Ben Manga

No that I was there but what do you think they should have asked? Debt, Bayat, chaotic management structure were covered. From transcript sounded like questions were fine but answers were a joke. One bloke asked very specific accounting question and was waved away by the accountant as “he didn’t want to focus on detail”!

 

Others from here were there, yes. A few people have mentioned on this thread that they were there.

 

I was there under 3 other log ins.

 

It is up to them really - I was merely making the point that the levels of anger shown online didn't manifest into any sort of ill feeling or hard hitting questions on the night. Keep in mind there was a mingling session afterwards for one on one un-scribed chats that all seemed quite jovial from the conversations I witnessed.

 

I was there and so was @Halfwayline

We could have car shared from LB.

Difficult questions and strong opinions were made. Evasive answers were given, along with a "we know best" attitude. People didn't scream and shout as they wanted to be properly heard and not give the "panel" an excuse to play the victim.

 

we were…many difficult questions were asked about finances, dodgy transfer dealings, head coaches but Gino replied with many words without saying anything

the only three things I got from the night was it has been promised that external debt will be reduced to zero, Scott sees us as nothing more than a Championship team now and some of our fan base aren’t that bothered by the destruction of our club

 

Exactly this. Reading the transcript unfortunately doesn't give much of a sense of the room, hence why audio would've been better. There were difficult questions put in a hostile way and in a calm, factual manner as well as the softball stuff.

However the format was to give as many people in the room a chance to speak as possible so was very hard to have meaningful follow ups. There was no scope for a mini interview from the more forensic of the fans present. There were a couple of follow ups (e.g. on club officials involvement in setting up Bayat's UK company) but these were shut down immediately. The people there didn't just accept the answers given but there was little opportunity to come back on a particular one.

The main frustrations of the night were: people giving speeches rather than short, direct questions; people asking multiple questions in one go so Pozzo and Duxbury would pick the easiest one then move on; and people asking frankly irrelevant stuff about their own pet peeve.

And the round of the applause at the end certainly wasn't a glowing endorsement of the hierarchy, felt like more a general acknowledgement of the hard work the organisers had put into getting the event on.

 

And didn't we also get to meet our amazing financial guru and his response to any question remotely challenging:

 

But surely the role of the news isn't to make people happy it's to report the facts? I can't imagine that what Jeremy Bowen is reporting makes anyone happy but nonetheless it's of value.

 

Presume he means happy with the quality and content of the reporting rather than generally cheering up the reader ?

 

Yep.....more great decision making from the top. The constant flushing of club money down the pan continues. Well done Gino.

 

HM P*ssing the League has once again become HM P*ssing Money Down The Drain

 

Pretty standard in football though isn’t it? Can’t imagine he’ll want to sit on gardening leave for 4 years or whatever’s left of his contract.

 

I’m sure what’s why it was reported Gino had told Manga he could leave, I guess it’s worth a try (if you’re a weasel like Gino), but it’s amazing he could envisage anyone being quite that thick as to just quit without a pay off.

 

I’d definitely do it to spite Gino.

 

I doubt he expected that. More likely he wanted to start him looking whilst obliging him to continue to work until he finds another role.

 

You’re talking about Gino Pozzo, right? Are you new here?

 

?? Why do you think what I typed is unlikely ?

 

Only issue is didn’t Pozzo double what he was on at Frankfurt? (Hence why he joined this freak show in first place). Might be forum/twitter myth but if so maybe he won’t easily find work at his new Pozzo rate and we will end up paying the difference for 4 years.

 

I see Leventhal has confirmed that Mr Bayat was involved in recruitment again this summer. News which will shock absolutely nobody this morning. What a disgusting owner we have.

 

Because this is Gino Pozzo, the guy will try and weasel out of absolutely any financial commitment he possibly can and has a regular track record of it. There are reports Manga has been completely sidelined since January, that’s a long time. As unlikely as it is to happen, it would hardly be a shock if Gino tried to make Manga quit, or at least hope he might, and find another job first before he eventually had to sack him. I mean is it really such a stretch? Why has he been sidelined for so long?

 

No idea. Can’t remember that rumour or any talk about his pay. Not to say it didn’t happen, just doesn’t ring a bell.

 

Where is that?

 

So putting aside the issue of why the hell he recruited him and why he joined, he's doing the right thing that any company would do in terms of being open with the employee and trying to minimise future costs ? I appreciate you are disappointed that Gino isn't just writing out a cheque for x years salary . I'm sure there will be a compromise cost and NDA given these contracts are unlike regular employment contracts where you can just make a role redundant and pay up a 1-6 month notice period.

 

It’s just very cowardly behaviour, as always. At the point he decided the guy that he originally thought was worthy of a five year deal, was no longer wanted, he should’ve just sacked him, instead of just sidelining him in the hope he’d get disgruntled and save Pozzo from the consequences of his own idiotic mistakes. Cash saving aside, I’m sure Gino would’ve also loved Manga to have found another club so he could spin the move as something Manga wanted and avoid confronting his own shortcomings.

 

Depends how big his garden is!

 

Sack him and pay him what ? The full contract ? Why would he do that ? Why does he need to spin ? It was a poor appointment for which both parties need to give their heads a wobble but it's time to cut losses and try to minimise those losses. I'm sure there will be a negotiated exit which will cost us but better than just paying up the bulk of the contract and then see him walk into another role tomorrow.

 

I think you’re possibly at risk of slipping into GDS (Gino Derangement Syndrome) here. Based on everything I’ve ever read or heard, doing this seems like very standard football industry stuff. I can’t actually think of a logical reason for sacking him outright.

 

Strange post. Do managers get sidelined for months before being sacked, is that “like very standard football industry stuff”?

I thing you’re possibly at risk of slipping into COG syndrome here.

 

Why on earth would we pay his contract up in full? As has been stated above, we’ll be paying him until he finds another job.

Why did we sideline for months before deciding to do that, do you think?

 

Don't you think we'll have a better negotiating position when he finds another role ? Or do you think he will waste a year or two in the wilderness just to pick up what is supposedly a good salary here for doing very little ? Poor decision to recruit him and offer such a long contract, no idea what they were thinking, but I'm glad they are resolving. Publicising "his availability" should get offers coming his way and bring him to the table to settle his contract with us.