The way I heard it was that the club signed off on a new deal on improved terms that AN turned down 4 weeks ago. Let's see what is said once he's announced at Stoke.
I can see it too tbh Difficult, but the club is in bad hands, and the contradictions are overwhelming evidence of Speakmans incompetence. For a man who is supposed to have a plan, he is wildly erratic in all areas other than recruitment. He is out of his depth, and being indulged by a young and impressionable owner. This latest comedy show would have had people protesting and hollering if Donald and his mate were still calling the shots. It's bad. Very bad. A good chance thrown away .
I’ll reiterate that whilst this is on Speakman, and I want him to go ideally, this is all happening under KLDs watch. KLD needs to step up and start acting on the fact both his two main appointments seem to be pretty useless in their roles (even if both would have value elsewhere)
You misheard it then I think. Speakman said Neil signed the new deal 4 weeks ago but rejected the club’s counter offer to Stoke’s interest on Friday.
Fwiw the athletic also say Neil signed updated terms 4 weeks ago. sounds to me reading between the lines he accepted a small uplift in salary as it was all that was on offer, but the writing may well have been on the wall since. reflecting on his interviews this season, even when we’ve won he’s seemed a bit glum. I just thought that was him being him. Perhaps it was more him being him knowing he was leaving
What’s on Speakman? If you’re talking about Neil’s departure then it’s as much on Neil. Plus, to say that Speakman is useless at his role is grossly unfair too in my opinion. Look at the transformation on the football side in just over a year and a half. He inherited a squad, managed by Phil Parkinson, that had spent the last window recruiting Callum McFadzean, Remi Matthews, Danny Graham and Aiden O’Brien to supplement a squad already packed full of ageing league 1 journey men. In two full transfer windows and two half transfer windows since then our squad is now bustling with exciting, young talent, full of potential, value and worth. He’s appointed two coaches both of whom have left the club in better positions than when they came in and he’s got a promotion along the way. As I say, ‘useless’ seems harsh.
Yes I’ve made clear that I think it’s on both. Not buying into this idea that it’s one persons fault and all anger should be at them Neil should have dealt with it better Speakman should have tied him down better KLD should have been giving the oversight and backing to Speakman to tie him down
Of course not. But a title is a title. This bloke clearly doesn't value managers and thinks they are an easily replaced cog in a wheel. A worker bee among many. He isn't. A good one is the most important person at the club. We were sinking like a stone when AN turned up, despite being high in the table. Everyone who was going to matches could see it How many managers are on short term deals? Even the bloke at Watford is on a two year deal. If it was Neil who insisted on both a rolling deal AND a "go when I like" clause, which I consider unlikely unless it was because the club were very , very slow to reward him , then Speakman should have said no. He should have said that the club needs more commitment. But Speakman couldn't really say that, because any manager then would say back, " Fair enough, but I want commitment from you". But Speakman likes to be the big man and have managers as an expendable hired hand, replaced as easily as a cheap labourer. He'll undervalue the next manager too. Second outright farce in six months. No manager at the AOL. No manager for the under 23 team. He is getting recruitment right, which is all he has ever done before. He is failing everywhere else. He isn’t doing his job. He's a bullshitting chancer who is out of his depth.
You are saying Speakman should have tied him down better, was it not Neil wanting the rolling contract like he had at the other 2 clubs he was it ?
Once again, we don’t employ a manager. Read this from the bloke the mags just appointed as the DOF, the head coach is replaceable and is a cog in a machine, and its that way at many clubs. https://trainingground.guru/articles/dan-ashworth-inside-the-mind-of-a-technical-director some of the **** you are coming out with is a joke
I'm not sure why we're apportioning blame here at all. The club has a clearly defined set up that it works under and, for whatever reason, Alex Neil didn't want to work under that set up. It was no longer right for either party, so we move on. It's only the timing of it that is poor. The beauty of this set up is that the Head Coach isn't the linchpin that holds the entire footballing side of the organisation together like a Manager would be. We can change them when required without the whole direction of travel changing.
The club are trying to steady the ship and I realise you can still push the boat out a bit more. But we can’t be held to ransom, that sends the wrong signal out to mercenaries all over wanting more money than they’re worth. Alex Neil must also hate the thousands of supporters that turned up week in week out to leave the night before a big game.
See coach from Chelsea being linked also, Anthony Barry. Dont know anything about the lad but seems to have a big reputation in footy circles.
Problems can be worked through mate. The facts are that Speakman is here trying to improve our club and Neil has left us in the **** to improve another. Neil can **** off he deserves zero respect for this, the club need to rebalance things for the next man. Everything is possible through negotiation over time. Neil has done the best for him ‘amazing fans blah blah blah but what about me’
