[Archived] Nicko's Thread Part 3

[Ricky]

Nicko

Just wondering what your views are on Jonathan Pearce's comments about Paul Ince not being named manager of the year. Pearce has basically come out and said it's a racist slur on Ince.

From page 64

PEARCE ON SUNDAY - The man the fans listen to.. Jonathan Pearce

I still can't get over the League Managers' Association snub for Paul Ince in their annual awards. Every division-winning boss was named manager of the year except one.

Why could that be? Surely not!? Not when football chairmen tell you there's no racism in English boardrooms - and they never lie..

I know it's caused quite a stir down here (Hereford) as Graham Turner was names Division 2 manager of the year. A colleague and friend of mine was that miffed that he emailed Pearce with the following

Dear Jonathan

I'm still seething about your comments in yesterday's paper regarding racism in football. Never let the facts get in the way of a story eh?!?

I can only assume that you're not aware of what Graham Turner has achieved with Hereford United. Perhaps the following refreshes your memory:

-Graham Turner is the second longest serving manager in English football behind Sir Alex Ferguson.

-In his 13 years at the club, his expenditure on players has totalled less than £50,000. On this, he has steered his team back into the Football League, and now into League 1 (a second promotion in just three seasons with the Bulls returning from non-league in 2006).

-He had only 12 registered players at the start of pre-season training last summer, bolstering his squad with some astute loan deals, notably Toumani Diagouraga and Theo Robinson (Watford), Sherjill MacDonald (WBA) and Gary Hooper (Southend).

-Hereford reached the 4th round of the FA Cup, overcoming League 1 sides Tranmere Rovers and Leeds United before being knocked out by the eventual finalists, Cardiff City.

I hope that the above highlights the incredible job Graham Turner has done with the resources available compared to fellow League 2 promotion winners MK Dons and Peterborough United. Racism plays no part and I therefore look forward to an apology being printed in next week's Sunday Mirror.

Just wondering if there's any chance he's man enough to step down and admit he's talking nonsense.

[nicko]

Just wondering if there's any chance he's man enough to step down and admit he's talking nonsense.

No, he's made a career out of talking nonsense...

[nicko]

I'm not undermining Rothschilds- simply saying that they will be on a retainer plus success fee basis. Therefore they will talk to anyone whom they screen in as being worthwile talking to (assets, track record, reputation).

Their job then is both a selling one of the Rovers as proposition with a set of unique and desirable characteristics (I hesitate to use terms like investment opportunity) and a screening one to decide whether they should bother the Rovers Board and the Walker Trustees with the prospective/aspirant purchaser.

If there is a poor fit between their brief and the person in front of them, they will work hard to convince the possible buyer to see things in the most positive way possible and look to engineer a deal if they see there is any coceivable way of doing it.

At the end of the day Rothschilds would like their success fee and obviously in the case of the Rovers they are having to work very hard and talk to some poor-fit candidates in the process. And please don't take it I am saying Chris Ronnie is a poor fit- I don't know anything to be able to comment- but the fact he has been on the scene as long as he has and not got anywhere of substance yet suggests an absence of good fit.

By contrast, Dan Williams was an obvious "very poor fit" candidate to buy the club even to complete outsiders.

Why does the old saying about 'not expecting turkeys to vote for Christmas' keep coming into my head whenever there is takeover interest in the air?

[bennyboyt11]

mail is heavily linking Scolari to the Chelsea job... saying its a done deal

[they_think_its_all_rover]

No, he's made a career out of talking nonsense...

SHUNT! MATILDA! SARGEANT BAAAASH!

[yoda]

Why does the old saying about 'not expecting turkeys to vote for Christmas' keep coming into my head whenever there is takeover interest in the air?

nice one Nicko!

The trustee's will lose patience with that aspect sooner rather than later, if it is really happening of course!

[den]

Shearer still very much in the frame.

LT.

[Exiled in Toronto]

As Trustees, it cannot be a personal power game. There are obviously other considerations coming into play.

Only one of the Board could be considered a Trustee.

There are quite a few people on big salaries, best seats, league committees etc etc who might find themselves out in the cold.

It is quite conceivable that all the others could be cleared out by any new regime and not be happy about it. I would think the new-ish Finance bloke would be first to go; whether Williams/Finn would be kept on is debatable; why would Jack's son-in-law still need to be around, (especially as Vinjay was constantly told that the family had nothing to do with the running of the club!) and so on.

[RevidgeBlue]

Ive always wondered whether the turkeys voting for Christmas analogy was a reason for the apparent lack of progress in attracting new owners.

Have to say that from what is said in passing at the Fans Forum John Williams and Tom Finn appear to be comfortable enough with the concept of a change of ownership to the right people.

Can't see why Richard Matthewman would present any problem to new owners, he retains a link to Uncle Jack and isn't paid as far as I'm aware.

Nicko hinted earlier any problem might be because of Ronnies' links to Dave Whelan. Wasn't aware of anyone at Rovers having a beef with Whelan tbh.

[Martin]

Zico has just left Fenerbahce. Anything in that?

[Parsonblue]

Only one of the Board could be considered a Trustee.

There are quite a few people on big salaries, best seats, league committees etc etc who might find themselves out in the cold.

It is quite conceivable that all the others could be cleared out by any new regime and not be happy about it. I would think the new-ish Finance bloke would be first to go; whether Williams/Finn would be kept on is debatable; why would Jack's son-in-law still need to be around, (especially as Vinjay was constantly told that the family had nothing to do with the running of the club!) and so on.

If new owners came in and got rid of John Williams and Tom Finn then I, for one, would be very worried. These two gentlemen have worked tirelessly on behalf of the club. They have a great relationship with the supporters and their stewardship of the club has been excellent in particularly difficult times. Williams and Finn have provided stability and enabled Souness and Hughes to build a sound foundation at the club.

I really do worry about the type of investor who would want to buy the Rovers. Without selling players and putting prices up etc. I really don't see how they are going to make money. Successful businessmen don't become successful by losing money. Jack had a passion for the club and therefore was prepared to spend heavily on achieving his dream. However, unless it's an Abramovich figure - where money is no object and who wants a Premiership club as his personal toy - I really don't see what any group of businessmen can gain from a club like the Rovers. A takeover doesn't automatically mean that the club will have huge amounts of money to spend and that success will follow.

For every Manchester United and Chelsea where new owners have acheived success, there is a Leicester City or Southampton where new owners have failed to turn around a slump in fortunes.

[RevidgeBlue]

I really do worry about the type of investor who would want to buy the Rovers. Without selling players and putting prices up etc. I really don't see how they are going to make money. Successful businessmen don't become successful by losing money. Jack had a passion for the club and therefore was prepared to spend heavily on achieving his dream. However, unless it's an Abramovich figure - where money is no object and who wants a Premiership club as his personal toy - I really don't see what any group of businessmen can gain from a club like the Rovers. A takeover doesn't automatically mean that the club will have huge amounts of money to spend and that success will follow.

Is owning a football club not more about kudos and profile than making a profit?

There never seem to be any shortage of companies/individuals willing to pour hundreds of millions down the drain each year in funding formula one for example.

Rovers would be a relatively cheap hobby by comparison.

[socngill]

The club going for the "cheap option" doesn't mean that they are going for a crap manager on low wages. From what I gather Hughes was on at least £1m per year, so no reason to drop below that figure as far as wages are concerned. I would suspect that the cheap bit comes to the fore when deciding which manager to go for - i.e one which will cost little, or nothing, to appoint. Somebody who is out of contract and can just walk in for free.

I hope they don't though. I hope they use the reported £4.6m compensation to ensure they get the right man. heard a rumour that they might be leaning towards Laudrop (sp?), any truth in this Nicko?

[nicko]

Nicko hinted earlier any problem might be because of Ronnies' links to Dave Whelan. Wasn't aware of anyone at Rovers having a beef with Whelan tbh.

I was trying to point out that while Ronnie worked with Ashley, which seems to cause some concern in certain areas, he also worked with Whelan, who is a very respect football chairman.

I don't see a problem with Ronnie, but we could all do with finding out where the cash is coming from and what his ideas are.

At the moment all I hear of is handicaps and hold-ups from the club's side of the equation.

[nicko]

Zico has just left Fenerbahce. Anything in that?

I believe his contract was up anyway. It's probably just been made official.

[nicko]

I hope they use the reported £4.6m compensation to ensure they get the right man. heard a rumour that they might be leaning towards Laudrop (sp?), any truth in this Nicko?

It's possible he is on the list. I don't think they are leaning one way or another just yet and, like I said last night, there may be a split here. That's not a bad thing - as long as you pick the right guy...

I have a funny feeling that either Boothroyd or [more likely] Martinez will get an interview, pretty sure Shearer will be met, and about two or three of the other suspects we have named so far.

Somebody's going to be clocking up Air Miles in the next few days.

[Hughesy]

Is Advocaat on the list Nicko?

Who is the 2 or 3 - Ince, Big Sam, McClown?

[nicko]

Is Advocaat on the list Nicko?

Who is the 2 or 3 - Ince, Big Sam, McClown?

I am not sure about the Advocaat thing. He is on absolutely huge money and has the Champions League to look forward to. He is also on the elderly side.

If you asked me to stab at the five I would guess - Shearer, Allardyce, Ince, Ten Cate and Martinez.

But that is not 100 per cent certain. In fact I might only have got three out of five.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Ten Cate would be my first choice, following by either Laudrup or Bilic.

The rest of the candidates i don't like the sound of nor want to see become our next manager.

I'll support whoever comes in, though if thats Fat Sam or McClaren it would be support that is grudgingly given out.

[Iceman]

forgive me if im being stupid..i havent had a chance to read previous pages,but who is Martinez?

[Head Rover Heels]

who is Martinez?

Swansea manager

[Hughesy]

If you asked me to stab at the five I would guess - Shearer, Allardyce, Ince, Ten Cate and Martinez.

But that is not 100 per cent certain. In fact I might only have got three out of five.

IF you are right.

Id go Ten Cate, Shearer, Allardyce, Martinez, Ince in that order.

[Kai]

forgive me if im being stupid..i havent had a chance to read previous pages,but who is Martinez?

Roberto Martinez, currently manager of Swansea City. Spanish and used to play for Wigan I think.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Mart%C3%ADnez

[Iceman]

Swansea manager

[bringdunnback]

What type of football doews Martinez play.