New Owner

[javeajag]

15 minutes ago, West of Scotland said:

Wisnae Beattie that appointed the clown in the dugout.

At least with Low out of the club this chairman or the next won't have the blinkers on when it comes to the current manager.

Beattie appointed low 

[Big Col]

Beattie must act now and sack Caldwell regardless of the takeover happening or not. 

[Auld Jag]

3 minutes ago, Big Col said:

Beattie must act now and sack Caldwell regardless of the takeover happening or not. 

I have said before, I don't think Caldwell would get away with a run of results like he had when he first came in. The only question for me is, if it came to it, do we have the money to sack him?

[Big Col]

5 minutes ago, Auld Jag said:

I have said before, I don't think Caldwell would get away with a run of results like he had when he first came in. The only question for me is, if it came to it, do we have the money to sack him?

We can’t afford not to sack him AJ, in my opinion. He wanted his own players - he’s got them. He’s started this season like he started his reign last season. 1 point out of 9 from opening 3 games is relegation form. He should be sacked tomorrow.

[Auld Jag]

6 minutes ago, Big Col said:

We can’t afford not to sack him AJ, in my opinion. He wanted his own players - he’s got them. He’s started this season like he started his reign last season. 1 point out of 9 from opening 3 games is relegation form. He should be sacked tomorrow.

While I don't disagree with you. I don't think he will be sacked before the Ayr game next week. Which imo is a must win game now. I think now that the chairperson has been changed he will find it harder to keep his job. My only worry is, as I say do we have the cash to do it.

[jlsarmy]

21 minutes ago, Big Col said:

We can’t afford not to sack him AJ, in my opinion. He wanted his own players - he’s got them. He’s started this season like he started his reign last season. 1 point out of 9 from opening 3 games is relegation form. He should be sacked tomorrow.

Not going to happen unfortunately, still paying off Archie and Shaggie till October

[Auld Jag]

Who would have thought when we started season 2017/18 we would be in the position we are in today ? the previous season we had finished in our highest league position for more than 30 seasons and were looking to consolidate ourselves in the top league. Instead we get relegated and struggle in the Championship our first season down. And if our start is anything to go by this season is not going to be any better. Now I know nothing about accounts and I am not interested in getting involved with any of the verbal battles that is going on in this thread. At the moment the only direction we seem to be going is down. To stop that I feel that the owner question needs to be sorted out and soon. I don't know what the best option is for our club. But we are not doing great on the field and I feel if we could get the ownership sorted out, whoever is control of our club will then need to make a decision about results on the park, if they have not improved. But it needs to be sorted soon or it could be to late.

[Semi Nurainen]

2 hours ago, Auld Jag said:

Who would have thought when we started season 2017/18 we would be in the position we are in today ? the previous season we had finished in our highest league position for more than 30 seasons and were looking to consolidate ourselves in the top league. Instead we get relegated and struggle in the Championship our first season down. And if our start is anything to go by this season is not going to be any better. Now I know nothing about accounts and I am not interested in getting involved with any of the verbal battles that is going on in this thread. At the moment the only direction we seem to be going is down. To stop that I feel that the owner question needs to be sorted out and soon. I don't know what the best option is for our club. But we are not doing great on the field and I feel if we could get the ownership sorted out, whoever is control of our club will then need to make a decision about results on the park, if they have not improved. But it needs to be sorted soon or it could be to late.

Frankly AJ, quite a lot of us (though going by the above posts there may still be the odd fan-boi or two kicking around, still in denial).

[Woodstock Jag]

For context: Alan Archibald did actually win 3 of his first 6 games of the 2018-19 season, going on to collect only 9 points in 8 games before being sacked.

At the time even that half win ratio was (correctly) regarded as not a very good start in this league.

Those who think it was only fair to give Caldwell time: how much? This is now his squad.

And yes, to bang the drum: but do people honestly think that Alex Jones or Lewis Mansell are going to bring more to this campaign (even ignoring off-pitch impact) than Kris Doolan would have?

[Dick Dastardly]

5 hours ago, Auld Jag said:

Who would have thought when we started season 2017/18 we would be in the position we are in today ? the previous season we had finished in our highest league position for more than 30 seasons and were looking to consolidate ourselves in the top league. Instead we get relegated and struggle in the Championship our first season down. And if our start is anything to go by this season is not going to be any better. Now I know nothing about accounts and I am not interested in getting involved with any of the verbal battles that is going on in this thread. At the moment the only direction we seem to be going is down. To stop that I feel that the owner question needs to be sorted out and soon. I don't know what the best option is for our club. But we are not doing great on the field and I feel if we could get the ownership sorted out, whoever is control of our club will then need to make a decision about results on the park, if they have not improved. But it needs to be sorted soon or it could be to late.

Sadly I suspect any quick resolution is highly unlikely

[scotty]

7 minutes ago, Dick Dastardly said:

Sadly I suspect any quick resolution is highly unlikely

What is most depressing is that we may be mere spectators in the downward spiral of our club.

[West of Scotland]

"Quite a lot of us" predicted we'd be struggling against relegation in the Championship in 2019?

Aye, right.

Unless you mean the people who couldn't stand Archibald, went into hiding whilst the club was successful under him, and only appeared to complain when things went wrong.

So that's a "prediction" in the sense that stopped clocks are right twice a day.

[jagfox]

[Fawlty Towers]

I know the title is New Owner but my concern is with the current owners - are they just focusing on the takeover and are unwilling to take decisions that will impact on the here and now?

Boards have two simple options with managers, they either back them or sack them. At the moment it seems our Board have found a third way - if in doubt do nowt!

We can argue the toss over what the old boards plans were and what how the potential new owners will transform us but the board currently in place have a responsibility to deal with the here and now. They took over before the competitive season began and as the timescale for any takeover (assuming it does happen) is unclear they cannot just sit on their hands.

[Winter of '63]

To echo Woodstock Jag,  Archie won his first three home League Games last season...but I put that down to poor opposition and we didn't look remotely like a promotion team...I don't think anyone disputed that Archie had reached the end of the road.

His squad players were pretty awful but he could have fielded this team which should certainly have been good enough to have been promotion challengers last season:-

Sneddon

Elliot O'Ware McGinty Penrice 

Spittal Slater Bannigan

Fitzpatrick Doolan Erskine

With the nucleus of that squad, I thought it was a great opportunity for the new manager to make a promotion push...instead we scrambled clear of relegation on the last day. Apart from his mate Scott McDonald, after two transfer windows, Caldwell has not brought in any player who is an upgrade. It should be part of a manager's skill set to get the best of his players...we know how good Erskine, Doolan & Bannigan were...they didn't/don't look like they were/are enjoying their football under Caldwell.

I suspect the club and the team will stumble on without any particular sense of direction until the takeover situation is resolved. As with Derek Johnstone, Gerry Collins and Dick Campbell, my enthusiasm as a supporter is just marking time until a new manager takes over.   

Edited August 24, 2019 by Winter of '63

[Norgethistle]

19 minutes ago, Fawlty Towers said:

I know the title is New Owner but my concern is with the current owners - are they just focusing on the takeover and are unwilling to take decisions that will impact on the here and now?

Boards have two simple options with managers, they either back them or sack them. At the moment it seems our Board have found a third way - if in doubt do nowt!

We can argue the toss over what the old boards plans were and what how the potential new owners will transform us but the board currently in place have a responsibility to deal with the here and now. They took over before the competitive season began and as the timescale for any takeover (assuming it does happen) is unclear they cannot just sit on their hands.

We don’t know what contract Caldwell is on and what the terms are. I’ve heard it’s a rolling 2 year deal which if true means we need to pay 2 years wages to release him, or serve him 2 seasons notice.

Im hoping this rumor is false

[jagfox]

I doubt we’ll even see a loan player from Barnsley at this rate before the end of the month. Beattie should put his hands up and say he’s made a mess of this and ride off into the sunset. 

[Dick Dastardly]

16 minutes ago, jagfox said:

I doubt we’ll even see a loan player from Barnsley at this rate before the end of the month. Beattie should put his hands up and say he’s made a mess of this and ride off into the sunset. 

I can guarantee that and also that spending, including paying off a manager, will be kept to an absolute minimum until a new regime is in control. Whether that is Chien/Conway or another board assembled by the shareholders, we will not spend anything we don’t have to

[Semi Nurainen]

The biggest indictment of the old board is sitting in the dugout.

If the strategy of Beattie of et al. was to curtail Big Bawface's spending (on even more duds of the one-goal-a-season Mansell variety etc.) the under the pretext of balancing the budgets, then it was absolutely the ccorrect decision.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

10 minutes ago, Dick Dastardly said:

I can guarantee that and also that spending, including paying off a manager, will be kept to an absolute minimum until a new regime is in control. Whether that is Chien/Conway or another board assembled by the shareholders, we will not spend anything we don’t have to

Do we have to spend the "if we beat County and get a lucrative draw" money? Obviously we don't have to but just as obviously we do have to if a single word from the Board/CEO is ever to be believed again.

Edited August 24, 2019 by lady-isobel-barnett

[Fawlty Towers]

10 minutes ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

Do we have to spend the "if we beat County and get a lucrative draw" money? Obviously we don't have to but just as obviously we do have to if a single word from the Board/CEO is ever to be believed again.

But remember "a week is a long time in football".

[Semi Nurainen]

27 minutes ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

Do we have to spend the "if we beat County and get a lucrative draw" money? Obviously we don't have to but just as obviously we do have to if a single word from the Board/CEO is ever to be believed again.

After the failures of the last 3 weeks  (not that what before that was any great shakes), and the truly abominable performances by what is now unarguably Caldo's squad, my question would be why should the new board trust the manager not to bring in yet more duds.

I mean, I really can't wait to see this Mitch Austin dude, for example!

[scotty]

35 minutes ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

Do we have to spend the "if we beat County and get a lucrative draw" money? Obviously we don't have to but just as obviously we do have to if a single word from the Board/CEO is ever to be believed again.

 

24 minutes ago, Fawlty Towers said:

But remember "a week is a long time in football".

And it's now two weeks since we were promised better communication.

[Semi Nurainen]

2 hours ago, West of Scotland said:

"Quite a lot of us" predicted we'd be struggling against relegation in the Championship in 2019?

Aye, right.

Unless you mean the people who couldn't stand Archibald, went into hiding whilst the club was successful under him, and only appeared to complain when things went wrong.

So that's a "prediction" in the sense that stopped clocks are right twice a day.

If you're going to quote me, make sure you get it right.

The word 'prediction' was never used in either AJ's post or mine: you introduced it.

Don't really understand the 'couldn't stand Archibald' bit - seems completely irrelevant to Caldwell's abysmal performance. 

My point was that there were quite a lot of us who would have been glad to see Caldwell depart at the end of last season and repalcedby a more competent manager, the very same people who 'would have thought' (that was the original wording)  we'd struggle this year. Some of us have stayed our hand in terms of criticism to give Caldwell some slack, it didn't in any way signify a change in our perception of the man,  but after last night's performance ...

However when it comes to an actual 'prediction ' I said somewhere between 5th and 8th, but definitely closer to the bottom in terms of points. Based again on our league performance to date, I clearly erred too much on the optimistic side. But if that's not 'struggling' (for a club with 'promotion' ambitions) I really don't know what is.

Five wrong out of five; try again.

 

[laukat]

1 hour ago, Norgethistle said:

We don’t know what contract Caldwell is on and what the terms are. I’ve heard it’s a rolling 2 year deal which if true means we need to pay 2 years wages to release him, or serve him 2 seasons notice.

Im hoping this rumor is false

If true is this one of the reasons the current board was unhappy with the Jlow board's financial approach?

A 2 year rolling deal at our level for a manager that has a less than stunning maangerial record would be verging on incompetent.