Well said BHD and OLM amongst others, the words 'drawing a line' do spring to mind. A new manager (an appointment I'm pleased with) and a left-winger in Forsyth, a natural replacement for Buckley. Hopefully Dyche will be given some money to strengthen the squad, with a left-back and a striker desperately needed. COYH!!!! I'm looking forward to the new season after today!
Thanks emiatss, i seem to recall that Bassini has promised that the manager will get some money and the Dyche has some targets. I can only assume they are a LB and ST
I respect your opinion. But the positivity tag line aside I think its a load of old cobblers. Instead, I'd tackle the current situation in a very different way. We're in an absolute mess. Our manager has gone, our best player has gone, one of the players most likely to be worth club-changing money in the near future has gone for £1m, the chief executive who pretty much saved the club has gone, and for once if the bookies tip us for the drop, they will have good reason. But I have absolute faith in the ability of Dychey and the players to have a storming season, in light of that backdrop.
It may be that the revenue from the DG and Buckley sales, the Saracens and Ashley Young windfalls and the MM compensation are enough to pay off the first installment of the bonds repayment , meet working capital requirements till the new year, and allow for modest re-investment in players. If so , this means financial stability for a while--long enough for SD to show if the team is competitive in this division anyway. Mr B has certainly done himself some good by passing the test of the appointment of the new manager--swiftly done, took advice, and chose a respected insider. If he lets SD choose his own no 2, so much the better. But Mr B remains a somewhat in-credible figure as owner, for obvlous reasons , to do with his background , motives, intentions, actions etc etc. BHD--you have to remember he was the new "owner of last resort"--the previous owners wanted out, and Mr B was the only person who was not actually a crook who could meet their conditions. The conditions of the takeover will remain if not "suicidal" as you put it, at least a millstone for the next few years. However, we must wish him well, because he is the only owner we have got, or are likely to have for a while. (Incidentally it was only the Russo's who threatened administration, Ashcroft and Simpson saved us from it.)
Yes Roger68 well said "because he is the only owner we have got". I don't have enough money to buy the club. I am not actually on first name terms with anyone who could. I even if I was I'm not sure I'd recommend club ownership, even my beloved Watford, to anyone - and that includes my worst enemy. No matter how bad Bas might be for the club I'd rather run with him than have no club at all. ps Anyone else notice how pleasant it is to chat here with even 'orns with opposite views?
I think the future looks quite bright to be honest, yes we have had to sell, but the club now has the chance to move on and if they can stay up this season then I think we have a good foundation especially with such a good academy like the one we have, come on you orns
Good sentiments BHD. For me the Jury is still out on Baz, but there are definately reasons to be cheerful. Dychie, Dychie give us a wave, give us a wave, give us a wave.
Very true. Sure, we've had strong words and the occasional tantrums on here. But if this were happening on 606, it'd be a lot more bitter.
Good thread BHD. OLM, totally agree with you (particularly the bit about you never being called a "happy clapper") Despite the disappointment of losing some of our best employees, I actually found Bassini quite refreshing when he quickly announced that he'd refused permission for the approach to MM by Cardiff, but then (just as quickly) announced words to the effect of "Oh s**t, I'd better speak to those that know as to whether I've done the right thing". He said more in two hours than LA has said in many years. I may be naive, but I think that his heart IS in the right place and that his ego (in owning and helping a football club) is more important to him than making money out of the club. In my wildest dreams, when I have just won the Euromillions jackpot, one of the first things on my list is to buy Watford FC, be their savior, be everyone's hero and my ambition would be to try and stabilise the Club financially and "top 30" club in the league. Nothing wrong with a little ego tickling!
Good and necessary thread BHD - well done. So far BAz has done all that he could reasonably do - the rest was beyond his control. We had to have our moans but now IS the time to look forwards. OLM - very good summary of the positives. I think we are lucky here that we have no WUMs - if an opinion is given - even an unpopular one it is treated with respect as we know the poster is genuine
No matter how bad Bas might be for the club I'd rather run with him than have no club at all. This sounds like a bit of a stark choice, so we all agree that we don't trust Baz. Not a good state of affairs is it? The task Baz and his backers have taken on is one of reducing the debt to a level where someone else can take the club forward, let's not get away from this fact. Baz is not going to build anything, I only hope that some of this summer's cash can be used to tidy the stadium up as it looks a real mess to me - similar in many ways to Spring 1979 whilst the dog track was still there. I cannot wait for the day Baz leaves and hands over to a football man.
I think it is difficult to either be hugely negative or positive to this appointment. Dyche has no track record and having had a very low media profile few of us know much about his character. As a player he was a genuine leader, very committed wholehearted. Will he make a good manager? Who knows? He wouldn't have been my choice but when the odds came out he seemed to generate support due to not being Laws, Westley or Sanchez.
Got to agree BHD. Was not feeling too chipper about anything until I slept on the appointment of SD and reading through the opinions here has indeed lifted the sense of impending doom. This is our lot and we'll make the best of it - as we always do, Adversity is our middle name - which I suspect will be a damned sight better than we thought we might a few days ago. COYH
What is there to be positive about a new owner who is unlike other new owners of clubs is selling instead of investing what other teams get in a new owner and then sell there best two players?
Well said. Just a point on Westley. He doesn't seem like a particularly friendly bloke, but I could live with that. He seems to only play one way, but if he's good enough, any club will tolerate that. What I wouldn't be comfortable with would be taking him from Stevenage until he has taken them to their peak, which in my opinion would be to ensure that their transition from non-league to League One is semi-permanent. If Westley left tomorrow, in five years you can see them back in the Conference. If he leaves after showing exactly what the Boro are capable of sustaining, they'll probably establish themselves as a club in the same sort of boat as Leyton Orient. Minus an owner that runs darts and snooker, of course.
