Aleksandr Golovin

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

13 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

My point is twofold:

First, simply saying we need a DoF is not enough. Any old DoF will not do for the people making that point. We had a DoF and they were not satisfied so surely this is not a controversial statement.

Second, they want a DoF who does what they want done. We may not have anyone holding the title DoF at the moment, but someone is fulfilling the role. Someone is appointing and controlling the head scouts. Someone is designating the transfer policy and the profile of player we want to attract. Someone is acting as manager and point of contact to Maurizio Sarri, Neil Bath, and Adrian Jacob. Marina is the current hate figure but I doubt that she is handling all of those duties. We don't know who is doing these functions but they must be happening. Problem is posters on here don't like the way it is being done. Why? Because the decisions being made are not the ones they want to see. They want someone who will agree with them.

This does not mean that the agreement must be about specific players but rather about the general approach to contracts and transfers and football policies. Cut the deadwood we read regularly, reduce the loan army, loosen the over thirties contract straightjacket, pay whatever the selling club wants, pay Eden whatever he wants, and so on. Are you telling me that if Ballack were appointed, and continued the current policies, people would be content just because he is Michael Ballack? I doubt it. I think they'd by just as discontent as they are now because what they really mean when they say they want a DoF is that they want one who agrees with them.

More than one person has asked why Roman does not sack Marina. The answer to that is blindingly obvious. Roman does not sack Marina because he is happy with what she is doing. Unlike any of us, he knows what her real goals, and real restrictions, are. He knows because he gave them to her. Just like any of us he wants a DoF who agrees with him but, unlike any of us, he gets to have his way.

Not untrue.

Though, I would say, it's not entirely about having a director that does things I (personally, because I keep saying we need a DoF) agree with, necessarily.  There are some decisions and actions that I are frankly ridiculous.  Like how the Courtois situation was handled, with no back up plan. 

You're right, we have no idea what Roman's real goals are.  It just seems baffling that any plans could be to leave everything so late and apparently directionless.  I think that it wouldn't just be us, most football people would find this baffling.  But, you're correct, that's not down to a DoF.  It would only be down to a DoF if that was what their job description (at our club) entailed.

[11Drogba 2,000]

5 hours ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

My point is twofold:

First, simply saying we need a DoF is not enough. Any old DoF will not do for the people making that point. We had a DoF and they were not satisfied so surely this is not a controversial statement.

Second, they want a DoF who does what they want done. We may not have anyone holding the title DoF at the moment, but someone is fulfilling the role. Someone is appointing and controlling the head scouts. Someone is designating the transfer policy and the profile of player we want to attract. Someone is acting as manager and point of contact to Maurizio Sarri, Neil Bath, and Adrian Jacob. Marina is the current hate figure but I doubt that she is handling all of those duties. We don't know who is doing these functions but they must be happening. Problem is posters on here don't like the way it is being done. Why? Because the decisions being made are not the ones they want to see. They want someone who will agree with them.

This does not mean that the agreement must be about specific players but rather about the general approach to contracts and transfers and football policies. Cut the deadwood we read regularly, reduce the loan army, loosen the over thirties contract straightjacket, pay whatever the selling club wants, pay Eden whatever he wants, and so on. Are you telling me that if Ballack were appointed, and continued the current policies, people would be content just because he is Michael Ballack? I doubt it. I think they'd by just as discontent as they are now because what they really mean when they say they want a DoF is that they want one who agrees with them.

More than one person has asked why Roman does not sack Marina. The answer to that is blindingly obvious. Roman does not sack Marina because he is happy with what she is doing. Unlike any of us, he knows what her real goals, and real restrictions, are. He knows because he gave them to her. Just like any of us he wants a DoF who agrees with him but, unlike any of us, he gets to have his way.

Case is closed for me after wes' post. Many people who want a DoF like at other successful football clubs give specific names based on their past like wes did there, not because they know that person would make the every  transfer they have in mind.

You are not totally wrong though some people will always criticize the DoF, the manager and the board, and the criticism will increase when the club is not successful. Mourinho and Conte were being criticized by some for playing too pragmatic and too defensive even when we were successful, so you are right that some people want managers and DoFs that would do what they have in mind, but until we drop significantly in the table those people are in minority. His last season  most people voted that Mourinho should stay until the end before we were in the relegation zone. So I would not put everyone in the same basket.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

14 hours ago, Vesper said:

I wouldnt put majority blame on him, he has only been there 12 months.

He got around £105m for Thomas Lemar and Fabinho, who were going to leave anyway, £15m overall in sales £285m if you count the last part of the Mbappe deal with PSG, which was not done on his watch)

and bought a tonne of super you players for great prices

Monaco's downfall started well before he came in, other than Sidibe, and ageing Falcao and a marginal Jemerson/Glik CB combo (Lopes was too young to play much then) they had almost completely gutted that great 2016-17 CL semifinalist Mbappe-led team. Before Emenalo there, the only players of import (not prospects who are 16,17,18) they bought were Yuri Tielemans (who has been a semi-bust, surprisingly, although I expect him to come good in a big way) and then Keita Balde, who is on loan to Inter (and doing well).

They have an incredible group of  thirteen (and more on reserves) 17yo to 21yos. 7 of them still teens, who may be worth £500m plus in 4,5,6 years.

These were Emenalo's first inbound transfers:

I sure hope Jonathan Panzo doesn't come back to bite us in the arse, he sure looked a decent talent at CB.

If they get relegated, I dont think they will lose many of the veterans, maybe Sidibe, maybe Golovin. I dont think they go down though, Amiens, Angers, Caen, Dijon and for sure Guingamp are far less in talent clubs (there are others too).

Stade Reims manager, David Guion, is a miracle worker. he has them in the top half of the table with a squad worth around £46m in total! (on Transfermrkt) They might come crashing down too.

 

Shame Guingamp is so shit this year. They are such a nice team to watch. Played realy entertaining football and managed to end up around 10th place in ligue 1 for a few seasons despite having spend less than 500k a year on transfers.