I’m not bothered that he is going, it’s the manner of him going. People change jobs all the time but he’s been underhand and sneaky. It would seem this all started a week ago. Instead of being up front it’s been done under the clubs nose and going to Stoke’s game yesterday is an utter disgrace. He deserves everything he is going to get from us.
All the talk about the club or Speakman not stumping up money is missing a key point in my opinion (and I still believe this about more than money and contract length). But lets say Alex Neil was offered double his money at Stoke, who are deaperate enough to gamble. We wont necessarily have planned for such an outflow in our approved budget, aligned with FFP and submitted to the EFL. Speakman, I reckon, will have an overall budget to work within, set by the owners. This sort of additional spend, should he want to recommend it, will require approval by the board. It may be the board have said no to matching Neil's demands. I still see the club on a massive upward trajectory and yesterday showed the players can perform without Alex Neil. The next chap in will find a good setup to work in and he can just focus on coaching and games - dream job if you ask me.
Well said mate. He didn't need to be there yesterday, he hasn't been unveiled and is still officially our manager. That is pretty shocking on its own but then when you think how quick this all moved on Friday, I don't think it's a coincidence we played Stoke last Saturday and they sacked there manager and replace him with Neil less than 7 days later!
I certainly know if I went to a football match rather than to work when I should be there, and it was televised, I'd be in trouble.
Pleased your not my hr director m8 lol, going for an interview with a prospective employer can’t breach a contract, if we tried to stop him we would be destroyed in any court for restrictions of his rights.
Na but surely not turning up to work when you are scheduled to be there and then being caught on national telly out with your potential new employer having a look around the new job would be?
He’d had his interview, he attended a game, when he was still employed by us. That’s one hell of a difference
Not really it’s like you getting shown around your new potential workplace and meeting your potential team, I’ve done that several times on interviews and either not been offered or turned down the role, not being argumentative just saying he’s not in breach of any contract of employment I’ve ever seen, and if they tried to be so restrictive it would be unlawful.
But has he been given permission to be absent from his job to do that? We couldn't stop him talking to them but being here to take the match cause he was there watching Stoke? It's a different animal to most employment, what other job can you get sacked because you are doing ****e but still be paid off? I assume once he made it clear he was going the club had no interest in him being there for the match so gave him the time off to get the deal done so he is probably fine.
Contractually he was probably within his right to be at their game. I know plenty of managers would have a bit more integrity than that tho. what your morally should do is often different to what you’re contractually allowed to do
Also wasn't it voiced that KLD was on an expedition to the Kilimanjaro summit, yet he was at the game yesterday???
As I said they probably gave him the time off, but if the club said OK you have finished work today (after training friday) but see you tomorrow in the dugout for the match then he didn't turn up and was at their match it would be different.
One of the things we loved about Neil was his no nonsense say it how it is and don’t give a crap what people think attitude. It’s that attitude that probably explains why he’s quite happy to make such a move whenever he wants, as any criticism or abuse from us will be like water off a ducks back to him
Yup that would be different, but then we wouldn’t have to pay him any compo and just sack him v publicly I assume, so if we said that it’ll come out. I suspect we’ve just said go sort it out and if u don’t fancy it come back cos we still want u.
We didn't give him permission, the clause in his contract meant we weren't allowed to stop him. It's a small but subtle difference
Maybe it isn’t a breach, who knows. He wasn’t at his potential workplace by the way, they were away from home. It’s completely disrespectful and their contracts are nothing like normal ones. He is still employed by us officially and whilst we were playing he was elsewhere. This is nothing like being shown round an office of call centre agents Nothing will happen of course, but my belief is he has already spoken to Stoke before we gave him permission. That’s a breach of rules and without doubt his contract, but would be hard to prove
Stoke City are a bunch of ****s too like. They could have waited until Sunday to make their official approach but they did it on Friday knowing full well it would **** up our preparations for yesterday's game Looking forward to the return leg in March
My take on this is a good offer to oniel was offered by Stoke he decided to go, he tried to engineer a better contract with us we stood firm (kld and speakman didn't weaken told him to go, good management Imo) and off he's went Club stood strong, had enough players agents and staff taking the piss out of us over the years **** them I'm pleased they chased him