Plans and Vision

Does it matter?

They made an error and corrected it and are now sat in 4th.

 

The trick is spotting your mistakes quickly. And to be fair they did. Because we have no strategy we just go from one manager to another without any real idea of how we want them to fit a system. The summer was a perfect time to carry on the work Hughes did, but alarm bells should have been ringing for Sparks when Hughes wanted to change everything he'd got right.

 

Exactly!!!
And he should have gone then.

 

Exactly.

We wouldn't know if we'd made the right appointment or not. We aren't judging them by anything.

 

In truth, I couldn't care a less about MK but Bradford City. Plan or no plan, I'm so fed up with the regression and little light at the end of the tunnel, all us supporters are enduring here at Valley Parade

 

Perhaps Kev should take his own advice and 'do his homework' before posting

 

Every club has or should have plan including short and long term. We do actually have a plan from our owner, that was to be self sufficient above everything else. Which has proved to be detrimental to any progress we could have made. See why Carlisle came back down, because they had no plan other than to see what would happen from season to season. You might get lucky but you will find your rightful place on the ladder.
Now our owner has admitted it the club would go nowhere with that plan, hence his statement of intent the other day. As @Faithful Bantam rightly pointed out , clubs or businesses that plan to stay still usually go backwards.
I hope Rupp is true to his word, that his lack of plan and leadership over the last six years has.put this club back years. And that he now acts on this.

 

To my mind, there are 3 fundamental themes to what our strategy should hinge around:

1. The Ground. The current model of leasing at £500K, is simply not sustainable. And given Rupp's personal wealth, there's zero excuse (other than disinterest) for not resolving it. Either by agreeing a buy-back at a reasonable price, or by investing in a new stadium - which I appreciate isn't cheap. Buy back option, lets assume the purchase price is somewhere in the region of £7m. That seems to be roughly the going rate from what can see - well, that value is immediately back on the balance sheet of the club, and is added to the asking price of the club for any sale. Rupp wouldn't be out of pocket as such. Depending on the level of benevolence (or rather, ambition) Rupp wants to show, he could choose to charge the club zero 'rent' by way of reclaiming his purchase cost. But even if he charged half of what we currently pay, you put the other £250K into hiring a quality DoF, and paying for a high quality data analytics service to properly support effective recruitment (not a kid with an iPad and the gaffers little black book, like we currently do). A new build would likely be in the region of £30m. A lot of money, but could be financed through a combination of Rupp's personal wealth, or leveraged debt against either the club or his business portfolio. Even if the council and Bulls didn't want to do something as a shared venture, take the plunge and build a new, modern stadium that incorporates leisure facilities and creates a much better experience for all supporters, makes game day more of a family day out, and seriously expands the revenue streams coming into the club. Various other clubs have proven what a regenerative effect it has. The only blockers are a lack of genuine ambition - the funding challenges can be overcome. In any event, the fact that we're currently paying 500K per year rent, make a solid business case for either option.

2. Invest in a performance culture. Beyond the DoF, what other roles are required across the wider club? How are we approaching travel, accommodation for away games, nutrition, sports science etc. The fact we train at a school isn't an issue - the training pitches are fine, we have a pool, a gym. Its the marginal things that need sorting - and of course, the pitch at VP. Get it sorted, properly.

3. The football and recruitment philosophy. Establish a style of playing that's embedded in every aspect of the club. First Team, Women's Team, reserve and academy teams etc. Build every aspect of our approach to hiring managers, coaches and players based on that style. Focus on quality over quantity with the squad, the bulk of which should be under 26. And where Rupp could really pony up, is by shifting our recruitment away from out of contract lower league and older players, to funding a succession of transfer fees so we can target quality players who aren't tossed away by their clubs. Back yourself, led by the DoF and higher quality data analytics capability to target the best players in League 2 and the NL, Scandinavian and northern European lower leagues. Build relationships with the norther powerhouse clubs so we're at the front of the queue for their released players or higher quality loan prospects. Establish a pathway for these players to get big moves. Yes it costs, but invest in it properly and create a virtuous cycle of buying and selling well. Do it properly and over time, Rupp would likely get much of his investment back, and may even profit. And do it properly, and I guarantee the fans would back the players - even young players who might look raw. We need a credible plan and believable trajectory to get behind.

We're talking a level of investment into the millions, probably with a combination of personal funding from Rupp and properly structured debt.

This is what it will take to get us properly back as a football club that could get to, and survive in the Championship. And its the only way, in my opinion, that Rupp can redeem himself.

 

Rupp could do that from all his other businesses!

 

Just read this after replying to @Dennis. Ok you have got the job, submit this to Rupp.

 

I did say could