If you were to take over

The club tomorrow, same financial position, same budget, same staff, same squad
Where would you start ?

 

Sack Sormaz.

 

No idea, because I don't know our budget. Not trying to sound a **** mate. But genuinely it would all come down to that. I wouldn't sack Sormaz, he's had some good recruitment, and some we missed out on, cover for left back & a striker, but personally I think he deserves more time. Gent, Roberts, Smith(Imo will come good), Humps & Nwakali all good signings imo. DKD still to be shown but totally understand why we bought him, same for Craig, he was unbelievable the season before and would have fit in very nicely had we sold Connell, but we didn't, so clearly it hasn't been a great signing. I like Gaga but he's made some big errors, I think he will have a very good career but perhaps a little too soon, though I don't like when people pick out the games where he cost us yet never mention the games where he's saved us. So in total, I think Sormaz deserves more time.

 

Ask the manager to develop a team to get us up and stay up in three seasons.

Ask the youth setup what they need to provide a meaningful number of players for the first team at a Championship standard.

Focus on improving the fan experience and strengthening the club beyond the pitch.

 

(Before responding I should say that I had a bet on yesterday's final score - Reds 4 - Orient 0 - which gives an indication of how much I know about football!)

to answer your question -
We have a Head Coach, Asst Head Coach, 1st Team Coach, Asst Coach.
They are presumably all having an input coaching/tactics etc.
I would assess if there too much 1st Team Coaching - are the players getting mixed/confused messages from all the coaches leading to poor performances??

 

I'd get rid of the whole ethos of a DOF and a DOF implementing a playing system.
I'd want a recruitment team that looked at data but not as the only thing,
I'd bring options into the squad to give the head coach options to play as he sees fit to get results using the players at his disposal to play whatever system he wants.
Balance of the squad to be a priority
Full review of the academy looking at the return on investment.
Full review on staff costs.

 

That's a rough prediction that one mate, don't think many would have seen the opposite coming

 

Sorry but most clubs have that many, most having even more. If we can't even have 3/4 voices coaching, we really may as well just give it up mate. They're grown men, not toddlers!

 

We've only just implemented it mate, to join most of the club others in the EFL & Prem in doing so. Surely it's worth letting it have a proper go at it?

 

It's a fad, whatever did clubs do beforehand.
He's been in the role almost 12 months, the stats are poor, 6 home wins under his "game model" and squad that's ridiculously imbalanced.
He had 5 months prior to the transfer window opening to address the wingback and striker positions, we signed a number 10 now operating outside a system with a 10, Stephen Humphrys isn't a 9, and we've collected midfielders for fun, 2 loan signings that have had little impact,even you surely can't put a positive spin on the short comings laid bare.

 

I wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole. Hell no!!

 

I'd get rid of the people currently running the club and employ some who know how to run a successful professional football club. I'd ask John Dennis to take an advisory role on the board of directors. Then I'd start to make changes to the coaching and playing staff and change the ethos of the retention and recruitment policy into one that puts the needs of creating and maintaining a successful football team front and center with potential future sell on profit on players seen as a bi product of the primary function not the primary function itself. I'd try and reconnect the club with it's fanbase and take steps to encourage youngsters to become the next generation of reds fans and fall in love with the club like I and the rest of us did in our youth.

 

If bringing in John Dennis & someone that’s been at a successful club was the answer, I’m sure they’d have done it by now.

 

I’d strip out a lot of cost, reduce squad size vastly, to create an improved budget for the first team.

I would encourage the signing of some experienced players, especially in central defence, central midfield and up front, to create a spine in the team. I’d sign a top quality keeper.

if I had enough money to cover it short term, I would scrap Matchday ticket prices to encourage people through the doors or vastly reduce season ticket prices, but encourage Matchday spend.

 

Would they though

 

Roberts, Phillips, Cosgrove & Humphries are all experienced, Chef!

By 'encourage' matchday spend what do you mean? I've seen plenty of efforts into doing similar and it doesn't seem to be working.

I honestly think the biggest issue is just the sky deal to be fair mate. Signing a top quality keeper, 3 more experienced players in each outfield position and vastly reducing ticket prices, whilst it sounds bloody brilliant for us, I honestly don't see how that could possibly work

 

I’d have to be wedged mate

 

Personally I think this too many coaches/voices is a red herring. Most clubs have that many coaching staff but there should be one message coming from many voices. Clarke should be setting out the tactics for the team and the coaches delivering the training to reflect. If that’s not happening then we either have the wrong HC or assistants.

 

In answer to the OP, I’d start by assessing the Academy, it doesn’t seem to have produced enough quality from the youth to justify the cost, I’d include the reserve teamU23 in that, we have had a lot of players who we have signed and then left who have gone on to have a successful career, we seem capable of identifying them but not developing them.
If I felt this could be fixed, I’d reduce the first team squad numbers and focus on squad players being brought up to support and develop them.
If it can’t be fixed, scrap it and start again with resources being pushed towards first team.

Either way, I would also invest in a community team who would be linked and based at the club but sole role is to build with the local community.

 

I'd run the club as a cooperative with the bord made up from the regular posters on here. That'd do it.