The Board

[OneMoSalah 8,614]

I think it’s just been a hectic summer. World Cup doesnt help matters with players coming back late but the first issue for me was that the board should have had Conte sacked with Sarri in place to start pre season on day 1 and fuckd that trip to Australia off. That has cost us a couple of weeks extra that Sarri could have weighed up what was needed and worked more with the team.

Secondly we spent 150m last summer but the majority of that we can say was wasted. That is a good amount of money and if it was on the right players it would be fine (but it wasn’t) and many fans wouldn’t be under the impression we need to spend 300m more to rectify these mistakes, fair enough you can’t just keep buying 200m worth of players every year because it’s not sustainable in the long run and it isn’t realistic. We don’t need to buy a new squad every 2 seasons, strengthen yes but not a huge reshuffle every few years. We could with a bit of something else in MF yet, a new GK when Courtois goes, another striker unless Batshuyi and Giroud stay and maybe a left back would be a big plus but there is still plenty of ability in this squad and anyone under the impression that we need about 15 new players, that’s a bit far fetched (Azpi, Hazard and Kante are 3 of the best in the PL in their positions, Rudiger impressed me last year and Cesc, Willian as well as a few others can still offer a lot, Pedro and Barkley could find themselves better off under Sarri than under Conte too). 

For me I think the board has this train of thought where they seem to think they can find players and trust they will be good under any manager. Bakayoko is probably somebody Conte would of thought yeah he could do a job but in all fairness he has never hit the ground running and is unrealistically suited now to what Sarri will try and do here. The fact the clubs never actually stuck with a manager for longer than 3 seasons in god knows how long doesn’t help even though there’s been plenty of success, there’s no clear style of play that’s been in place for x amount of years so identifying and signing some players is a bit more of a risk, although it can be the case anyway but under Pep at Man City or Wenger at Arsenal or Klopp at Liverpool they would never sign someone in the mould of Bakayoko or Drinkwater. I think Sarri coming here was always a sign towards change. Pressure will still be on but it will be attacking football an attacking system, something we’ve all heard Roman wanted since seeing Peps Barca team etc etc so let’s hope that if it goes well with Sarri here that it brings this big change all around the club. But again this is just ifs and buts. Need to see how it all pans out. We’ve hardly become a shite team like some people keep mentioning. Everyone’s strengthening around us but these teams have had an identity and philosophy in place for longer than we have because we chop and change coaches every 2 years.

[11Drogba 2,000]

8 hours ago, El P. said:

Expecting fans' anti-board protests this season.

Maybe on twitter, not in London. Even if one happens only a very small number of people would attend. London did not become the world's Mecca for capitalism by protesting against billionaires, it is a very different culture there. Strong fan protests against players and board/owners happen in Mediterranean countries usually.

 

[DDA 9,570]

1 hour ago, 11Drogba said:

Maybe on twitter, not in London. Even if one happens only a very small number of people would attend. London did not become the world's Mecca for capitalism by protesting against billionaires, it is a very different culture there. Strong fan protests against players and board/owners happen in Mediterranean countries usually.

 

Arsenal.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,775]

On ‎01‎/‎08‎/‎2018 at 5:18 PM, Vybzkartel said:

Surely she has to be one of the worst football executives around. Why have we suddenly become Arsenal and players are getting into the final 2 years of their deals without signing a new contract?? This Hazard and Courtios situation should have been sorted the summer we won the league with Conte. Why have we for 3 seasons running left all our signings until the last minute? How do we expect a player to be integrated into the team fast when they are purchased on deadline day. Look what happened to DD last year for example a preseason with us would have helped him massively. Our league and Champ league performance has also been affected by the poor running of the club, we had not finished outside of the top 4 in over 10 years but since marina took over a more prominent role we have finished outside of top 4 twice in 3 years. Yes we have won the title but that was mainly because of the ground work we laid in 2014 when we had our business done quickly and efficiently. I have a feeling she doesnt even listen to our scouts anymore or rather she uses outdated scouting reports. Look at some of the players we are linked with and sign these days, we were first linked to them around 2013 when our scouting system was still world class. If she wasnt a close ally of Roman I am pretty sure she would have been relived of her duties by now. Even our youth system and loan army has massively tailed off. Which players on loan right now realistically will become a KDB, Lukaku, Salah? Something is fundamentally broken at our club at the moment and I hope it is fixed sooner rather than later. 

How the do you know she is one of the worst?

People's work is judged by how well they do the job they've been given. Do you know the instructions under which she is working? Of course you don't. It's easy to say should this and should that but Marina has to work in the real world. The world where wishing a thing does not necessarily make it so. You are blaming Marina for player recruitment or the timing of it. Please tell us the evidence you have which shows who decides the names to be targeted, and when they were identified as possible recruits? You know none of this. In fact it seems the only thing you do know is who is to blame.

Oh well. 

[It's too big 625]

At the end of the day, Marina gets a lot of shit, but if people think Roman doesn't have any involvement or say in transfers they're very naive. Simple fact is, Roman probably should sell the club because he's not allowed in the country and he hasn't hired football people at all. There was talk of the stadium on hold allowing us a larger chunk of money to work within the transfer market. Well, that's not even the case any more. 

[11Drogba 2,000]

1 hour ago, DDA said:

Arsenal.

You call that a protest lol Do you have any idea what would Spanish, Italian, Greek or Turkish fans would do to a president like Kroenke. Read carefully where I say "strong fan protests"

[Unionjack 7,531]

She is the face of our luvly board so rightly or wrongly she is the one who will get the flack when the supporters are pissed.

Whether Romans has instructed he to be our DOF or she thinks she has the footballing knowledge yo be it I dunno but whichever it isn't working.

Our whole loan and transfer system needs looking at. From scouting to bringing in someone who understands football enough that they will understand the difference in quality between Barkley and Savic and that there are sometimes that we shouldn't penny pinch.

But as I say it is Roman that has her in this job. It's just less painful for us to get mad at Granny and not him. I know I do.

[Unionjack 7,531]

6 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

For me I think the board has this train of thought where they seem to think they can find players and trust they will be good under any manager.

That line there is the basic problem of our board and transfer system.

I'm positive they sit and think "that player X cost us allot of money so they must be good. Its the managers fault for not using him right. Why bother buying anyone else. I'm sure they will be OK"

[manpe 10,855]

The bigger problem is that we still haven't replaced Emenalo. As it seems she's been left alone with other non-footballing businessmen. Abramovich also seems to have lost interest. If we drag our feet in the transfer market again and miss out on top4, I would be for selling the club and dismantling the whole board of oily yes-(wo)men.

[El P. 1,354]

I must agree with @11Drogba. I am hoping for protest, but I don't really believe it would happen. Really hope I am wrong.

We were always discussing player/manager/board power at the club. But the ones which are the most powerless at this club are the fans. I don't think anyone cares about ours opinion, unfortunately.

[coolhead23 1,146]

Why dont we have an official fan forum/club/group who can interact with the Board or the ppl in the management and provide an insight on issues/opinions etc etc from the Fans side. Do we have anything on those lines ... I m assuming in this modern age of technology and exposure we should be having something on this line ... 

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

9 hours ago, Unionjack said:

Ya cant say that tho mate. You know that feelings and emotions come into play.

I dont care what division we are in or if we dont win silverware. But I want the board to have the same amount of care and passion as we do. If they come out and said look guys we are going thru some financial probs because of ...... but we are doing everything possible to get things sorted it would be muh better than us all thinking they dont give a toss

We are a viable concern and you would expect the board would want is to be our very best even if its for the sake of the shareholders.

I can say it and I have mate. Don't be so naïve no football clubs board gives a shit about the fans they don't exactly come from the same walk of life as the average fan. In the last few years we've seen clubs and local ones not like Chelsea who are a worldwide club be asset stripped by unscrupulous businessmen Blackburn, Portsmouth, Charlton, Coventry etc etc  They have every right to protest they've seen their clubs destroyed what have we seen a geezer put a billion pounds of his own money in and it would have been more if it wasn't for this poxy government.

We would be the laughing stock worldwide if we protested a team that's won the league twice in the last four years and are the current cup holders. Not you but please don't anyone put us in the same breath as Arsenal fans . If there was a protest (which there won't be) it would go the same way as West Ham where the ICF reared their ugly heads and threatened fans from marching. The exact same thing would happen at Chelsea the protesters would be accused of being left wing agitators and a counter demonstration would see all the Headhunters return and loads of racists from all over London and beyond most of them not Chelsea fans.

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

4 minutes ago, coolhead23 said:

Why dont we have an official fan forum/club/group who can interact with the Board or the ppl in the management and provide an insight on issues/opinions etc etc from the Fans side. Do we have anything on those lines ... I m assuming in this modern age of technology and exposure we should be having something on this line ... 

No never have done never will do. As I said most clubs especially Chelsea under Bates have no time for the fans they just expect blind loyalty.

[El P. 1,354]

Nobody is talking about apocalyptic BOARD-ABRAMOVIČ OUT protests. But step by step, we should show to the board and to THE WORLD how we feel.

It's really not about the trophies, it's about the fact that we will be mid-table team if we continue like this and WE CAN DO BETTER. We have enough resources to be better, it's just that we are stupid. I mean, if our board had no money, I wouldn't say a thing. I would accept that fact and move on. But we still have enough money, we are still somewhat attractive club, and we are making all the wrong decisions.

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

8 minutes ago, El P. said:

Nobody is talking about apocalyptic BOARD-ABRAMOVIČ OUT protests. But step by step, we should show to the board and to THE WORLD how we feel.

It's really not about the trophies, it's about the fact that we will be mid-table team if we continue like this and WE CAN DO BETTER. We have enough resources to be better, it's just that we are stupid. I mean, if our board had no money, I wouldn't say a thing. I would accept that fact and move on. But we still have enough money, we are still somewhat attractive club, and we are making all the wrong decisions.

Don't talk bollocks mate we won't be a mid table team and the fans showed the players how we felt against Sunderland a couple of years ago when Steve Holland was in charge. If your not happy mate that's your prerogative but do better ? the bloody season hasn't started yet your major gripe is we haven't spent the money we used to your new Chelsea and just expect us to win everything and buy everyone well get used it to it mate.

[Unionjack 7,531]

15 minutes ago, Iggy Doonican said:

Don't talk bollocks mate we won't be a mid table team and the fans showed the players how we felt against Sunderland a couple of years ago when Steve Holland was in charge. If your not happy mate that's your prerogative but do better ? the bloody season hasn't started yet your major gripe is we haven't spent the money we used to your new Chelsea and just expect us to win everything and buy everyone well get used it to it mate.

I like you Iggy You make me laugh. Cheers mate.

[Fulham Broadway 16,392]

Dion Dublin said we're facing relegation battle after Community Shield performance. He should stick to Homes under the Hammer

[Starman60 1,343]

12 hours ago, Mana said:

This needs to happen. And I’ll be there, I promise. This mess has gone long enough. We are slipping to Arsenal territory here of not spending and mediocrity.

The big difference with Arsenal, is that they got a spanking new stadium from their board when they were not spending in the transfer market. We're not spending and our stadium is on the back burner