What Would It Take To Have Faith In The Ownership Again?

Over the last few years it feels as if a large part of the fan base has lost a bit of faith in Gino/Scott and the Pozzo model more generally. The endless managers, the strange transfers and lack of a long term plan have all contributed.

What would it take for you to feel confident that the club is in good hands and progressing (both on and off the field) again?

 

Pozzo sells up.

1881 disband.

but but Baz…..

 

Pozzo to no longer have complete control - so at least a significant minority investment from outside - and Duxbury gone. Oh and a coherent medium term plan for where the club is heading.

 

Promotion next season. That would confirm the Pozzo’s as the most successful owners of all time (in terms of most seasons in the top flight).

 

Pozzo to step back and let a new director of football plus manager to do their work.

Duxbury and Giaretta gone.

Quarterly communication to fans about longer term vision for club.

All Udinese activity since inception fully disclosed.

Mogi Bayat role clarified. Money paid to Mogi Bayat clarified in the same way Duxbury salary is. Comment as to why club feel comfortable with having so much interaction with a person involved in a case about financial crime in 2023.

 

Obviously actions speak louder than words, but I think, in order to make us look forward to next season a bit more and get more of us on board, rather than empty statements of reassurance like "lessons have been learned", it would be nice to have a bit of humility and honesty from either Gino or Scott (or both), saying they underestimated the challenges of the Premier League and overestimated the capabilities of many of our players and Munoz, thinking the defence after setting a record of 30 goals conceded would be good enough for the top flight (assuming that's the case). And what they're working on to put together a promotion-winning squad that in the long term is competitive in the Prem - again, I think people would be OK if the people at the top were honest and said the fans should realistically expect up to two or three seasons in the Championship before returning, what with the clear rebuilding that is required.

 

So on field is only consideration? Guess you aren’t a critic of Man City/Newcastle model in that case.

 

Concur with Jumbo and London.

I would add that if Gino doesn't sack SD I will stalk him with my pencil until the end of time.

 

I thought you would bite.

 

Well done I guess?

 

As a regularly posting member of this forum for the last 10 years, I thought you’d post.

 

I echo this.

But I imagine @La_tempesta_cielo_68 thinks this equates to me telling Gino to ‘f*ck off.’

 

Pozzo steps back from the day to day running of the club, and becomes just an owner. All this 'he has an office overlooking the training' is ******** and puts undue pressure on the coach.

Duxbury gone.

Change the backroom staff - this theory that we can change managers without it disrupting the playing squad, because the coaching team, support staff, fitness and medical staff are all consistent works both ways - it also means if they're crap then no new head coach stands a chance.

Don't publicly side with players, undermining the HC.

Sell players at their peak (like Ighalo) and invest the funds into the playing squad. Don't keep renewing contracts of aging players. Focus less on flashy players and more on fighters.

Stop using Graham Taylor as an emotive subject to gain sympathy/support.

Ban stupid PR stunts and YouTube videos. If a player isn't focussed on the next match, drop them.

Stop patronising the fans, and have a PR team with actual people skills. Assign this current gaslighting approach to yesteryear.

 

Appreciate you can’t treat players as commodities and fans as idiots!

 

As many have already stated I just want to them to do what they promised they would do and create a self-sustaining work model for the club.

- Promote youth, whether that be imported or through academy with a view to selling on for a large profit, which is invested back into the squad.

- Bin off the long contract extensions for players that are past their prime or have never really pulled up trees for us such as Sema, Kabasele, Cathcart, etc.

- Utilise the UK market more, especially the cast offs from other ‘big’ London teams. Some real talent is slipping through our grasp with no real intent and teams like Brentford are reaping the benefits.

- Employ a young, upcoming manager with a clear playing philosophy and back him. Yes Liverpool and Man City have money but both managers have got the team playing their way with players they want. The divide between manager and player recruitment has to end for prolonged success.

 

Pick a style of play. Stick to it. Announce the type of football team you want to play as so they can be held accountable. We know they're going to sack the next temps that come in, keep their styles consistent - that way we won't keep blowing money on players that make no sense and digging ourselves into a financial hole. Pre-Pozzo we knew we were a dirty hoof merchant team that other sides hated playing, so we survived at a good level permanently despite spending no money. From 2013-2016 the fast counter attacking style was clear to see - we currently look like a sideways passing England side from the 2010s.

 

It would take a couple of years to show that they've truly changed and I don't think that'll happen.

 

Have a plan.

Carry out the plan.

Make it a good plan if possible.

 

Off the pitch, stop these shady dealings with Mogi Bayat, stop these bank loans, and get some outside funding if possible, on the pitch, just literally get a functional squad together, making a genuine effort to integrate young players

 

Show some more respect to Luther.

 

For me it is only 3 things…

1. to have a balanced squad of players that look like they care and give it their all on the pitch. It doesn’t necessarily matter to me if the side aren’t good enough to get promoted
2. To have confidence that there is a long term plan with everybody backing the manager…as long as they are the right appointment
3. To know that the club is in safe hands, both financially and from improved PR. To get the former then I guess we need promotion again. To get the latter Duxberry has got up go

 

What do I want to see:

1. A more focused, coherent selection of managers that are with the club for more than a year at most..
2. A more balanced approach to player recruitment, both in where investments are being made and from where.
   
3. Integration of more youth players to the squad.
4. A renewed focus on communicating with the fans what the club's longer terms goals are.

How we would realistically go about this the above points:

• Demonstrate the ability to select a head coach / manager they believe will deliver a longer term objective in play style and player development. Why do we consistently change those in charge in less than 12 month periods? Are we a counter attacking side? Do we want to swap to a transition possession based football? Whatever we decide, we need to fully commit to it to give the head coach / manager in charge faith that they can take the time needed to develop their style of play without worry of sacking should results decline over a run of 5-10 games which nearly any head coach will suffer through.

• In recent years we've seen an unbalanced approach to recruitment where very often opt for obscure targets in areas perceived to be well stocked in. For example, did we really need a Kalu in place of another potential GK or CB target for the same funding? Was signing Okoye and not immediately bringing him in be a wiser decision, or sign him at an earlier opportunity to limit the cost to begin with? Could / Should we look at more domestic based signings based on lower league performances / stats? Pollock should the start of a trend in the right direction given the positive noises coming from his games this year. Talk of player leadership to an extent is over exaggerated when things go well our sour and is reflected more in how the team is composed and setup to play which requires a longer term view and strategy.

• This to an extent will fall in line with the head coach / manager additional time to implement their work and therefore less pressure on immediate results but I do think part of our issues with youth development is that anyone we bring in won't give an unproven youth player even a sniff in place of a senior pro who might be of the same level anyway. Why give that young, exciting but unknown winger Hungbo a chance when we have Kalu already, an experienced player in the same position? For those not deemed in the current team's plans, what are we doing for their development and why?

• Remember when the Pozzo's first took over they outlined an ambitious yet well thought out road map for the club's future? Where we, the fans, knew what to expect roughly speaking from our owners and their ideologies? We knew we had a role along with Granada and Udinese at the time to help sustain each club's development and growth and that immediate term promotion wasn't necessarily on the cards? It was a 3-year goal with the express idea of making it a sustainable venture. We need another road map. We need another reset of expectations and ideologies.

Of course a lot of this is simplified and far harder to implement in some regard but it seems a fair and reasonable goal to aim for, doesn't it? It's not getting relegated that frustrates us, but what we're learning and taking away from it. It's not the fact we've had to sack a head coach / manager that frustrates us, but why it's always the same core issues when it happens. The club appears currently to bank on PL survival as the driving strategy for all our focus which is simply unsustainable and leads to increased expenditure and panicked decision making which always leads to ruin.

We need a clear direction and figurehead (Preferably in the Gracia or Xisco mould of fan engagement and understanding of club ethos) the club will publicly back for the medium term future (ie: 2 years min) to get behind. That I believe is the first step to realigning the fans with the ownership.

 

On a side note, I really don't think Duxberry isn't the main issue here for our recent overall issues on the pitch where we are most angry. He's been involved in as much good as bad during his tenure here and is a red herring for fan ire. However, I agree this upcoming Season is much more important for his perception and safety of his position and must improve the club's transparency and communication.

Girraldi I'd argue was more tangible as he was the one who identified targets and on field signings to then be approved by G & D. Overall I think Cristiano Giaretta has done a better job trying to fill the gaps overall on a much smaller budget (Gosling and Rose are both duds but low costs duds) than Girraldi wasted between 2016 - 2020. (Kaboul, Amrabat, Carrillo, Kennedy, Sinclair, Success, Penaranda, Djedje etc etc etc. I'd even include Sarr as how on earth did he think he suited Gracia's system?)

 

They would never, ever do it because arrogance runs through Duxbury like a stick of rock but if they said what lessons they've learned and why they got it wrong (i.e. what their thought process was at the time for some decisions), would be a very positive start.

Unfortunately, he was asked this at the Zoom Fans' Forum after the last relegation and he couldn't have been more condescending, giving it the 'we've learned lessons but we're not going to share them with the likes of you' treatment.

 

Sorry but this just isn’t true from the conversations I’ve had with people who work/have worked for the club.

It’s the impression he gives off - but it’s not accurate.

Also, Giraldi and Giaretta don’t identify transfer targets. They are/were involved in the process. But it’s as much Gino and Duxbury as it is them, and the band of agents/scouts too.

Lastly, it’s a bit unfair to only list Giraldi’s misses over a 4 year period and state Giaretta has only had 2 in Gosling and Rose. I’d make a strong case for Giaretta doing a far, far worse job going by a seasonal ratio of duds against successes.

 

I’m more pro-Pozzo than a lot on here and do not think that the ownership are up to no good but they have obviously lost their way. I recognise for some it is a case of building trust but I’m less bothered by trust than productivity and results. What I would like to see is the following:
1. Duxbury out. I think it would show that they are in tune with supporter sentiment and allow a fresh set of eyes to come in. He has got too comfy and is not accountable to the fans (not least with his awful communication - surely being the face of the ownership is a critical facet of his job) or the ownership due to the insulation he receives from his friendship with Gino. The CEO can set the whole tone for the club - look at Dane Murphy and the impact he has had both directly through his appointment of Cooper and some other staff and indirectly by better communication. We should be looking to someone who is building a career and wants to be accountable to the media, fans and the ownership and demonstrably successful. I am not convinced that the Pozzos won’t hire another chum from their network but we can hope and either way I’d rather get rid of Duxbury who I know to be smarmy and evasive and unimpressive even if it is for someone who I will soon discover to be smarmy and evasive and unimpressive.

2. Hire a known and independent Director of Football. Someone who is seeking to build a career and as I’ve said above wants to move in one 3-5 years saying look how well I did at Watford. Not someone who is just a random scout at Udinese. Udinese themselves have performed considerably better in the transfer market since hiring Pierpaolo Marino who is a well-regarded figure in the Italian game. We need the same here. And this person should speak regularly (to us!) about their vision for recruitment.

3. Develop a clear playing style and recruit players and managers for that style. While we should look to build with a single manager over the next few years we should look to utilise a style across managerial changes so that the players understand the style and so the players recruited will always fit the manager’s style of play. The style of play should ideally mirror Udinese’s - that way player trading between the clubs can be as fruitful as possible. It might even make sense to appoint a group Director of Football who thinks best about how group assets can be utilised and manages transfers and development across both sides.

4. Have a clear recruitment style and recruit according to that. Be open about it too. Is it sign old codgers because you think they are undervalued (I hope not but if it is say so). Is it act as a pipeline for the best South American youth? Recruit from Serie B? Or non-top 5 leagues? The best talent of the EFL? Cast-offs from Top 6 academies? Work closely and exclusively with one or two agents (this seems to be the worst of the approaches by far but can be somewhat successful if done right). If you commit to an approach, after one or two windows we can become a destination of choice for that category of player because they’ll have seen a peer do it and be successful.

It’s not that I don’t trust the ownership. I don’t think they are in it for themselves or out to do wrong or anything (though I think Duxbury is happy to keep lining his pockets). I just think they have regressed while football has progressed and we need to take productive and proactive actions like those illustrated above to correct the situation.

 

The impression they gave off is all we have to go on with those without any in roads or contacts within the club. If that's the case then that's something but still doesn't excuse or explain the lack / inability of communication and increasingly opaque nature of their operation. We aren't expecting to know how they spend every quid but equally the lack of meaningful engagement in the last few years is not conductive to a healthy fan engagement with the club.

Re: Not identifying targets, that's surprising given they're Sporting Directors who typically oversee the overall transfer targets and sporting style at other clubs. Granted, we aren't a typical operation but it's a fair assumption to make.

The main point between Girraldi and Giarrata is that Girraldi has wasted funds on more dud targets when times were good than Giarrata has when we've had to cut our cloth a lot more carefully. It is a slightly unfair list initially given I'll accept but equally it's still fair to say under the supervising of these two men the latter has recruited overall more suitable personnel thus far or at least been involved in more sensible decision making.

 

Hodgson not to be paid for the awful job he's done. Maybe we could sue him for compensation too.

 

Its said time and again ... but get the Club, the supporters the tema, the manager all pulling the right direction, all understanding what is trying to be achieved and then great things happen ..... its what happened when we got promotion the first time and right up until the FA Cup Final - everyone knew what we were trying to do ..... then we wobbled, the wheels started to fall off and suddenly Dux goes into hiding, theres no plan, we are rudderless in our approach to everything football related - We need to re-build from top to bottom, have a plan, communicate the plan and stick to your plan (save the odd tweak here or there when required). Get everyone on board and pushing in the same direction - Do this and you will have my support

 

Sack Fuxbury.
Sack the person responsible for the club's written communications.
Reinstate Javi Gracia.
Return to wearing red shorts and socks

 

Credibility shattered.

 

General thoughts
> A less scattergun approach to transfers. > Need a leader on the pitch (Whilst it was definitely the right time for Deeney to go, we haven't replaced his leadership qualities)
> Appoint an up and coming Manager with a clear philosophy and back him.
> Actually learn lessons rather than simple lip service.
> Start bringing through more youth players/Cat 1/try to keep the better ones rather than getting poached by the likes of Dubai FC.
> Set medium and long term goals for the club.
> More communication with fans
> If we need to cut costs, start with high earning players and staff (including Duxbury)
> Oh and definitely bring back red shorts/more red in kit.
> Outside investment if/when we get promoted to Prem.