Most liked posts in thread: So what's the answer...

The answer is a change of ownership and Executive leadership of the club. Does anyone doubt that anymore?

 

As for what I'd do as CEO. That's tough to answer because any incoming CEO has to do a full drains up and assess every aspect of the club before they really know how to act. And there'll be stuff we don't know about from the outside. But based on what we know, in probably this order:

1. Have a completely frank conversation with Rupp and make clear that the current approach is much more likely to see the club fail and his 'investment' go up in smoke than anything else. Demonstrate he has 2 options - cut his losses and sell, or inject the capital to fund a serious rebuild of the club. No half measures, no 'flowering up' of what's happening at the club.

2. Establish a plan for raising capital. Either through investment from Rupp, or outside financing. Determine the optimal balance for capital funding, costs to service the debt, and revenue forecasts.

3. Implement a right sized executive structure to oversee the football and commercial departments of the club, covering the men's, womens and junior sides.

4. Establish a footballing strategy that outlines the principles of how we play, recruit and develop talent, to act as the yard stick for all manager, coaching, scouting and player recruitment. Within that, I'd set boundaries for the age profile and size of the squad to focus on quality over quantity, and players under the age of 27.

5. Quickly determine whether existing resources fit the vision. Alexander wouldn't fit, so I'd be taking steps to ensure planning for next season starts now.

6. Revamp the recruitment approach, aligned to point 4. Seriously invest in data driven approach to recruitment. Move away from the old world 'little black book' mentality of how we sign players.

7. Establish our role as a strategic 'feeder club' and create partnerships with the power clubs in the North West to offer a competitive arena for loans to test players in front of large crowds. Explore whether there's a role we could play by partnering with clubs in Scandinavia and North Europe who's own football model looks to sell talent into the UK. Embrace the role of developing and selling talent as a platform for young players.

8. Ensure we have strong ties to the local community. Charitable initiatives, apprentice schemes for football and non footballing talent, fans forums etc.

9. Resolve the ground ownership situation - a difficult but not insurmountable issue.

It's a long list, but the crux is - its not rocket science. An experienced CEO would give us a shot and therin lies the rub. A CEO acts in the best interests of the organisation they're accountable for and will even act against their own interest if it benefits their business. They'll challenge and manage their Board, not simply act as an order taker. That's a CEO. Sparks is acting as a business manager, because that's his level.

 

I think the best thing Sparks can do now is to do an interview with Parker or put a statement out and apologise to the fans and then announce he will resign from his position at the end of the season. I think it's the only way he leaves with any credit

 

CEO gone
Owner gone
Recruitment team gone

If only the owner give a shite then these issues could easily be solved but while folk continue to fund his failure as an owner then nothing will change .

If he seriously wants his investment back then its about time he started doimg something about it, simply turning a blind eye to the piss poor set up here is simply not gonna work ...............ffs he let Rahic cause havoc has he not learned from that lesson.

Time folk did something that will make him wake up and if thats a season away from VP then so be it

 

I’d be radical and try and get Heckingbottom in as manager with McCall as his assistant. Goes against my views about McCall as manager but as an assistant to Heckingbottom they were good together at Sheffield Utd. We need someone like Baldwin to run the show and relaunch the new season with some optimism. This season is dead write it off.

 

Off the field - Dave Baldwin and Jewell
On the field- Paul Heckingbottham and Stuart
Sparks should get on the phone to his boss tomorrow to ask if he can have his old job back.

 

Ryan Sparks may have improved the commercial side of the club but his almost relentless sacking of managers and their replacements leaves many supporters questioning his position at our club.
Why isn't he held accountable for his actions and more to the point why doesn't our illusive owner go public Infront of the fans and explain the reasoning behind letting Sparks carry on in the CEO position.
My only conclusion is that he quite happy to let Ryan take the wrap whilst he sits somewhere in his office reading car magazines.
You ask what the answer is to the mess we are in.
Well until we change personal at the very top nothing will change everyone knows that the sackings will continue whilst Mr Ryan Sparks is exempt.

 

I believe I know of one previously interested party, but it’s by the by. Sparks has admitted that over the last 3 years alone, there have been 3 approaches. One was obviously WAGMI. So interest is out there, that’s not the issue. The issue, quite clearly, is the asking price.

Rupp has a decision to make. There’s a principle in business called the ‘sunk investment fallacy’. That’s what he has to contend with. If he remains passive, the most likely outcome is the further decline of the club, and an even further regression for his ‘investment’. Probably to the point of complete write off.

I don’t expect him to make a decision based on emotion, because as you say, he has no connection to the club on that score. But he needs to be made fully aware that under the current ‘plan’ and regime, his investment is failing. So he needs to cut his losses on the basis of not further losing out financially, or double down and invest what it takes to set the club up for success. If he does nothing, he deserves to lost the lot.

 

The lad has given his all but is simply out of his depth. Doesn't help when he has no guidance from the man above him.

 

Congratulations, you've got the job, when can you start ..?

 

5 years of something not working needs change. Can't just keep praying for a miracle home run. As it stands we are club just making up the numbers, what's the point if you aren't going to be one of the ambitious clubs?

 

How many people are gonna keep putting up with it ?????
Start of the season the whole aim is to self sustainable and nothing else ?????

You all have the power to make a change you keep buying into this joke then dont come moaning when this shit continues to happen.

And if Rupp aint listening to Sparkes or Sparkes is bullshitting it then let them try and get around thousands of missing season ticket holders.

I know folk simply cant turn away from it i get it but the club YOU LOVE are being shafted for fun by a bunch of folk who dont care about you who take you for mugs

 

Found Parker's comments in the T&A snide and unhelpful.

'ThErE iSn'T a QuEuE oF bUyEr'S' he says like an alarmist scared of change.

No way, Simon, really?? What local businessman or consortium is going to be interested when the current owner is demanding 8 figures to take over Ash Taylor's contract...

Drop the asking price to 1 million, declare the intention to leave, and I bet someone magically appears on Manningham Road...

 

You realise that saying “ I bet it wasn’t 10 million “ is conjecture right?

 

Either Rupp's so disinterested that he doesn't know what's going on, or more worryingly, he doesn't care.

It's not outside the realm of possibilities that City's decline could very well go critical and run away in the medium term [I'm supposing there's two poorer teams in the league this season, but even that's not a given if they have a big change in form and City don't].

But continue in this vein for the rest of this season, ticket sales will dwindle, so the budget will be smaller and before long City could very well be exiting the football league. In that case, Rupp's investment has evaporated to nothing, so if he wants to try and protect the money he's spent, then the first thing would be to find new people to run the club I'd have thought.

 

I agree, BUT.... from this point, if he refuses to act and either bring in someone to run the club, or leave his position and allow for the same, any lingering sympathy will vanish. Because we're moving beyond a young lad giving a big role a go before his time, to one acting out of hubris, self interest and self preservation.

 

I mean imagine owning a club where 16,000 people are helping to hide your complete fook up and you simply dont care about them ?????

Hes had this for years where folk have helped him keep his hands in his pockets , well fook him the Twit created this mess its about time this Twit started to help rebuild it.

If he aint willing then simply dont purchase a thing from the club till hes gone lets see how he likes it

 

It'll never catch on....

 

Brings money in on the commercial side only to waste it on sackings or signing crap footballers on long deals.

 

Exactly this, as it stands for him we are a free lottery ticket, we tick along funding ourselves and if by any chance we get lucky along the way with a pay day then he's quids in.