.
Overall I thought the entire point of elevating someone like Austin and having a Head Coach was that squad building wasn’t the job of the manager any more and we wouldn’t need to replace the squad each time.
Going off comments made by Robins I don't think Dovin was his choice. Doubt it was Viveashs so it was probably Austin.
Looks like credit where its due to him with that one.
Didn’t Robins actually say something along the lines of not knowing whether he was any good?
Can you explain why you think it’s obvious?
Ive not said that. I’ve said we don’t know and the assertion that it’s “obvious” is based on nothing. You had a chance to prove me wrong and instead went with laughing emojis and wild straw men so I guess that proves my point.
You're flippantly dismissing what was said by Robins directly as conjecture then trying somehow indicating DK could've had his hand in it when you have zero proof of that at all.
It's a pretty strange to infer he would've had no part in Austin's appointment when they'd be working closely with together. You would've thought he'd be heavily involved in the process of appointing a candidate alongside Boddy. I'm sure he would've been with Badlan.
Given Austin's prior relationship with Robins and seemingly complete lack of a decent CV it seems a bit odd he's the candidate that was chosen. Badlan's background was far superior and he was about 10 years younger than Austin at the time of joining.
Here we go again. Got to get the likes from Ring of Steel to feel validated.
What was said? What was Robins previous relationship? I’m just asking why you think this.
Here we go again. Got to get the likes from Ring of Steel to feel validated.
These replies say far more about you than me mate.
You get very triggered by ‘likes’.