Great Post Gally. Amongst all the angst we need a plan and, having formed a v positive opinion of Khaled, I'd be surprised if he hasn't got something up his sleeve by way of succession management. Sad thing is, IF he does go the timing sucks....pre season etc. Life moves on. Like many others I invested in his ambition for us, but was half expecting this after his success last season.
I was glad when hecky went it was just we hired another clueless coach to replace him that was the problem.
I imagine we do have these processes in place, but I also imagine it's incredibly difficult to predict any real outcomes in any sort of advance. Too many variables and things just change too quickly. At best we might have a set of criteria for the type of manager we want. We might even have a list of names, at any given time, but those names might have completely changed at the point that we find ourselves in the position of needing a new manager. It's not just the succession planning for a manager though. It's everything else. Player recruitment and backroom staff will also be affected, I would imagine. Duff leaving will have a ripple effect beyond just finding a new manager. The likes of Isted signing, is probably now far less likely. Retaining players who were undecided, probably now tips against us. More players who were happy to stay, may now start pushing for a move. He might take players with him. All that makes succession planning so much harder.
I think we are putting too much sway into how relatively successful MD was last season however we should not lose sight of the fact that it was league one. This is the league where Barnsley generally do well regardless of the manager/head coach. I've no reason to think that we will not be successful next season, regardless of who is at the helm.
I think it's more the spell he kept giving about it been a long term project and even after the Wembley defeat we lick our wounds and go again. Then the 1st club that comes for him we don't see him for dust. At least val more or less said he was off after play off defeat. And he will have a big job on his hands to get Swansea promoted to the premier league.
I do find the anger towards him a bit much. He came to us when we were in a mess, instilled some professionalism and whilst he missed out on promotion was a big, maybe the biggest part in turning the feeling within the club and amongst fans from as low as it has been in many a year to there being a bit of a buzz again. I’ll be gutted if he goes. But I won’t be digging him out. If there is a release fee that is met, then it is the club who put that there. If the release fee isn’t met or there isn’t one, and the club still allow him to leave with whatever is offered, then that is still on the club. And we have to trust them. It was them who brought duff in. They got that right. They deserve the credit and a chance to get it right again. Though I do hope they won’t need to.
Chris Wilder's rejection of Reading apparently hinged on Reading allowing him to bring in his own backroom team so it's a scenario that works both ways.
But what do people expect him to say? 'I can't answer if I'll be here I'll assess if an opportunity arises'. If a job doesn't come up that he fancies, he stays. If the club don't get the money they've agreed for him contractually as compensation, he stays. He'll go with my best wishes as he should every single Barnsley fan imho for the job he did last year & then we hope the Board have the right processes in place to find someone to build on the foundations.
This exactly. On the day he was appointed he went on about loyalty and how he’d only ever had 3 clubs in his 25 plus years in the game. He talked about the long haul and loving a long term project. It was great to hear, then 12 months later it looks like he’s jumping ship at the first opportunity. My own fault for actually believing someone involved in football these days. I’m old enough to know better….
Incredible, really? Duff has talked about building something since he joined the club, and after repeatedly saying that he has had 2 clubs in 27 years prior to joining us in his first interview, he also said he isn't 'fly by night', and that loyalty is in his genes: “I don’t want to be here just for five minutes. I’m fully invested, and I want to make it work." You talk about 'the job he's done', but I look at it more as the job he's started. If he'd got us promoted at the first time of asking, then fair enough. But he's only just getting started. It's unfinished. It's not incredible to me that people expected Duff to be here next season after everything he's said. Then again, he's also said that talk is cheap. Let's hope he doesn't make it 4 clubs in 28 years, but it's looking likely.
Sorry mate. Genuinely I am. I say that honestly, as I felt exactly the same with Heckingbottom. I bought into everything he ever said, then 3 days after finally signing a new contract, he fkd off. I vowed I would never get emotionally attached to another manager. My relationship with managers now is purely transactional. I just feel for those who are going through summat similar now, because I've been there and know how it feels. If Duff goes, I wish him well. He's looking after his own interests. Fair dos. But I give as much loyalty as they do. That's a perfectly fair deal for me. If the next manager finishes outside top 6, he goes at the end of the season. My only loyalty is to Barnsley Football Club.
Exactly this. “Not here for 5 mins” “here for the project.” First club come knocking and he’s off, if it was a premier league team or say a Burnley I could understand but Swansea?
Some Swansea fan Twitter says terms agreed but I’ve no idea how reliable it is. All we know for sure is Swansea have made an approach Their Manager hasn’t even officially gone yet
Hmm. Not so sure on that. I'd need more information. Depends who's driving the move, doesn't it? The Board could be looking at it purely from a compo pov. If they are, then I would agree with you entirely. But they may also be fighting tooth & nail to keep him, and it may be Duff that's pushing for the move. If that's the case, I don't think we should be having a pop at the Board. We just don't know at this stage.
Tbf they're a bigger Club than us. I don't think we can really contest that, can we? They're in the Championship for a start, and also have recent pedigree in the PL. He left Cheltenham for us, and we were in the same league. So I don't think we can really argue too much, that this would be another step up for him.
Absolutely, hard to say and all speculation until something official has been confirmed. Frustrating but that’s the world of football. Looking at Duff’s career, I’m hoping he stays and gives it another go next season.