[baggiejohn]

We got £1m from Leko, we'll probably get the same for Sam Field. Rodgers went to City for a decent fee. We've had fees for the likes of Tyler Roberts, Kemar Roofe, Chris Wood, etc that keep the academy in business.

The answer isn't getting rid of the position either, it's having a joined-up, long-term approach.

When the academy was first set up, it was costing us £3 million a year (might be more than that now). I would doubt very much that we have broken even on the academy.

It's only here because Lai bought into the idea for his project in China.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it broken up if we get new owners.

[Adder]

It's about 2 or 3 years minimum and more like 5 or 6 before any valid judgement can be made regarding the academy restructure.

Don't forget we got about £15m for Berahino and about £3m for George Thorne to add to the players mentioned above.

[baggiejohn]

It's about 2 or 3 years minimum and more like 5 or 6 before any valid judgement can be made regarding the academy restructure.

Don't forget we got about £15m for Berahino and about £3m for George Thorne to add to the players mentioned above.

Personally, I would stay with the DoF & academy model, but I can also understand an argument for an experienced Manager overseeing a flatter footballing structure.

[Dexy]

Personally, I would stay with the DoF & academy model, but I can also understand an argument for an experienced Manager overseeing a flatter footballing structure.

No issue with staying with D.O.F structure , I just don't want a repeat of players bought in that the manager clearly won't touch like Kipre , Grosicki or Zohore .
There's line to cross and IMO Dowling has done that too many times .

[Albionic]

No issue with staying with D.O.F structure , I just don't want a repeat of players bought in that the manager clearly won't touch like Kipre , Grosicki or Zohore .
There's line to cross and IMO Dowling has done that too many times .

Plus the Hegazi loan deal !   Straw that broke the camels back that one !  (see what i did,   analogy apropos the situation)

[gerry m]

No issue with staying with D.O.F structure , I just don't want a repeat of players bought in that the manager clearly won't touch like Kipre , Grosicki or Zohore .
There's line to cross and IMO Dowling has done that too many times .

Exactly Dexy. Sounds like 'I've got you these players so get on with it'.

[Albionic]

Exactly Dexy. Sounds like 'I've got you these players so get on with it'.

which is what Brentford do, its exactly that which warburton walked out over, if those are the terms under which you take the job on, its entirely reasonable and the basis for continuity IMO.

[stuvetti]

It is hard to imagine anyone who could do a worse job.
The bulk of the close season expenditure was potentially £30m on Grady and Grant, plus Kipre, Button, Robinson,Ivanovic & Krovinovic (loan).
Add to that other recent purchases of Austin, Grosicki, Zohore, Sawyers who are all still on the books and guess what..... not a single one made the starting line up yesterday.

[Dexy]

which is what Brentford do, its exactly that which warburton walked out over, if those are the terms under which you take the job on, its entirely reasonable and the basis for continuity IMO.

The key to that is A. Buying players that fit the way the manager plays and B. Not buying players who are no better than what you already .
Those wages and fees plus Austin's wage as Dowling lead that deal would make your eyes water , we'll see very little return on any of them if at all .

[Dexy]

It is hard to imagine anyone who could do a worse job.
The bulk of the close season expenditure was potentially £30m on Grady and Grant, plus Kipre, Button, Robinson,Ivanovic & Krovinovic (loan).
Add to that other recent purchases of Austin, Grosicki, Zohore, Sawyers who are all still on the books and guess what..... not a single one made the starting line up yesterday.

Grant , Krov and Ivanovic were Bilic signing mate , point taken and agreed with on the rest .
How Dowling still has a job is beyond me .

[johnny Cash]

When the academy was first set up, it was costing us £3 million a year (might be more than that now). I would doubt very much that we have broken even on the academy.

It's only here because Lai bought into the idea for his project in China.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it broken up if we get new owners.

I dont believe it is quite that much.

When it was first set up the category structure wasnt in place.  When the academy categories were born, Cat 1 required investments of £2m per year, which was touted as a significant additional cost for many of those than wanted to be in that category.  I think its gone up to £2.5m now though.

The academy is probably washing its face at least, but its an area we obviously need to try and get more.

The compensation amounts are still a joke though. £2.5m per year minimum spend, 90% of the players that go through won't make it, but a decent kid who has spent 8 years in it can be snatched for £250k at 15. How does that add up? I don't understand why clubs aren't battering the FA to fix it.

[SmethDan]

It is hard to imagine anyone who could do a worse job........

McDoughnut in conjunction with Burton and later on Dolmio Man (whose real name escapes me) when Darren Moore took over full time spring immediately to mind. Didn't need to give it a moment's thought, sadly.

[hardtobeat]

The key to that is A. Buying players that fit the way the manager plays and B. Not buying players who are no better than what you already .
Those wages and fees plus Austin's wage as Dowling lead that deal would make your eyes water , we'll see very little return on any of them if at all .

you may like to add a ‘C’  Don’t keep getting rid of managers for those of a different style as this leads to an increase in turnover of players .It also enables a club to play the same way throughout including academy/ age group teams , which should lead to a more beneficial use to the club of academy players !

[Dexy]

you may like to add a ‘C’  Don’t keep getting rid of managers for those of a different style as this leads to an increase in turnover of players .It also enables a club to play the same way throughout including academy/ age group teams , which should lead to a more beneficial use to the club of academy players !

We don't think that far in front , last bloke tried that was Alan Buckley I think !

[LiamTheBaggie]

McDoughnut in conjunction with Burton and later on Dolmio Man (whose real name escapes me) when Darren Moore took over full time spring immediately to mind. Didn't need to give it a moment's thought, sadly.

Giuliano Terraneo... 

[SmethDan]

Giuliano Terraneo... 

Bet you found that easier to type (or cut and paste) than you ever would to pronounce  .

[hardtobeat]

We don't think that far in front , last bloke tried that was Alan Buckley I think !

I Actually thought it was Giles era when we won the Youth Cup ,and that ends tonight’s history lesson !

[LiamTheBaggie]

Bet you found that easier to type (or cut and paste) than you ever would to pronounce  .

I originally called him Gianluigi - the benefit of the modify button allowing me to correct the error of my ways 

I’m not sure it’s a name suited to my dulcet Black Country tones.

[TheJacko2000]

Someone pointed out that of the signings Dowling and Bilić made in summer 2019, January 2020 and summer 2020 only Darnell Furlong, Connor Gallagher and Matheus Pereira is still involved in the first XI, in DF's case it appears this is solely because there is no alternative.

Absolutely damning.

Here's the hall of shame: Zohore, Austin, Sawyers, Ajayi, Grosicki, Al Habsi, Diangana, Krovinović, Willock, Robinson, Grant, Kipre, Button and Ivanović.

[Mikkyk]

Jesus.

And I thought the Varela/Samaras etc. summer would be the worst one I'd see in a long time.

[Dexy]

Someone pointed out that of the signings Dowling and Bilić made in summer 2019, January 2020 and summer 2020 only Darnell Furlong, Connor Gallagher and Matheus Pereira is still involved in the first XI, in DF's case it appears this is solely because there is no alternative.

Absolutely damning.

Here's the hall of shame: Zohore, Austin, Sawyers, Ajayi, Grosicki, Al Habsi, Diangana, Krovinović, Willock, Robinson, Grant, Kipre, Button and Ivanović.

You can go back a bit further and add some crackers under Moore , Murphy / Sakho/ Wes H / Montero .
These and the above from the Bilic era might not be all Dowling but as Technical Director he's shaped nothing over the last few seasons . We will now be stuck next season with an injury prone , unhappy Grady and Grant on big fees and wages who isnt a winger or a striker so the team will have to be made to fit to him . There's no forward thinking at all .

[baggie38]

The sporting and technical director has the responsibility of holding and creating the clubs mindset for the years to come. You have three options in my opinion when it comes to player recruitment in football:

Loans and lots of them:Most of our business has been so poor through the summer transfer windows under Dowling that we have had no other option than to mindlessly stroll from window to window pleading with bigger clubs than ourselves to loan some of their cast offs. These players have neither the heart of care for the club as they are only here on a short term basis and for the most part they aren't good enough.

Signing the more experienced player :

I understand signing experienced players such as Snodgrass and even Ivanovic on paper as they are supposed to bring certain qualities you simply can't get from a 23 year old player playing in the league below or overseas. Another reason they are brought in is for their leadership and to rub off on the other players but again we have relied on this a little to much under Dowling. Giving Barry another contract last season was a mind boggling decision and let's be blunt about this Chris Brunt was here two years to many. Then we move onto last summer Ivanovic has been one big expensive disaster and snodgrass has been brought in to help hide some of Dowling and Billics mistakes last summer.

Third option is sign alot of players in their mid twenties thirsty to prove themselves and promote youth but only if its right to. Over the course of the last 5/6 years we have seen alot of youth come through who have either 1 not been good enough and we have kept them around for to long or 2 have been good enough but havent treated them properly. A good example of Dowling not treating the academy right is the well documented move Dowling made last summer to move the academy players to another part of the clubs training ground even making them train and work away from the first team. This is making alot of club staff feel low and unwanted I have that on good authority. Over the years we have brought through the likes of Saido Berahino, Nathan Ferguson, Dara OShea, Rekeem Harper, Sam Field, Kyle Edwards and we have a few promising youth players on the verge of making the cut it seems in Alex Palmer and Azaz who are having successful loans this season but Dowling doesn't treat youth with the credit and respect it deserves. Peace spent millions making a category A academy for the club to produce and then sell on its high talents for a high price but Dowling acts slow in getting these young promising players new deals or loans out to clubs to gain valuable experience and put themselves in the shop window.

Billic answered for his poor choices last summer it's about time Dowling did the same. Any decent owner or chairman would of pulled the trigger by now. For all the stick and criticism he gets peace would of sacked Dowling a good 12 months ago had he been here but our clueless board and club continue to employ a bloke who before we appointed was on the verge of being sacked by Nottingham forest only for us to come in and take him off their hands just days before they could sack him. If he isn't good enough for forest as big as they are let's face it they are a club who just about aims for the play offs in the second tier of English football then he isn't good enough for us. Sack him before the seasons out and get a new sporting and technical director in with a forward thinking plan and not somebody who just walks around in the dark from window to window signing dross.

[LiamTheBaggie]

Someone pointed out that of the signings Dowling and Bilić made in summer 2019, January 2020 and summer 2020 only Darnell Furlong, Connor Gallagher and Matheus Pereira is still involved in the first XI, in DF's case it appears this is solely because there is no alternative.

Absolutely damning.

Here's the hall of shame: Zohore, Austin, Sawyers, Ajayi, Grosicki, Al Habsi, Diangana, Krovinović, Willock, Robinson, Grant, Kipre, Button and Ivanović.

Dexy beat me to it - throw in the likes of Murphy, Montero, Johansen and Sako to that list.

He cannot be trusted with the long term future of the club.

He should have gone following the sacking of Moore and the debacle that followed to appoint his successor

[WBA.R.K]

Someone pointed out that of the signings Dowling and Bilić made in summer 2019, January 2020 and summer 2020 only Darnell Furlong, Connor Gallagher and Matheus Pereira is still involved in the first XI, in DF's case it appears this is solely because there is no alternative.

Absolutely damning.

Here's the hall of shame: Zohore, Austin, Sawyers, Ajayi, Grosicki, Al Habsi, Diangana, Krovinović, Willock, Robinson, Grant, Kipre, Button and Ivanović.

Harsh to include Ajayi there.

[gazberg]

At 1.3m or whatever yeah i would not be putting Ajayi in that list. More than good enough to get us bakc up. Would ok as a backup for the PL considering our financial limitations.