Lepkowski Article

[richbaggie]

I fully expect changes are incoming, which in itself will be an admission that whatever path the owners had chosen has been the wrong one. The fear is that it might be too late to save this season but getting on the right path now at least gives us a chance going forwards.

[Duffers]

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.

Think we've just hired someone for that.

[Derek Hardballs]

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.

Think we've just hired someone for that.

Have we? Who is it? Not saying we haven’t, just haven’t seen the announcement.

[Loanee]

Can’t agree to dismissing the “data driven approach” when clubs such as Brighton & Brentford as using it successfully

Biggest issue for us across many areas right now is execution

[Derek Hardballs]

Can’t agree to dismissing the “data driven approach” when clubs such as Brighton & Brentford as using it successfully

Biggest issue for us across many areas right now is execution

I think the millions the Brighton owner pumps into their club helps as well.

[Loanee]

“increase revenue streams beyond selling players“

Are there actually any clubs outside the “big 6” that do this to make a big significant impact?

It is always talking about but there’s a big myth that it’s possible to make £m’s outside of bau football trading operations to benefit the club.

Hiring out conference areas / car parks for car boots etc etc doesn’t actually bring a material financial benefit for clubs


Same for extending your fan base - I always find it a myth that you can target a community that doesn’t support you to add housands onto your weekly gate.

[Duffers]

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.

Think we've just hired someone for that.

Have we? Who is it? Not saying we haven’t, just haven’t seen the announcement.

Swear I read a couple of weeks ago we had brought in someone who was previously at Norwich to run the commercial side. Will try and find it.

[Loanee]

Can’t agree to dismissing the “data driven approach” when clubs such as Brighton & Brentford as using it successfully

Biggest issue for us across many areas right now is execution

I think the millions the Brighton owner pumps into their club helps as well.

100% but those millions are spent on buying players from the data driven approach set out.

It should’ve possible to be done at all levels of the game

[Duffers]

This guy, not sure if it was formally announced.

https://x.com/lewiscox_star/status/20060...qkPwh6EZ-w

[SausEggBaton]

This guy, not sure if it was formally announced.

https://x.com/lewiscox_star/status/20060...qkPwh6EZ-w

At least he's a football bloke.

Ed Turnham promoted to Commercial Director at Norwich City
Ed Turnham has been appointed Commercial Director at Norwich City FC, where he has held senior commercial roles since 2022. Before joining the club, he spent over seven years at Northampton Saints, most recently as Head of Sales.