Lepkowski Article

[SW4Baggie]

Employ Mowbray using some random stats as a reason - tick
Don’t employ a DoF - tick
Don’t employ someone who can increase revenue away from selling players - tick
Employ a manager with no experience in one of the toughest leagues in world football - tick
Employ a manager who seemingly won’t budge from a system that requires players we didn’t have - tick
Sell our best players and replace with no better if not worse - tick

That’s where the clubs decision making has been this year. Yes the owners are managing PSR problems but almost every decision they’ve made that is related to the football side of the game has been badly thought out, either through naivety or arrogance or perhaps both. Anyone who is still arguing we have a coherent plan in place has been asleep since we appointed TM.

Didn't get the manager the process isolated due to last minute complications, saw the form dropping off a cliff, and hired a man that made sense at the time - tick
Has isolated the need for DoF and has been recruiting for around 12 months - tick
Has appointed two c-suite roles focused on increasing revenue - tick
Employed a highly regarded coach who'd been given 2 separate caretaker spells in charge of a Champs League contender PL club that had worked with Mourinho, Conte etc etc - tick
Employed a highly regarded coach with a very solid track record in another league of improving players and substantially over-achieving in league performance vs. budget - tick
Forced into selling players due to previous regime's mismanagement but has managed in 2 windows to bring in substantial profits whilst lowering the age and wage of the squad - tick

I can put a similar spin on these points.

Ultimately a plethora of crap decisions made over many years have left us where we are presently. It's not the sole fault of Nestor or Patel, there are plenty of people who've stolen a living from this club at all levels, for the last decade

[Hudds2]

I'm betting the manager he sort of, but doesn't quote was Mowbray as that is who he had a relationship with in his evening mail years. Assuming that, this is quite old news about a manager who under-performed, but was also quite angry by the end (probably rightfully, in hindsight). Who knows what they didn't want him to see on the whiteboard in the recruitment board, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was the search for hhis replacement.

The fallout between playouts is a prominent part of the article, yet at the same time he says it's not important and it's what you would expect. So why is it in this story? A story in its own right, fair enough, but why is it in this one? Paragraphs are donated to this and the misery of being around a losing club, yet, in an effort to appear fair minded, he says this is always the case at a losing club. He's put it in to add colour to the image he wants of a club in disarray. It's easy to argue that this indicative of at least something that is not in in disarray. If it was, they would be playing 'leapfrog' and having a great time.

There's plenty that suggests that it was right for Nestor to go and he even uses the obvious emotional manipulation of linking him unfairly to the greats we all respect to paint the picture. But if has been sacked (at last) isn't this a good thing? It's not easy to sack a friend (and I'm assuming his other mate who Nestor appointed - the one whose only experience was in failed internet media companies) but he's done it.

Is it any surprise that no-one knew where Nestor was when he already knew he was getting the chop? Again, that's not a signal of a club in disarray, that's more likely the natural, if petulant, reaction of an employee thinking bollocks to this, I'm getting back to my home in florida on the first plane out, I'm certainly not going to sit there and explain about the management appointment I had little hand in. And what was that about a 'dishevelled' Patel? I suppose it's open to interpretation and might not be an exaggeration purely to fit a point, but he didn't look anything close to dishevelled to me...

There's the implication that we use data to make ALL our decision making, except for 'linkedin interviews' and how stupid this is. Does anybody really believe that is all we do? Data analysis was mentioned in the takeover as a USP for the process to give us an edge. Most people were never convinced by that, but that's not to say that's all we were ever going to do. It's a deliberately false impression.

Similarly with the 'linkedin' answers, what does this really mean? People speak well, but that's not important? What's the alternative? What does it really mean, anyway? That's the beauty of made-up phrases, you can bend them to mean anything you want.

Ramsey, whether you like him (thats him over there by himself) or not (that's everyone else) has more to his career than a couple of seasons in the MSL. CL knows this, but chooses to omit most of his experience. It may (probably?) turn out to be a bad appointment, but at least give the full information on why he was chosen. If he need the information, maybe he could refer back to his own podcast where he previously endorsed him!

In short, a complete hatchet job from someone who clearly has an agenda. He's toxic to the club and I would be amazed if his contacts are anything more than similarly toxic people and previous managers and players from the time when he was important on the local sports scene.

OK Fuzz, that's about 500 words assassinating Chris Lepkowski. Now write a few about how we find ourselves in the Championship relegation zone if everything is going well down at The Hawthorns. Lepo's comments ring true to me. All journos add a slant to their reporting, but that doesn't discredit them totally. The club is in a mess, and sniping at people who comment or report on it doesn't achieve a damn thing.

Fuzz is right. That verbiage from CL was tittle tattle. I have no agenda with him. Just that his material was meagre on fact and loaded with nothing.

[Johnny akes]

Can’t see that Lepko stated much that hasn’t been said on here already by various people; other than the manager/recruitment hq bit there is little in there that we didn’t already know.

[Derek Hardballs]

Employ Mowbray using some random stats as a reason - tick
Don’t employ a DoF - tick
Don’t employ someone who can increase revenue away from selling players - tick
Employ a manager with no experience in one of the toughest leagues in world football - tick
Employ a manager who seemingly won’t budge from a system that requires players we didn’t have - tick
Sell our best players and replace with no better if not worse - tick

That’s where the clubs decision making has been this year. Yes the owners are managing PSR problems but almost every decision they’ve made that is related to the football side of the game has been badly thought out, either through naivety or arrogance or perhaps both. Anyone who is still arguing we have a coherent plan in place has been asleep since we appointed TM.

Didn't get the manager the process isolated due to last minute complications, saw the form dropping off a cliff, and hired a man that made sense at the time - tick
Has isolated the need for DoF and has been recruiting for around 12 months - tick
Has appointed two c-suite roles focused on increasing revenue - tick
Employed a highly regarded coach who'd been given 2 separate caretaker spells in charge of a Champs League contender PL club that had worked with Mourinho, Conte etc etc - tick
Employed a highly regarded coach with a very solid track record in another league of improving players and substantially over-achieving in league performance vs. budget - tick
Forced into selling players due to previous regime's mismanagement but has managed in 2 windows to bring in substantial profits whilst lowering the age and wage of the squad - tick

I can put a similar spin on these points.

Ultimately a plethora of crap decisions made over many years have left us where we are presently. It's not the sole fault of Nestor or Patel, there are plenty of people who've stolen a living from this club at all levels, for the last decade

Oh please there is no spin, the owners have made avoidable and obvious mistakes, that aren’t hindsight, they were pointed out at every point they were made.

[SW4Baggie]

Employ Mowbray using some random stats as a reason - tick
Don’t employ a DoF - tick
Don’t employ someone who can increase revenue away from selling players - tick
Employ a manager with no experience in one of the toughest leagues in world football - tick
Employ a manager who seemingly won’t budge from a system that requires players we didn’t have - tick
Sell our best players and replace with no better if not worse - tick

That’s where the clubs decision making has been this year. Yes the owners are managing PSR problems but almost every decision they’ve made that is related to the football side of the game has been badly thought out, either through naivety or arrogance or perhaps both. Anyone who is still arguing we have a coherent plan in place has been asleep since we appointed TM.

Didn't get the manager the process isolated due to last minute complications, saw the form dropping off a cliff, and hired a man that made sense at the time - tick
Has isolated the need for DoF and has been recruiting for around 12 months - tick
Has appointed two c-suite roles focused on increasing revenue - tick
Employed a highly regarded coach who'd been given 2 separate caretaker spells in charge of a Champs League contender PL club that had worked with Mourinho, Conte etc etc - tick
Employed a highly regarded coach with a very solid track record in another league of improving players and substantially over-achieving in league performance vs. budget - tick
Forced into selling players due to previous regime's mismanagement but has managed in 2 windows to bring in substantial profits whilst lowering the age and wage of the squad - tick

I can put a similar spin on these points.

Ultimately a plethora of crap decisions made over many years have left us where we are presently. It's not the sole fault of Nestor or Patel, there are plenty of people who've stolen a living from this club at all levels, for the last decade

Oh please there is no spin, the owners have made avoidable and obvious mistakes, that aren’t hindsight, they were pointed out at every point they were made.

There is spin Derek - if you can't see that, there's no hope.

I agree that the owners have made mistakes... and I have said they overestimated their capabilities and how easy this turnaround job would be, but you're pushing an agenda at CL levels!

[wba13]

As ever, Chris writes well, but as a journalist and former employee, he does sometimes appear to bask in Albion’s struggles, despite clearly being a supporter.

FFS, what did you expect him to write? Play the ball not the man.

The Lepko hate on here is fucking weird at times.

Yeah, you're getting a bit wba13 there, CIM.

Leave me out of this I’ve said fuck all, yet

[fuzzbox]

OK Fuzz, that's about 500 words assassinating Chris Lepkowski. Now write a few about how we find ourselves in the Championship relegation zone if everything is going well down at The Hawthorns. Lepo's comments ring true to me. All journos add a slant to their reporting, but that doesn't discredit them totally. The club is in a mess, and sniping at people who comment or report on it doesn't achieve a damn thing.

We all know how we found ourselves in this mess. It started from just before we got relegated. A whole sorry tale of greed, bad decisions and in all fairness, unluckiness.

There's plenty of posts that show I have always been highly critical of Patel's board appointments and why. Some as long-winded and as tedious as this!

But - he's got rid of Nestor, which must have been tough.

As to his management appointments, I'm guessing the pickings were slim. There are reasons he chose Ramsey and they were glossed over in the article. (Not so convinced of the previous incumbent) We've tried experienced and they have been a disaster as well. We could all sit here now and think of better managers, but they were all with risks.

Ultimately, we've had no money we can spend and so the owners in their optimism or naivety - maybe in their arrogance - thought they could find a different path. It failed.

But in their favour another 'path' tried by the previous owner almost led us to bankruptcy and gave us these financial restrictions that are, in my opinion, most to blame for where we are.

Next season is the big one. At least we know now as a club that we are going to get another season without going into administration.

He's not the messiah, but for me, the jury's still out on the rest

[Vinebaggie]

I think the Lepko article was written more in sorrow than anything else, by someone with the club at heart who knows we are completely fucked, because the governance of our beloved football club may be minted but simply hasn’t a fucking clue.

[Midget In A Pinstripe Suit]

Also, happy clapper articles don't "sell", doom and gloom gets people talking and engaging.

[Derek Hardballs]

Employ Mowbray using some random stats as a reason - tick
Don’t employ a DoF - tick
Don’t employ someone who can increase revenue away from selling players - tick
Employ a manager with no experience in one of the toughest leagues in world football - tick
Employ a manager who seemingly won’t budge from a system that requires players we didn’t have - tick
Sell our best players and replace with no better if not worse - tick

That’s where the clubs decision making has been this year. Yes the owners are managing PSR problems but almost every decision they’ve made that is related to the football side of the game has been badly thought out, either through naivety or arrogance or perhaps both. Anyone who is still arguing we have a coherent plan in place has been asleep since we appointed TM.

Didn't get the manager the process isolated due to last minute complications, saw the form dropping off a cliff, and hired a man that made sense at the time - tick
Has isolated the need for DoF and has been recruiting for around 12 months - tick
Has appointed two c-suite roles focused on increasing revenue - tick
Employed a highly regarded coach who'd been given 2 separate caretaker spells in charge of a Champs League contender PL club that had worked with Mourinho, Conte etc etc - tick
Employed a highly regarded coach with a very solid track record in another league of improving players and substantially over-achieving in league performance vs. budget - tick
Forced into selling players due to previous regime's mismanagement but has managed in 2 windows to bring in substantial profits whilst lowering the age and wage of the squad - tick

I can put a similar spin on these points.

Ultimately a plethora of crap decisions made over many years have left us where we are presently. It's not the sole fault of Nestor or Patel, there are plenty of people who've stolen a living from this club at all levels, for the last decade

Oh please there is no spin, the owners have made avoidable and obvious mistakes, that aren’t hindsight, they were pointed out at every point they were made.

There is spin Derek - if you can't see that, there's no hope.

I agree that the owners have made mistakes... and I have said they overestimated their capabilities and how easy this turnaround job would be, but you're pushing an agenda at CL levels!

This isn’t spin it’s simply my opinion and my agenda is to want the club back in the Prem and at least able to compete with our local rivals. 

The points I made above I’ve made since they appointed Mowbray, I haven’t moved from my position despite the criticism coming my way for daring to point out the problems the club were making for themselves. 

The most important positions the club needed to fill last summer were DoF, Manager, and someone who could increase revenue streams beyond selling players. We are still waiting for those positions to be filled or in the case of the manager on our third attempt at getting it right. Add to this, the players we have brought in are no better, if not worse than those we had previously and hey presidento we find ourselves in the relegation zone. 

I have a lot of sympathy with the owners having to manage the financial mess the previous owners got themselves in, and have tried to temper my expectations about what is possible in the time frame they’ve had, but there is no way the mistakes this year are acceptable if you have any real ambition to compete as a Championship club let alone in the Prem.

Just for Tech Bro’s…