After an absolutely atrocious season last time out, our talisman likely to depart, seemingly no money to spend and all vestiges of ambition being erased - what do people think is reasonable purely in terms of price for next year's tickets?

In a hypothetical world where the main aim was to get customers through the door I'd say prices should be slashed by 50%, although that won't happen obviously. 

2nd question is - what do we ACTUALLY think will happen? I'm guessing the usual price freeze for "early birds" with a price increase thereafter dressed up as some sort of .massive bargain.

20 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

It's more the fact that he's on £15k+ a week that's the problem. 

Not really, it's more the fact he's one of the worst strikers ever to pull on the blue and white halves.

The decision to turn down £2m from Ipswich for him and now trigger his contract extension must rank amongst the very worst decisions Venkys have made.

Unless of course we've only done the latter to claw some money back on him. I doubt we'll be so lucky though. You can't succeed carrying passengers like Gallagher. If that's not obvious to the powers that be by now it never will be. It's as if they do these things to deliberately spite us.

On 18/05/2024 at 14:13, Parsonblue said:

I honestly don't think GB was very good at his job.  As always football is a game of opinions.

Completely agree Parson.

In fact "not very good at his job" I think is doing him somewhat of a favour.

World class bullshitter, but an absolute disaster in the job, 3  strikers signed without a single goal between them, Wahlstedt, the two unprecedented transfer window cock ups, failing to tie Phillips down to a worthwhile contract, and a fairly derisory sum realised for the brilliant Adam Wharton.

Says it all when he's crowing about a "record sale" on a  player he inherited.

Good riddance to bad rubbish. Let him go and chat **** and sell everything that moves somewhere else.

I let my season ticket lapse last season after fifty odd years of more or less continuous attendance.

Broughton leaving (if indeed he has left) is a start - despite everything I would probably renew if the undertaker Waggott were to be ousted as well.

Not that I expect anyone in authority at the Club to give a flying one.

Just saying.

8 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

It definitely has. 

Everyone thinks everything was GBs fault and SW looks clean as a whistle.

In reality it's probably all SW.

Theoretically, Broughton was in charge of footballing operations as DOF and Waggott was or is primarily in charge of the Commercial side of the operation.

They've both stunk the place out.

9 minutes ago, tomphil said:

The fat man is just looking to stuff his pockets with as much bonus and % as he can as his retirement moves closer.

 

Whenever that long awaited day finally arrives, it really can't come soon enough.

On 09/05/2024 at 20:38, Mattyblue said:

Folk would rather see their club in the third division just so they could get one over some anonymous accounts on an obscure messsge board?

A lot of people have openly admitted they would like to see the Club relegated or in administration if it meant the end of the owners. Eustace is perceived in certain quarters as Waggott's choice and "a yes man" so I think Tyrone original comment was quite fair.

1 minute ago, roversfan99 said:

I think I call him incompetent, a symptom of our problems and repeatedly call for his head, if that is standing up for him then what would I say if I didn't stand up for him?

You are suggesting that Venkys paying Waggott to "micromanage" us as if they deserve credit for it. Like theyve done their bit. Not that anyone is given any power to fully micromanage when big decisions need approval and are often declined and/or take ages to get a response.

Hes clearly carrying out what they want him to do without complaining. Hes ambitionless and happy to stay in a role he wouldnt match elsewhere, so he happily goes along with their desires to slash budgets.

 

I'm not suggesting for one minute that Venky's deserve credit for employing Waggott and well you know it. As usual you're reading what I write and posting the opposite inference from the obvious one. Waggott's a blight on the Club and the fact that he's still here is on their heads.

Nevertheless Waggott will presumably be working to a budget agreed before the start of every season. It will only be items over and above that budget he'll need consent for and he will have a degree of autonomy within the agreed budget.

We'd do better with a decent CEO than with Waggott irrespective of budget.

And yes once again the owners need to go for the benefit of Upside Down who seems to be having difficulty reading.

15 hours ago, tomphil said:

It was mentioned in the not too distant past by both Mowbray and Wagott and mentioned in regards to the merging of the Academy and training ground.

Way before the 'sudden' budget cuts and raft of players leaving, being sold.

Oh and also remember Waggot saying the 'owners would make up the shortfall' on any training ground sale/merger.  To which i said How ?  we'll end up with a half built building and a load of portacabins !

Well look where we are....

Yep Cheston and Waggott sat before a gullible Fans Forum and talked about raising the funding for a brand new state of the art trading complex.

Don't suppose we'll ever know for certain why that scheme was shelved ( I've heard the intervention of a certain ex player was pivotal) but thank Christ it was.

1 hour ago, joey_big_nose said:

Sad to see Gregg the Egg go, mainly as he was one person who sounded like he had a plan.

Broughton's only plan seemed to be selling anyone who turned out to be decent or was potentially decent for a shit price.

1 minute ago, Upside Down said:

Sez the guy who ignores the root cause of all of this.

See the guy who yet again doesn't read what I post properly as it doesn't suit his agenda.

4 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Clearly very desperate as they are the only ones powerful enough to force the sale.

Unless Broughton advised them to take £18m and they went along with it.

1 minute ago, roversfan99 said:

It would. And I am not underplaying how incompetent he is.

We would still have the same owners, slashing the budget, causing huge delays in approving things/communicating for something to then that isnt a priority yet intervening at damaging times, and just going through incompetent staff even when we happily get rid of one. Weve had the likes of Shaw and Agnew too in his role. 

Waggott's worst "quality" is that he will align his actions around the owners wants, he is in a position that he couldnt better, hes comfortable and he wont challenge for better, as long as hes getting paid. He like Suhail is just a terrible symptom. 

Never ceases to amaze me how you always stand up for Waggott.

For all their faults, (and for the avoidance of doubt they need to go) the owners pay Waggott a fortune to run the Club so they don't have to micromanage every decision themselves from India.

No matter what the prevailing conditions or finance or lack thereof are, we'd do better with a decent CEO in situ than Waggott.

4 minutes ago, Blue n White Rover said:

Rudy Gestede will not be DoF.

Do we even need a DOF?

Surely everyone in the game (apart from Waggott and Mowbray) know that you don't let your key assets walk away on a free.

Once you've got that out of the way, If you have a good manager with an eye for a player, why do you need a DOF? 

Mark Hughes did all right without one.

8 minutes ago, sverrehh said:

Just to quote the internet on what the DOF-job entails:

"Being a Director of Football involves overseeing the football operations of a club, typically focusing on player recruitment, transfers, contract negotiations, and sometimes managerial appointments. They often work closely with the coaching staff and scouts to identify talent, negotiate contracts, and strategize for the club's long-term success. Additionally, they may be involved in budgeting, youth development, and implementing the club's football philosophy. Essentially, they serve as a bridge between the board, coaching staff, and players, ensuring the club's footballing objectives are met."

I would never appoint Rudy Gestede in that position today. Perhaps in 10-15 years if he starts working hard to become one.

So on what basis referring to the above would you have give given GB the job?

Cutting through all the corporate bullspeak the only things I'd be interested in in a DOF is that he recruited well and put into place some things that helped the team succeed.

The finer points of contractual negotiations could surely be left to the Club Secretary/CEO. 

If we had decent ones.

On 09/05/2024 at 20:03, islander200 said:

That will surely  be one of the add ons to take the deal closer to 22 million

That is still a ludicrously low fee!!! 

We don't know for certain how desperate the owners were to sell to keep the lights on. If there was no pressure in that respect then we got absolutely shafted on the price.

2 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

The owners to go isnt something that is an afterthought in brackets. Until they do, moving any of the incompetent staff even if it is Waggott is fairly immaterial.

In the unlikely event Waggott was shifted and someone decent half decent was brought in it would be far from immaterial.

In fact I'd say it's reached the stage where it's imperative.

5 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Waggot simply has to go no ifs or buts it's as plain as the nose on your face this guy is bad news.

Whatever we think of the egg and my views are mixed he is another who has been sold a dud and undermined at every turn because the crooks in office at the club didn't want this model.  Shaking them out their comfort zone and bypassing their little cartel.

Said it ages ago Waggot and the shadow MD are Shagnew and GB is Shebby, we have revisited that era yet again.

Also always said Waggot has his eye on us being the small time zero funded Barnsley model to carry on their cushy no fuss little number.  In trying for this hes actually creating the new Charlton here and will leave us in the same position as them if he stays another 2 seasons.

The man MUST go, end of.

Couldn't agree more but that doesn't mean Broughton wasn't a disaster as well.

One down - Waggott (and the owners to go)

Shame JDT didn't have more competent people to support him.

1 minute ago, sverrehh said:

I would rather not have a DOF-setup if the choice was a random ex-player with no experience.

I disagree. Broughton obviously couldn't spot a decent player if he tripped over one. Gestede as a former player might have a good eye for one.

No guarantees of course, every appointment is a risk.

1 minute ago, Exiled_Rover said:

How so?

He might have a very good knowledge of the game built up through his playing career.

Might not work out but Broughton had zero experience as a DOF.

2 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Must be the thousandth time I've seen someone here say 'couldn't be any worse than X'. Most of the time, they do turn out to be worse.

Except here.

Same was said about Mowbray. "But who could we possibly replace him with?"

13 minutes ago, Bethnal said:

Christ.

Yeah, former footballers never succeed in management circles, good job Kenny Dalglish never gave it a go. 

Why the **** is anyone defending Broughton? He's brought in 3 strikers who haven't even registered a goal for the Club and Wahlstedt who looks like he won a competition out of the crowd to play a few games.

Add in two unprecedented transfer window cock ups which never happened before he arrived and you have to say it's an extremely positive step he has gone.

31 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Why in the ungodly fuck would you be 'more than happy' with us appointing a DoF who not only doesn't have experience in that role, but as far as I can see doesn't have any experience in any role beyond 'footballer'? Just because he used to be a good player for us? Come on! That's just a ridiculous position to have. I'm almost as qualified as he is!

"Footballer" makes him far more qualified than the Egg though?

Irrespective of what exams the latter may have passed?

27 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Gestede as a token director of football would be a pathetic attempt at trying to appease the fans, and it wont work. 

Depends if he turns out to be any good at the job.

Let's face it he couldn't do any worse than the Egg.

(Has he been sacked btw? I've not been on the board for a week)

Naughty headline in the LT. 

Club face anxious wait after Eustace "dismissal". Lol.