Rudkin

[Viva]

Just now, CosbehFox said:

Yes and no. 

 

On the whole, 2023/24 as a whole was the second largest transfer fees spent since the windows were introduced. 

 

There was a £715m drop between January 2023 and January 2024. But one key difference....Chelsea who dropped nearly £300 million themselves. 

Still makes a considerable £400m less spend for the rest of the Premier League. 
 

We invested well in the summer, which meant we didn’t have an urgent need to add further signings when money is obviously tight in January. 

[Mickyblueeyes]

6 minutes ago, Reg Vardy said:

Coady has started a handful of games, and not lost.....right failure....

For the price, reputation and wages the word used there is why he would be classed in the failure bracket. 

[andy peake]

Hasn’t Maresca already said he thought 3 years was the right time to stay at a club (or something similar). I also cant see him hanging around that long. A seemingly incompetent board, probably little funds to spend in the summer and spectators, many of whom detest the playing style will lead to him taking what he sees as a better opportunity. The only saving grace is that he needs to build experience and maybe be less thin skinned. But with a promotion under his belt and potentially false promises from the board and a Palace, Fulham, Wolves or Fiorentina May well await.

[Dahnsouff]

23 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

 

You don't need an ITK to tell you what a Director is. 

 

People act like football clubs are these strange, alien worlds impossible to comprehend. Look, if you're one of these clubs with an eccentric owner constantly meddling then maybe sure but for the vast majority - definitely including us - it's just bog standard corporate structure. 

 

For most people, just look at your own places of work. 

 

Rudkin is just a director, he reports to the CEO and chairman and basically nobody else. Directors have portfolios and the Director of Football or Sporting Director at a club is in charge of all footballing operations which means it's his ultimate responsibility what players we buy and sell, what contracts we extend and how the budget for playing and coaching staff is ultimately allocated. 

 

But he's not out there playing football manager on his own with a laptop, he's managing a shit load of service managers (including Maresca and Glover) who lead the teams that do most of the front line work you think the footballing side of a club does. 

 

It's not this mystical, incomprehensible role that nobody understands it's just... management. 

It's true I do hold a bit of the mystical opinion about the role, just cannot quite correlate the role of a Directory, Financial, Technical, Development, whatever with the role of a "Footballing" Director, so that on me. Mentioned to @Stadt in a previous reply, it would be better to have a dedicated person in the role rather than some seeming buddy to the CEO, who has multiple roles and responsibilities.

[RowlattsFox]

I don't think it's fair to class Coady as a failure. With hindsight, it was probably an unnecessary cost but no-one predicted Vestergaard resurgence. Also Coady is still important around the place. 

[ACF]

8 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

I've said multiple times in this thread that the buck stops with Rudkin. I'm not defending him I'm just saying his role isn't impossible to understand and people claiming we don't know what he does are being a bit daft. 

 

We don't know exactly what makes up his day but we know what his responsibilities are. 

 

As for communication, not 100% sure what you mean there. If you mean communicating with the fans and the general public then, frankly, whilst it might be frustrating at times I have absolutely 0 problems with the clubs' policy on comms. 

 

I understand fans feeling entitled to an explanation, I get that. But the club can't show their hand to the fans without also showing their hand to the rest of the footballing world and it's the latter they have to do business with. It's bad enough that everyone thinks we're skint, the less we have to actually admit it the better. 

 

That's one of the worst parts of the Sensi fiasco. It's really bad optics. It would have been much better to just deny he was ever a target and say we're happy with the squad that's got us ten points clear. 

 

Hands up, didn’t see your other responses.

 

Communication internally is what I meant. Sets expectations with Enzo. Enzo’s commentary is understandable but hasn’t helped. Agreed with you no issues on the external comms.

[Finnegan]

6 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

It's true I do hold a bit of the mystical opinion about the role, just cannot quite correlate the role of a Directory, Financial, Technical, Development, whatever with the role of a "Footballing" Director, so that on me. Mentioned to @Stadt in a previous reply, it would be better to have a dedicated person in the role rather than some seeming buddy to the CEO, who has multiple roles and responsibilities.

 

It's not just you in fairness it's a lot of the country. It started at the turn of the century when football really started fully moving to more professional corporate structures with directors in charge of recruitment and squad building instead of Harry Redknap being able to sign whichever player whose agent paid for his extension or wife's next shopping trip. 

 

The media in this country got on board, it was all "the European model!" and acting like it was mystifying and strange that with football squads increasingly being vastly expensive assets, maybe letting one bloke with a short term contract and potentially conflicting interests manage all that wasn't smart. 

 

Football fans and even the media in this country still haven't fully caught up twenty to thirty years later, despite most working in corporate structures in their day to day lives probably vastly similar to how a football club is run. 

 

[HighPeakFox]

2 hours ago, Trekerz said:

You idiots who are downplaying how big of a cock-up this is are the exact same ones who had their head in the sand and why we got relegated. Wake up!!!!!

Sorry, but the fans are not the reason we got relegated, whatever they thought. We're simply not that important. 

[The boy Linacre]

Interestingly the Mercury/Leicestershire Live said this:

"But despite that, City have made themselves look incompetent and disorganised. That Maresca didn’t know until January had already begun that City needed to sell before they could buy suggested poor communication behind the scenes. Then, on deadline day, they’ve flown a potential signing over, conducted a medical, but then failed to negotiate the deal successfully. From the outside, it looks like a shambles."

Harsh but fair from the Local rag.

 

Not sure if its Rudders, or others, BUT we don't seem very good at this part of running a football club.

When we won the title and after, we took the plaudits for purchasing Vardy, Kante, Mahrez, Maguire BUT then we bought Slimani, Silva (£22m), Daka, Soumare, Bertrand, Vestergaard, expensive failures. 

Daka blows so hot and cold and I'm a small fan, but the miss on Tuesday was him all over, Vestergaard was bought for the Premier League NOT the Championship.

We had 1 good window 18/19 Madders, Cags, Ricardo but we started early, good planning, there was so much about getting Madders in as soon as the summer window opened, GREAT PLANNING.

22/23's lack of Summer activity probably sent us down, by 2pts.

 

Do business earlier, sometimes say NO (we did yesterday by sounds of it) but don't do the embarrassing circus first, kill it off at the pass.  And also negotiate on performance or walk away, 

Soumare came in at 21/22 on £80k a week, say to him you're an unproven PL player, we'll pay you £30-40k first season, if you prove yourself you can get the salary in following seasons or WALK AWAY and so no 1 player will not decide where we finish.

Look at Liverpool at the moment, Salah, Endo etc are absent and they are probably better AND they have chucked the kids in.

Ben Nelson Looks a great prospect, then can do a job etc..

Also sounds like Manager and DOF need to work closer together IF there are disagreements/lack of clarity/misunderstandings, thats on Rudders as he has been all this time (sadly) to educate the newbie Maresca, etc.

 

Lets learn, Rudders is still there and has been there for a number of years now and has been through these debacles a number of  times e.g. Silva & the fax, last night etc.  

DON'T DO IT AGAIN

I presume we will have a good wedge to spend in the summer, we are very likely going to go up, we will know perhaps end March??? 

From that point know who you are buying... and make it happen by END June/Mid July and don't be held to ransom by transfer fee OR SALARY, different Retail Financial world now.

And have a 18/19 window not any of the others AND buy 4-6 players that ensure we stay up, no gambles, proven performers as much as possible OR WALK from the deal.

But get BETTER AT THIS!!

 

[Tommy G]

Rudkin could quite easily be a director of a number of King Power companies and not do an hours work, from a company secretarial perspective. I can't be arsed to check companies house but I suspect thats the case. Just because he's listed as being involved doesn't mean he's splitting his time equally by any means.

 

I think the overarching reaction is a bit OTT, we are top by some way, have the best squad in the league despite not signing this bloke. No-one, despite attempts at being keyboard DofF have no idea how tight things are with FFP - lets just assume it's really tight, it's a harder world to operate now than even 6 months ago.

 

Without causing offence, 90% of posters on here don't have a clue what it's like to run a business, nevermind one the size of a football club, with angry stakeholders outside your window at every opportunity. This isn't an almighty defence of Rudkin, just reality.

 

I don't think its necessary to go after someone with such vitriol-  Rudkin, Top, Susuan Whelan or whoever. If you're in Reading or Sheff Weds position then maybe it's justifiable. The same people will be wittering in the depression thread about how it's good to talk, check on your mates, hope you're not struggling - I'd imagine if Rudkin or one of his family members read 70 odd pages of this they would feel sick.

 

To conclude, this doesn't mean we settle for mediocrity (I'm aware we've won the league, FA Cup, CL Qtr finalists) but for a club our size that was an overachievement, we are where we are now in a similar position to where we've been in our entire history. 

[Finnegan]

Just now, HighPeakFox said:

Sorry, but the fans are not the reason we got relegated, whatever they thought. We're simply not that important. 

 

You mean if we could all have just convinced Babs it was all Rudkin's fault we still would have been relegated? 

 

I refuse to believe. 

 

[Trekerz]

1 minute ago, Tommy G said:

Rudkin could quite easily be a director of a number of King Power companies and not do an hours work, from a company secretarial perspective. I can't be arsed to check companies house but I suspect thats the case. Just because he's listed as being involved doesn't mean he's splitting his time equally by any means.

 

I think the overarching reaction is a bit OTT, we are top by some way, have the best squad in the league despite not signing this bloke. No-one, despite attempts at being keyboard DofF have no idea how tight things are with FFP - lets just assume it's really tight, it's a harder world to operate now than even 6 months ago.

 

Without causing offence, 90% of posters on here don't have a clue what it's like to run a business, nevermind one the size of a football club, with angry stakeholders outside your window at every opportunity. This isn't an almighty defence of Rudkin, just reality.

 

I don't think its necessary to go after someone with such vitriol-  Rudkin, Top, Susuan Whelan or whoever. If you're in Reading or Sheff Weds position then maybe it's justifiable. The same people will be wittering in the depression thread about how it's good to talk, check on your mates, hope you're not struggling - I'd imagine if Rudkin or one of his family members read 70 odd pages of this they would feel sick.

 

To conclude, this doesn't mean we settle for mediocrity (I'm aware we've won the league, FA Cup, CL Qtr finalists) but for a club our size that was an overachievement, we are where we are now in a similar position to where we've been in our entire history. 

You may be correct, but who got us in this position i the first place then? Rudkin? Top? Someone needs to take responsibility and be held to account. Can't just keep fobbing it off every transfer window that comes because the players on the pitch and manager are bailing them out.

[Tommy G]

Just now, Trekerz said:

You may be correct, but who got us in this position i the first place then? Rudkin? Top? Someone needs to take responsibility and be held to account. Can't just keep fobbing it off every transfer window that comes because the players on the pitch and manager are bailing them out.

The players in the summer that were recruited and are now top and expected to beat the Championship points record, alongside the manager who was recruited out of nowhere to coach them?

 

Presume It wasn't Top or JR that recruited them, was it someone else? 

[Itsthejoeker]

Just now, Tommy G said:

The players in the summer that were recruited and are now top and expected to beat the Championship points record, alongside the manager who was recruited out of nowhere to coach them?

 

Presume It wasn't Top or JR that recruited them, was it someone else? 

It was a divine act of god

[Trekerz]

1 minute ago, Tommy G said:

The players in the summer that were recruited and are now top and expected to beat the Championship points record, alongside the manager who was recruited out of nowhere to coach them?

 

Presume It wasn't Top or JR that recruited them, was it someone else? 

You are aware Enzo was not our first choice? Jesse Marsch claimed he rejected us as he didn't agree with our ambitions. So rudkins first choice was a manager who got leeds relegated

[Ric Flair]

25 minutes ago, DJ Barry Hammond said:

Jettisoning the ownership and DOF might not keep Enzo here either.

 

That would look equally as bizarre would it not? 
 

If, as it seems, FFP is tight one thing we could conclude is that as a club, we backed Enzo as much as we could in the summer.

 

And as we know, getting rid of players that you’ve paid fees for is no longer as easy as just giving them a free because that can still count as a loss.

The dream is over under this ownership. Top will not dismantle the structure and rebuild it for a brighter future so the long term outlook is its time to sell up and go.

 

Enzo will be gone before that happens anyway I'd have though, but that is my unwavering belief that needs to happen now. We are going nowhere under this ownership again. 

 

[Ric Flair]

Just now, Trekerz said:

You are aware Enzo was not our first choice? Jesse Marsch claimed he rejected us as he didn't agree with our ambitions. So rudkins first choice was a manager who got leeds relegated

We actually tried to get Maresca to replace Rodgers but he wanted to see the season out with Man City. Whether that was after Marsch rejected us, I'm not sure.

[Tommy G]

1 minute ago, Trekerz said:

You are aware Enzo was not our first choice? Jesse Marsch claimed he rejected us as he didn't agree with our ambitions. So rudkins first choice was a manager who got leeds relegated

If you are going to make a point at least get it right, he was potentially ''first choice'' after BR got sacked, before we moved for Dean Smith. Enzo was at Man City. 

[ealingfox]

7 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

You mean if we could all have just convinced Babs it was all Rudkin's fault we still would have been relegated? 

 

I refuse to believe. 

 

 

Well if people had been allowed to voice their active opposition to Rodgers earlier rather than being intimidated or physically abused, enough of the crowd might have turned and significantly enough to get him out quicker. A few games earlier would have seen us stay up, im pretty confident of that.

[lcfcbluearmy]

5 minutes ago, The boy Linacre said:

Interestingly the Mercury/Leicestershire Live said this:

"But despite that, City have made themselves look incompetent and disorganised. That Maresca didn’t know until January had already begun that City needed to sell before they could buy suggested poor communication behind the scenes. Then, on deadline day, they’ve flown a potential signing over, conducted a medical, but then failed to negotiate the deal successfully. From the outside, it looks like a shambles."

Harsh but fair from the Local rag.

 

Not sure if its Rudders, or others, BUT we don't seem very good at this part of running a football club.

When we won the title and after, we took the plaudits for purchasing Vardy, Kante, Mahrez, Maguire BUT then we bought Slimani, Silva (£22m), Daka, Soumare, Bertrand, Vestergaard, expensive failures. 

Daka blows so hot and cold and I'm a small fan, but the miss on Tuesday was him all over, Vestergaard was bought for the Premier League NOT the Championship.

We had 1 good window 18/19 Madders, Cags, Ricardo but we started early, good planning, there was so much about getting Madders in as soon as the summer window opened, GREAT PLANNING.

22/23's lack of Summer activity probably sent us down, by 2pts.

 

Do business earlier, sometimes say NO (we did yesterday by sounds of it) but don't do the embarrassing circus first, kill it off at the pass.  And also negotiate on performance or walk away, 

Soumare came in at 21/22 on £80k a week, say to him you're an unproven PL player, we'll pay you £30-40k first season, if you prove yourself you can get the salary in following seasons or WALK AWAY and so no 1 player will not decide where we finish.

Look at Liverpool at the moment, Salah, Endo etc are absent and they are probably better AND they have chucked the kids in.

Ben Nelson Looks a great prospect, then can do a job etc..

Also sounds like Manager and DOF need to work closer together IF there are disagreements/lack of clarity/misunderstandings, thats on Rudders as he has been all this time (sadly) to educate the newbie Maresca, etc.

 

Lets learn, Rudders is still there and has been there for a number of years now and has been through these debacles a number of  times e.g. Silva & the fax, last night etc.  

DON'T DO IT AGAIN

I presume we will have a good wedge to spend in the summer, we are very likely going to go up, we will know perhaps end March??? 

From that point know who you are buying... and make it happen by END June/Mid July and don't be held to ransom by transfer fee OR SALARY, different Retail Financial world now.

And have a 18/19 window not any of the others AND buy 4-6 players that ensure we stay up, no gambles, proven performers as much as possible OR WALK from the deal.

But get BETTER AT THIS!!

 

I've made this point a few times now but here is showing the difference between before Rudkin as DOF and Steve Walsh as head of recruitment we signed players like Vardy, Mahrez, Morgan, Drinkwater, and cambiasso. Since Rudkin has come in and Walsh has left our transfers have been much less successful. Is this is because Rudkin is awful at negociating/ completing transfers or a complete inability to hire a competent head of recruitment and give them the ability to run the recruitment I don't know however both of these issues come under his Job description and it is plain to see that since December 2014 when Ruskin took over as DOF things in our recruitment department have got worse not better.

[Claudio Fannieri]

25 minutes ago, RowlattsFox said:

I don't think it's fair to class Coady as a failure. With hindsight, it was probably an unnecessary cost but no-one predicted Vestergaard resurgence. Also Coady is still important around the place. 

Coady looked really good in pre season prior to his injury, Vesty stepped in to cover and has been a revelation. In fairness to Coady he is now being judged on the odd game here and there and fleeting appearances from the subs bench, he hasn’t been a failure. 

[Reg Vardy]

29 minutes ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

For the price, reputation and wages the word used there is why he would be classed in the failure bracket. 

He was injured, we started brilliant, he couldn't get back in fact.....I wouldn't want to work for you.......

[An Away Move]

People are understandably reactive today but I’d rather we said ‘no’ to a deal than go ahead when we couldn’t afford it. THAT is running the club properly. Truth is we are all speculating. Maybe it was true all along that we had to sell before bringing Sensi in. Or there was a complication from his entourage / Inter that we couldn’t swallow. 
We just don’t know. All the talk about needing new ownership is just clickbait. 

[Claudio Fannieri]

3 minutes ago, lcfcbluearmy said:

I've made this point a few times now but here is showing the difference between before Rudkin as DOF and Steve Walsh as head of recruitment we signed players like Vardy, Mahrez, Morgan, Drinkwater, and cambiasso. Since Rudkin has come in and Walsh has left our transfers have been much less successful. Is this is because Rudkin is awful at negociating/ completing transfers or a complete inability to hire a competent head of recruitment and give them the ability to run the recruitment I don't know however both of these issues come under his Job description and it is plain to see that since December 2014 when Ruskin took over as DOF things in our recruitment department have got worse not better.

I think it’s a mix of who we have appointed as head of recruitment since Walsh has left, Macia was excellent, Congerton an absolute disaster and Glover has done ok, the question I have, is how much influence and control does Rudkin have now in comparison to when Walsh and Pearson were here. If he has more of a say and influence on our recruitment strategy then that would be a concern, especially if he is overruling managers over players for example with the predigree of Sensi at a fairly risk free fee. 
 

What will be interesting to see is how long Glover hangs around, I wouldn’t be shocked to hear he is leaving within the next 6-12 months. 

[Chelmofox]

Just now, Claudio Fannieri said:

I think it’s a mix of who we have appointed as head of recruitment since Walsh has left, Macia was excellent, Congerton an absolute disaster and Glover has done ok, the question I have, is how much influence and control does Rudkin have now in comparison to when Walsh and Pearson were here. If he has more of a say and influence on our recruitment strategy then that would be a concern, especially if he is overruling managers over players for example with the predigree of Sensi at a fairly risk free fee. 
 

What will be interesting to see is how long Glover hangs around, I wouldn’t be shocked to hear he is leaving within the next 6-12 months. 

Because of this window, or because you are ITK. We had a pretty good summer window and i would have thought a huge amount of Glovers work would be focussed on the summer.