Our owners were in touch with Struber whilst Stendel was our manager

When he said what he did, did you really think that he'd studied every season and every transfer window in the club's history before he said it? And that it was supposed to be truth?

Come on.

How would he know? It was a daft thing to say. A boast. But it sounded encouraging at the time.

When he said it, it could actually have turned out to be either true or false. So it's not hard to work out that it was an opinion.

 

But again it depends what those facts are based on surely?
Take the two examples in this thread,
Best as in quality of players at the point of signing them in comparison to the ones that left - then clearly not
Best as in the amount of money invested, amount of players recruited etc - could be factual (without any real financial knowledge).

 

Dont understand why you cant give Daniel any credit, Sunderland had players from the premier league in their squad.

 

I'm pleased they went for longer contracts, but arent they all the same length so we'll still be in the same situation as Lindsay and Pinnock in 2 years time? I'm not pleased that they rubbished the idea of experience.

 

I gave him plenty of credit last season, look back through my posts but unfortunately l thought he was out of his depth this year, I think he's also proving to be out of his depth at Hearts. He's a young manager though, theres plenty of time for him yet - maybe after Hearts he will rebuild his career back in Germany.

 

Regarding the meetings mate. For the fans forum. People were invited on the basis of their involvement in representing fans from all groups. Disabled supporters Independent supporters (travel wise) All represented, official supporters. The supporters trust. ( never been to a meeting by the way) media team. Gally. ( wish I could take minutes as fast as him.)
I’m guessing that most of what was said at the last meeting was all out. So he decided to save himself the effort. ( Sorry Paul if that’s not the case.) To be honest the ceo went over and above in some instances by giving his thoughts on some subjects. But the group was set up years ago to see how we could contribute outside of the footballing side. ( although on occasion would broach the subject) Eg pricing facilities etc. I personally have taken a different committee member or member of our travelling support along each time. On one occasion sent 2 when I was unable to make it. But we’ve not had a meeting since the one we refer to. If and when the next meeting takes place. I’m more than willing to take you along. It may not be your cup of tea once been.

 

A disrespectful opinion and as owner of the club I think yes he should have took an interest in our history.

Interestingly hooky fella took it to mean most plentiful. Most signings. Event cursory glance at the history of the club Paul owns would tell him that's not true.

I mean let's be honest here. He bought the club in December 2017 right? It hardly requires an in-depth knowledge of all things Barnsley to realise that we signed more players 3 months before he bought us than we did this summer.

Just for the record that's 12 permanent and 4 loans (so 16 signings) in the summer window of 2017. He bought us in December 2017 and claimed in 2019 that 12 in total was the greatest transfer window ever. In terms of numbers it wasn't even the greatest in the last 24 months.

Oh and we signed 13 permanent transfers (and an extra 4 loans in 2016.

In fact before these owners took over our club you have to go all the way back to 2011 to find a summer transfer window in which we signed fewer players.

Prior to Paul Conway:
2011: 11
2012: 12
2913: 14
2014: 15
2015: 18
2016: 17
2017: 16
Owned by Paul Conway (and co)
2018: 5
2019: 12

 

I've been to supporters trust meetings in the very distant past and didn't really enjoy them so I do get that they aren't for everyone. Which group do you represent in general? Apart from the BBS of course.

I do get why they were set up but wasnt that prior to the SLO thing? With the addition of these are they really what they were originally set up for or are they now just an information gathering exercise for fans? Genuine question by the way.

 

Ok fair enough I dont particularly remember your posts from last season. I do think it is easy to underestimate going to another country, speaking very little of the language but performing the way he did for us. Yes you could say our squad cost more than most other teams but it was still new to him, he got said players playing well, brought through some youngsters, lost his English speaking assistant and his striker for part of the season, and had 2 key players sold . As to this season, if he'd been given some of the experience he'd asked for then it would be easier to say. I know he wasn't just thinking of keeping us up by the skin of our teeth.

 

"Best" - if that's what we're examining as a meaning - could mean different things to different people.

It's as simple as that.

e.g. you've got people judging "best album ever" on Rate your Music.

Messi is the best player ever.

You might think you've got the best partner in the world etc etc.

It's not a fact.

 

I'm not having a go at Stendel as such, biglil. I think he did a pretty decent job. I don't regard him with the same hyperbole as some seem to but he equally didn't get backed by the board in allowing last season's defence to stay together.
i don't think he's proved himself to be a top manager. Maybe he will in the future.
In terms of all the managers I've seen at Oakwell over the years I'm not sure any qualify as real quality. Clarke in his first spell made a massive difference but in the fourth division where his experience went a long way. He never repeated it at Leeds or back here.
Andy Ritchie got the fourth best team in the play offs up. That was a great effort. Danny Wilson was solid but dropped on the right combination here and never quite did it again.
Keith Hill has built teams that overachieve on a regular basis.
I'm not having a go at anyone but i think the vast majority of managers get lucky now and then.
Anyway, that's my ramblings for today.

 

Not sure about what you mean by SLO ( Supporters liaison officer in my world) But the forum group was set up by Ben Mansford. Unless my memory has lapsed. So after 2013 i would guess. The supporters trust or whatever it was in a former life I believe precedes that. (The group I represent is one of the independents. Set up to Running busses to odd away games 1995/6 then running to All away games since 1996/7. We have never advertised due to the fact we have enough members to fill our bus/busses. With the rare occasion sharing with other groups)
So in reality no not an information gatherer. But we do set an an agenda beforehand with AOB included. In some cases I suppose some of the questions raised will be the same as talked through with the supporters trust group. But without a free for all that the supporters trust get from the floor of the general fan . That's not to say we can't ask the same questions. As I did for eg regarding the strategy. The reciprocal pricing, to which I may add abhor with a passion. But as I say most of the stuff we talk about would bore most. Eg Policing at away games. The supporters trust I believe ( by that I mean their committee) have more influence on other matters. Supporters facilities etc.
PS no-one was hand selected to be on this group. Only the fact they are representatives of each group. Generally the organisers. I'm pretty sure you'll know most of em. I may be correct in saying Gally has minuted attendees on the forum on the BBS. On occasion.
PPS Gally represents the BBS

 

After reading this thread again this morning, I cannot believe that the term 'best' can be interpreted as 'most'.

When I go to the butchers and ask for his best cut of steak, he doesn't slice off 35 cuts and chuck them at me. Sorry mate, I thought you meant most. No he gives me the best cut.

Whilst I apologise for being a bit of a tool the other night in my initial posts, I still stand by the view points. Instead of constantly being in touch with Struber, perhaps our owners should have backed Stendel with what he wanted.

 

He said they kept in touch. You've added the word "constantly" which suggests frequent and regular contact. There's nothing to suggest that's how it happened.

I give some of my relatives a phone call once in a while to see how they're doing. It may only happen a couple of times a year, but I'm keeping in touch.

Seems to me that this is all in the eye of the beholder. Some folk are extremely wound up about our owners and are looking for every little thing to bash them with. Others are a bit more relaxed about it, perhaps not to the point of completely trusting them, but maybe letting them get on with running the club and seeing where they take us. My pitchfork is still in the shed, should I need it at a later date.

 

It was hyperbole. We're not supposed to attribute character traits to an entire nation of people, but many Americans are inclined to speak in such a way. Everything is awesome as the song goes.

You're free to speak like that in America because it's lost in a sea of hyperbole. It would have barely registered. Here we're more reserved and such proclamations tend to grate on the ear. I would imagine Mr Conway is genuinely perplexed by our reaction. He was trying to build up a sense good feeling in the company he runs. For the typical Brit he said something that came back to bite him on the arse, something that should cause acute embarrassment, something we spend our entire lives desperate to avoid.

I'm not sure I could explain away his interview with Radio Sheffield when he discussed the departure Stendel as a culture clash though. I found that extremely distasteful and on an entirely different level to a throw away line that was misjudged but ultimately harmless.

 

I give my relatives a call once in a while and keep in touch - it's human nature.

But to think that businessmen who own a football club who are keeping in touch with their 'number 1 target' is just to find out what he had for his tea is naive imo.

Anyway, were poles apart on this so to avoid going round in circles I wont be posting in this thread again. I've said my piece.

If it carries on with the replies and ends up with the most replies on the BBS, then it will surely go down as the best thread in BBS history - that's how it works I believe.

 

Yes. That as well, but using hyperbole is not lying, otherwise, as you point out, the entire American nation is guilty of constantly lying.

 

This Struber being number 1 choice doesn't add up to me? At the time of Daniel's appointment he'd not managed a senior team in the first division of Austrian football. So what was the pull?

 

They speak with Woodrow’s replacement daily. Right in front of Woodrow.
His name’s Patrick Schmidt

 

In other news I'm going to replace my VW Golf GTi with some Potpourri.