[Albion] Dan Ashworth

[Bry Nylon]

At least we'll get parachute payments for the next couple of years.

Dan Asworth would probably spend it all on parachutes. From Holland.

 

[Stat Brother]

OK I feel better about it now, out of our league then

But at some point the club does have to join the league it's in.


Spending 7 years concocting ever more outrageous excuses for not buying players is rather taking it's toll.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Burke came in and destroyed what was the best style of football and momentum we've had in my lifetime. Managers outright blamed him for the downturn. We bought in a Head Coach in Sami and we almost went back to League 1 football. Just over half a decade later and Bloom, I assume, has bought in Ashworth and Head Coach Potter (who has never been in this situation before, by the way) with the logic of Burke and Sami failed because they weren't up to scratch, so bringing in someone of the Ashworth calibre shouldn't fail. He's getting a very expensive outcome. Director of Football and the type of manager we want at this club do not work together, and on the whole the DoF doesn't work well in many places at all. It's one thing to cost however much Burke and Samis sackings cost but this one is set to cost Tony almost half a billion when all is said and done without even including what it might end up costing to sack Ashworth or Potters team, but they don't go together clearly. Yikes.


Edit: Oh, and if you read all of DA's little articles and interviews and other staff members at the club, it certainly paints a picture that SUGGESTS he may well have a large say in that starting XI we see every week.

How do you know they don’t go together?

And Director of Football works and has worked well off the top of my head at Liverpool, Man City, Wolves, Ajax, Juventus, Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Southampton, Alalanta, Sevilla, Leicester, Watford, Everton, Chelsea, Lille, Roma, RB Liepzig and countless others across Europe.

It is an outdated British stereotype that DOF’s don’t work. The days of Ferguson and Wenger are history and a DOF is essential in modern football. Ashworth is one of the best in the business, like Barber is in his field, and I’m glad we’ve got both of them at the top of the club.

I hope Potter is here to stay for a long time but ultimately, Ashworth is a more important long term appointment for the club.

 

[paulfuzz]

What would we lose if TB sacked Ashworth tomorrow (apart from a pay-off the size of a lottery win) - would we notice any difference? Would our team get any less successful?

If someone can prove to me a different scenario, fine - but the fact remains that when he came in we were doing pretty well, second season in the PL and looking safe; reasonably comfortable anyway - since he's come in we've struggled.

Changing the philosophy of an organisation is a slow process. Like emptying the contents of a jigsaw onto the table at first it may look a mess but as the pieces fit together suddenly the whole picture becomes clear.
Some people will challenge the changes, some will adapt, some will embrace and others may be left behind.
I have posted before that I believe that GP is a craftsman working with someone else's' tools. The time to criticise is when all of the tools are of his choosing.

 

[um bongo molongo]

Yes i think we still pay up to about 45-50 k.

Unfortunately this is where the problem lies I think. It’s no coincidence we have a low (by PL standards) top wage and lack quality. Add Danny Ings to our team and we’d be mid table. Whilst I’ve no desire to see us overstretch i do wonder whether we are too ‘flat’ in our budget. If we got rid of a couple of fringe players (eg Ali J) on 50k/week and replaced them with youngsters on 20k we could afford a couple of players on 80k-100k/week within the same total. To get a decent striker you have to pay that I think. Those that look at transfer fees are missing the point - wages are the key thing for getting the best players.

 

[Frankworthington]

So this is all Ashworths fault eh? A bloke who has only been in post for two windows and has signed the following;

Maupay who I'd say is a success especially for his 1st season at this level.
Webster - who is struggling but is in his first season at this level. Clearly needs to cut out the mistakes.
Mooy - On loan the perm. Was rubbish yesterday but overall has done pretty well
Lamptey- Who knows?
Taylor Richards - Again who knows but he looks to have talent.

Obviously, the mistake was first losing two strikers late in the window and then not signing one in January. We do know they tried for a couple in this window so do all these people calling Ashworth out know why those deals didn't go through? Because unless you do you are talking shit.

Why only a couple? How do we know they tried to sign them? All the time Potter was saying he was happy with his squad!!

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

It's quite possible you are right but its just too soon to know. Almost everyone at this level has switched to a DOF type structure there must be a reason for that? Scouting is now a worldwide business both at 1st team level and academy it surely makes sense to have someone overseeing that? A manager could never do it properly anymore. What is important is that all of the parties buy into that which I presume is why Potter's men were brought on board too?

Mistakes have clearly been made on the recruitment side the lack of striking options is criminal but with the limited knowledge we have we cannot know who if anyone is responsible? FWIW I thought Potter's decision to go to 2 up front yesterday was the point the game became strung out and ultimately led to their goal but Potter is on a learning curve as much as anybody at this point. The very fact that we gave Potter a 6 year contract means this whole structure is a long term project. Time will tell if it works or not but it makes as much sense to blame Andone for throwing his rattle out of the pram in August as it does to blame the DOF...

I think the technical director/DoF model is a good one. In theory it leads to continuity in that he sets the tone for the whole club and the playing style, and appoints head coaches who fit the ethos of the club. The alternative is that a manager leaves and takes all his staff with him or they all lose their jobs as a new manager comes in with his trusted assistants and the whole style of the team changes and .... oh, that's what has happened at the Albion.

Well, the theory is good. As long as the technical director is the right man.

 

[The_Viper]

How do you know they don’t go together?

And Director of Football works and has worked well off the top of my head at Liverpool, Man City, Wolves, Ajax, Juventus, Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Southampton, Alalanta, Sevilla, Leicester, Watford, Everton, Chelsea, Lille, Roma, RB Liepzig and countless others across Europe.

It is an outdated British stereotype that DOF’s don’t work. The days of Ferguson and Wenger are history and a DOF is essential in modern football. Ashworth is one of the best in the business, like Barber is in his field, and I’m glad we’ve got both of them at the top of the club.

I hope Potter is here to stay for a long time but ultimately, Ashworth is a more important long term appointment for the club.

I'm saying Potter and a DOF don't go together, my logic is that he has his own team that he has been allowed to bring in. Coaches, recruitment staff, the works. He doesn't need to be bringing in recruitment staff or anything of the sort if we are utilising Ashworth, so why did he? Was he sold a lie or are they all stirring the same pot? Who knows.

 

[phoenix]

Unfortunately this is where the problem lies I think. It’s no coincidence we have a low (by PL standards) top wage and lack quality. Add Danny Ings to our team and we’d be mid table. Whilst I’ve no desire to see us overstretch i do wonder whether we are too ‘flat’ in our budget. If we got rid of a couple of fringe players (eg Ali J) on 50k/week and replaced them with youngsters on 20k we could afford a couple of players on 80k-100k/week within the same total. To get a decent striker you have to pay that I think. Those that look at transfer fees are missing the point - wages are the key thing for getting the best players.

I agree, but the second the 50k players find out there will be tears a plenty. Especially if its still true that some players have to be matched (same wages) to the highest earner.

 

[BluesRockDJ]

We were fed a lot of bullshit when he was appointed, thinking he would use his contacts from when he was involved in the England youth set-up ?

 

[Biscuit]

It's quite possible you are right but its just too soon to know. Almost everyone at this level has switched to a DOF type structure there must be a reason for that? Scouting is now a worldwide business both at 1st team level and academy it surely makes sense to have someone overseeing that? A manager could never do it properly anymore. What is important is that all of the parties buy into that which I presume is why Potter's men were brought on board too?

Mistakes have clearly been made on the recruitment side the lack of striking options is criminal but with the limited knowledge we have we cannot know who if anyone is responsible? FWIW I thought Potter's decision to go to 2 up front yesterday was the point the game became strung out and ultimately led to their goal but Potter is on a learning curve as much as anybody at this point. The very fact that we gave Potter a 6 year contract means this whole structure is a long term project. Time will tell if it works or not but it makes as much sense to blame Andone for throwing his rattle out of the pram in August as it does to blame the DOF...

It wasn't Andone who failed to sign a striker in January.

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

Why only a couple? How do we know they tried to sign them? All the time Potter was saying he was happy with his squad!!

Of course Potter would say he was happy with his squad. What else is he going to say if he's asked by a journalist?

If he said no then the next question would be who are you unhappy with then? Then what does he say?

If the unvarnished truth, warts and all, is what you are after then asking that sort of question is not going to get it.

It's up there with "Have you stopped beating your wife?"

In any case, I doubt there is a Premier League manager anywhere who is happy with his squad even though they may say so publically. I doubt he'd say that to his Chairman!

 

[peterward]

We were fed a lot of bullshit when he was appointed, thinking he would use his contacts from when he was involved in the England youth set-up ?

Ashcroft OUT

 

[um bongo molongo]

I agree, but the second the 50k players find out there will be tears a plenty. Especially if its still true that some players have to be matched (same wages) to the highest earner.

That’s undoubtedly true but other clubs seem to manage it (I’m sure Alex McCarthy is not on the same as Ings). It may mean a few of those on ‘parity with top earner’ contracts move on, but at some point we need to bite that bullet - otherwise we keep doing what we’re doing which is bringing in players who aren’t better than what we’ve got. I mean how many of our current first XI are truly better than the promotion team? We’re arguably weaker up front and at RB due to the age/retirement of Murray and Bruno who we haven’t adequately replaced.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Dan Asworth would probably spend it all on parachutes. From Holland.

About time he brought something in that landed


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[The Oldman]

All I can see is that since DA has joined we have struggled under 2 coaches. We certainly have not improved. Facts speak for themselves.

 

[trueblue]

Unfortunately this is where the problem lies I think. It’s no coincidence we have a low (by PL standards) top wage and lack quality. Add Danny Ings to our team and we’d be mid table. Whilst I’ve no desire to see us overstretch i do wonder whether we are too ‘flat’ in our budget. If we got rid of a couple of fringe players (eg Ali J) on 50k/week and replaced them with youngsters on 20k we could afford a couple of players on 80k-100k/week within the same total. To get a decent striker you have to pay that I think. Those that look at transfer fees are missing the point - wages are the key thing for getting the best players.

I don't necessarily disagree but what does it then do for the unity of the squad if those £100k a week players don't deliver - which probably happens more often than not. Even if they do, all those 20k a week players are going to want a wage hike or their agents will be trying to move them on.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Tony: The thing is Dan, you're a decent bloke, but if we get relegated that's about £110m of TV money down the shitter, plus the same again from reduced commercial ties-ins, gate money, sponsorship deals, corporate revenue and merchandise sales. Give me one good reason why shouldn't I sack you?

Ashworth: Ladies team doing well?

You are Fireman Dan in disguise, and I claim my £5.

 

[Don Tmatter]

I think the technical director/DoF model is a good one. In theory it leads to continuity in that he sets the tone for the whole club and the playing style, and appoints head coaches who fit the ethos of the club. The alternative is that a manager leaves and takes all his staff with him or they all lose their jobs as a new manager comes in with his trusted assistants and the whole style of the team changes and .... oh, that's what has happened at the Albion.

Well, the theory is good. As long as the technical director is the right man.

In your opinion, is he?

 

[Machiavelli]

TB is in for the long haul. Results haven't / aren't going our way. TB has brought DA in to run the footballing side of the club and that's not dependent on game by game results or even if we get relagated.
. If we go down GP and DA will still be here and putting in the foundations for a stable top 10 PL club in the future.

It's going to set his plans back getting relegated but he'll carry on with them imo.

I've just dug this out, and it takes until post 13 to get a response I agree with. Special mention for [MENTION=19156]warmleyseagull[/MENTION] too.