[Archived] The Championship 2015-2016

[JBiz]

PB, Stuart - I said not necessarily a priority over a leader, we had money to spend in this division in 2012/13 and it will probably take us 10 years or longer (if we can) to recover from the damage caused by having no proper leaders in the directors boxes or on the sideline.

If Venkys said - we are getting a new qualified CEO to make decisions from Blackburn - I'd see this as a big step. If they carry on running it like they are with advisors and unanswered questions, fat lot of good a few million will do.

[JHRover]

How long will he put up with commuting between Kettering and Burnley? Any decent job nearer home and he'll be off.

I don't buy that he's all that settled at Burnley. Its just that in 3.5 years since joining them he still hasn't had a better offer. Its not as though he's had to repeatedly turn interested clubs down. There have been very few clubs to have been linked with him and there's no evidence anyone has ever made an approach for him. I think the most serious it got was rumoured interest from Sunderland last summer when Advocaat said he was retiring. Dyche was clearly keen and refused to deny the rumours, but then Advocaat changed his mind and signed a new deal. Other than that and recent rumours of Villa interest I can't recall a single serious link to any other club in the last 3 years.

That's because whilst he has a fantastic record in the Championship, he still hasn't done it in the Premier League. His one season in the top flight ended in relegation, and whilst people can point towards the lack of money spent at Burnley, it didn't stop people like Pulis, Lambert, Allardyce, Bruce etc. from keeping various clubs up against the odds.

Dyche was found wanting last season. His signings in the Premier League were at best questionable. Whilst he didn't spend big by top flight standards he still worked his way through £10 million+ and the majority of his signings were poor. Steven Reid and Matt Taylor? Those that have worked out well like Michael Keane have only really shone back in the Championship.

When we had Mark Hughes as manager we faced a seemingly annual battle to keep hold of him and he eventually got a top job at Man City, because he'd done 4 years in the Premier League of mid-table and above with an impressive record in the cups. Dyche has none of that. He's got an excellent Championship record, as does Aitor Karanka, Chris Hughton, Steve Bruce, Mick McCarthy etc, but no more. Nor does he deploy an attractive or exciting brand of football. He has the winning formula but it isn't nice to watch. To be a top, top manager you need to be able to go further than that. Either by keeping a club up and progressing it like Pulis did with Stoke or Allardyce did with Bolton, or by taking the lunge into a bigger club with bigger pressures but being able to demonstrate you can do it at other clubs.

[Claytons Left Boot]

I don't buy that he's all that settled at Burnley. Its just that in 3.5 years since joining them he still hasn't had a better offer. Its not as though he's had to repeatedly turn interested clubs down.

It's that flasher's mac he wears. Turn him out in a nice, smart, black Cromby and they'll be queuing up for him.

[Gav]

I think its already been touched upon and we all know Sky TV money runs football, so I've probably answered my own question, but how can they keep getting away with giving teams in the title race and lower leagues unfair advantages when it comes to televising games.

We again see the race for promotion from the championship across 4 days this weekend, so both Brighton and burnley know exactly how Boro have done on the Friday, its unfair surely?

[Rover_Shaun]

Wouldn't it be great if the hillbillies lost and Boro and Brighton won their next games then Sky can televise the Boro/Brighton version of Germany v Austria

[Gav]

Wouldn't it be great if the hillbillies lost and Boro and Brighton won their next games then Sky can televise the Boro/Brighton version of Germany v Austria

£50 on a 0-0 draw

[ABBEY]

Wouldn't it be great if the hillbillies lost and Boro and Brighton won their next games then Sky can televise the Boro/Brighton version of Germany v Austria

I do believe I tingled

[Stuart]

You're right, which is why we didn't have time to waste hoping for the likes of Berg, Appleton or Bowyer to come good. We needed an experienced manager like Lambert from the start, not four years down the line with the squad decimated and debts racked up to an all time high. With an experienced manager at the helm I think it's very likely we would have at least made the playoffs once or twice over the past few seasons, but we've appointed a succession of chancers who have wasted our opportunities and left us looking at a long, long period in this division - and that's an optimistic outlook.

If anything that makes the timing of the appointment of Lambert all the more frustrating.

PB, Stuart - I said not necessarily a priority over a leader, we had money to spend in this division in 2012/13 and it will probably take us 10 years or longer (if we can) to recover from the damage caused by having no proper leaders in the directors boxes or on the sideline.

If Venkys said - we are getting a new qualified CEO to make decisions from Blackburn - I'd see this as a big step. If they carry on running it like they are with advisors and unanswered questions, fat lot of good a few million will do.

The truth is, Joe, that we need both.

[JBiz]

It will make returning to the prem quickly a lot more realistic!

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/17795679

Investment from the owner and hands on running of the club, Southampton even went into admin - a low we've yet to stoop to.

Investment without the direction could bring in some quality, but equally like before; could spell even more damage. I think a leader with no investment might seek to fix the plethora of issues that don't require throwing cash at. Re-engaging fans being a start- I know results are the easy way but a consistent message across the club, a long term aim - even if it is to sell, regular dialogue, a decision maker in Blackburn, clever marketing or initiatives, charitably filling the stadium and corporate boxes, basically making an effort to repair some damage etc etc.

[Stuart]

It will make returning to the prem quickly a lot more realistic!

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/17795679

Investment from the owner and hands on running of the club, Southampton even went into admin - a low we've yet to stoop to.

Investment without the direction could bring in some quality, but equally like before; could spell even more damage. I think a leader with no investment might seek to fix the plethora of issues that don't require throwing cash at. Re-engaging fans being a start- I know results are the easy way but a consistent message across the club, a long term aim - even if it is to sell, regular dialogue, a decision maker in Blackburn, clever marketing or initiatives, charitably filling the stadium and corporate boxes, basically making an effort to repair some damage etc etc.

In the cold light of day, results on the field are the only real measure of success. Everything behind the scenes should be aligned to that end. Even if a club is comfortable being midtable and being run 'the right way' they need a certain number of results to do so.

[Lancaster Rover]

Playing devils advocate, what happens if Charlton fans get the Burnley game abandoned? Letter of the law states Burnley would be awarded a 3-0 win but surely the FL wouldn't let the league be won in this manner?

[JHRover]

Playing devils advocate, what happens if Charlton fans get the Burnley game abandoned? Letter of the law states Burnley would be awarded a 3-0 win but surely the FL wouldn't let the league be won in this manner?

Last season they set a precedent with the Blackpool game.

The game was 0-0 when Blackpool fans got it abandoned. And the league left the result as it was. I think later

So if Charlton get it abandoned at 0-0 then Burnley ought to only get a point. Come on Charlton...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/32737770

[oldjamfan1]

Last season they set a precedent with the Blackpool game.

The game was 0-0 when Blackpool fans got it abandoned. And the league left the result as it was. I think later

So if Charlton get it abandoned at 0-0 then Burnley ought to only get a point. Come on Charlton...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/32737770

No, that absolutely does not set a precedent. There would have been an element of negotiation with the clubs on that decision. Had there been anything hinging on it, e.g. promotion or relegation, that would not have been the outcome and the game (or at least the unplayed portion of it) would have to have been staged.

A precedent like this would leave it open for all sorts of skulduggery by supporters to manufacture an abandonment to suit their particular cause.

The Blackpool v Huddersfield decision was simply a pragmatic way to deal with that particular situation.

[JHRover]

No, that absolutely does not set a precedent. There would have been an element of negotiation with the clubs on that decision. Had there been anything hinging on it, e.g. promotion or relegation, that would not have been the outcome and the game (or at least the unplayed portion of it) would have to have been staged.

A precedent like this would leave it open for all sorts of skulduggery by supporters to manufacture an abandonment to suit their particular cause.

The Blackpool v Huddersfield decision was simply a pragmatic way to deal with that particular situation.

So why didn't they award Huddersfield a 3-0 win? Who benefitted from a 0-0 result?

[oldjamfan1]

So why didn't they award Huddersfield a 3-0 win? Who benefitted from a 0-0 result?

My understanding is that Leeds were ready to appeal against such a decision because it would have pushed Hudds above them in the table so they agreed on a 0-0 and financial compensation to Huddersfield. As I say, it was a pragmatic way to deal with it without dragging other clubs into it or having to replay the game (or part of it) after the season had ended. Had it been more important than simply deciding who finished 15th or 16th - which was in effect what we are talking about here (between Leeds and Hudds) - it would not have been resolved that way.

[Lancaster Rover]

I can see Boro and Brighton starting to write their legal challenge already.

Evidently there is a big meeting between FL/Clubs and police today, Burnley have reportedly already said they would refuse it to be behind closed doors, they may also feel that they'd score more than 3 against Charlton and with the league so tight goal difference could come in to play. Its a pretty tangled web.

I agree with OldJam that the Blackpool issue last year was a purely pragmatic decision that suited the situation at the time.

[oldjamfan1]

Good point about the goal difference actually LR. I suppose that side of things would become clearer after the next round of games, but yeah I suppose there could be a situation where a 3-0 win wouldn't suit Burnley. I think they would have to lose v QPR and the other two win their games well this weekend for that to be the case, but stranger things have happened.

[DE.]

Imagine there was a fit and proper owner's test that had a remit beyond just saying "do you have the money? Great, here you go".

[Athlete]

I wish we were in burnleys position..

[J*B]

I wish we were in burnleys position..

I wish we where in Stanley's position.

[JHRover]

Imagine there was a fit and proper owner's test that had a remit beyond just saying "do you have the money? Great, here you go".

Shouldn't be the Football League's job to investigate. The Walker Trust should have been the ones taking the responsibility and thoroughly vetting all potential buyers rather than just cashing the £20 million cheque and swanning off without a care in the world,

[davulsukur]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/tickets/season-tickets/message-from-the-chairman?utm_source=Social&utm_medium=All&utm_campaign=MB

Sounds like Fulham are going to spend some cash this summer.

Slaviša will be given the green light to build a team capable of promotion, and that’s important, because it appears the Sky Bet Championship will be as difficult as ever.

[JHRover]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/tickets/season-tickets/message-from-the-chairman?utm_source=Social&utm_medium=All&utm_campaign=MB

Sounds like Fulham are going to spend some cash this summer.

Wait a minute, a club with falling crowds, recently under a transfer embargo, having made poor appointments and wasted millions on players, and gone very close to League One this season, are already announcing to the world they will be spending big in the summer?

There's the evidence if anyone needed it that a club our size can compete, if the people at the top want it to. All this talk about a club our size struggling to spend the money etc - if Fulham can do it there's no reason why we can't, except the owners.

[DE.]

Shouldn't be the Football League's job to investigate. The Walker Trust should have been the ones taking the responsibility and thoroughly vetting all potential buyers rather than just cashing the £20 million cheque and swanning off without a care in the world,

The Walker Trust just wanted to sell the club. Whoever stumps up the cash is fine. It's the Football League that is left with said club playing in its competition, so surely it's in their best interests to take a little more care in allowing clubs to be sold to whatever chancer happens to be able to take control?

Wait a minute, a club with falling crowds, recently under a transfer embargo, having made poor appointments and wasted millions on players, and gone very close to League One this season, are already announcing to the world they will be spending big in the summer?

There's the evidence if anyone needed it that a club our size can compete, if the people at the top want it to. All this talk about a club our size struggling to spend the money etc - if Fulham can do it there's no reason why we can't, except the owners.

They haven't spent anything yet. We should know better than anybody that actions speak louder than words.

[davulsukur]

True DE. but if a letter like that appeared on the Rovers main site, it would hopefully settle a few nerves amongst the fan base.

It would be a step in the right direction at least.