Roy Mcfarlands point on the phone in

[Publius Ovidius]

When questioned TWICE by Harty, he was asked if he thought when you look around Withdean, you as a player would not come to teh club based on that.

He TWICE said that the Withdean as a ground was not a factor they would think about.

Interesting point when we had been fed the line that players didnt want to come here because of teh "Withdean factor"

Also point on the Hawsey interview with DK...H asked him if money was a factor in appointing DW...he said he didnt want to answer such a ludicrous question...well sorry DK, everyone I spoke to at the ground reconed DW was the cheap option.

Well Mr Knight Looks like the message you are trying to get over to the fans is starting to evaporate

 

[BensGrandad]

Roy McFarland only repeated what MM said at the fans forum but even then DK said it was a major factor so who do you believe?

Also Chris Lucketti is wanting to leave Sheff Utd according to todays papers what do you feel about him on loan Dave? He is 35!

 

[Beach Hut]

We need to stop conceding goals so anyone will do at present.

Get him in now

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Get him in straight away.

I saw enough of him at Hudds and Preston to know he is 100% class and would bolster our defence which today looked a shambles.

GARRY HART IS NOT AT f***ing FULL BACK

 

[The Auditor]

Also point on the Hawsey interview with DK...H asked him if money was a factor in appointing DW...he said he didnt want to answer such a ludicrous question...well sorry DK, everyone I spoke to at the ground reconed DW was the cheap option.

Well Mr Knight Looks like the message you are trying to get over to the fans is starting to evaporate

 

[BensGrandad]

I think he was one of the best stopper central defenders in the Championship would probably be too expensive wage wise.

 

[7:18]

bring in Lucketti!

 

[Kylies Stunt Arse]

When questioned TWICE by Harty, he was asked if he thought when you look around Withdean, you as a player would not come to teh club based on that.

He TWICE said that the Withdean as a ground was not a factor they would think about.

Interesting point when we had been fed the line that players didnt want to come here because of teh "Withdean factor"

I'm not sure that "Withdean" is the whole story though Dave. You're right in that McFarland did say that, but I'm not sure he was asked the right question. Harty asked him if it was him as an 18 year old, would he be put off. The fact is we're looking to entice 18 year olds from Prem teams, teams with proper stadia, but more importantly teams with proper training facilities and background staff and support frameworks, something we don't have. Yes, the playing surface is very good at the moment, but everything else is substandard, and many young pros will feel that they're not getting anything out of the deal, other than a chance, maybe, of first team football.

Also point on the Hawsey interview with DK...H asked him if money was a factor in appointing DW...he said he didnt want to answer such a ludicrous question...well sorry DK, everyone I spoke to at the ground reconed DW was the cheap option.

Well Mr Knight Looks like the message you are trying to get over to the fans is starting to evaporate

Of course Wilkins was the cheap option, I don't think anyone will doubt that, whether or not it was a major factor in DW getting the job is another thing. I'd like to think it had more to do with the majority of the squad having worked, successfully, with DW for quite some time now. Hopefully there will be money released for getting more loanees in, and maybe someone permanently in January. I'm sure that things will become clearer after the court date on Wednesday.

 

[London Irish]

When questioned TWICE by Harty, he was asked if he thought when you look around Withdean, you as a player would not come to teh club based on that.

Come off it, he was being polite. He was a guest on the show and his team had just won. Of course he was not going to lay into Withdean.

On the same phone-in, Williams described Withdean as "weird". That would be a good thing?

 

[London Irish]

Chris Lucketti is wanting to leave Sheff Utd according to todays papers

I would imagine a 35-year-old wouldn't want a loan, but a final contract. By all means if we can offer him that, yes. Think there's probably plenty of northern teams he'll look at first though on the wages we offer.

 

[BensGrandad]

I would imagine a 35-year-old wouldn't want a loan, but a final contract. By all means if we can offer him that, yes. Think there's probably plenty of northern teams he'll look at first though on the wages we offer.

It depends on the length of his present contract and wages at Sheff Utd.

eg: If he has a 2 year contract at Sheff Utd on £10k per week and we offer £3k per week of it to Sheff Utd over a season that is a saving of in excess of £100k.

This was how Harry Rednapp worked it with Pompey he hada central defender, cant remember his name, ginger haired fellow from Middlesborough and Pompey paid a % of his wages thus saving Middlesbrough money and them gaining a good player.

 

[London Irish]

It depends on the length of his present contract and wages at Sheff Utd.

eg: If he has a 2 year contract at Sheff Utd on £10k per week and we offer £3k per week of it to Sheff Utd over a season that is a saving of in excess of £100k.

This was how Harry Rednapp worked it with Pompey he hada central defender, cant remember his name, ginger haired fellow from Middlesborough and Pompey paid a % of his wages thus saving Middlesbrough money and them gaining a good player.

Maybe, but it's a bit academic. The player was excellent for Preston, if it hasn't worked for him at the Blades, his next step is a Championship club, not us.

 

[trueblue]

Re: Re: Roy Mcfarlands point on the phone in

Come off it, he was being polite. He was a guest on the show and his team had just won. Of course he was not going to lay into Withdean.

On the same phone-in, Williams described Withdean as "weird". That would be a good thing?

I think the Withdean factor is being overplayed now. In the Championship, it's true that a lot of players would have felt it was a very poor option. In this division, we should be much more able to compete for signatures.

These are professional footballers. If they are paid good enough money they would play in a ploughed field. It's a job, and most of the notions about 'affection' for clubs etc are much more of an issue to fans than players. If it's a decent team with decent players and prospects of promotion, they won't care about the surroundings... that was the point I felt McFarland made.

We're clearly still not competing in terms of wages and so on, which may be due to the Falmer inquiry, but that's not quite the same as the 'Withdean factor' which is being used as an excuse i.e. people don't want to play there.

 

[London Irish]

Re: Re: Re: Roy Mcfarlands point on the phone in

IThese are professional footballers. If they are paid good enough money they would play in a ploughed field. It's a job, and most of the notions about 'affection' for clubs etc are much more of an issue to fans than players. If it's a decent team with decent players and prospects of promotion, they won't care about the surroundings... that was the point I felt McFarland made.

We're clearly still not competing in terms of wages and so on, which may be due to the Falmer inquiry, but that's not quite the same as the 'Withdean factor' which is being used as an excuse i.e. people don't want to play there.

There is a confusion I guess about what is meant by the Withdean factor. I think we don't have money because Withdean cannot generate the revenue, it's not all just about Falmer expenditure as you state, although that is a killer too.

Does the general bizarreness and shitness of the ground also put players off too? I think it might, because I think there is also a factor of professional humilation about being part of a club with such a ridiculous ground.

Now, if you chucked anough money at players, I'm sure you could overcome that embarrassment on their part, so if that is what you are saying, then I would agree.

But why don't we have the money to do that? Could it be that fans don't want to come to a shit ground? Could it be that corporate income doesn't want to be associated with the Withdean experience? Could it be that the overheads of putting on football at Withdeam are way in excess of other grounds in League 1?

I'm sorry, but it all comes back to Withdean being shit. Better than Gillingham, yes, but still dragging this club towards League 2 because the board cannot keep making up for the accumulated losses at a shit ground in the manner they did in the early years at Withdean.

 

[NMH]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Roy Mcfarlands point on the phone in

I'm sorry, but it all comes back to Withdean being shit. Better than Gillingham, yes, but still dragging this club towards League 2 because the board cannot keep making up for the accumulated losses at a shit ground in the manner they did in the early years at Withdean.

If it was that simple, then managers that we have had since Withdean would all have failed. The fact is, they didn't, and we have the likes of Adams, Coppout, and (to some extent) Taylor to compare with.
I would agree that we can't expect Premiership status within the parameters that Withdean confines us to, but as a breeding ground for football talent we might hope to have a core side of decent players, peppered with up-and-coming prospects with skill.

We have seen brilliant players come to Withdean under previous managers, so don't say "they are just not out there/not going to come here" - we did however see the prospects alienated under McGhee and made to look like 'Collymore-types'. Good management includes motivating and focusing headstrong players, not making them all be the goat to your smooth running of a club.

I agree that Withdean will be a factor in our keeping good players, but shit management was "dragging us toward league 2". I really hope it doesn't continue/isn't continuing.

 

[Jim in the West]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Roy Mcfarlands point on the phone in

If it was that simple, then managers that we have had since Withdean would all have failed. The fact is, they didn't, and we have the likes of Adams, Coppout, and (to some extent) Taylor to compare with.
I would agree that we can't expect Premiership status within the parameters that Withdean confines us to, but as a breeding ground for football talent we might hope to have a core side of decent players, peppered with up-and-coming prospects with skill.

We have seen brilliant players come to Withdean under previous managers, so don't say "they are just not out there/not going to come here" - we did however see the prospects alienated under McGhee and made to look like 'Collymore-types'. Good management includes motivating and focusing headstrong players, not making them all be the goat to your smooth running of a club.

I agree that Withdean will be a factor in our keeping good players, but shit management was "dragging us toward league 2". I really hope it doesn't continue/isn't continuing.

The Wilkins era is to an extent a new dawn. We can't expect things to turn round in a few weeks. It will take the rest of this season for Wilkins to make a mark, which is why he has been given that length of time.

 

[fleet]

It was interesting to hear a manager say Withdean should not be a factor. It was not a factor for SC when he got players of quality in on loan, it should not be a factor now.

We must get several players of experience and very fast

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Said it quite a few times, players dont care about Withdean as long as they are getting paid.
Mcghee said it in pre season as well - FACT.

 

[Bakesy]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Roy Mcfarlands point on the phone in

The Wilkins era is to an extent a new dawn. We can't expect things to turn round in a few weeks. It will take the rest of this season for Wilkins to make a mark, which is why he has been given that length of time.

Maybe, but as a club, can we afford to plummett through this division and end up in the bottom tier of league football.That's where we are heading i'm afraid.It's not down to the manager, we coud have any manager at the helm and we'd still be shit.
The bottom line is that our players are not good enough, even for this division.Unless we strengthen the team considerably, we will find ourselves bottom of the league and crowds will diminish even further.
We need serious investment, and we need it NOW, or i believe this club will fold.
Dick Knight saved this club,but he has taken this club as far as he can, it's now time for a change at the top.

 

[empire]

cant fault what he has done for this club,but he cant take it any further,and lets be honest he has never had money to pump into it has he?