[Albion] Dan Ashworth

[portslade seagull]

Sadly what we lack are players with proven PL experience. Taking punts on unknowns is very risky and has probably cost far more than it would've done getting 3 or 4 PL players in. Yes some might have been mercenaries but they would have helped

 

[GT49er]

It makes me wonder, what, if any, conversations TB and/or DA had with CH in the last 6 months of CH's tenure about the style of football. Did CH know that changes in style were required - and if so was the fact that he couldn't or wouldn't change his defensive policy ultimately the reason he was sacked rather than the fact that we only just squeaked over the line (after all, we might be in about the same position now with him still in charge and after strengthening in the summer window)?

 

[taz]

Portsmouth top youth scout just joined us a couple of months ago, all behind the scenes inproving our recruitment of players from youth to big money first team purchases, after buying andone, Ali j and locodia, don't think Tony was happy with what his money was being spent on, and so headhunted Dan ashworth to inprove the recruitment, think he's done a good job so far in players and manager!

 

[taz]

I have a theory that the Premier league and other club owners put pressure on Tony bloom as to the style of play acceptable in the league, a comment by Paul barber "We are in the entertainment industry" and the Premier league entertaining billions across the world with clubs seeing the financial rewards its important to maintain a 87th high level of excitement, short term defensive and boring football might be acceptable for the Premier league in the short term out of nessesity for some clubs, but Houghtons style was damaging long term!

 

[peterward]

Sadly what we lack are players with proven PL experience. Taking punts on unknowns is very risky and has probably cost far more than it would've done getting 3 or 4 PL players in. Yes some might have been mercenaries but they would have helped

I don't think for one second a player like Giroud would consider us, but just for arguments sake, he's reported to be on 140kpw, if we paid 100kpw (2.5 million in wages for 6 months), plus another 1.5 million loan fee, we'd have a proven PL striker and former french international for 6 months costing us 4mill (circa 8 mill PA).

Contrast that with spunking another 20 mill on the next barn door, roll of the dice from some euro Noddy league, pay them 30-35kpw on a 3-4 year contract and the cost to the club over the next 6 months wouldn't be much different between Giroud and the 6 month percentage of fee/wages for the latest punt.

You know the Giroud type pedigree will score, even if he leaves in July, you have no idea if the long term punt will and you'll still be saddled for years after July.

 

[GT49er]

I have a theory that the Premier league and other club owners put pressure on Tony bloom as to the style of play acceptable in the league, a comment by Paul barber "We are in the entertainment industry" and the Premier league entertaining billions across the world with clubs seeing the financial rewards its important to maintain a 87th high level of excitement, short term defensive and boring football might be acceptable for the Premier league in the short term out of nessesity for some clubs, but Houghtons style was damaging long term!

As conspiracy theories go, that's not quite up there with the one about the moon landings being faked, but .......................

Oh, and there's only one 'o' in Hughton.

 

[JBizzle]

I was a big fan of Hughton (and still am), but all these "We should have stuck with Hughton" retrospectives fail to acknowledge one simple question: Was there anything in the last half of last season that indicated we were on an upward trend?

I think the board made a brave decision to try and arrest a slide and time will tell if it pays off, but I do understand why they made the change. We are in a bit of a slump at the moment, and it may continue, but all this relentless finger pointing is frankly boring and unproductive.

You're either behind the club or not. No-one is above criticism, but that doesn't mean that everyone has to be criticised.

 

[Hampster Gull]

I was a big fan of Hughton (and still am), but all these "We should have stuck with Hughton" retrospectives fail to acknowledge one simple question: Was there anything in the last half of last season that indicated we were on an upward trend?

I think the board made a brave decision to try and arrest a slide and time will tell if it pays off, but I do understand why they made the change. We are in a bit of a slump at the moment, and it may continue, but all this relentless finger pointing is frankly boring and unproductive.

You're either behind the club or not. No-one is above criticism, but that doesn't mean that everyone has to be criticised.

We definitely shouldn’t have stuck with Sir Hughton

 

[Seasider78]

Can’t fault the club off the pitch we have a quality PL setup the issue is we need quality on the pitch otherwise we can get any manager in but he won’t have the tools to deliver the clubs vision

 

[DJ NOBO]

Portsmouth top youth scout just joined us a couple of months ago, all behind the scenes inproving our recruitment of players from youth to big money first team purchases, after buying andone, Ali j and locodia, don't think Tony was happy with what his money was being spent on, and so headhunted Dan ashworth to inprove the recruitment, think he's done a good job so far in players and manager!

The fact that we are probably going down has tainted it a smidgen

 

[oldboyroy]

Wonder if we'll see a banner similar to the 1 Sami got the time to go and take the burke with you 1. That still makes me laugh when it was plastered on TV screens just before Sami quit

 

[Wellesley]

He is a Slaaaag! I know f*** all about him really or what he is doing, but in the mood I'm in, he can go f*** his useless self, the dirty money grabbing leach.

 

[Weststander]

I assume he'll be back from his well earned holiday in 10 days time.

Doing a 'David Burke' .... January spent in Tahiti, doing 'business' by Skype. Spent with the Winstanley clan.

Can't blame them, January's dull in the UK.

 

[vagabond]

I like Dan Ashworth’s vision for expansive football and promoting youth. It’s exciting.
The downfall has been trying to achieve too much too soon without properly recruiting.
It’s like there’s an element at the club that sees premier league survival (as achieved by hughton) as a given.
It smacks of arrogance and naivety, and will likely cost us our place at the top table.

This right here is the hub of the issue as I see it, and have had numerous posts elaborating on.

It does seem the club is very laid back, casual even during these transfer windows. Granted, we don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. But we saw this with our legendary 11pm striker bids a while back.

Whether we have factions in the club at odds I don’t know. But there are no guarantees in football and the club should be doing everything in it’s power to stay in the PL.

After however many windows, the fact we have ended up with 36yr old Murray as sole backup to a Championship striker indicates a failure in recruitment to me.

 

[Commander]

So many football experts on here, able to judge the ins and outs of the work of one of the most respective football people in Europe, all without ever actually seeing anything that's going on with their own eye. It's quite remarkable.

 

[Weststander]

The Albion giving a new meaning to Dry January, win less again.

 

[Commander]

I have a theory that the Premier league and other club owners put pressure on Tony bloom as to the style of play acceptable in the league, a comment by Paul barber "We are in the entertainment industry" and the Premier league entertaining billions across the world with clubs seeing the financial rewards its important to maintain a 87th high level of excitement, short term defensive and boring football might be acceptable for the Premier league in the short term out of nessesity for some clubs, but Houghtons style was damaging long term!

Wow. Astonishing.

 

[Cesar Chavez]

The 'back room' has got too big and bloated. Ideas they can't or don't know how to implement. Get some real football people in and stopping messing about.
# drain the backroom swamp

 

[vagabond]

So many football experts on here, able to judge the ins and outs of the work of one of the most respective football people in Europe, all without ever actually seeing anything that's going on with their own eye. It's quite remarkable.

So nobody is ever allowed to criticise the club?

 

[Commander]

So nobody is ever allowed to criticise the club?

Yes, because that's exactly what I said, isn't it?