Ric Flair Live & Direct on BSLB Podcast

[NZ_Foxile]

I’d be a bit miffed if I was Jordan, having my thesis referred to as a “so-called thesis” 😆

[smudgerfox]

Great interview - very revealing and let the so-called Guy hang himself with his own words. An absolute moron who should be nowhere near a position at our club and typical of the inward-looking mentality that has been instrumental in our demise.

 

Despite his "I have a season ticket" claim, he seems to have no understanding what it means to support our club. Do I follow our Academy, check its progress, take pride in the players who make it to the first team, because they will eventually be sold to improve the balance sheet? No. it's because I want my club to build a successful team, and finding your own talent seems a more cost-effective way to do that than playing the transfer market (which incidentally makes money for agents).

 

If we accept that Monga will go to Man City or Chelsea (so-called Guy seemed to think it inevitable and that's one point he might be right about)  for next to nothing in the next couple of seasons, then really what is the point of the Academy at all? He seemed to imply the club could live off bonus payments when Academy products play for their country, win trophies, reach a certain number of appearances. But there are a lot of "ifs" in there and I simply don't believe that these can amount to more than the odd million pounds. 

 

Well done to BSLB for a great piece of journalism...more please!

[Claudio Fannieri]

20 minutes ago, smudgerfox said:

Great interview - very revealing and let the so-called Guy hang himself with his own words. An absolute moron who should be nowhere near a position at our club and typical of the inward-looking mentality that has been instrumental in our demise.

 

Despite his "I have a season ticket" claim, he seems to have no understanding what it means to support our club. Do I follow our Academy, check its progress, take pride in the players who make it to the first team, because they will eventually be sold to improve the balance sheet? No. it's because I want my club to build a successful team, and finding your own talent seems a more cost-effective way to do that than playing the transfer market (which incidentally makes money for agents).

 

If we accept that Monga will go to Man City or Chelsea (so-called Guy seemed to think it inevitable and that's one point he might be right about)  for next to nothing in the next couple of seasons, then really what is the point of the Academy at all? He seemed to imply the club could live off bonus payments when Academy products play for their country, win trophies, reach a certain number of appearances. But there are a lot of "ifs" in there and I simply don't believe that these can amount to more than the odd million pounds. 

 

Well done to BSLB for a great piece of journalism...more please!

I did notice when the Trey Nyoni being poached by Liverpool was raised that Guy did get very protective of the club and whilst I can’t recall his exact words, it was along the lines of the club doing brilliantly to negotiate a great deal that benefits the club and earn millions from future appearances, international caps and trophies. 
 

The reality is Jon Rudkin has played a very significant role and part in Guy Branston’s professional life, whilst the man is the devil incarnate to many LCFC fans, there will be people who have had very positive experiences and hold him in high regard for what he has done to help them on a personal level. Many of us will have experienced that within our working lives. 
 

I think where it’s difficult for people with a long standing professional and personal relationship, is to then accept and potentially call out that person is now failing or struggling in their role. 
 

As I said in an earlier post you cannot blame Guy for not wading in on the club and  Rudkin, given his ongoing involvement in the game and close links to the club, but it does also highlight the lack of people ready to challenge what has gone wrong and this acceptance that what has happened in the last 2/3 years is ok. Which does concern me that the general consensus around the hierarchy is nothing to see and let’s carry on regardless. 

[CosbehFox]

The alarming thing for me if you park his opinions to aside, the amount of damning words on young prospects and this bloke is an agent now? You wouldn’t want him anywhere near your lad if you were coming through at a club unless you were 15 stone of muscle and 6ft 3 

[Ric Flair]

5 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

The alarming thing for me if you park his opinions to aside, the amount of damning words on young prospects and this bloke is an agent now? You wouldn’t want him anywhere near your lad if you were coming through at a club unless you were 15 stone of muscle and 6ft 3 

I didn't realise until after that he's Louis Page agent, or he works for the agency that is.

[Pliskin]

Really good listen, and insightful! But what I would say is Guy clearly has a professional and personal relationship with the club…..

 

There were things he said that really didn’t make any sense, such as essentially we are not a mid table team? So if we aren’t, then what to teams like Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton and Fulham class as? Considering they’re probably half the size of us? 
 

He also tried to defend the club but in the same breath suggested that someone else was to blame? I mean to try and suggest that our financial mistakes are because we’re competing against mid table teams, and can’t? Bit of a strange view that…… especially when 101% of our turnover on player wages??? Don’t think so mate. 
 

Claiming he wants Ruud to have a proper go? Blokes statistically the worst PL manager in history, sending us on this run? The damage has already been done for Ruud, there’s no coming back from this.

I also don’t entirely agree with the comments around using the academy, Will Alves, V Jordon Ayew? Alves would be far more productive than him, he clearly doesn’t want to be here, and there’s a discord between him and the fans too. When you’re ****ed why would you rely on him, over a young academy lad who will want to play. 

 

It was an insightful pod, bit of dick swinging I think from Guy wanting to essentially praise but then diminishing the academy, which was odd, clear that he’s got a vested professional interest in the club, and doesn’t want to disrupt that! 
 

On Rudkin, if he is that good of a DOF, why are we in such a shitty mess? If he’s as straight talking as he said, and he isn’t to blame and that others around him may be, why is John not addressing this? A bit of a bumbling response to be honest….. what would be nice is to get an interview from someone who used to work with the club, but no longer has any affiliation with them whatsoever, and maybe able to speak candidly about what goes on behind the scenes? 

Edited 15 April by Pliskin

[ealingfox]

Basically confirmed what I already feared in that we've got much further to fall before there'll be any proper introspection from the club. Also that the rewritten history that has infected a large section of our fanbase, that the club was always in League One until being 'saved' by King Power, has probably spread into people at the club. 

[lanefox]

6 ft 4 Kasey McAteer says everything

[Vazman]

1 hour ago, Claudio Fannieri said:

I did notice when the Trey Nyoni being poached by Liverpool was raised that Guy did get very protective of the club and whilst I can’t recall his exact words, it was along the lines of the club doing brilliantly to negotiate a great deal that benefits the club and earn millions from future appearances, international caps and trophies. 
 

The reality is Jon Rudkin has played a very significant role and part in Guy Branston’s professional life, whilst the man is the devil incarnate to many LCFC fans, there will be people who have had very positive experiences and hold him in high regard for what he has done to help them on a personal level. Many of us will have experienced that within our working lives. 
 

I think where it’s difficult for people with a long standing professional and personal relationship, is to then accept and potentially call out that person is now failing or struggling in their role. 
 

As I said in an earlier post you cannot blame Guy for not wading in on the club and  Rudkin, given his ongoing involvement in the game and close links to the club, but it does also highlight the lack of people ready to challenge what has gone wrong and this acceptance that what has happened in the last 2/3 years is ok. Which does concern me that the general consensus around the hierarchy is nothing to see and let’s carry on regardless. 

This is exactly the problem, it's like the Westminster Bubble at KP HQ, their weekly meetings probably last 5 minutes, JR and his yes people at the club genuinely don't see an issue with anything, the minutes from that internal review after we were relegated last time likely said "Brendan's Fault" like the next one after this comedy of a season will likely say " Coopers fault" the club hierarchy is 100% the issue.

 

They have all been there far too long its stale, just going through the motions, and it's trickling down to the players, the only thing that changes is their wages go up, with nothing to show for the Millions wasted and PSR issues, but worst of all Top has done nothing to improve anything, so we will 100% continue as we are, till he either wakes up and decides changes are needed or sells up we are at that point and we're at that point when we were relegated last time.

[Noahfence]

I think he seriously overestimated the quality of the championship as well if he thinks we can’t have a few academy lads featuring as key players. 
 

It’s absolutely dreadful at the bottom. 

[Nolucklcfc]

You can tell instantly from the attitude that he has close links to the club still. This sort of mentality is exactly the problem. Nothing against him personally but you wouldn’t want your kid to have him as a coach or agent would ya, how defeatist for young players?! Braybrook is a league 2 player? Based on what? He hasn’t had a full season anywhere. 

[Bilo]

If Braybrooke is only League One standard, send him on loan to a club in that division and see how he gets on. If he's absolutely outstanding and we're short in his area, recall him.

[ClaphamFox]

20 minutes ago, Nolucklcfc said:

You can tell instantly from the attitude that he has close links to the club still. This sort of mentality is exactly the problem. Nothing against him personally but you wouldn’t want your kid to have him as a coach or agent would ya, how defeatist for young players?! Braybrook is a league 2 player? Based on what? He hasn’t had a full season anywhere. 

I interpreted his Braybrooke comment as being about the level he could play at right now rather than his future ceiling. At least I hoped that's what he meant.

[Pliskin]

Another thing is his comment about the standard of the PL…. Being another level? 
 

This is definitely the worst PL since its inception…… so called top clubs standards falling well below what they usually set, and mediocre clubs over performing with largely average squads…..

 

He lives with his head in the clouds a bit there, like someone said, 6”4 McAteer? That was a bit like Martin Allen saying Ngotty won the World Cup for France…..

 

[Noahfence]

35 minutes ago, Bilo said:

If Braybrooke is only League One standard, send him on loan to a club in that division and see how he gets on. If he's absolutely outstanding and we're short in his area, recall him.

I fear we’ve messed with Braybrookes development a bit not sending him to an EFL club this season. 
 

But im well aware I’ve got zero idea what goes on behind the scenes and perhaps simply nobody was interested. 

[Pliskin]

4 hours ago, NZ_Foxile said:

I’d be a bit miffed if I was Jordan, having my thesis referred to as a “so-called thesis” 😆

Especially when Jordan comes across as far more articulate than Guy did….. 

[Pliskin]

5 minutes ago, Noahfence said:

I fear we’ve messed with Braybrookes development a bit not sending him to an EFL club this season. 
 

But im well aware I’ve got zero idea what goes on behind the scenes and perhaps simply nobody was interested. 

I can see Braybrooke leaving. Where does he fit? From what I’ve seen of his this season in the academy, he hasn’t stood out. He’s looked fairly ordinary to be honest. Can he operate at championship level? I doubt it, you want either Winks or a Winks replacement, which he doesn’t fit, because I don’t think at this moment he’s got the physicality in his game. The one thing Guy said that I agree with, is when your moments gone, it can often be gone….. I fear with Braybrooke that his time has unfortunately gone, and he needs to move on the kick start his career at league one level perhaps. Rather than hang around our academy and not progress. 

Edited 15 April by Pliskin

[Noahfence]

5 minutes ago, Pliskin said:

I can see Braybrooke leaving. Where does he fit? From what I’ve seen of his this season in the academy, he hasn’t stood out. He’s looked fairly ordinary to be honest. Can he operate at championship level? I doubt it, you want either Winks or a Winks replacement, which he doesn’t fit, because I don’t think at this moment he’s got the physicality in his game. The one thing Guy said that I agree with, is when your moments gone, it can often be gone….. I fear with Braybrooke that his time has unfortunately gone, and he needs to move on the kick start his career at league one level perhaps. Rather than hang around our academy and not progress. 

Yep this is exactly what I’ve been thinking with him. Alves seems to have got back on track after his ACL but not sure with Braybrooke. Sad really. 

[izzymuzzet]

Great interview with Guy, well done lads. 

 

Thought it was a really good example of a phenonemon you see in many industries - institutionalised employees who have been in the same organisation or industry for several decades and can't see the wood for the trees. He couldn't prescribe any solutions to the problems we have because he is unable to identify and diagnose the issues in the first place.

[teblin]

2 hours ago, lanefox said:

6 ft 4 Kasey McAteer says everything

Yep I thought that.

 

Though I also think he's taller that 5ft 9 like it says on some searches.

[dmayne7]

30 minutes ago, teblin said:

Yep I thought that.

 

Though I also think he's taller that 5ft 9 like it says on some searches.

For all the data out there, I can never understand how they get height so wrong. Barnes was 5ft 8 everywhere until he was 25 despite blatantly being much taller. Iheanacho is probably still down as 6ft 1 and is absolutely not that tall (look at him next to somebody who is that height and he's clearly smaller).

[Nolucklcfc]

3 hours ago, ClaphamFox said:

I interpreted his Braybrooke comment as being about the level he could play at right now rather than his future ceiling. At least I hoped that's what he meant.

Wouldn’t hold ya breath, he thought  Kasey was 6,4 🙄

[Bordersfox]

Just a lot of waffle really from Guy. We are where we are, he actually said that.  

 

Doesn't answer a single difficult question just talks around it. 

 

Would have been more interesting if he actually had a coherent counter view around the state the club is in and what might have caused it. He doesn't.  

[Corky]

They are sounding ever more desperate and struggling to justify how poor things have been for years. Football is an ever changing, ever evolving industry and we are being left behind. No new ideas are coming in, no alternate views listened to. The same people in the same jobs indefinitely.

[Stadt]

Not even finished listening to it all but I'm fuming. I can't even articulate all my thoughts properly. 

It's really no wonder we’re in such a mess when we employ(ed) people like that. Retrograde tosser that seems to be more of a retardant to youth prospects' success.

 

Hard to compete at PL level? What about when we were in it for 10 years? You can't have it both ways that it's hard to stay up as a newly promoted team when we went down as an incumbent PL side so easily.

 

Experience vs youth, 300 apps vs 1. Nobody is saying play 15 year olds as they're the answer but give the 18, 19, 20 year olds an opportunity. They're not at the level - you have to give them the opportunity first. It's not as if Alves could have really performed worse than Ayew and Reid, then there's the value judgement of who will be the better player in 1, 2, 3 years time as Alves gets better and the others decline.
 

Young players an investment, not just an instant return but even then - sometimes they're better than the current players too.

 

There's too much money. We spend more than about half the league! We spend too much if anything.

 

Having too small a training ground is the only thing we did wrong. Which conveniently was rectified anyway, nothing else to see?

 

Rudkin gets the right people around him. He ascribes a lot of the success to Rudkin and then disperses the blame on nameless departments and other people. Rudkin is the line manager for these people, yet he isn't accountable.

 

Nyoni was good business. We never sold him, we're still waiting on the tribunal?

 

Nelson's attitude on/off the pitch wasn't there. His loans have all been fine, feedback from the fans of those clubs was good.

 

Young players aren't at the right physical level. But what about technically? Is Yamal not ready? Is Dibling not ready? Are we not preparing them correctly physically? They

develop with minutes and experience, how are they supposed to get to the level? 

 

I could go on and on , "well I've been in the game, what do you know" is basically his approach and we keep getting things wrong in direct comparison to similar clubs. Club mouthpiece and it's troubling that his essentially anti-development view is widespread.

 

Branston owes too much professionally to Rudkin to even mildly criticise him. He'll always have him as a failsafe so he'll just rim him instead and explain every negative aspect.

 

How can people even question Rudkin?  
Is the most tone deaf and embarrassing retort, ooh ooh love me Jon.

Edited 15 April by Stadt