"The Plan', and the criticism of Hecky.

Astounded by some of the spurious anger being directed towards the manager and the club more widely, by some fellow new members, in the last couple of days.

'The plan', which only refers to the change in recruitment, use of sports science, and the adoption of a longer term mindset is the sole reason for the clubs retention of second-tier football and new investment.

I look at the recent history of clubs like Tranmere, or Portsmouth, Plymouth, Bradford, and Coventry among many others and I see how it could have been for Barnsley. An old football team, from a small town, with modest attendances and a proud history of playing at the very top level. Yet because of short-sighted management and a failure to adapt to the world around them, have suffered precipitous decline and the viscous circle of falling expectations. In fact, I would say that, after the Hill/Flitcroft era ended in relegation, this was inevitable had nothing changed.

The fact that we are now owned by a consortium with substantial resources makes the long-term, sustainable running of the club more important, not less.

As for the manager, he may decide to leave to Forest, but I doubt this. There is too much hyperbole surrounding the man, indeed all football managers, mainly by folk who think they are in some sort of video game. He is not some sort of genius or second coming, nor is he incompetent. What he is is a life-log fan, a bright young man game full of the same old men on a constant merry-go-round. He is hungry for success, with solid experience in football and is adopting the most modern and up to date techniques to get the best from a young, leaderless team on a run of poor form, with a keen eye on the next 5 years, not the next 5 paycheques. He's as good as we are ever going to get.

A number of people on this forum need to get in the real world, success, like Bournemouth's can be achieved steadily over a long period with a long term appointment of capable coach and accessing substantial but not immense resources from the board. It isn't achieved in 5 days of a transfer window. It isn't achieved by sacking capable men or ranting at 'the board' or complaining about low transfer fees.

 

Bournemouth bought success a better example would be Burnley.

 

Maybe... Burnley had been a huge club in the past however. I think Bournemouth might be a little closer to our new resources, I suppose we will find out in the next 3 weeks.

 

It helps if the manager has a say on what players to sign.

 

People seem to want to blame Hecky for players not wanting to sign new contracts and/or being picked off by bigger clubs. I don’t get it. In my opinion it’s many different things that have created the situation we have now - pinning it on one person who has nothing but the club’s best interests at heart is unhelpful.

 

Worrying thing about "the plan" at this level is that no other bugger is doing it.

I can't imagine for a minute that the new guys will just soldier on with it as it is. It would be suicide.

 

I have a feeling with Billy Beane being involved now and as I see it that James Cryne has been running the last few years based on Billy Beanes spreadsheets theory.

It is a bit of a coincidence especially with James still being a part of the set up that the plan is a big part of why the new group bought in and why BB became involved. I could be wrong but hopefully it's a good way to work and with backing it can be successful.

 

In the 60's, counts for nowt now. Before their promotion to the Prem they had similar gates to ourselves with the same expenditure. Didn't they break their transfer record signing Paterson for around a million the same year we signed Hume for £1.2 million.

 

Yeah, they definitely see it as one of the things that attracted them to the club.

I think they'll have to tinker with it a bit to get us moving in the right direction.

 

I wish no I'll will towards James Cryne whatsoever but all of this secrecy, cloak and daggers and misinformation given to the fans regarding James's involvement over the past few years still irks me greatly.

 

I'm always reasonably positive in what I post about BFC but if their is one thing that grates is the lack of communication from board level, no one's says anything ever.
Someone should give us something encouraging to hang on to rather than us speculating all the time.

 

I think that when all the ******** is removed what really attracted them to Barnsley?
Was it that we use a spreadsheet? Something which they could easily implement at ANY club.
Was it that we are one of England's best run clubs? With an owner having to gift money season on season
Or as it actually that after having their first choices fall through we were up for sale and frankly desperate to be bought?

 

Hope it's the well run and spreadsheet and not the latter. Let's just be positive because if it turns out well it's positive for the whole town not just the football club which is something the town needs and deserves.

 

I'm going by some of the things that they said about the club when they took over.

I'm not going to concern myself with things they didn't say, or ulterior motives they might have.

As far as I'm concerned, the football club was one of the only clubs left that hadn't been taken over, and it was always going to happen sooner or later.

As I said in my other post, they've been here two minutes. Give them some slack.

 

The new board said they believed the club was one of the best run in the country which is why they bought it. I believe what they said, as I have no reason to question their honesty & integrity, or that of Patrick Cryne.

 

Is it not a fact that they previously attempted to buy several other clubs first though?

 

I've never mentioned any ulterior motives or criticised them in any way

 

I don't know. As I say, I'm taking them at their word as to the reasons they gave for buying our club at the news conference and see no reason to question their honesty & integrity.

 

I didn't say you had did I?

 

I'm happy with him having a say as the head coach based on a list, I'm not convinced by the old model of the Manager signing players he likes based on whims and mates in the business.