structure by close season

[Mellow Yellow 18]

Balls on the changes says ''...we wanted the football structure in place for the beginning of the close season'' As football is all about money now I think its because they know season tickets sales will tumble if things don''t look much more positive by then.

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 1,557]

I think it is more about being ready to buy and sell players in the summer rather than season ticket sales, which by Balls'' account the previous week are actually doing fairly well.

[Crafty Canary 495]

It would be good to have the positions filled before the end of the season. This would allow the SD and HC to assess the current squad, ease out the deadwood and identify the key positions to be filled and identify the potential targets.

[SwindonCanary 455]

Think we are making a mistake allowing the players leave because they are out of contract, when we could have got a load of money for them.

[It's Character Forming 1,160]

But we''d have to offer contract extensions to be able to command a transfer fee, which many of us would be unhappy for players like Turner, where we haven''t exactly been fighting off potential buyers with a stick.

[Webbo118 0]

They need to get people appointed well before the end of the season. It''s not a good idea to assess players whilst they''re lying on the beach!

[Canary Wundaboy 1,358]

[quote user="SwindonCanary"]Think we are making a mistake allowing the players leave because they are out of contract, when we could have got a load of money for them.[/quote]

I don''t think we''re in danger of losing any players that we would get "a load of money" for.

About £20 and a twix would cover the lot of them!

[Rogue Baboon 0]

But what happens if we sneak into the playoffs?

[TCCANARY 263]

[quote user="Rogue Baboon"]But what happens if we sneak into the playoffs?[/quote]If I remember correctly from the last time we would have to play a semi-final over two legs against another team who finished in the places between 3rd & 6th. If we win that we would then go to Wembly fo a final match to see who get the third promotion place.

[Rogue Baboon 0]

That''s correct - its just a shame that the club do not seem to have planned for it one bit

[TCCANARY 263]

[quote user="Rogue Baboon"]That''s correct - its just a shame that the club do not seem to have planned for it one bit[/quote]What planning needs to be done?

[Rogue Baboon 0]

Is it that difficult?

No Head Coach or Sporting Director in place currently, only 5 points off the play offs. if we reach that playoffs, does Irvine get the job?

The chairman talks about planning for next season, effectively writing this season off. Does the club even want to reach the playoffs this year? or would they rather we miss out so the new structure can be fully implemented.

There''s a big difference in building towards promotion than building to stay in the Premier League

[Woodman 92]

[quote user="SwindonCanary"]Think we are making a mistake allowing the players leave because they are out of contract, when we could have got a load of money for them.[/quote]

We''ve been trying to sell quite a few of those who are going to be out of contract for the last three or four transfer windows, but either no one has made an offer for them, or, if they have, the players have turned down the move, probably because of their wage demands / current contract.

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 1,557]

Rouge Baboon,

Any restructuring will take time and there will be no moment when it doesn''t cause some kind interference. If the club do it during the close season they loss valuable time in the transfer market, if they do it during the season they are accused of throwing away the season.

The club have made a calculated bet on Norwich not reaching the play-offs (which seems entire likely given the fixtures and the points difference) and decided that now is the best moment.

If Norwich do reach the play-offs, which does seem unlikely, then that obviously isn''t a bad thing and club will give it every go.

If somehow Irvine does get us promoted then of course he should be considered for the Head Coach role, he has managed in the Premier League before so it isn''t like he is some work experience kid.

However, the Sporting Director, who will most likely be in place by the end of next week, will have to weigh up whether he feels Irvine is the man to take the club forward. Watford recently ditched a manager straight after he achieved promotion because they felt there were better options available.

I''m not sure what you feel the club should be doing to ''plan'' for the play-offs. They could rush a manager in, but that would be reverting to the short-term-ism that has stopped the club from really kicking on in the past.

[TCCANARY 263]

[quote user="Rogue Baboon"]Is it that difficult?

No Head Coach or Sporting Director in place currently, only 5 points off the play offs. if we reach that playoffs, does Irvine get the job?

The chairman talks about planning for next season, effectively writing this season off. Does the club even want to reach the playoffs this year? or would they rather we miss out so the new structure can be fully implemented.

There''s a big difference in building towards promotion than building to stay in the Premier League[/quote]

Is any of the above related to planning for the play-offs if we get there which was your original question. If we sneak in without having a Head Coach or Sporting Director why would suddenly appointing one if we sneaked in make any difference, would it improve our chances?

[Rogue Baboon 0]

Re the plan for the play offs - you can''t appoint a full time manager on the basis that we will get into the play offs, I agree.

But at least give Irvine to the end of the season, and if hes not the man have a guy ready to announce at the very end of the season.

I don''t think it helps with Irvine not having a clue if he is in charge from one game to the next, we should still be targeting as many points between now and the end of the season as possible. As it stands, the caretaker manger, fans and players aren''t really sure the timeline for this. It could be a day, week, month or longer.

[TCCANARY 263]

[quote user="Rogue Baboon"]Re the plan for the play offs - you can''t appoint a full time manager on the basis that we will get into the play offs, I agree.

But at least give Irvine to the end of the season, and if hes not the man have a guy ready to announce at the very end of the season.

I don''t think it helps with Irvine not having a clue if he is in charge from one game to the next, we should still be targeting as many points between now and the end of the season as possible. As it stands, the caretaker manger, fans and players aren''t really sure the timeline for this. It could be a day, week, month or longer.[/quote]I think you''re doing Irvine a disservice, he''s professional enough to want to get the best possible result from every fixture.

[Woodman 92]

I agree, he''s been professional, dignified and honest. He would have been asked to look after the club while the restructure takes place and in return he''s been honest enough to say that he won''t apply for the job. To me, that sounds like he doesn''t want to work in a Sporting Director / Head Coach environment, so he''ll probably leave when the new team is in place.

Incidentally, if we are after this Webber chap from Huddersfield, I can''t see them allowing us to speak to him until the end of the season while they''re gunning for promotion.

[Rogue Baboon 0]

Irvine is professional of course - but there is a huge difference in getting a team through 2 games (not changing much, doing what is required - what we saw in the last 2 games) to having full control for the rest of the season & possible having a tilt at the playoffs (making changes to team, formation, how we play etc - whats needed to have a real crack at getting into top 6)

[TCCANARY 263]

[quote user="Rogue Baboon"]Irvine is professional of course - but there is a huge difference in getting a team through 2 games (not changing much, doing what is required - what we saw in the last 2 games) to having full control for the rest of the season & possible having a tilt at the playoffs (making changes to team, formation, how we play etc - whats needed to have a real crack at getting into top 6)[/quote]You have a point but your original question was that we''re not planning for the event of being in the play offs, I was enquiring what planning was required for that scenario.

[Rogue Baboon 0]

Knowing who would be in charge of the team would be a massive help.

If we are not going to get anybody in (which looks likely) then give the job to Irvine now until the end of the season.

Getting into the playoffs is one thing, winning them is going to put as spanner in the restructure works imo.

[TCCANARY 263]

[quote user="Rogue Baboon"]

Getting into the playoffs is one thing, winning them is going to put as spanner in the restructure works imo.[/quote]I don''t understand why this would be the case. Getting promoted doesn''t have to have any effect on the structure, plenty of teams in the PL have a similar structure.

[Rogue Baboon 0]

Because there is a huge difference in mindset from fighting for promotion to trying to survive in the PL.

Yes, other Premier League teams have the same set up. But they are in a completely different situation to us.

Our Chairman has openly spoken about getting a man in to give him the full summer in the transfer window. We are looking for somebody to come in & build a team for promotion next year. Nobody would disagree that is the correct thing to do.

But what if we get promotion this year? (long shot, but not impossible)

That would probably require a different ''Head Coach'' than what we are currently looking at, and we would also be a much more attractive prospect for people who probably wouldn''t have considered us

[TCCANARY 263]

What you said was that getting promoted would ''spanner in the restructure works'', why would we want to change the plan from Sporting Director and Head Coach ? This structure would be OK for the PL and the Championship.

[Rogue Baboon 0]

Ok, if we are being pedantic, by ''restructure works'' I meant the personnel that we may be looking to recruit in that restructure. I never said that actual structure was wrong...

Better?

[TCCANARY 263]

Initially you said that the club hadn''t planned for being in the play offs because we didn''t have the people in place, now you want to wait and determine the personnel depending on whether we get promoted or not?I''m not sure it''s possible to do both.

[Nuff Said 5,079]

[quote user="Rogue Baboon"]Because there is a huge difference in mindset from fighting for promotion to trying to survive in the PL.

Yes, other Premier League teams have the same set up. But they are in a completely different situation to us.

Our Chairman has openly spoken about getting a man in to give him the full summer in the transfer window. We are looking for somebody to come in & build a team for promotion next year. Nobody would disagree that is the correct thing to do.

But what if we get promotion this year? (long shot, but not impossible)

That would probably require a different ''Head Coach'' than what we are currently looking at, and we would also be a much more attractive prospect for people who probably wouldn''t have considered us[/quote]So are you saying if we remain in the Championship this year, but do go up next season, we would still need to get rid of the Head Coach for the following year in the PL?

[Rogue Baboon 0]

Different kettle of fish - if we had a guy in place for a season who got us promoted with his team then he has earned that chance

Yet we are talking about a new head coach for a new season regardless of the league. We are not changing, we are getting in a new manager.

[Rogue Baboon 0]

@TCCANARY

No I suggested that our chairman has said we are building for next year in the Championship, yet are still in with a shot at the playoffs.

So we are hunting a new guy to build a team to get promotion from the Championship- yet we may not be in the championship

Hence why I would rather Irvine gets the job til the end of the season to remove any uncertainty so we can focus on getting this season out of the way first

[Webbo118 0]

[quote user="TCCANARY"][quote user="Rogue Baboon"]That''s correct - its just a shame that the club do not seem to have planned for it one bit[/quote]What planning needs to be done?

[/quote]

Get the coach arranged (the one the players ride on) so that the team gets to Wembley in good time.