[baggiejohn]

Even though many are pleased to see the back of Dowling, including some ex coaching staff, its unrealistic to think we can appoint just one manager who can look after everything. The team manager has more than enough on his plate managing the first team, without doing all the jobs a Football Director does. The manager can still have an important input into transfer decisions,  but Ken badly needs someone next to him with in-depth knowledge of the football industry and able to assess players.

Someone like Roy could offer alot of sound football advice and contacts, but there's more to a DoF post than just that. He has to be able to make business decisions, negotiate contracts and be able to organise staff. If its true that Sharner has business experience, he could be the perfect candidate,  so I hope the club at least listen to what he can offer.   

Maybe Ken has some good business experience, but there's no way that he and Lai should be left to identify and assess playing and coaching staff. He needs a proper football man next to him. How that man is found I don't know. I sometimes wonder if the ex Players Association ever do anything to help out the club. Maybe some of them have contacts who could be useful for the club.   

Roy recommended Terry Burton & Alan Irvine, just saying

[baggie82]

A bit like you, they have focussed entirely on the negatives.

Have you always been a fan of the Express and Dingle or only when they support your pessimism?

Have you ever considered a career in stand-up? The guy in charge of ticket office has been on a committee of three, now two overseeing the managerial search. The other being a child without any football or executive experience. Their article is very well balanced and written, addressing all the substantive points. It's not just the E&S journalist either. Adrian Goldberg and Chris Lepkowski were equally as scathing, as is Steve Madeley at the Athletic.

[Mr Cynical]

Glad he's gone.  Never liked him.  Did a Terrible job.  Timing of departure is a nightmare!

[seteefeet]

Have you ever considered a career in stand-up? The guy in charge of ticket office has been on a committee of three, now two overseeing the managerial search. The other being a child without any football or executive experience. Their article is very well balanced and written, addressing all the substantive points. It's not just the E&S journalist either. Adrian Goldberg and Chris Lepkowski were equally as scathing, as is Steve Madeley at the Athletic.

So none of the above mentioned the strength of the squad or the size of the budget? Or the fact that Dowling was, in fact, not very good, and not well respected around the club and therefore, is no great loss? Did they pick up on the intention to regroup and re-evaluate the structure, like many have advocated for so long? If not then they are as one-eyed as you. If they did and you omitted it, then you are just accentuating the negatives as usual.

If we believe your narrative we are a lost cause.
We quite simply are not, but, if you truly believe it, then why not give up? You only seem to want to criticise, after all, I don't see any constructive suggestion of what you think we should be doing.

[ashdoy]

Bar one season in the Prem where no manager or DoF would/could have succeeded LD helped bring some pride back to Albion.

Some amazing signings in our Bilic era, some good finds last year albeit couple with some poor decisions.

This summer he had Wilder on a plate. Why people are looking beyond Lai as being the problem is beyond me.

[TheJacko2000]

Bar one season in the Prem where no manager or DoF would/could have succeeded LD helped bring some pride back to Albion.

Some amazing signings in our Bilic era, some good finds last year albeit couple with some poor decisions.

This summer he had Wilder on a plate. Why people are looking beyond Lai as being the problem is beyond me.

Good afternoon Luke. Don't let the door hit you on the way out... 

He contributed virtually nothing to the senior team and destroyed our reputation in youth football.

[baggie82]

Good afternoon Luke. Don't let the door hit you on the way out... 

He contributed virtually nothing to the senior team and destroyed our reputation in youth football.

Dowling put together the squad that won automatic promotion from the championship last time out. I know you hate him but it is a bit churlish to pretend is was all a disaster on his watch. Secondly, didn't we get to the FA Cup semi-final with the academy last season? My biggest gripe with the DOF leaving it the timing, which is as bad as it can be.

[TheJacko2000]

Dowling put together the squad that won automatic promotion from the championship last time out. I know you hate him but it is a bit churlish to pretend is was all a disaster on his watch. Secondly, didn't we get to the FA Cup semi-final with the academy last season? My biggest gripe with the DOF leaving it the timing, which is as bad as it can be.

There was no bad time to remove Luke Dowling from the club.

Bilić and his signings dragged an average squad over the line with lower midtable form over 6 months.

[ashdoy]

Good afternoon Luke. Don't let the door hit you on the way out... 

He contributed virtually nothing to the senior team and destroyed our reputation in youth football.

So finding Sawyers, Ajayi, Furlong, Periera didn’t add anything to our club no?

Jacko, believe it or not, you can be wrong from time to time you know. And others can have an opinion too 👍🏻

[TheJacko2000]

So finding Sawyers, Ajayi, Furlong, Periera didn’t add anything to our club no?

Jacko, believe it or not, you can be wrong from time to time you know. And others can have an opinion too 👍🏻

He didn't find Pereira. As for the other 3? What a legacy... Furlong couldn't get in the team under Bilić, Sawyers is dreadful.

So okay. Thanks for signing Ajayi Luke, decent enough in the EFL but a liability in the EPL.

[Jeremy Roland Peace]

Roy recommended Terry Burton & Alan Irvine, just saying

Roy also recommend Stale Solbakken to Wolves as well.

[alex1]

Roy recommended Terry Burton & Alan Irvine, just saying

Not by any means saying Roy is a perfect fit for Football Director, not least because of his age, but I'm struggling to come up with other suitably experienced candidates with some affinity to the club.  As I suggested, Sharner is someone we should sound out. My main point is that Ken badly needs an experienced football person next to him.

[WorcsWBA]

Not by any means saying Roy is a perfect fit for Football Director, not least because of his age, but I'm struggling to come up with other suitably experienced candidates with some affinity to the club.  As I suggested, Sharner is someone we should sound out. My main point is that Ken badly needs an experienced football person next to him.

Whoever fills this post (if there's going to be such a post going forward) doesn't need to have any prior affinity to the club, any more than a new manager would, he just needs to be very good at his job.

[Dexy]

The piece in the Athletic says Dowling was here when Townsend signed  . Madeley needs to pull his socks up as well 

[alex1]

Whoever fills this post (if there's going to be such a post going forward) doesn't need to have any prior affinity to the club, any more than a new manager would, he just needs to be very good at his job.

The most successful DoF's tend to have a strong affinity to the club, ideally as fans. Bayern Munich have worked on that principle for years and it has served them well. If they have no affinity, they will look at the job more short term and in terms of whats's in it for their CV. 

[MarkW]

The most successful DoF's tend to have a strong affinity to the club, ideally as fans. Bayern Munich have worked on that principle for years and it has served them well. If they have no affinity, they will look at the job more short term and in terms of whats's in it for their CV. 

So we need someone who knows football, who has a link with the club, played to a good standard and maybe even has been a manager/coach so they appreciate the rigours of the job, oh, and they must want to do the role too.

Step forward Michael Appleto-oh, hang on, erm...come back to me.

[seteefeet]

The most successful DoF's tend to have a strong affinity to the club, ideally as fans. Bayern Munich have worked on that principle for years and it has served them well. If they have no affinity, they will look at the job more short term and in terms of whats's in it for their CV.

I'm not sure that's true. I don't think Ashworth was a fan of either Albion, nor are the Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool DoF's local lads either, as far as I am aware? I stand to be corrected.

[alex1]

I'm not sure that's true. I don't think Ashworth was a fan of either Albion, nor are the Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool DoF's local lads either, as far as I am aware? I stand to be corrected.

Maybe I'm slightly interchanging DoF's with owners, but its better when you have people at the top of the club who are in it for the long term. They will bring more continuity because they genuinely wish the best for the club.  Many of these short term Mr Fixits are a disaster. We've had a few, that Italian guy and McDoughnut.
Appreciate its very hard finding the right guy, but someone with an attachment to teh club would be a great bonus. Someone like Bomber Brown would be ideal, but sadly there are few ex players who have gained relevant business experience after retiring.

[Albion79]

Apparently Forest are poaching Dane Murphy (i think thats his name) from Barnsley to head up their football operations.

He is a young guy, only in his 30’s but is very data focused and modern day thinking and credited with Barnsleys recent successes.

Somebody like that would be ideal for us, good track record, would have an existing database list of coaches and players, could hit the ground running.

However because of how things ended with Dowling where Lai overruling him, the short stint of Terraneo and the sacking of Hammond, i dont think we will be looking at a DOF any time soon.

https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/2021/april/dane-update/

Having a read of this makes me slightly envious, exploring numerous overseas markets for a start!

[LiamTheBaggie]

. Secondly, didn't we get to the FA Cup semi-final with the academy last season?

We did but that was nothing to do with Dowling.

The majority of those players had been courted and coached by the academy set up he royally ****** off and have now ended up at Villa.

[baggie82]

We did but that was nothing to do with Dowling. The majority of those players had been courted and coached by the academy set up he royally ****** off and have now ended up at Villa.

I love it how all signings that work are nothing to do with Dowling and now all academy success is also nothing to do with Dowling. Apparently Richard Stevens heading the academy now (appointed by the bogey man) is going a good job.

[baggie82]

He didn't find Pereira. As for the other 3? What a legacy... Furlong couldn't get in the team under Bilić, Sawyers is dreadful. So okay. Thanks for signing Ajayi Luke, decent enough in the EFL but a liability in the EPL.

Erm Sawyers was lauded as the new Del Piero in the championship (tongue in cheek) and the bargain signing of the season. Fact is Dowling oversaw the rebuild of the squad which got us out of the championship and promoted automatically. Tremendous and main credit to Bilic obviously, but Dowling played an important part. Not to mention that Allardyce credited Dowling with doing as good as job as was possible in this year's January window. So when you try and pretend he got nothing right it doesn't come across as credible.

[LiamTheBaggie]

I love it how all signings that work are nothing to do with Dowling and now all academy success is also nothing to do with Dowling. Apparently Richard Stevens heading the academy now (appointed by the bogey man) is going a good job.

The success (but likely failures) of Dowling academy changes will not be seen for another five years or more.

The current crop of graduates have all been courted and coached by those who have celebrated his sacking.

You quote Richard Stevens as doing a good job - do you want to share his current successes or what he has done to improve academy football at the Albion?

[baggie82]

The success (but likely failures) of Dowling academy changes will not be seen for another five years or more.

The current crop of graduates have all been courted and coached by those who have celebrated his sacking.

You quote Richard Stevens as doing a good job - do you want to share his current successes or what he has done to improve academy football at the Albion?

I'm just going off Steve Madeley. Richard Stevens was highly regarded at Birmingham and Coventry. Important point is that the academy has a settled staff who aren't all looking to jump ship. It's the one area of the football club left ironically with some football experience. As for what that means over the next five years, who can say. How do you even measure the academy output, by first team players and sales? On that basis it has done okay over the last ten years but not spectacular. But a lot of managers won't give youth team players a chance. Bilic did and brought a few of them on, but that is not the norm.

[paulosull]

Signing Zohore on 4 year contract should of seen the end of this bloke, Jenkins leaving exposed him to owner.