£700 grand a month

Well if we had a squad of 30 all on £5k a week (which I doubt we do) that would only be expenditure of £600k a month. How on earth can we be losing £700k a month?
It makes no sense.

 

Lower the 600k estimate.
Then consider all the lovely instalment money.
And TV income, and matchday revenue and corporate / commercial income.

No matter how many times it is explained to me, I cannot get my head around how big a hole we are in. I've given up disputing it, but it doesn't mean I get it. Losses, maybe. But £700k a month?

If we saw zero benefit in the sales of Brittain, Kitching, Mads and Collins, etc, then Lord help us when we are reliant on the future funds received from sales of class of 25.

 

Bog standard.

 

the gold bog at Blenheim Palace was nicked.

 

Can’t see our wage bill going up 7 million from division one to championship though

 

Step one. Appoint a Chief Executive who knows what he/she is doing to manage all off field activity.

Step two. Appoint a Manager/Coach who knows what they are doing, to manage the whole on field activity.

Step three. Give them both 3 seasons to sort both elements out, then re-asses the competency of your decisions.

 

Do the current lot get 3 years or don't we need that long to conclude they're not up to to it?

What if we do as suggested and at this time next year we're 4th bottom in League 1, do they still get the 3 years? If so, why didn't the current lot get that much time when they were doing much better?

 

Would love to know the wage breakdown of the first team squad.

 

Pretty sure that when I looked at Exeter Citys last published accounts, they made a small profit and are competing at the same level. Defo not the worst team in the league either.

So it can be done I guess but to get to that break even point for us would see some serious cost cuts. Start with the wage bill, I'd imagine that would have to be more than halved. Next up would be whatever fee we pay for our academy. If Patrick mentioned it was at least 1 million per year to run that, surely that has increased significantly due to inflation etc.

Halving the wage bill and moving to the more traditional youth team setup, just a guess but would maybe save somewhere between 4 to 5 million quid.

 

My own view is that the current CEO is not up to it and the Coach may not be. But, on the latter, he's been dealt a worse hand than any Coach in memory and he does not have responsibility for on field matters (which I think is bonkers).

On your 2nd question; none of us has a crystal ball but I think we're going to go backward as a Club on the pitch before things get so bad, we then start to progress. It's hard to see how the Club is not in for one long relegation battle next year, the way we are currently run.

 

I've no idea about the CEO, I don't know how to judge him.

I'm struggling to see any positives that the director of football has brought just a long list of substandard acquisitions and a few panic signings that were not needed and just wasted money. The style of football is usually boring and not particularly successful. I'm convinced he should be removed from his position.

I think Clarke is average but should be assessed by a new director of football.

I think, in general, appointments should be given more time, but when they're such spectacular failures like Sormaz then you have to act quickly. As such I don't believe you can give 3 year hands off guarantees.

 

I agree with much of that. The 3 years was simply a recognition that we have to get away from our perpetual short term thinking.

 

We have more coaches than National Express.

 

Not just the Sporting Director to go but the actual position, no change in personnel needed.

 

We shouldn't have a Sporting Director, it should be a Director of Football we have. They only changed the title 'cos Sormaz knows fúck all about football.

 

Not in my opinion call it what you like , it aint needed.

 

No, we don't. Its completely normal to have even more.

 

I think numbers wise in general it is but is it normal to have so many seemingly competing for attention in the dugout?

Yesterday you could look at the dugout at any point and a different person (including the manager) was stood shouting to players while the others sat back. Look again a few minutes later and it was someone else. The Blackpool bench seemed consistent with the manager at the front for the majority of the game and presumably the assistant up too.

It seems weird don't have too many coaches in general but we seem to have too many lead coaches

 

Thats a completely different question and a fair one, mate. I have no idea. I know Conor steps up for attacking set prices because apparently that's what he does, and considering he does it everytime I'm assuming its true.
As for the others, still no idea! Might be a weakness or Clarke allowing them to do it, or maybe he feels its better for the team. No clue, but clearly something isn't working

 

Yeah I'm not sure what the relevance is of when the others are up. It does appear pretty random with them.

I also wonder how many coaches we actually have. We hear about the main 4. Ur how many are under them. I guess that's the number that says whether or not we have too many

I do wish hourihane would sit down at set pieces though. In my opinion only the player stood looking at the wall can see what the best option is. Hourihanes view from the dugout must be awful