It does and they say they've been addressing it for over a year but I'm sure he said that the exciting news wasn't about it
Theyve let Duff reply at length, in my opinion, because what he says shows him for what he really is - a bullshitting chancer who had no intention of seeing the job through.
I don't agree, but fair dos. We don't know what the terms were. Just expecting us to match any offer isn't realistic for me. They might have tripled his salary for all we know. There's only so much we can afford. I also don't think the point on release clauses is nonsense at all. If it was, they wouldn't be in pretty much every contract. How far in advance could we have negotiated a new deal? He was with us for 58 games. Given what he said in his statement, I'm personally as convinced as I could be, that he will have insisted on an exit clause...and triggered it at the first chance.
I don't remember anyone on here saying they know what the big announcement may be. Just a lot of speculation. (Sorry if I'm wrong.) Bear in mind that announcement went back to around mid april. It certainly was said "it'll be announced this year." With the impression only if finalised hopefully. If it was a hopeful contract extension for Duff. I'd understand that. but if it was. It's backfired. And should not have been mentioned at all. My personal view is it could be summat to do with ground ownership.as a lot of dialogue is supposedly going the right way with the council. If the owners of the club get their hands on it. My view then would be Investment may follow. But it really is a guess. No more than that. Others may have a different take on it and be much closer to fact. Anyone feeding bullsh1t for the joy of it should be taken to task. But I fear we'd need a bigger boat so to speak. . Eg Mi mates sisters, husbands grandad on his mams side. Told me this. Nah I'll keep it to missen.
Given your comments I really do think you should stop "supporting" the club. If you can switch your "support" on and off in the way you suggest I reckon that your "support" of BFC is at best questionable and at its worst fickle. Just pack it in.
Its put us back 5 years again. Simply put Duff has indeed to ended up to be a Duff. If he was sincere about not being here for 5 minutes then he would 100% have accepted a contract with a far higher release clause. Just another fraud unfortunately. No doubt Anderson to Luton or Swansea now. Then we have to try and rebuild what we have lost and in reality there is more chance on signing people that dont meet the grade than those who do. Thats why I'm saying it will put us back 5 year. In my mind now Duff is just the manager who couldnt get a decent team out of league 1. He has taken the easy option to the championship by jumping ship. Absolutely no time for people like that with pretend morals.
Its a bit disingenuous for you to suggest someone give up supporting the club IMO. Everyone is entitled to their view whether that be happy clapping rose tinted glasses 100% of the time or whether someone wants to vent and be critical because the same thing happens to this club year after year. Accept some people are getting to the end of their tether. No right and wrongs about this.
Marc, people are just angry and frustrated at the moment. I agree with you, nothing the club could do as he had a release clause, Let's hope the new manager hits the ground running. Just wondering which Cup we'll draw Swansea in next season as sods law is bound to happen
Were you also one of the ones who said we've no chance of finishing in play offs last season? Or even worse, perhaps relegated again? I honestly can't believe people are taking their rag out at the club over this. Its all Duff.
We was always gonna lose players this summer, that’s not changed with his departure. Even when they have left we have a better squad than last year, the club is on a much sounder footing in both financial, infrastructure etc. If he was gonna go so easily, I’d rather he went now whilst on an upward trajectory than struggling. Solid recruitment of his replacement makes this a bump in the road nothing more.
Went into the season open minded. Little to no expectation other than hoping we'd rebuild and win more than we lost. I don't criticise the club very often. I don't think I've criticised then directly over any of this either. I'm just feeling incredibly disillusioned and that's on me, not the club, the players or even Duff. It's a me problem and I'm all too aware of that.
I honestly don't think you can blame yourself mate. I think majority of us believed Duff, including the board members. He came and actually had the evidence to back his words up. He lied. Wonder if the only reason he's been at 2 clubs his whole career before us, was because nobody else came in for him as a player when at Burnley?
It's all speculation now of course, but pretty much how I see it, and I think you've hit on something in your last sentence. Duff's comment in his statement stands out 'I am an ambitious character and after taking stock in the summer felt that this opportunity was the next natural step in my career.' Yes he's an opportunity in the league above, but having failed to get us out of league one, his project was unfinished. He may be ambitious, but all his platitudes about long-term and building something have fallen short. His latest words ironically are reminiscent of him putting down players last summer who believed they had a right to be in the Championship. Arguably he hasn’t earned that right either, because he didn't get us promoted. It feels hypocritical. But Swansea have seen an ambitious young manager with a low release clause, have undoubtedly raised his wages, and off he goes. As you say, perhaps he was never approached as a player at Burnley, and maybe not as a manager at Cheltenham either until we came along. The difference is that he took the time to build at Cheltenham, and he hasn't afforded us the same - he's had his head turned at the first time of asking. I don't blame the board at all for this, I see selfishness, greed and ego disguised as ambition, all shaken up in a crisp bag of empty words. We move on.
1000% get the anger mate. Genuinely do. I was exactly the same when Heckingbottom left. I’m deliberately not judging anyone for feeling how they do. I’ve been there. I’m just trying to do what I can, to ask people not to take it out on the Club. I’ve been heavily critical of the Club myself in years gone by. I’m even unhappy with some of the aspects of this move. But the decision to leave sits squarely elsewhere for me. I really do hope people saying ‘that’s me done with the Club’ is just an emotional response, but we’ll see.