[BFC SITE] Martin Devaney departs Oakwell

Unbelievable servant to our great club. Many years of service and I'm glad we've had the pleasure of employing him, both as a player & coach. Will remember him till the day I die for the aforementioned crosses in the FA Cup. Brilliant player & brilliant bloke, and I hope he has many many good years of management/coaching ahead of him and would love to see him in & around Oakwell in the future. Best of luck mate.

 

Disco probably saw the knife go in so has to be silenced.

 

Is Stead next?

Isted next?

Keep up.....

 

This looks like another of those we haven’t got a clue about running the club.

eat sleep release repeat.

 

Conor has already stated that he's been impressed with Stead's dead ball work.. he should be ok.
I also wouldn't be surprised if Bobby Hassell's time has academy Tsar is coming to an end. The genuine lack of quality produced speaks for itself.
I know some of the bed wetters would be up in arms at the mere thought of Sir Bobby leaving.. But football is a business not a charity.
People cannot get change without changes..

 

My favourite, a real “I was there moment” as we kick started our survival fight that season.

 

I've been one saying if we don't allow our young players into the first team, the academy is a folly.

We've seen a couple of players getting a taste of first team football and they've shown signs of promise. Yoganathan, Bland, Flavell, Barratt and Jalo have all shown good signs, but like all kids, have made errors too. I'd much rather look to build these kids up to potentially be more regular starters than loan in Chelseas 78th choice left back.

Hassell has been calling for pathways to the first team for years... If we can get one decent prospect every other year who can hold down a first team place, I've no issue with the academy at all.

 

Disagree.. New broom, those upstairs realise the situation and are giving someone they are impressed with the opportunity to rectify it..

 

If Disco has ambitions to become a head coach then it could well be the other way round. Someone with far less experience has joined the club and quickly been promoted ahead of Devaney. I would imagine that would have been hard to take.

I don't know one way or the other but I don't think you can assume it was driven by the club.

If it was, the timing seems a little odd. It would seem far less dramatic if it was part of a restructure in the summer.

 

The problem is now more than ever..it's a results business. Anyone who comes in has to produce from minute one.. Kids or loans don't get and will not get a 'run of games' anymore. Because any head coach knows.. with all the best intentions, if he loses games, he'll be gone..
They'll only at best blood young players. Young lads must first be loaned out... man's football.. if you like. But they must also have to be good enough for others to want to take them.. And there's been the academy's main problem. The standard we've produced hasn't been good enough for others to want and play our lads.

The academy must produce to survive. It just costs too much to run to be a luxury.

 

I think that was the Game I mentioned mate. Regarding a goal of his.

 

Seen on Facebook that Robert’s is taking up a coaching role at the club don’t know if true or not

 

I'll agree to differ. I don't particularly see the link in having to play 'mens' football at a low level to suddenly be able to play at league one level.

We've also sunk a ridiculous amount of money on transfers, wages, agents, bonuses and paying off poor platers we found out to be rubbish.

If we were able to compare that with the academy output, I think we'd probably see the academy 'losses' are much less.

My preference is we use the academy to produce a player for our first team every year or two. I've seen enough from the kids I've mentioned to think given good coaching, good structure, being free from injury, they could forge a decent career at least. If given opportunity.

 

Find the timing odd suggests more than meets the eye to it

 

The defence certainly needs some coaching to sort it out. As a player in that defence that’s leaked goals all season I’m not entirely convinced he’s the best placed to do it.

 

Why not just let the season end and then announce it?

Disco much like Clarke must be laughing his **** off about the situation tbh. Total novice given top role despite doing really badly at it whilst in interim charge then removed at CH request I would presume - again and only time will tell but giving CH total authority is either a masterstroke or batshit mental and let’s be honest we have had more batshit mental than masterstrokes from our owners in the last 4 years.

 

Why spin it out? The lad will be paid up and gives him extra time to sort himself out - if he hasn’t already.

It’s absolutely the right thing to do. Never keep folk longer than needed if they’re leaving. Do the right thing, ensure paid up correctly and support them, but let them get a head start on their next path.

 

Agree with this.

The season is dead. Just wait till the summer.

Odd.

 

Have to say that would be my initial concern. I know best players don’t always make good coaches, but I think Robert’s has been poor to mediocre this season, still slightly ahead of his team mates but that’s hardly a hard act to follow