JimmyC74

As the pod sets out, without changes to our structure it feels like any prospect of success is on us striking gold with a manager who builds the club from foundations upwards (like Nige). So success in spite of the structure not because of it

I think the case for RVN staying is v. hard to make, although I do think he has been let down, probably in terms of backroom staff but definitely new players. Though I could see us being potentially forced into sticking with him if we have left ourselves with no contract / relegation break clause / financial wiggle room. I just don’t see he has done enough in terms of organising the team (in particular the defence) or introducing / integrating youth to suggest he can turn us around.

If PSR is an issue in making a decision on RVN and the Club is stalling / playing for time( until 30-Jun) it wouldn’t surprise me if the owners maintain a wall of silence until the end of the season. Probably only humiliating losses to Ipswich and / or Southampton would force them to announce a decision before.

Latest episode another cracking listen. Really interesting contribution from Jonathan Northcroft. Also discussion around player power / culture very relevant and needs addressing as much as the structure.

With our relegation now confirmed and a decision on the manager still to be made / announced (at least officially) what should the objectives be for the next five games? (With the manager) we are maybe waiting until the end of the season proper or financial reporting period (end of June) to make a decision but it feels he is a lame duck. Given his reputation is in the bin / media speculation points to it being when and not if he goes, how invested is he in planning ahead, will he jettison the likes of Faes, Soumare who probably won’t be here next season? Will he promote Stolarczyk and give *meaningful* game time to Evans, Monga and maybe others like Cartwright. I don’t know how the lad we recruited from Chelsea (Golding) has performed in the development teams but should we be finding out if he can step up? I think the danger of delaying a decision on Ruud / the Club doesn’t now shift to focusing on next season then we just drift through these next games / fail to build any momentum for next season. I know merit awards (for final table position) are worth a couple of million and of course we want to get results against the likes of Ipswich and Southampton (for confidence ahead of next season if nothing else), but I dont think bringing in the youth guys weakens this group and would give us something to get behind.

I would argue it's not knee jerk for Top to make a decision now, with relegation confirmed. He should have all the evidence needed to decide whether to make changes in leadership before the season closes or as soon as it does. Until you identify and bring in a new DofF we continue to rely on the failed structure (Rudders / Glover and co) to reshape the squad and possibly identify / bring in a new manager. With their recent record questionable at best, I wouldn't want them leading the reset. Personally I would be tempted to ask Nige, health permitting, to act as Sports Director - even on a temporary basis - to assess what was needed and put the right structures in place to build back.

Agreed but how long would it take to identify/ recruit a new sporting director? If they are in a job will we pay compo and the Club release immediately or do you try and get someone out of work? Guaranteed Top won’t have done any investigation of who could replace Rudders.

Now relegation is official and thoughts turn to analysing what went wrong (I know, I know unlikely to happen at all and if it does, the same protagonists will most likely lead the review) what are the chances that Top moves quickly, changes things up and brings in the likes of a Dan Ashworth type or maybe reaches out to a Nigel Pearson / Steve Walsh Snr type who may be willing to step in as DofF as an interim measure? Also if it was decided to bin Glover alone, would fans see that a stall and deflect move if Rudders was kept in place? It wouldn't surprise me if Glover was let go, and all blame pinned on him, but of course it is difficult to know (given the lack of transparency) if his recommendations were backed and he has failed miserably or if Rudders and Co have brought in who they / Cooper wanted last Summer.

I just doubt Top has given serious consideration to replacing Rudders and, even if the necessity to change has finally sunk in, he has what it takes to swiftly act and bring in a new DofF in a few weeks. I fear Rudders will be involved in identifying and selecting RVN’s replacement. They can drag their heels with bringing in a new gaffer tho given the squad overhaul / rebuild needed.

I agree that there will be a parting of the ways but, I doubt this will happen before the season finishes alas. The concern is that the higher ups delay making a decision until the end of June. Top needs to be / hopefully is prepping now - looking for a new DofF and a new manager - and not waiting to start until the players start their summer holidays. I think Ruud will be gone but I really don’t see Top changing Rudders - they are joined at the hip - and as Top has limited knowledge of the Football world I doubt he would be able to bring anyone in within a few weeks (unless he went on bended knee to the likes of Puel or more likely big Nige). Which means it is likely Rudders plays a central role in identifying/ recruiting the new boss.

Really don’t get the decision to bring Faes in over Okali. Especially thinking of next season, Faes surely will be gone, Okali represents the future and his recent performance had some promise.

Overhaul needs to include manager, football operation back office and board. Nothing works any longer.

The worry is damage is / has been done and the malaise carries into next season.

These group of players are the pits. Ruud’s post match comments show he knows this and we have as much chance of survival as getting kicked by a snake. Ruud tho has also massively failed, sticking rigidly to the same formation and mostly the same players. Not much to look forward to for the rest of the season - just more of the same.

The overhaul is potentially massive and we come back to whether the DofF / Club is up to the task of moving on players we don’t want and replacing them with players we do. Realistically Mads and Bilal will be off. We will struggle to shift Vestergaard, Ayew and BDR unless they have a release clause. Stolarcyzk, Nelson, Alves, Evans to be key first team players.

If we were in the Championship then I could see Dyche getting us organised, disciplined and, ultimately promoted, but it would be another strange appointment - yo-yoing between building from the back and more pragmatic / direct style. I very much doubt though Ruud starts pre-season regardless.

Agree. Don’t invest in the bricks and mortar if you don’t bring in best of class coaches to bring through talent into the first team and raise funds from talent you sell on.

I don't have a good enough knowledge of the youth set-up, so I could be wrong but, it feels like when they launched Seagrave and the employed the likes of Paul McGuinness the aim was to focus on youth but we have never really demonstrated any faith in progressing key talents into the first team. Have we got elite coaches in place now? Does the Football hierarchy (Managers and DofF) believe in players / recommendations from the coaches (about readiness)?

The wait for the Nyoni ruling is starting to feel as long as the wait for the Man City 115 charges judgement .

There is no faith in this group of highly paid individuals that they come together, show some fight and grind out a result, let alone a run of results. You get the odd surprise likes Spurs away and then they revert back to the norm.

I think that is where we will get to before very long. Giving new manager a chance to review squad before close season and decide on who to bin (lots) and who to keep (not many).

Maybe. That is if we are looking long term, if we learn the lessons and complete an overhaul of the entire football operation side of the business but, I don't have confidence they will learn / take the necessary action and we could still get hit by the EFL. And still lots of deadwood in that squad..........no easy task to bounce back.

Given the PSR concerns you have to genuinely be worried about our ability to be active in the transfer market in the summer - and then there's the potential for the EFL to place us under an embargo. Still lots of deadwood to try and get rid of which, as ever, will be a massive challenge for our recruitment team / DofF We have to build around a spine of Stolarczyk (mads will be sold before June 30) Ben Nelson Alves Maybe Braybrooke alongside Ndidi but expect his agent will try and move him on in summer Fatawu (assuming due to injury he isn't sold)

You have to think, after 8 losses in 9 and no incomings to speak of (I aint counting Coulibaly), a parting of the ways feels inevitable. Pressure will build with every fixture so it's just a question of whether Ruud jumps or is pushed. Oh well, at least the planning for next season can get started and we will be ready to hit the ground running on the first day of pre-season. Yeah right!

just a matter of time before he goes. not that I would be massively upset or blame him.