The Club Needs a Long Term Strategy

Say a 10 year strategy, a way of playing, an aim as to how many youth players should be in the first time after 3, 5, 10 years, how we use the loan market to progress and where we source players from (lower leagues, foreign clubs) etc. and appoint a manger who fits that strategy. Look at Swansea, that is what they decided on back with Kenny Jacket and have gone onto appoint managers who fit the strategy, all of whom who have been successful: Martinez, Rodgers (who had only a disastrous stint at Reading to his name), Paulo Sousa (did not achieve at Leicester) and now Laudrup.

That is what I would be saying to the board. Might give the box office a call in the morning and see if they will let me in on Wednesday. I'll have to book half a days leave though.

 

Danny Wilson is at the age where I think he would be happy to build something. He has a great record of promoting the youngsters, if he can assemble a backroom team consisting of a few former players we could also start to finally see the academy players coming through.

 

I think you are probably right, although I have a terrible track record of picking Barnsley managers. I was pleased with Nigel Spackman (initially!). The club has lost its identity over the years and the involvement of ex-players is important in getting that back. I think Heckingbottom currently fits that bill nicely, but the club needs more of it. Nicky Eaden is coach at Leicester and was assistant manager at Peterborough. Surely he has a lot to offer. Maybe assistant in a long term plan.

 

It will never happen as fans will demand a manager is sacked after a couple of months of bad results regardless of how he's performed previously.

 

I like this and your bang right, problem is the above comment. That's what every manager who comes here is up against. The cynical impatient portion of our support. Historically the Ponty end has always been the voice of the fans for sacking, now it's the support till the bitter end.

Anyway back to the Swansea thing, it's a great point, let's not forget, unless you are 6 or under you will remember that the Swans had been a 3rd and 4th division side for over 20 years, piss poor, no money, crumbling stadium and a shoe in to be the next 'big name' of yester year to fall all the way through and into the conference, so nearly achieved.

But your right, somewhere along the lines, not sure when as I don't profess to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of Welsh football, a plan or blueprint was put in place. I remember us playing them in league 1 and the early signs were there, then once they made there way into the Championship playing a brand of football Barca would have been happy with, they tried again, and again. I remember playing them at home and being bored shitless as they passed the ball around till we tired out. Players like Garry Monk and Alan Tate were suddenly playing the type of football that only fair haired defenders in white Real Madrid shirts are accustomed to.They stuck to their principles, the fans were patient, they remembered the near death experience of conference football and trusted a little known ex Wigan Spanish midfielder. As manages came and went, due to their relative success, the principles and blue print remained.

Last week they played Valencia at home in a competitive European match, with their latest foreign manager hoping to take the Swans into another world they thought not possible 7years ago as a slightly porky Akinfenwa blazed a spot kick into the air conditioning units.

Yes they have had investment at the right times, but as you say, somewhere a plan was created and boy have they reaped its rewards

 

You're absolutely right, but it aint gonna happen. Not just at Barnsley, but anywhere. People (fans, shareholders, the Press) want results NOW, not in 2, 5, 10 years. We live in a very short-term world unfortunately, and people want to see a return on the their "investment" pretty much right away - and if not immediately then within 12 months, max. I wish it wasn't this way, but it's the way of the world in the 21st century and I don't see it changing any time soon.

 

That`s why for me it has to be a short term appointment this time to end of season.