[Albion] Paul Barber: The Transfer Window

[Deleted member 2719]

Paul has, once again, extended the invitation to meet a group of NSCers face to face one evening, have a beer, and go over anything that people want to. It's something I'm happy to facilitate, although I'm pretty sure that those who are the most abusive wouldn't be brave enough to front up face to face. Again, I'm not sure fans of many other clubs would get the same opportunity.

I am happy to do that, but my main question will be, will the ears be open or closed, because i can't be arsed with political dodging of any questions.

Face to face has always been better than email communication.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

As some others have said, to have the CEO of a Premier League club respond in this way for fans is pretty remarkable, although I type that knowing that Paul Barber's detractors will immediately come back with something like "he should have focused on signing a striker rather than writing long emails", as if the two are mutually exclusive.

Paul has, once again, extended the invitation to meet a group of NSCers face to face one evening, have a beer, and go over anything that people want to. It's something I'm happy to facilitate, although I'm pretty sure that those who are the most abusive wouldn't be brave enough to front up face to face. Again, I'm not sure fans of many other clubs would get the same opportunity.

I've already met PB so no need. I was standing next to him whilst I had a piss. As I finished, I nodded in that 'Alright mate' kind of way and went back to my pint after washing my hands albeit it in that 'that'll do' kind of way.

I'm sure he'd remember it.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

I am happy to do that, but my main question will be, will the ears be open or closed, because i can't be arsed with political dodging of any questions.

Face to face has always been better than email communication.

I guess he'd better bring a replica shirt for a 7 year old with him

 

[Triggaaar]

Are you sure? It seems like there are a vocal majority that want exactly that!

That's OK, I wasn't referring specifically to you.

Well no I know, but I can't be alone. No doubt there are a few idiots calling for blood, there was that weird thread asking whether it was time for TB to sell I'm not going to waste my time with those idiots, I think most of us know Tony's as / more annoyed than the rest of us.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

I guess he'd better bring a replica shirt for a 7 year old with him

Exactly, she will soon be 8!

 

[Goldstone1976]

I've already met PB so no need. I was standing next to him whilst I had a piss. As I finished, I nodded in that 'Alright mate' kind of way and went back to my pint after washing my hands albeit it in that 'that'll do' kind of way.

I'm sure he'd remember it.

He definitely does remember it. After all, not many people have a piss in the Boardroom.

 

[Is it PotG?]

I'm up for a glass of red with PB.

 

[Triggaaar]

Paul has, once again, extended the invitation to meet a group of NSCers face to face one evening, have a beer, and go over anything that people want to.

For what purpose? The club tried to get a striker, they weren't able to. They're gutted, we're gutted. Some of us feel the club must have made some mistakes (mistakes happen), and it seems Paul is saying they didn't. Debating that in a pub seems pointless. Still, if Paul wants to buy us a beer, I'm good with that, put me down



No, not like an animal

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Given the length of your own replies I can see why you're such a fan of Barber.

I can't be arsed to read all this.

shame, it was good

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I accept PBs arguments, and i'm not saying they are going to finish any higher than us, but how come Huddersfield seem not to have had these problems? Either they signed who they wanted or they managed to keep failures under wraps very well. Evidently we have things to learn from them

I don't think they aimed as high as us. but we will shall see

 

[Guinness Boy]

As some others have said, to have the CEO of a Premier League club respond in this way for fans is pretty remarkable, although I type that knowing that Paul Barber's detractors will immediately come back with something like "he should have focused on signing a striker rather than writing long emails", as if the two are mutually exclusive.

Paul has, once again, extended the invitation to meet a group of NSCers face to face one evening, have a beer, and go over anything that people want to. It's something I'm happy to facilitate, although I'm pretty sure that those who are the most abusive wouldn't be brave enough to front up face to face. Again, I'm not sure fans of many other clubs would get the same opportunity.

I've said on other threads and subjects that Paul was instrumental in how good the last two seasons have been. Just as I gave him flack over the Hyypia period, so he deserves a lot of praise for turning the club fully around again. Here I think he's been a little over-sensitive.

For me (yes I'm repeating myself) we had a 5/10 window because we ended up with a weaker striker pool than last season (three instead of four, one of who is long term injured). However good the rest of the recruitment was (Ryan apart - and he may yet come good - it looks pretty decent to me) our greatest need was not only not fulfilled, we've put ourselves at a disadvantage. Replacing Akpom would have taken it up to a 7. Adding either two strikers or one REALLY good one would have made it a 9.

I don't blame Paul for any of that and I accept (largely) the reasons given on the OP for why it happened. Where I take exception is the club's insistence on trying to control the conversation. It's quite clear they don't like criticism even if it's justified. It's also quite clear, however, that the tone and misguided nature of some of that criticism is what makes the people it's aimed at prickly. It would annoy me too.

I see no value at all in a face to face discussion about our summer window business. It's over and done and it's time to get behind the players we do have and go back to making the Amex one of the best atmosphere's in the PL, like it was against City. If the discussion were to include how the club views social media and discussion of it's affairs on the internet and print, then of course I'd be interested

 

[Nixonator]

A thread started due to the club's correspondence.

And quickly developed into a witch hunt.

It was obvious from the start that the players, the manager, and Tony would be very disappointed, we didn't need to hear anything to know that.

Who is this 'we' you speak of? Personally I thought it was informative and was glad he wrote it.

When we're in the Championship, or when we're on our way there?

You are clearly still seething about it all. Try thinking positively about what tally we can accrue to give us a chance for when it does open.

It's not going to open again no matter how calm you are. I'm not sure what your point is.

You just made it for me i.e. there's nothing we can do about it, so unless you want somebody sacked save your energy or take up PB's invitation to discuss it over a beer.

How does he get time to have a beer anyway, he should be working

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Anyone else remember the days when football was just something you did on a Saturday? Now it's all transfers, loyalty points expensive home tickets that have to booked weeks in advance, arguments because an already millionaire footballer didn't sign to earn more millions. I love football but seems the fun is getting sucked out of the game in this league.

Oh God yes. When you'd turn up on the terraces two weeks after the last home game, having not immersed yourself in 24-7 internet chat rooms because they didn't exist, when all you knew of last week's away game was an Argus report and perhaps a call or two to the Seagull line, where you'd have a sing and a chant and then off home for the end of Grandstand and a Saturday evening devoid of 6-0-6 or NSC or any moaning at all, where debutant's performances weren't picked apart ad infinitum and we could enjoy the win or hope for better next week.

I suppose it didn't stop Robert Codner getting moaned at for years on end but at least the guy only got it on a Saturday afternoon!

 

[Triggaaar]

You are clearly still seething about it all.

I'm very disappointed about it, upset even, but not seething.

Try thinking positively about what tally we can accrue to give us a chance for when it does open.

Me thinking positively will not get us more points. Thinking positively will most likely lead to more disappointment if we don't accrue many points. I find it better for my personal wellbeing to have low expectations.

You just made it for me i.e. there's nothing we can do about it, so unless you want somebody sacked save your energy

I'm not using up energy by being disappointed.

or take up PB's invitation to discuss it over a beer.

Already put my name down for a beer. Not sure I'll make it as far as a list though.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Until Paul Barber improves his proof reading, then I'm still in the out camp.

Did you not feel you got the recognition you deserved the first time you pointed out a couple of typos? Pretty desperate posting the same point again...

 

[fosters headband]

Yes, credit where credit is due: it is indeed remarkable. Valuable and helpful too. I'm happy to meet with PB about the one observation I've made on this thread, if such an evening gets arranged.

That sounds like it has the makings of a good programme for Albion Roar, so it reaches the wider audience.

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

The other one I believe was Florin Andone from Deportivo, we'd agreed the deal with them but they pulled out when an injury to another of their squad or one of their targets came to light. We then turned our attention to Vincent Janssen at the 11th hour.

So can we can expect the Andone deal to be pushed through in January?

Looks like he was our primary target, wanted to join us, but missed out because of Deportivo's failure to cover his squad position.

 

[Audax]

Yes i can see that, but maybe he needs to listen more to the fans/customer and use some commonsense, he appears to rule from the top it's Barbers way or the highway as i see it ultimately it could cost him dear, will he care? .........not sure he will really.

I see where you're coming from, but I think that's wide of the mark. I think the reality is somewhere far closer to the heart and the intention being in the right place, but the ability to put the intention into written words just isn't up to scratch. His presentation (in the OP in particular, but I've noted it before) is very much in CEO-language. It's all top-level notation format, and at times quite blunt. That's fine for internal use within the club, but far too easy for the public to misinterpret.

Seriously: he could hand that exact copy to a communications expert, along with a verbal explanation of what he wants to get across, and the communications expert would then turn it into something that *actually* says what he wants to say in language that's fine-tuned for us, not the board or staff at the club.

I'm personally of the opinion that his only mistake here is in writing to us directly, without the communications expert filtering the words. Given I have on many occasions in the past taken on the role of wordsmithing for CEOs, I'm quite happy to cut him some slack here: As I said yesterday, carefully reading between the lines and I'll now add "ignoring the obvious clanger" (it's not that he mentioned "naive" and "spiteful" fan comments itself that's a problem, rather how he mentioned them) can result in a much better understanding of his intent.

I'd rather he doesn't take any time out to go and learn expert communications skills. His time is far better spent running the club. Instead, he either needs to hire a communications expert and/or make better use of the ones the club already has. And when I talk about communications expert, I'm not talking about a "PR specialist". I'm talking about a "Community Manager" (but not a Social Media expert, although that'd be a good start - I'm talking good old-fashioned computer games industry community people). If they don't have one, they should get one, and that person should be empowered to come here and talk to the fans on this board directly, on a day-to-day basis.

 

[Me and my Monkey]

Already put my name down for a beer. Not sure I'll make it as far as a list though.

Have I missed something here? What's all this about sitting down with PB over a beer? Are we all invited? Mine's a cider, please.

 

[Easy 10]

I see where you're coming from, but I think that's wide of the mark. I think the reality is somewhere far closer to the heart and the intention being in the right place, but the ability to put the intention into written words just isn't up to scratch. His presentation (in the OP in particular, but I've noted it before) is very much in CEO-language. It's all top-level notation format, and at times quite blunt. That's fine for internal use within the club, but far too easy for the public to misinterpret.

Seriously: he could hand that exact copy to a communications expert, along with a verbal explanation of what he wants to get across, and the communications expert would then turn it into something that *actually* says what he wants to say in language that's fine-tuned for us, not the board or staff at the club.

I'm personally of the opinion that his only mistake here is in writing to us directly, without the communications expert filtering the words. Given I have on many occasions in the past taken on the role of wordsmithing for CEOs, I'm quite happy to cut him some slack here: As I said yesterday, carefully reading between the lines and I'll now add "ignoring the obvious clanger" (it's not that he mentioned "naive" and "spiteful" fan comments itself that's a problem, rather how he mentioned them) can result in a much better understanding of his intent.

I'd rather he doesn't take any time out to go and learn expert communications skills. His time is far better spent running the club. Instead, he either needs to hire a communications expert and/or make better use of the ones the club already has. And when I talk about communications expert, I'm not talking about a "PR specialist". I'm talking about a "Community Manager" (but not a Social Media expert, although that'd be a good start - I'm talking good old-fashioned computer games industry community people). If they don't have one, they should get one, and that person should be empowered to come here and talk to the fans on this board directly, on a day-to-day basis.

I couldn't disagree more.

I certainly don't want Barbers emails being filtered and doctored by a "communications expert" (whatever that is) to smooth over anything that would have our resident snowflakes up in arms, thanks very much. I'd much rather read EXACTLY what he has to say, word for word, warts and all, without it being bathed in soft-focus lighting to stop my bottom lip from wobbling when I'm reading it.

Barber is an intelligent, literate and articulate writer who is perfectly capable of getting across his message without some kind of yoghurt-knitting, elbow-patched Fanshaw type character dumbing it down and smoothing it over before it goes out to the masses. I'll have it from the horses mouth, thanks.