Sporting Director? On one condition

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Bob Bayliss
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Sporting Director? On one condition

Post by Bob Bayliss »

So Arsenal have suddenly announced that they are going to appoint a Sporting Director, recognising that Wenger has (depending on how you look at it) been obliged to shoulder too great a burden or allowed too much autonomy since David Dein left.

I have no problem with this announcement; indeed, I welcome it, although the timing seems rather coincidental now that Wenger and his methods have at long last come under serious scrutiny not only by most of the fanbase but also by the media. One might think that the club are anxious to convey a sense that they have everything in hand with this new appointment.

What I am more worried about is the list of names being floated as candidates: Gilberto, Edu, Overmars and top of the list Bobby Pires. Now all of these (especially the last one) are popular figures with the fans and will instinctively evoke memories of the great football we played between 1997 and 2004. But there is no evidence any one of them would be a success as a Sporting Director. And the implication is that if one of these Arsenal legends gets the job then he will be working alongside you-know-who, as a dream ticket. That, for me, is a deal breaker. We already know that Wenger has virtually all of his ex players under his spell, and we would have another highly paid Bouldy on our hands.

Yes, by all means appoint a SD, but this appointment must be alongside that of a new manager. If the successful candidate happens to be one of our ex legends then fine, but only if they are the best qualilfied candidate for the job. In all probability a new broom of manager and SD with no previous association with the club would be our best bet.
Last edited by Bob Bayliss on Tue Mar 14, 2017 10:24 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Perryashburtongroves
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Re: Sporting Director? On one condition

Post by Perryashburtongroves »

It'll end up being Keown.

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augie
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Re: Sporting Director? On one condition

Post by augie »

Doesn't matter what c.unt gets the job, cos if the French pr*ck is in charge he wont have any input anyway :roll:

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flash gunner
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Re: Sporting Director? On one condition

Post by flash gunner »

We dont need a sporting director we need a new manager

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DB10GOONER
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Re: Sporting Director? On one condition

Post by DB10GOONER »

flash gunner wrote:We dont need a sporting director we need a new manager
This ^. 8)

This sporting director horseshit is a fob by the club. It says "hey look at us, we are addressing the issues, we are moving with the times". It's bollocks. The SD will have as much input as Steve Bould. So that's someone else that can now put the cones out if Bouldy is sick or on hols. :roll:

Gunner Rob
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Re: Sporting Director? On one condition

Post by Gunner Rob »

just sums up how out of touch the club are.

if they had actually engaged with supporters more and introduced a sporting director before now then we might not be in this mess now.

the club do not seem to understand that their relationship with a large core of the supporters has completely broken down and can only be begin to be fixed with the removal of the manager.

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DB10GOONER
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Re: Sporting Director? On one condition

Post by DB10GOONER »

Gunner Rob wrote:just sums up how out of touch the club are.

if they had actually engaged with supporters more and introduced a sporting director before now then we might not be in this mess now.

the club do not seem to understand that their relationship with a large core of the supporters has completely broken down and can only be begin to be fixed with the removal of the manager.
The real problem is they don't care that their relationship with a large core of the supporters has completely broken down... we are the type of supporter they don't want. We go to matches, but we drink before or after the game outside the ground, so don't spend money on shit beer and food in the ground and don't buy bags of tat in the Armoury - but we demand results and trophies. They want customers, JCL tourists, that spend their money in the ground and demand nothing beyond a Facebook or Twatter selfie in return. :|

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silus
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Re: Sporting Director? On one condition

Post by silus »

Christ , if there's one person who couldn't work with a sporting director it's Wenger. His ego couldn't take it.
If it happens and he stays, it'll just be another yes man/puppet/fall guy.

I normally see the positive in situations and would like to see this as a sign he's leaving. Unfortunately, where Arsenal are concerned I'm a cynical bastard nowadays. This just screams out that he's staying and this is the club trying to act as though they are listening to the fans.
This worries me more than a lot of the other stuff coming out the club recently.

I hope to fuck I'm wrong.

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DB10GOONER
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Re: Sporting Director? On one condition

Post by DB10GOONER »

silus wrote:Christ , if there's one person who couldn't work with a sporting director it's Wenger. His ego couldn't take it.
If it happens and he stays, it'll just be another yes man/puppet/fall guy.

I normally see the positive in situations and would like to see this as a sign he's leaving. Unfortunately, where Arsenal are concerned I'm a cynical bastard nowadays. This just screams out that he's staying and this is the club trying to act as though they are listening to the fans.
This worries me more than a lot of the other stuff coming out the club recently.

I hope to fuck I'm wrong.
You are not wrong, mate. Unfortunately. :(

I too, in all other aspects of my life, am a positive person, an optimist, but where Wenger's Modern Arsenal are concerned I am a negative, cynical, pessimistic bastard. :|

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Babu
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Re: Sporting Director? On one condition

Post by Babu »

silus wrote:Christ , if there's one person who couldn't work with a sporting director it's Wenger. His ego couldn't take it.
If it happens and he stays, it'll just be another yes man/puppet/fall guy.

I normally see the positive in situations and would like to see this as a sign he's leaving. Unfortunately, where Arsenal are concerned I'm a cynical bastard nowadays. This just screams out that he's staying and this is the club trying to act as though they are listening to the fans.
This worries me more than a lot of the other stuff coming out the club recently.

I hope to fuck I'm wrong.
Not wrong there, sadly.
It's a classic counter-move when the going gets tough.

Wenger will get his 2 year contract, and the Sporting Director will get the boot if/when Wenger's Masterplan fucks up again.

The *word censored* is going to be here until he dies!

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GoonerMuzz
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Re: Sporting Director? On one condition

Post by GoonerMuzz »

Fall guy springs to mind, someone who is a figurehead to take the heat of Le Boss and blame when things continue to go wrong :roll:

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Bradywasking
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Re: Sporting Director? On one condition

Post by Bradywasking »

Are the Club possibly creating the new position for Wenger himself with a Remi Garde type coming in as manager..? So moving Wenger without moving him..

MecurialGooner
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Re: Sporting Director? On one condition

Post by MecurialGooner »

Fall guy idea seems the likely possibility. Absolute NO to either of the two. I don't want Wenger as DOF, and I don't want a DOF to come in to "assist" Wenger. Clean break required.

goonertone
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Re: Sporting Director? On one condition

Post by goonertone »

I don't have a problem with the idea of an SD being appointed even though it is a typical piece of misdirection by the board. Wenger has to go whatever happens and that is issue they should be addressing. If Wenger does go i would want an outsider appointed to replace him and not one of his disciples as the club needs shaking up from top to bottom. That also goes for any SD appointment. Time to clean house and not before time either.

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flash gunner
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Re: Sporting Director? On one condition

Post by flash gunner »

If we had one of these can you imagine the AKB's scrambling to blame all the clubs woes on this poor bloke.

Whoever takes the job better get paid loads

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