WSB - Mr Cryne & Mr Mansford join us for Q&A this Thursday.

Questions for Patrick Cryne & Ben Mansford
Danny Wilson was appointed initially to keep Barnsley in the Championship, an achievement that would have been a minor miracle given the poverty of playing resources that he inherited. Having failed in his first objective, Danny was required to get the club promoted back to the Championship, but with a budget that is limited to 75% of gate receipts, and with a team that was decimated because 17 players left. Was the club right to believe that this could be done in just 7 months, bearing in mind that team rebuilding could not start in earnest until July?

Earlier in the season, I had few worries about relegation. Since then Ryan Williams and Sam Winnall have suffered bad injuries, Devante Cole has moved on and the team has been filled with young players who are not ready for the pressure of league football in a struggling team. Was any allowance made for the long string of injuries when deciding to sack the manager?

When Danny Wilson was appointed, I was pleased, but not because we were welcoming back one of our heroes. It was more because I thought that it would signal the end of our sacking syndrome. I believe that the biggest factor in the demise of the club in recent years is the lack of patience that the club has shown to a long succession of managers. There is little point in signalling a change in policy, and then reverting to type as soon as the team hits a string of poor results. Would the next manager be given more time in the same circumstances?

Can you tell us what the manager’s role is in player recruitment, and how the roles of Mr Mansford and Mr Cryne tie in with the manager’s role? For example, if the manager gives the Chief Executive a list of player names, how does the club decide which players to pursue and which to cross off? How much is the statement, “They are his players”, a true statement. How is the club regarded amongst players? My feeling is that Barnsley FC has become an unattractive proposition amongst the right type of players, that is, those who are on the way up.

I look at the Team Manager and the Chief Executive being two sides of the same coin. The chief executive is responsible for balancing the books, but he is also responsible for maximising income, negotiating player contracts, negotiating transfer fees (both inwards and outwards) and interviewing and selecting the Team Manager. He is therefore responsible for the size of the manager’s budget, which is the single best indicator of the team’s potential for success. Isn’t it true to say that a failing team on the field is an indication of a failing team off the field? Isn’t it also true to say that clubs would be a lot less ready to pull the trigger if the gun was aimed at the whole of the off the field team?

I was particularly upset with the statement made by the club in the wake of the managers sacking. Some of the points that were made were clearly not accurate. A poll of fans on the BBS taken the day before the sacking showed 67% support from posters on the BBS. So a majority of us were still willing to be patient and bear with the manager in the belief that he would get things right. Exactly why did the club lose patience with the manager, when the majority of fans had not? In his Chairman’s statement attached to the Annual Accounts, Mr Watkins pointed out the substantial cost of changing the manager. From whose budget are these cost taken. In fact, from whose budget were the costs taken to get Brown and Treacy off the books, as well.

The published accounts to 31 May 2014 do not make very good reading. Supporters should thank Mr Cryne for his large investment last season in a failed attempt to retain the club’s Championship status. Given that he has had so little encouragement or return on his investments over the years, how long is Mr Cryne prepared to continue to subsidise Barnsley Football Club every season?

How does the club expect to attract good quality managers when it has become known for its sacking culture?

In spite of the success in selling Jacob Butterfield and John Stones, they are the only major sales in the last 15 years. How much does the academy cost the club (net) and how would the Profit & Loss Account for the academy look over that period. Should the academy continue in its present form, bearing in mind that every penny spent in there is a penny that cannot be spent on the first team squad.

 

It is if I believe correctly.

 

Please could you ask them what the reason will be for sacking the next manager.

 

When are the TV s that ain't working being sorted out?

 

Losing loads of games and playing like a pub team tend not to do a manager any favours!

 

That's the stuff. No condiment station, bottle tops, scoreboard, bird **** in seats schizzle going off

 

An excellent, well thought out set of questions, thanks for that red rain.

 

Agreed

 

I'd still be interested as I was going to come to the Thursday night chat anyway and have dropped you a snail mail. Is there still a plan to meet up separately at some point?

 

Sacking managers every season doesn't tend to do football clubs much good either.

 

Time to go support Sheff utd with your sons. You won't be missed. They are massive you know.

 

Its not going to be one of those ' they told us some stuff but we all promised not to tell' Supporters Trust kind of meeting is it

 

67% of fans on this board is not 67% of all B F C fans. Don't confuse the two.

 

Read the post on our site.

 

Response has been nuts, lads. Will confirm to all tomorrow but will be giving first dibs to those who said they were coming to our original meeting.

Cheers.

 

I've put your name down.

 

Would you consider moving to a bigger venue dyson?

 

No mate. I think if we're going to learn anything new, we need to keep it tight in terms of numbers but it's really important we give folk access to something after the event so it's completely transparent.

Well get someone posting on here and twitter through the event too.