[Albion] If Graham Potter is re-appointed...

[Herr Tubthumper]

I am concerned about us replacing Dunk, Groß and March eventually.

JPVN is the natural successor to Dunk in my opinion. To be fair we’ve done pretty well with centre-backs: Ben White, Dunk, JPVH, Webster, Igor, Burn and there’s probably someone I’ve forgotten. CBs and ‘keepers are positions I don’t worry about.

How you replace Gross though is a different story. I can’t even think of anyone, realistically, who I’d have.

 

[Justice]

I’d suggest to Mr Samuel that as long as you are acquiring potentially top assets at a faster rate than selling them, you should be ok. We had a glitch in the system this year though, they either weren’t ready development-wise or they were injured. Fortunately, Bloom and Barber tend not to repeat their mistakes (if finishing 1st in a Euro group and 11th in the EPL can be seen as failure).

The risk is, the chunks of coal we unearth stop turning into diamonds.

I am concerned about us replacing Dunk, Groß and March eventually.

But then there are also a number of young players with very high windows of development including Ferguson, Enciso, Adingra, Rushworth, Baleba and Buonanotte.

Trouble is now we don’t have a head of recruitment other PL clubs are already raiding the South American market, Palace have just signed the next wonder kid for £30m he may of been a player we would of signed for £10m two seasons ago, nothing lasts forever.
They all want a slice of the pie now after seeing our recent sales profit and are prepared to pay more to get them.

 

[Hiheidi]

Trouble is now we don’t have a head of recruitment other PL clubs are already raiding the South American market.

This is something that has been bugging me - when Winstanley went to Chelsea and Jewell got promoted, why didn't we hire someone in to shadow/learn from Jewell as a deputy head of recruitment? That would have been succession planning.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Martin Samuel is a West Ham fan. He knows about relegation.

He also knows about selling too many of your young starlets {Rio, Lampard, Joe Cole, Glen Johnson, Defoe)

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

This is something that has been bugging me - when Winstanley went to Chelsea and Jewell got promoted, why didn't we hire someone in to shadow/learn from Jewell as a deputy head of recruitment? That would have been succession planning.

Do you honestly not think they had thought of that?

 

[Pavilionaire]

If it is to be Potter then why has he not already been appointed?

 

[B-right-on]

The "links" are vague at best. Would consider it likely we at least talked to McKenna. Steve Cooper... the "The Argus understands that suggestions that Albion are “leading the race” for the Welshman are false" to me sounds like agent talk for "there's no/limited interest in my client but saying it like this make it sounds like everyone's all over him".

I'm 100% sure that Cooper is not on the list, or if he is then it's number 78. Just can't see what the attraction could be. Personally.

More likely than not going with a foreign name. We can rule out Nuno because he is the manager of another PL club. Mourinho and Conte are defensive minded coaches and we're an attacking minded club. Not to mention they eat money. Van Nistelrooy not likely as he's too inexperienced but can't be entirely ruled out

I agree. I was repeating those names to balance the "Anti-English" accusation when I said I didn't want Cooper, Martin or Potter.

I think any possible target is recommended to stay out of media engagement if they want to job and that more likely than not we're (as in us fans) not knowing who it is until the same day or the day before we announce him.

Just like we did with RDZ? I agree.

Still got fingers and toes crossed for Gallardo, can't take away my hopes with reality checks. I'm allowed to dream.

 

[Lifelong Supporter]

Martin Samuel writing in The Sunday Times reckons this appointment is crucial to the Club's future in the PL (pay wall so can't share). Get it wrong, he says, and we're down. The bloke is not a fan of Clubs who continually flog their best assets, as there is ultimately a price to pay. You can duck and dive for a while, but you are only one bad appointment from the Championship.

I don't normally agree with him, but I do in this case. And the longer this goes on the more concerned I become.

Will be very happy for this to be proved wrong (again).

I don't see it that we 'flog our best assets'. Players have moved on because they have wanted to go and the club had little or no realistic choice. That is the way it works these days. If a top 6 club wants a player he will be gone, by hook or by crook, and his pay will at least double. What the club has done though was get the best price it could for them.

Football has changed because the players and their agents now call the tune. I read about the 'next manager' but that is not what he is going to be. He is going to be a coach like RDZ was and Potter before him. The club is managed by the chief executive, Paul Barber with support from others.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

This is something that has been bugging me - when Winstanley went to Chelsea and Jewell got promoted, why didn't we hire someone in to shadow/learn from Jewell as a deputy head of recruitment? That would have been succession planning.

We appointed Mike Cave who is assistant technical director to take over Sam Jewell’s responsibilities, he is assisted by George Holmes who is scouting and intelligence manager.

So it sounds like we may have changed our recruitment setup at least in the short term with no overall head of recruitment and the role being incorporated into the assistant technical director’s role. Cave was Jewells line manager anyway and had responsibility for the recruitment department.

 

[Diablo]

I would find it very hard to give any support to Potter again. Mckenna at Ipswich has shown Potter how he should behave. With Commitment and integrity.

 

[Hiheidi]

We appointed Mike Cave who is assistant technical director to take over Sam Jewell’s responsibilities, he is assisted by George Holmes who is scouting and intelligence manager.

So it sounds like we may have changed our recruitment setup at least in the short term with no overall head of recruitment and the role being incorporated into the assistant technical director’s role. Cave was Jewells line manager anyway and had responsibility for the recruitment department.

I get that but Cave seemingly has no background or experience in recruitment. It's such an important window for us and a key part of our business model, it is a worry not to have someone experienced at the helm for this summer's targets and negotiations.

 

[Han Solo]

JPVN is the natural successor to Dunk in my opinion. To be fair we’ve done pretty well with centre-backs: Ben White, Dunk, JPVH, Webster, Igor, Burn and there’s probably someone I’ve forgotten. CBs and ‘keepers are positions I don’t worry about.

How you replace Gross though is a different story. I can’t even think of anyone, realistically, who I’d have.

Van Hecke is almost certainly gone before Dunk is. Imo should be happy enough if we can fend off the big clubs this summer and keep him for next season.

 

[Han Solo]

I would find it very hard to give any support to Potter again. Mckenna at Ipswich has shown Potter how he should behave. With Commitment and integrity.

Didn't he pretty much whore himself out to half of the Premier League in front of all the media spotlights? Commitment and integrity...

 

[southstandandy]

If it is to be Potter then why has he not already been appointed?

Probably because he is not the clubs 1st choice - same with Cooper. If both of these candidates were high up on Tony's list I'm sure one would be in by now.

Seems to me like another curve ball is coming which none of us will expect.

 

[Van Cleef]

Didn't he pretty much whore himself out to half of the Premier League in front of all the media spotlights? Commitment and integrity...

And the massive new sackful of cash helped too.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Van Hecke is almost certainly gone before Dunk is. Imo should be happy enough if we can fend off the big clubs this summer and keep him for next season.

As long as we remain a top 10 club I’m not convinced he will be gone before Dunk steps down. I think he’s good, very good, but not good enough, and doesn’t shows enough potential (he’s 24 in 6 days time) , for a top 6 club. We’ll see.

 

[GT49er]

Ok so he's a fan of some teams in the Saudi league and six or seven clubs (PSG, Bayern, City, Arsenal, Real Madrid and arguably some other similar sized clubs) in Europe. What difference does it do to us that this guy only is a fan of gigantic football corporations when we're not ever going to be one of them?

Such a fan of only big clubs - but he still noticed that tiny Sassuolo finally ran out of luck and got relegated this season, which was the basis for the start of his article. As he said, clubs like Sassuolo and us, who rely on being clever to find ways to get to play with the big boys, we're always only one bad decision away from trouble.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

We will sign quality players this summer. We're just not letting the manager decide who these players are.
We're not an amateur club from Italy, we're not rehiring the guy we let go two weeks ago.

“we” sorry

 

[Bold Seagull]

I would find it very hard to give any support to Potter again. Mckenna at Ipswich has shown Potter how he should behave. With Commitment and integrity.

or Ipswich just matched our offer.

 

[Guinness Boy]

or Ipswich just matched our offer.

I think they might have beaten it. Incredible ambition really, as I’m sure we’d have given him an offer in line with a coach expected to deliver European football.