Person who said it nailed Connor Grant and nailed Pines before there was anything mentioned about them so I have faith in them
To be fair you kind of gave away your source when you told us all that Thomas was struggling with his mental health long before it was made public.
It’s remarkable how much information is leaked from the club via indirect sources. I’d often nip down to Oakwell to catch the second half of 21s games at lunch and the academy stand was full of parents, coaches and affiliates. The amount of information openly given, albeit 2nd/3rd hand with an agenda, was ridiculous. I’d hazard a guess that this is where the current crop of information is coming from.
If true, fair enough. Airs a situation where there's a negotiation to be had between the club and Roberts' agent over the c.£150k that's needed to bridge the difference (£2k/week plus NI and insurance etc. costs....
After the Iseka and Oulare debacle, I’m not surprised the club are ultra cautious. As for Collins, he knows the script as well - so if he presents a player, he knows the data has to stack up too. I don’t think there’ll be an issue between them all - managers and owners often have different thoughts about transfers.
Someone bring a mop for the wet knickers round this thread. Some of the responses to people passing on information they believe to be accurate isn't fair. Of course people aren't going to name their sources should it get them in deep water. There is truth in some part of what almost everyone is posting. Is the data approach largely effective? Probably. Do the club rely on it too zealously over a good old fashioned eye for a player? Probably. Is that frustrating for consecutive Head Coaches? Probably. Are we vaugely heading in the right direction? Probably. Should we be interested in things our club doesn't get right? Probably.
I don’t remember that but it was going round we signed him and then my source said there’s no truth and we are signing Connor Grant but I’m not arguing with people on here anymore cos everytime u say something people just jump down ur throat
I don't give two hoots either way about the Crynes. If they're wrong uns as a fair few people on here like to suggest then fair enough. Produce some substantiated evidence and I'll go along with it. In the meantime someone dropping a couple of mildly "stirring the pot" posts and claiming that they can't disclose their sources carries little weight with me. In the meantime we won again and we're fourth. That's some facts I can get behind.
It's the fans who are jumping on, assuming their stories are correct/truthful and then berating people, or worse, wanting to get rid of people that baffles me. I get if you have an agenda or dislike someone, it'll exacerbate your feeling on them but the amount of times it happens, especially on Twitter, infuriates me. Take the Athletic story for example, before even reading it, people were jumping down JAQ's throat despite her not even being the one named and then sending stick her way.
Thing is... who do you think DOES make the final decisions on players if it isn't JC? We don't have any 'football people' at the club in roles that make transfer decisions. Bobby Hassell appeared to be in such a role in January, however reading between the lines (e.g. his wife's X account - believe what she intimates or not), he wasn't able to do what he wanted to do. It obviously isn't JAQ, Khaled was gone, won't be Neerav... the new chap wasn't here then. So when you say 'the board' - who exactly are you referring to? Genuinely. It seems most likely to me, regardless of any info, that JC and his stats pack are deciding many deals.
There's information to be had all over the place mate. I used to work on the club's radio station years ago so know all sorts of people.
I don’t for a second think the OP is making anything up. He was clearly right on the Grant signing before it came in. But, like with any rumour, you have to know where it’s coming from and why to understand how much truth there might be in it. Rightfully it seems we’re not going to get that. My own view is that there’s too much context and additional information missing to be able to form a view of what took place and whether it was the right decision or not. I am, however, assuming that given the nature of the most recent bits of information passed on, and perhaps because they’re passing on information at all, that this person has an axe to grind with the club about something or other and therefore I’m skeptical. I’m not suggesting they’re lying, but that either they are not sharing the full picture, or that they’re unwilling to accept the full picture, or they’re simply not privy to everything. You see it time and time again within organisations that bits of information with an inkling of truth are shared without context and understanding and become something they are not. It won’t be difficult for the club to identify the source once they become aware of the multiple leaks and they should take action when they do.