Been here a little over three years now, enough time to decide whether their stewardship has been any good so far. So school grades if you please and a one sentence summary if you're that way inclined. B- One odd management decision and a bit of a to-do with the Crynes; good effort but capable of more.
I'd prefer to do the sold A-E for effort and 1-5 for achievement. In which case I think it's a B2. If we go up, a B1.
Want the Oakwell ground situation sorted and the money paid in full for the club that is outstanding and then that's a clean slate and they can be properly assessed. I am probably wrong but it seems as though Dane Murphy is assuming more control as CEO?
A-/B+ Retention of squad last Summer was a very positive change in the right direction but it remains to be seen what the player sales policy will be this year, especially if we fail to gain promotion. [Extra sentences: Ownership dispute; threat to move grounds; lack of upgrade to stadium; failure to sort out access issues with BMBC all continuing concerns.]
No mark offered. Until the debts they owe to the Cryne family are paid, I view the owners with extreme suspicion. Had that been sorted, I'd be offering a great deal of credit, despite being sceptical of sales at various times along the way.On the pitch, their strategy has clearly paid off. Pay up fairly, then I'll judge fairly.
A+. I don’t give a flying **** about Stendel. If another club had come calling he’d have ****** off and we’d have all been calling him Judas. If he hadn’t gone for a drink in town I don’t think people would really care anymore, however some find it very hard to let go, despite the great subsequent decisions. Yes we have sold players but we are in the best position we have been in for over 20 years, if that’s not progress I don’t know what is. Special mention to Dane Murphy who I think has been exemplary during his time with the reds.
The thing is we've got no idea what the truth is there. I know people prefer to believe the Crynes because they're local people, but we don't have a clue. Honestly the fact that the Finance Director Robert Zuk has left the role of Director in the company that owns the ground which the Crynes are also directors of (while still being involved in the club company), might be a hint which way the wind is blowing, but it might mean nothing. Either way, we have no idea and making these sorts of statements is just stupid really with that in mind.
Selling anyone not nailed down, sacking Stendel then shooting your mouth off that you're going to sue Hearts (and win) and some bloke for looking at us funny and the pope while failing to speak to the fan base and offer any kind of information at all was appalling. Response to Covid crisis and fan interaction this last 12 months has been excellent, probably the best the club has ever been. Keeping the club in the black is something I approve of greatly. No idea about the Cryne situation. Some stuff very good, some not, the good stuff is the most recent, so they'll undoubtedly be judged on that and our league position, but I'm still very sceptical about what's ahead. No doubt this has been an excellent season though from everyone at the club, top to bottom.
Chansiri got the Wendies to the play offs, they loved him at the start. All turned very sour now though. Tbh, as long as we stay in the black, they keep in the background and let the folk that know how to operate and manage a football club get on with it and we stay at Oakwell I'm happy.
The fact that the money due hasn't been paid hasn't been disputed. What isn't known/tested in court is whether the reason for withholding payment is legal. Whether it is or not, I don't find it morally acceptable, hence my post.
As others have said we need the ground situation sorting. I was very critical last January due to nit signing anyone and acceptinh relegation, the pandemic worked on our favour polar opposite to Sheff Utd. Acid test will be once ownership is sorted is ground improvement and swiad retention all of course easier if the P word happens
They have seen us be relegated twice. I have no idea if the reason we aren't selling key players as often is because we have toughened up or because there is no market value due to covid. They owe the Cryne family millions. They haven't purchased the ground which we were told about when they bought the club. Our ground is decaying and in need for a big summer of improvements regardless of league. We've brought in plenty of good players but we did that before they arrived as the spreadsheet was here before them. Catering in the ground is still as overpriced and poor quality as ever. We aren't yet in a position where we can be confident we will not every season be playing no lower than the level we are at now. They have done well with head coaches and bringing in Dane Murphy has worked really well. However there is a lot more still to work on. I would grade them a C.
They’ll be judged after the next transfer window, which has the potential to get messy, assuming we don’t win the play offs. Mowatt and Dike will leave a big hole in the team without any transfer fees coming in. If we sell another two or three on top of that then we’re not far from square one. Hopefully they can agree on reasonable budgets and leave the detail to Murphy. When Conway was closely involved in a transfer window it was a complete disaster.
We’ve been relegated once under their ownership, and that was only after they’d been in charge for a few months when the damage was already done by Cryne’s trigger happy sales and Heckingbottom’s negativity. They got the Morais appointment wrong but I don’t think we should put much, if any, blame on them for that relegation.
Whoops yes nearly twice. Thankfully Wigan got points taken away like Pompey did to keep us up years ago.
It might have felt like a relegation last season as we were in the relegation zone for what seemed like forever.... but we did stay up as we followed the rules and got more points than 3 other teams
