[Albion] Dan Ashworth - Technical Director

[dazzer6666]

Paul Barber: “Paul [Winstanley] and his player recruitment and analysis team will report to Dan, but importantly their roles and responsibilities will not change. Paul will continue to head up this area, while continuing to work very closely with Chris, Tony and myself, as he has done for several years now.”

Uh oh. This is an organisational fudge, and, imo, likely to lead to one of PW or Dan leaving in the 1-3 year timescale.

Either, PW reports to Dan, in which case why is PB already limiting the changes that Dan can make to his team before the man has even started work, and why is he saying that PW will continue to work very closely with Tony, CH and himself?

Or, there’s in effect no change to PW’s reporting relationships and standing in the club, in which case why have him report to Dan?

A fudge, and one that will end in tears for one of the two men. You read it here first.

Could be to reduce Barber's direct span of control - not sure how many direct reports he has, but poss too many.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

If we want to stretch 'recent signings' to the last January window, there is obviously the one big question mark, but no recruitment team ever got them all right.

Yep indeed. Cant help think he was a panic buy because we desperately needed a striker. HOWEVER he has almost repaid his transfer fee and wages because on signing him Glenn (must as I ADORE him) decided to get his arse in gear and start finding the net again and leading the line with aplomb which ultimately led to survival. So even by NOT playing its almost job done.

But yes I think I have already written off JL as a player in my mind.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Could be to reduce Barber's direct span of control - not sure how many direct reports he has, but poss too many.

Possibly so, but that doesn’t change the fact that PB has publicly told PW: “Your job is totally unchanged. Oh - but you have a new boss”. And has told Dan: “You’re responsible for recruitment and for the man who currently heads it up. But you can’t change his job description”.

It’s a fudge.

 

[rippleman]

Can he head the ball?

Not so worried about whether he can play left back but I hope he can provide cover for Murray if he gets crocked.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

He can't think we're getting relegated.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Possibly so, but that doesn’t change the fact that PB has publicly told PW: “Your job is totally unchanged. Oh - but you have a new boss”. And has told Dan: “You’re responsible for recruitment and for the man who currently heads it up. But you can’t change his job description”.

It’s a fudge.

If we've been looking for a while it is likely everyone was aware this was going to happen at some point.

 

[Goldstone1976]

If we've been looking for a while it is likely everyone was aware this was going to happen at some point.

Depends if “we” included PW. Even if it did, there’s a big difference between a possible change to your job at some point in the future and the stark reality of an appointment having been made.

Possibly, it’ll all work out just fine - after all there’s no history of an incoming Technical Director having caused internal ructions in other pro football clubs...

 

[Weststander]

What a coup for the club.

Football writers rave about his work, where previously they’d bitched about all his predecessors at the FA. The results are there for all to see with the unprecedented success of all non-senior age groups.

 

[timbha]

My take alongside all these conspiracy theories is that Bloom is no mug and this appointment is probably part of his bigger long term plans.

Perhaps PB’s span of control is too great and is increasing as the club grows. Having Recruitment, Medical, Development reporting to him in addition to the standard Operations, HR, Marketing, Commercial, Legal, other, might be too much so the new structure will reduce his direct reports by 2.

Alternatively, or in addition the appointment could be part of the long term succession plans for PB.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

I understand the concept, but where has it been successful and continues to do so ? Give me some examples and why

Pretty much every big club aside from Man Utd have one (there's talk of them pursuing one at this moment with Edwin Van Der Saar linked quite a lot). Pretty much every club abroad has one. In fact, systems without one with recent success are much harder to find. It's arguable Utd's recent issues are down to the fact that the big money man (Woodward) is also the man trying to balance football duties - as a result they're struggling for a lack of identity and clear footballing structure. Chelsea have had one for ages, Man City too, Spurs too, Liverpool too. Bayern Munich have always had one (Sammer still, I believe), Dortmund too, Real, Barca... etc etc.

 

[dazzer6666]

Possibly so, but that doesn’t change the fact that PB has publicly told PW: “Your job is totally unchanged. Oh - but you have a new boss”. And has told Dan: “You’re responsible for recruitment and for the man who currently heads it up. But you can’t change his job description”.

It’s a fudge.

I get where you're coming from - it's happened to me a few times. Restructure, no change in role but reporting line changes - sometimes it works out very well, sometimes not so much. Can depend on the extent to which reporting to Barber was key in Winstanley (for example) taking his current role, how well he end up getting on with Ashworth gong forward etc. Lots of variables - it COULD end up with one or more senior people feeling pissed off or disenfranchised, it could equally improve things for all concerned. Time will tell.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Would have thought that introducing a high-profile Technical Director can't be anything other than a recipe for intoducing friction and bitchin' into the existing club heirarchy. Possibly a good thing. But probably not.

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

Let's be honest, most of us don't have a clue if this is a good thing or not. I do trust the decision making of TB implicitly though, he seems to know a thing or two about owning a club and which key people he needs to watch t'shop whilst he is busy building his fortune. That coupled with Ashworth's CV and standing in football for me means this should be viewed as a positive step.

 

[BrickTamland]

Would have thought that introducing a high-profile Technical Director can't be anything other than a recipe for intoducing friction and bitchin' into the existing club heirarchy. Possibly a good thing. But probably not.

Damn. Wish they consulted you. Sack the board

 

[Easy 10]

Hope Powell, Dan Ashworth.

Next up, Southgate ?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Damn. Wish they consulted you. Sack the board

Wait and see. It'll end in tears. Guaranteed.

 

[Giraffe]

Let's be honest, most of us don't have a clue if this is a good thing or not. I do trust the decision making of TB implicitly though, he seems to know a thing or two about owning a club and which key people he needs to watch t'shop whilst he is busy building his fortune. That coupled with Ashworth's CV and standing in football for me means this should be viewed as a positive step.

But he is not infallable. Hyppia for example. And the recruitment at the time.

Like all big decisions they involve an element of gamble and he is generally pretty good at this.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Hope Powell, Dan Ashworth.

Next up, Southgate ?

Doubt it - doesn't even pick our players for England!

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

My take alongside all these conspiracy theories is that Bloom is no mug and this appointment is probably part of his bigger long term plans.

Perhaps PB’s span of control is too great and is increasing as the club grows. Having Recruitment, Medical, Development reporting to him in addition to the standard Operations, HR, Marketing, Commercial, Legal, other, might be too much so the new structure will reduce his direct reports by 2.

Alternatively, or in addition the appointment could be part of the long term succession plans for PB.

Very sensible. Whatever the plan, I wonder how people cannot trust that the club has not thought about this very carefully. Whatever he does, it will have been carefully planned. And whatever we want him to do, he I'll be good at it.

And he will have been recruited only when his ability to work with those he will need to work with has been as far as possibly checked.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Would have thought that introducing a high-profile Technical Director can't be anything other than a recipe for intoducing friction and bitchin' into the existing club heirarchy. Possibly a good thing. But probably not.

See above post. Any recruitment process worth its saltwillhavevhecked his ability towork withthose ge needs to work with. He woukdnt be comingin if CH was not happy with it.