If we were to ask the top brass at our club to articulate their vision for the club would they be able to do so. In my view they wouldn't, this isn't confined to the current owner and his management team but sadly began decades ago. We seem to have a very short term view of what constitutes success. Simply put in my view the average fan wants to see some passion and entertaining football and a team in contention for major trophies. We need an organisation that can develop, nurture and coach youngsters, recruit, motivate and organise seasoned professionals within what I would think by most clubs standards is a fairly healthy budget. How do we achieve this?
Being in contention for major trophies is obviously always going to be a boost for supporters but at the end of the day if we had a cup run or something we'd have to play a lot of first team players and tire them out meaning they'd perform to an even lower standard than they're already managing. I think the average football fan would love a cup run but as a Sunderland supporter I know I'd much rather have an increased chance of safety in the league which at the moment we don't have. As for having a plan for the future and being able to describe what this plan is I think that you're right that a lot of the staff wouldn't be able to give an answer about a long term plan because the reality is that we don't know what the future holds for this club and haven't known for a couple seasons now. I imagine the plan would be something along the lines of becoming safe in the league which in my book would be a success for us, if we ever get that then we can start focusing on plans for the future.
All businesses, especially ones this size, invariably have several plans for 3 years, 5 years and 10 years. Financial, Operational, Performance. So yes, the Board could probably turn up and explain their plans, or visions to anyone asking the question. The second question would then have to be, why are they so bloody useless at implementing and achieving them?
That's my point we constantly focus on the short term and the tactics for survival but someone, Ellis Short, should be communicating a vision for the club and the management team should then be devising a strategy. We may loose some battles along the way but there's a war to be won and we need a long term plan to do that. I don't subscribe to the theory that we need to be relegated to rebuild survival and rebuilding can run in parallel. What we need is a good dose of leadership.
Seems ages since SAFC talked about 5 year plans. Was a time when a new 5 year plan began every 2/3 years. At the moment I think we look to get through the next 5 days.
Our council like that great plans but no details - like odds on Van Gal getting the push before we play Man utd - ??
There is no plan. Sorry Blunham, think it was scrapped ages ago. Travesty to be honest. My main gripe. A leader with a clear vision needs to be brought in, taking all the football decisions away from Ellis and Maggy. Ellis needs to be the accomodator, not the leader. Other clubs are doing it.
Umm, I think the vision needs to come from the owner as at the end of the day he is going to fund it. I do agree that the leadership in our case isn't likely to best served by Ellis so I guess we need a chief executive who can formulate the policy and drive it forward. The manager is always going to be fairly short term in his thinking.
Completely disagree, Ellis funding yes, but making the decisions, no. Happens all the time with sports clubs, not unusual at all.
No bank would deal with any business worth millions without seeing their financial plans, projected I &E and Balance Sheet for the next 3 to 5 years.
Of course, but building a proper, sustainably good football team does does not need to be part of that. And it clearly isn't.
Can't do nowt without money mate. One follows the other. It's bad management with the first team squad and the management team itself around it that's screwed up building a proper sustainable first team, which hampers the short term financial plan (excessive wages on poor players we struggle to move on), which hampers subsequent transfer windows. It's a vicious circle of bad decision making.
Exactly. Bad decision making. A course has not been set. I could make up a plan for a bank, tell them what they want to hear. The problem is incompetence at the club, starting with Ellis. He needs to be the money man, and accommodate the football men. We're not disagreeing, just looking at it differently.
That's my gripe, mate. What makes you say that "Ellis and Maggy" make any football decisions? I can see no evidence of it at all. Long term plans depend on first team security simply because relegation from the PL these days would have such a monumental effect on the whole structure of the club. Our only possible plan is get out of the bottom six and stay there. When the w**kers on the first team pitch can lift their backsides to achieve that, then (and only then) is a longer-term plan feasible. That's the reality of it.
O - ES has made all his money being a risk taker - venture capitalist - don't think he could be an almost silent partner when his money was being used
