Most liked posts in thread: Ryan Sparks

I’ve read this board for years, had the same name on Claret and Banter and the OMB for what it’s worth, so don’t give me that. I go home and away and have done for years but because I’ve only posted 216 times on a message board I’m a negative shit stirrer? I take huge offence to this comment.

I’m concerned for the club and it’s fans, that ain’t shit stirring. What positives have we had since July 2018 by the way? You keep your head in the sand/up the clubs arse and see where we are in 12 months. I’m so negative because the club is knackered, from top to bottom, we’ve gone from a sniff of the championship to probable non league football in 3 and a half years, what the feck do you want me to act like? People like you are the absolute cancer of our fan base, happy to accept this utter shite and push blame onto fans like me, mock us because we don’t tow the positivity line. Get real. Look where we are, where we’re going and how far we’ve dropped since May 2017.

 

I was no fan of the idea of appointing Sparks, but apart from the 12m extension for McCall, I can’t see what he’s done wrong so far. Rumour had it McCall wouldn’t claim the compensation for the extra year in his deal when he was fired.
Sacked McCall, got the recruitment head we were all shouting for, binned off BRE and Samuels, five games unbeaten, signed Canavan and a loan winger, I’m not in the camp of thinking Ryan’s the saviour like some prominent fans I can name, but I’m not sure what else he could have done above and beyond what he has.

 

LOTS to shout about. You just won't admit it.

Two decent strikers signed
Club released it's five weakest players
Five wins out of 8 games
Vast reduction in yellow cards
Fast and effective recruitment of players who were off the radar until signed
Julian Rhodes gone
A playing system that means players in their natural or near natural position
Players don't look out on there feet after 60 minutes
Long term injuries reduced and clearing up

Need I go on ?

 

To be fair @Fordy117 is being proved right so far even if he won’t back up his point.
No sign of arresting the slide despite the shot in the arm a new contract was to give the club and the players. We are now in the relegation zone.
Ryan has been at the helm really for the whole of the season as he was pretty much doing it before according to his radio interview.
Yes we should give him time but like when Collins was made manager some just know he’s an easy target to swing for and were proved right.

I’ll give sparks time and he has some good ideas and is a very good communicator etc but I feel he’s been dropped in at the deep end with so much to sort out and it’s too much without getting further help on board. Mayeb that’s the way we will go and people say give him time but I know for a fact despite the club not seeming to realise the extent of our problems, we don’t have the time!

also on his yes men point fordy has a point. No one at the club outed Rahic even when it was too late. It took the fans to sort it with the visit and the proposed banner and other things. A similar group of people are still at the club and we are now very close to going out of the football league. Maybe yes men wasn’t the right phrase but we need to change the identity of the club and I hope Ryan makes some tough choices to get that done

 

Agreed but as I've said before on here, my view was 5 years to get over the Rahic carnage and I stand by that. That bad, bad guy left on 18th November, 2018 from my recollection of his last day at the ground. That is almost 2 years and 3 months, almost half my projected time scale.
Even the most optimistic of us probably think promotion is out the window this season but if it was achieved in May 2022, that would be 3 1/2 years then to get us up to say a play off position in L1 where we finished the first Rahic season, my forecast will not be far out.
So jerking off, defo not, optimistic?, yes.

 

Exactly right. Top 3 should be 100% the aim and our manager decision in the summer, along with our recruitment and player retention decisions should reflect that.

Sparks says all the right things about not tolerating mediocrity. Lets see if its backed up. Its a mindset that still pervades. 'We need 5 years to undo Rahic' - when semi professional clubs have overtaken us in less time. 'Missing the playoffs ain't that bad cos we could've gone down' etc.

Every single year in this league is an embarrassment. Being doubled by Harrogate is a pisstake.

 

If he wasn't the right fit for us, we shouldn't have signed him in the first place. For all this 'due diligence' Sparks was banging on about in January it looks like a poor transfer from start to finish.

 

Well done Ryan.

Stuck his neck out and said he knew who he wanted and got his man.

I hope Adams works well and we have a positive season coming up.

 

Is it a shit storm though? Granted there are a few over the top posts but the majority seem pretty measured to me, and are justified in questioning some of the actions and decisions the club has taken. Yes some of the issues like Covid and the salary cap are beyond the clubs control, but that's the same for all 92 clubs in the pyramid, and as things stand, 90 of those clubs are dealing with and managing those issues much better than we are.
Of course there is still a hangover from the Rahic era, but I'm getting a bit fed up of it still being used as an excuse for our current predicament . We've had ample opportunity since he departed to strengthen the squad but the decisions that have been made in terms of recruitment have continued to be poor with no proper planning or thought going into what we actually need. The blame for that lies with Bowyer and McCall, not Edin.

As for injuries, I very much disagree this is out of the clubs control. There are contributing factors which are 100% within our control - poor pre match preparation and warm up and bringing players back from injury too soon being two examples.

The main reason we are where we are is completely of our own making. It's important to acknowledge that if we want to move forward. Continuing with the 'poor us, we've had so much to contend with that isn't our fault' attitude will do nothing to help our plight.

 

Absolutely How, give the bloody fella a chance! If some of you didnt sit trying to pick holes in everything he said he actually is trying to communicate what is going on at the club, something you have been crying out for over the past 18 months! He spoke a lot of sense about what is needed and has to change at the club - but some only hear what they want to hear so they can continue their negative tirade against Sparks and what he lacks rather than what he might actually bring to the club

 

Go back 8 games ago and tell me this. The feel good factor is slowly coming back but lets not pretend everything is rosy in the garden, this club 8 games ago was an absolute basket case dying on its arse and as even you said yourself its gonna take years to put right the wrongs. Not to say i'm not hapy about the current turnaround, it makes my Saturdays more enjoyable, but lets see what division we are in in say 6 months or 18 months before we start jerking off.

 

Rupp gets slammed because hes overseen the worst period of football in my living memory as a football fan.
Lawn oversaw us have a cup final, a promotion and two of the best cup runs we've ever had culminating in arguably the biggest shocks this club has ever achieved.
Rupp ain't redeemed in my eyes until we're back in league 1 no matter what he spends in league 2.

 

Didn't Phil Parkinson plied his trade at Valley Parade for 5/6 season with cheap season tickets, whilst improving our league position season on season, that suggests that the right man could do similar, I don't think many would be adverse to paying more for a season ticket but your figure of 12,000 at £249 ain't gonna happen.

 

He won't say so publicly but privately, I bet Ryan is absolutely seething. Whether we had made the play offs or not, playing with intention to get there would have been exactly what he wanted for part of the marketing campaign for season tickets but now he doesn't have that, what's he going to use to excite people to renew or buy? Also, I bet a few weeks ago he was anticipating bumper sales of ifollow passes for the last few games but now, I reckon they'll be lucky to sell a couple of hundred per game. I'll probably watch the remaining home games if I'm not doing anything else, but only because I've already paid for them. I have no interest whatsoever in watching the remaining away fixtures so won't be buying passes for those games and I imagine many will feel the same.

 

Very informative new manager oversaw the retained list good interview

 

A family member has been working at Valley Parade last couple of weeks. He has been impressed with the plans Sparks has for improving the fading glory of the stadium over the next two years.

Just need to get the right manager and players in now. Hopefully Adams being announced by mid week next week

 

In my working life, employed within a group structure I've met quite a few characters like Ryan Sparks, working for subsidiary companies. Almost without exception, they flattered to deceive. They dominated group meetings with flowery spiel and grandiose plans. They had neither the experience nor expertise to support their over confident personna. It was a case of "all that glitters, is not gold". A couple of years and life found them out.

For all our sakes, I hope that doesn't apply to Ryan.

 

New manager appointed, New players already signed just waiting to be announced, 2 friendlies already arranged again waiting to be announced and a new season ticket plan, Sparky has been a busy lad

 

Oh yes they do. Friendly games are not just a case of turning up on the day. Issues such as share of gate money, travel costs,etc. are all to be sorted and if you think a PL club or indeed any club would deal with a junior member of staff at the proposed opposition you are deluded, it doesn't happen.