to ian and bottled dog: it's less of contradictions but more of him saying one thing and another happening as everything is clearly so outwith his control
the puppet analogy is perfect from what i can see
carroll is an obvious example, i'm sure if you look hard enough he'll have been waxing lyrical about signing barton on an extended contract and now that's falling apart (possibly)
i don't think he's lying, or being intentionally deceptive or anything like that, but i think that he's starting out by advertising what he thinks, is told, and expects to happen (keep carroll) and then his paymasters pull the rug out from under him