Blending the mix

The more I think about it I reckon the idea of a coach rather than a manager is a good one.
Any individual will then concentrate 100% of their time on purely coaching and tactics without the distractions of transfer negotiations and all the other tasks associated with the role.
The key is getting the right guy to make the most of the structure... and personnel at his disposal.
It's akin to a chef working with the ingredients he's been supplied with.
Some can create a gastronomical delight from nothing by skillfully blending the mix and some will struggle with eggs and flour.
I think the game is changing and maybe... just maybe.... our refined approach could be the right one moving forward and the days of the 'Arry' type manager are in the past......

 

I have no problem with the idea of a head coach. I do think any manager needs input into transfers or complete faith (which is very difficult to achieve) in the guy buying players. The problem is how that will work here. I have no faith that we have any interest in progress and I think we have all our eggs in the Carr/Charnley basket. I'm not convinced. Carr does ok but he has his fair share of duffers too. Look at Gouffran, Riviere, Mbiwa, Haidara.

 

I suppose it will work the way it does for any club who uses such a method... the club will sign players and control transfers in a way that is appropriate to their end of season target. Just as we have been doing for the past 4 years, the only thing that's changed is the name of the post.

 

I think it would work, if we had a credible director of football. We don't, we have a meddling and shy MD, and a decent chief scout. For me, it's not quite the same. Graham Carr is 70 years old now. If we had Charnley, Carr and Cortese, then I'd be very optimistic about a head coach.

As it is, we're cutting corners far too much.

 

Indeed and we all know what our targets are despite being told otherwise. Actually come to think of it, I don't think the club is ever really clear what the target is. We are often told we want a top 10 finish, which as far as we can tell should be achieved on less than top 10 budgets. Nothing wrong with aiming to squeeze everything from your staff. The problem is, what is the 3 year plan, the 5 year plan, the 10 year plan? Is it simply to continue to do that season upon season?

If we are looking to appoint a good coach (I'll believe it when I see it), they will want to buy into some long term vision. Or is the coaching position to become like the playing staff, a good stepping stone to the likes of Arsenal etc?

 

Or Crystal Palace...

I would say that's exactly what it's becoming, we are a stepping stone club, absorbing the money and continuing our rise up the rich lists. Footballing wise, it will be permanently disappointing.

 

This is nonsense, though, because EVERY club is a stepping stone with probably only three genuinely at the top table - Real, Barca and Bayern. Everyone else is a form of selling club. And the likes of Chelsea cannot have every player - Mohammed Salah, Andre Schurrle are a couple of examples of players who'll move on.

Yes, there should be more investment in better players, because we can, therefore we should. There should be a more concerted effort in the cups - if there's no interest in Europa League, fine, play a second eleven in THAT competition every time we get in it, but it should absolutely not be a reason for not playing a better team in domestic competitions. Finally, the football should be better, but that I think is hamstrung by the ambitions (or lack thereof) to recruit top class coaching and top class players.

It's not a lot to change it. We're one of a handful of clubs who could, should the choose, do something about it. But objectively look at the players who haven't contributed to this campaign - De Jong, Cabella. We lost players who were bang in form for months - Aarons, Obertan. I'm not saying all is rosy, I am just as frustrated at the club not just stepping up that bit more. But we have to temper that with reality.

Arguably the best appointment we could make is Frank De Boer. He sits at a large club, Ajax, who have no chance at all of winning the CL because they have no choice but to constantly sell their best players. Are the fans unhappy? Is it a stupid model? Would he be a bad appointment? Is an academy generating dozens of talented players a bad thing? Perhaps we should all write down three things we "expect" of Newcastle United that would make us happy.

 

It's not nonsense if what I said is correct. I said we're a stepping stone club, and we will continue to rise up rich lists and be disappointing on the pitch. Then you said the same, but expanded it to every club. Doesn't mean what I described Newcastle to be is nonsense.

Apart from that I agree with everything you said.

Edit: Except the Europa league starting 11 thing, surely that would be enough for the FA to throw a fine at us for fielding a weakened side? Or is that only domestic competitions?

 

Ah, fair point, apologies - my brain made the wrong assumption that you were unhappy at being a stepping stone club. I'm not sure I agree that it's right to call us a stepping stone, though, because that's the norm. So we're just a club - the only ones who should get a label are those that don't conform!

 

Agree, especially regarding the cups but not necessarily playing a weaker team in Europa League/CL (why not dream?). The players, staff and fans all want to win trophies in football. Doesn't matter what level of football, that's what its all about!!! I can't for the life of me figure out why we would settle for surviving in the top flight and apparently have no interest in playing the cups and European football, surely its an increase in revenue through larger sponsorship, more gate receipts, prize money etc etc for ALL cups and therefore Ashley should be almost demanding it not actively trying to avoid it? Would love to hear the reason for not taking the cups seriously as the benefits far out weigh the draw backs and like you say if they are worried about players getting fatigued or injured travelling around Europe they can always play youth/reserve players.

 

Probably some ****er sitting doing a risk assessment.

Task: Try to win cup games and progress through competitions
Risk: You play more games, pick up more injuries, pick up more fatigue. The there is the dreaded Europa.
Benefit: Relatively small amount of money, happy fans and significant prestige
Ways to mitigate risk: Option 1: Increase depth of squad quality Option 2 Don't try in cups
Results after mitigation: Option 1: No increased risk of relegation, but costs money and eats into profit with no guarantee of cup progress Option 2: Lose out on small amount of money, these fans come regardless if they are happy, **** the prestige - profit remains intact
Decision: Its a no brainer. This is a business first and foremost. Option 2.

Our squad is always so finely tuned in terms of quality (i.e. we are normally decent with a fully fit xi), that extra games are risk too far as far as this regime is concerned.

 

Unfortunately I'd guess this is fairly close to what their reasoning's are although I'd still point to larger sponsorship deals if we could ever win a cup or by playing in europe, as well as promoting Ashleys brand across the continent (for nothing) although none of us will really ever know as there is no communication between the club and us the supporters...

 

Yeah but the odds are stacked against clubs winning the cups. Since the intro of the PL , so encompassing 44 winners over both domestic cups, 75% have been won by a top 6 club. When this is factored into the risk assessment, option 2 gets stronger

 

And then just add in a pre-season tour to promote Sports Direct and sell some shirts. Noticeable that our pre-season tours now go to countries where people buy the genuine articles (Australia, New Zealand, USA) rather than knock-off Asia. I could clothe a full stadium

 

Sorry - meant to say i could clothe a full stadium with shirts made in Jakarta for the cost of 2000 shirts in uk. Wonga might be spelt Bonga but that would probably be an improvement anyway