Is Webber leaving us/the club in a better state?

[cambridgeshire canary 6,720]

After all I'm sure we remember well when Webber first joined he said something about the 'poor state' that we as a club were in and how he wanted to someday leave the club and when he did he wanted to leave the club in a better state and position than it had been when he joined. So,has he? Well, firstly are the training facilities and the youth side of things. Think most would agree that there has been a hell of an effort and a very big improvement in that area and I highly doubt there are many that would say otherwise.

But what about the other issues? Such as us being a club slowly creeping it's way into big financial troubles, with a poor aging squad on silly wages we could not afford, a club putting out lifeless dour performances and full of players long past their prime and who quite clearly did not care and would rather be elsewhere. Can we say this has changed? Or has it all come full circle? Nevermind Webbers now infamous comment about 'past regimes pissing money up the wall'..

 

Has Webber kept his promise to leave the club in a better state?

Edited October 19, 2022 by cambridgeshire canary

[BroadstairsR 2,168]

Yes, the club is in a better shape, and Colney is the most highly significant example of this. Is it the only one, though?

Whose to say that the improvements wouldn't have been carried out in any case, though. Nothing done is exactly earth-shattering. Much updating was clearly needed, and many other clubs have done the same.  

(McNally gaining Academy 1., was indeed exceptional though.)

Everything else is a matter of opinion and I haven't particularly got one except for the fact that I wish him on his bike, asap.

At times, I feel he has been given overmuch control but with Delia admitting to being "annoyingly hands-on" perhaps this hasn't been the case ... unless of course he's a bit of a re-incarnated Svengali.

The only certain answer to the opening question is that Stuart Webber's bank balance is now in a much better state.

[A Load of Squit 5,164]

🎵 They say we're young and we don't know,

we won't find out until we grow. 🎵

 

[Google Bot 3,278]

I'm guessing you're asking if it's in a better shape now than before he joined, Or has there been an announcement i've missed...?

[Canary dwarf 221]

Has Webber left then ?

[baldy09 156]

The club is wonderful its just the state of the playing and coaching staff were Webbers failed- hopefully he get the call soon from Chelsea or ispwich town they can have him. 

[Jim Smith 2,319]

I guess it depends how much other clubs have improved their training facilities over an equivalent period? Yes ours are good but do they stand out compared to other similar sized clubs and would we have improved them anyway?

He still gets some credit for it but I feel we would have made some improvements anyway. 

[Creative Midfielder 1,996]

You got my hopes up with that thread title - thought I'd missed an important and long overdue announcement.

Hopefully Webber will soon be gone and then we can make a more informed judgement but IMO thus far I would say that he has undone virtually all the good work of his first couple of years in the job.

We haven't quite come full circle as certain elements, viz the training facilities, have shown improvement but overall, the state of the club generally but especially on the pitch, I don't think he will leave us better off - maybe no worse than when he arrived but no better either, and what makes it so galling is that despite the significant successes we had with him as DoF it has all been trashed by very foolish, self-inflicted mistakes by Webber himself.

[Davidlingfield 63]

10 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

I guess it depends how much other clubs have improved their training facilities over an equivalent period? Yes ours are good but do they stand out compared to other similar sized clubs and would we have improved them anyway?

He still gets some credit for it but I feel we would have made some improvements anyway. 

Plans to upgrade Colney were well advanced in McNally era, way before Webber became involved.

Funding was raised through Bond in Webber’s time but wasn’t anything to do with him.

[shefcanary 2,409]

26 minutes ago, Davidlingfield said:

Plans to upgrade Colney were well advanced in McNally era, way before Webber became involved.

Funding was raised through Bond in Webber’s time but wasn’t anything to do with him.

Our colleagues on here have already dug out the quote from McNally acknowledging improvements to Colney and more investment in the academy was a must, just prior to his ignominious departure. The club were already working on this. That was why Zoe Ward was taken on, as project manager to drive the improvements!

Lo, she lets her hubby know there's a SD vacancy, briefs him on what to say and he gets the job. He then uses the knowledge gained at Huddersfield to replicate things here (for Farke read Wagner at Huddersfield). But it didn't end well at Huddersfield (even though he wasn't there when it ended), it hasn't worked well here either.

Webber will only go if his wife (the real power?) goes too, but that will only happen if there is strong corporate governance to do it properly. Maybe Attanasio's crew's first real task?

Edited October 19, 2022 by shefcanary

[By Hook or Ian crook 917]

I voted no but purely on the basis that he’s spunked £80’000’000 on players in the last two summers and only one / two  of the is good enough to get in the team now. 

[mrdi 373]

It depends on when he goes - and on what part of the undulating curve we’ll be at when he does. 
 

One thing is for sure - the highs of the last 5 years have been some of the best, which in turn have made the lows heavier by contrast. 

Edited October 19, 2022 by mrdi

[Robert N. LiM 4,356]

Looking very Leave/Remain so far (but the other way round)

 

[Mello Yello 2,294]

Just now, Robert N. LiM said:

Looking very Leave/Remain so far (but the other way round)

 

I've just submitted my vote...

[Davidlingfield 63]

32 minutes ago, shefcanary said:

Our colleagues on here have already dug out the quote from McNally acknowledging improvements to Colney and more investment in the academy was a must, just prior to his ignominious departure. The club were already working on this. That was why Zoe Ward was taken on, as project manager to drive the improvements!

Lo, she lets her hubby know there's a SD vacancy, briefs him on what to say and he gets the job. He then uses the knowledge gained at Huddersfield to replicate things here (for Farke read Wagner at Huddersfield). But it didn't end well at Huddersfield (even though he wasn't there when it ended), it hasn't worked well here either.

Webber will only go if his wife (the real power?) goes too, but that will only happen if there is strong corporate governance to do it properly. Maybe Attanasio's crew's first real task?

Stuart Webber was recruited first, followed by his wife. She had previously worked here for McNally as consultant before leaving to have a baby. 

[Jim Smith 2,319]

1 hour ago, shefcanary said:

Our colleagues on here have already dug out the quote from McNally acknowledging improvements to Colney and more investment in the academy was a must, just prior to his ignominious departure. The club were already working on this. That was why Zoe Ward was taken on, as project manager to drive the improvements!

Lo, she lets her hubby know there's a SD vacancy, briefs him on what to say and he gets the job. He then uses the knowledge gained at Huddersfield to replicate things here (for Farke read Wagner at Huddersfield). But it didn't end well at Huddersfield (even though he wasn't there when it ended), it hasn't worked well here either.

Webber will only go if his wife (the real power?) goes too, but that will only happen if there is strong corporate governance to do it properly. Maybe Attanasio's crew's first real task?

Not sure about that. I think he's looking to jump ship ahead of it all going properly pair shaped. Once he's got a job elsewhereshe will probably join him wherever he is.

[KeiranShikari 1,412]

If he left today then the club is obviously in a better state. Both financially and position in the league table as well as everything else that's improved behind the scenes.

You'd have to be completely ignorant to the redevelopments or just being dishonest to assume otherwise.

It might be souring with the management and board at the moment but the facts speak for themselves.

[Ken Hairy 3,772]

It's not a binary yes/no answer. 

Off the field then yes undoubted, but the playing and coaching side of things? No.

Either way, his time here should really be done now. 

[GodlyOtsemobor 2,310]

Infrastructure wise. Yes 

Actual on pitch playing wise. No absolutely not. 

[Capt. Pants 4,234]

6 minutes ago, GodlyOtsemobor said:

Infrastructure wise. Yes 

Actual on pitch playing wise. No absolutely not. 

The issue clearly is that the current Head Coach is regressing the improvements made on 'the pitch' at an alarming rate. No point having World Class infrastructure with a League One coach.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Just heard an interesting point.

Last year we paid out nearly £20M more in one year's wages than the squad was valued at.

[Inch High aka Inchy.. 405]

Is he leaving then? Do you have some inside knowledge in that bedroom of yours?

Last I heard he was on a long list of candidates.

[Deptford Yellow 258]

I’d vote yes - but that doesn’t mean I necessarily want him to stay …..

[pete 319]

Financially stable really on what do you base that proposition.  The American £10m promised will not last long, parachute payments only for two years look like being necessary, PL promotion a pipe dream with this squad.  Soon enough we will be back to being enturely sdelf funded, not enough bunce to finance a Championship club.  Administration will raise its ugly head soon therafter.  No rising stars to fill the financial black hole.  Delia well soon be out with the beging bowl to Attanasio who hopefully take charge.

Wuthout the needed finds can't see a transfer splurge by Webber on the usual stream of deadbeats.  We woukd be in a much bettter shape if Webber hadn't wasted £30-40m in the Summer of 2021.   

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,024]

I voted "No" on the basis that on the non football side I think he has (Finances/Academy) improved us but I remain to be convinced on the footballing side of things...........

[Mello Yello 2,294]

Is Webber leaving us/the club in a bitter state?....

....There, that sounds more topical....

[By Hook or Ian crook 917]

23 hours ago, KeiranShikari said:

If he left today then the club is obviously in a better state. Both financially and position in the league table as well as everything else that's improved behind the scenes.

You'd have to be completely ignorant to the redevelopments or just being dishonest to assume otherwise.

It might be souring with the management and board at the moment but the facts speak for themselves.

If we don’t go up this season will we still be financially better off than when he arrived? I fear not due to the increase in players wages and the lack of premier league income. 

[KeiranShikari 1,412]

Just now, By Hook or Ian crook said:

If we don’t go up this season will we still be financially better off than when he arrived? I fear not due to the increase in players wages and the lack of premier league income. 

Wages (bar Pukki) will have significantly dropped after the relegation. Both in terms of cuts as well as a lot of expensive loan players no longer being here.

We've got a significant amount of wage coming off the bill in terms of contracts ending next summer.

I'd assume we'd still have to sell a player or two if we stay down after next season but that's natural. I doubt we'll be in anything like the position we were.