Ross Wilson (Sporting Director)

[Mike]

Needs to have every league and nation loaded in his fm database. 

[jack j]

Just now, ExiledGeordie said:

There’s so much that needs sorting in the summer I just don’t see how they achieve it all 🤷🏽‍♂️ 

Aye that's my worry as well

 

2 keepers not good enough 

Trippier and Schar out of contract/too old to renew

Elanga Wissa and Woltemade, I just don't see how any of them are gonna be a success here but I also think it will be a big struggle to move them on for anywhere close to what we want for them.

Murphy and Willock..thanks for the service but time to go lads

 

All that before you've added in the likes of tonali and livramento being linked with summer moves

 

I'm not usually defeatist but I'm not feeling optimistic for the summer/next season tbh 

 

[Milburn]

Just now, Mike said:

Needs to have every league and nation loaded in his fm database. 

Nah, he’ll chase Premier League proven quality as that is what Eddie wants…

[timeEd32]

1 minute ago, Milburn said:

Expect him to be nothing more than Eddie’s yes-man. 

If he can get the deals done this doesn’t really need to be twisted as a bad thing, particularly since without the CL and with the age of the squad I think we’ll be much more open to younger / less proven.

[Miggys First Goal]

Him and Suds better be burning that midnight oil finding us players. 

[Milburn]

13 minutes ago, timeEd32 said:

If he can get the deals done this doesn’t really need to be twisted as a bad thing, particularly since without the CL and with the age of the squad I think we’ll be much more open to younger / less proven.

In a modern football setup, the manager shouldn’t be deeply involved in player logistics. That’s the job of the DoF and the recruitment department. The manager’s job is to coach the team, improve players, and maximise the squad he’s given.

 

When managers have too much influence over recruitment, you often end up with short-term, manager-specific squads that need rebuilding every time the manager changes. The best-run clubs today separate those roles: the DoF builds the squad and long-term strategy, while the manager focuses on performances on the pitch.

 

That model exists for a reason - it creates continuity and far better squad planning.

 

Paul Mitchell had his own vision but lost the power struggle with Eddie Howe. And honestly, who can blame him for not wanting to spend his time and money  chasing players like Wissa and Elanga? Mitchell might have been a knobhead personality-wise, but he was right about one thing: Newcastle’s transfer strategy isn’t fit for purpose.

 

I struggle to see how things improve with a DoF who, in the end, was hired on Howe’s recommendation.

 

 

Edited March 7 by Milburn

[r0cafella]

2 hours ago, El Prontonise said:

I'm on the fence about him, rangers fans hated him but forest fans liked him.

 

Huge summer for him coming up.

No chance Marinakis just sat there and let him buy and sell players mind. His job was probably going to buy the humus. 

[Conjo]

3 hours ago, Milburn said:

In a modern football setup, the manager shouldn’t be deeply involved in player logistics. That’s the job of the DoF and the recruitment department. The manager’s job is to coach the team, improve players, and maximise the squad he’s given.

 

When managers have too much influence over recruitment, you often end up with short-term, manager-specific squads that need rebuilding every time the manager changes. The best-run clubs today separate those roles: the DoF builds the squad and long-term strategy, while the manager focuses on performances on the pitch.

 

That model exists for a reason - it creates continuity and far better squad planning.

 

Paul Mitchell had his own vision but lost the power struggle with Eddie Howe. And honestly, who can blame him for not wanting to spend his time and money  chasing players like Wissa and Elanga? Mitchell might have been a knobhead personality-wise, but he was right about one thing: Newcastle’s transfer strategy isn’t fit for purpose.

 

I struggle to see how things improve with a DoF who, in the end, was hired on Howe’s recommendation.

 

 

 

 

Agree in general for clubs that rarely keeps the same manager for more than two seasons, but for NUFC I'm all in on the Howe dynasty, long may it last. Better to find someone who can help him achieve his vision rather than hiring someone Howe needs to adjust to.

[Mikky]

6 hours ago, jack j said:

Aye that's my worry as well

 

2 keepers not good enough 

Trippier and Schar out of contract/too old to renew

Elanga Wissa and Woltemade, I just don't see how any of them are gonna be a success here but I also think it will be a big struggle to move them on for anywhere close to what we want for them.

Murphy and Willock..thanks for the service but time to go lads

 

All that before you've added in the likes of tonali and livramento being linked with summer moves

 

I'm not usually defeatist but I'm not feeling optimistic for the summer/next season tbh 

 

Ramsdale - Tripoier - Krafth - Schar - Willock - Murphy - they all need replacing 

 

If you can’t find 2 decent full backs at good prices then the recruitment team needs to be lined up and shot in the head one by one 

 

Same with keeper - loads of quality out there abroad - no excuse 

 

RW and AM - needs addressing 

 

Biggest issue is the 3 up top - come to

a point where all 3 are surplus - can you find a buyer 

 

It’s a BIG summer -  because the 2 previous where shitshows - that’s how bad it’s been

[kingxlnc]

53 minutes ago, Mikky said:

Ramsdale - Tripoier - Krafth - Schar - Willock - Murphy - they all need replacing 

 

If you can’t find 2 decent full backs at good prices then the recruitment team needs to be lined up and shot in the head one by one 

 

Same with keeper - loads of quality out there abroad - no excuse 

 

RW and AM - needs addressing 

 

Biggest issue is the 3 up top - come to

a point where all 3 are surplus - can you find a buyer 

 

It’s a BIG summer -  because the 2 previous where shitshows - that’s how bad it’s been

It needs one of those Nottingham Forest or Sunderland when first promoted type windows where you replace an entire first XI
 

given we will get minimum 5-6 players leaving we need at least 8-9 players including 4-5 first choice starters

 

pretty tall order but it’s what is needed to get back on track

 

i am usually the overly optimistic type but I don’t have much hope of doing as much as we need to 

 

if we couldn’t attract players in a CL summer what hope will we have this coming summer when Europe is unlikely?

[Moose]

New #1 GK

Tripps/Schär/Krafth need replacing 

Tino probably off

Tonali probably off

Last chance to get some money for Willock

Gordon may agitate for a move

If a team offers us decent money for Woltemade, we'll have to consider it

If anyone is offering any sum of legal tender for Elanga, rip their arm out their socket

Frankfurt or someone else will likely come back in for Osula

Get Wissa to fuck, time to leverage our Saudi connections for once 

The only players in our squad who are strictly not for sale should be Bruno, Hall, Miley 

 

All that plus every player we bring in needs to hit the ground running.

 

Aside from all that, we're OK 

[Milburn]

6 hours ago, Conjo said:

 

Agree in general for clubs that rarely keeps the same manager for more than two seasons, but for NUFC I'm all in on the Howe dynasty, long may it last. Better to find someone who can help him achieve his vision rather than hiring someone Howe needs to adjust to.

Fair enough. Personally I’d like the manager to be plug and play and rather easy to replace. But of course, a structure like that is not built overnight. 

[TRon]

15 hours ago, Miggys First Goal said:

Hope he’s getting all his ducks lined up in time for that window opening in the summer. 

 

 

He better be otherwise we'll end up having a repeat of last summer. 

 

Tino and Tonali are probably gone, I would think there will be pressure from Gordon and Hall camps as well. 

 

I know this will go down like a lead balloon, but we need to be ahead of it instead of sticking our heads in the sand. 

[Monters]

13 hours ago, Milburn said:

Fair enough. Personally I’d like the manager to be plug and play and rather easy to replace. But of course, a structure like that is not built overnight. 

What accountability would you put in place for the DoF in that system?

 

Coach / Manager should not report into DoF they are very different jobs but should be on a par in the hierarchy. Yes DoF will work for potential long term strategy but should not in my view be the boss. Not saying that you are advocating that. 
 

Saying coach should be plug and play seems demeans the role somewhat again in my opinion. 

[Colos Short and Curlies]

2 minutes ago, Monters said:

What accountability would you put in place for the DoF in that system?

 

Coach / Manager should not report into DoF they are very different jobs but should be on a par in the hierarchy. Yes DoF will work for potential long term strategy but should not in my view be the boss. Not saying that you are advocating that. 
 

Saying coach should be plug and play seems demeans the role somewhat again in my opinion. 

 

Your sporting director needs to be the top guy on the playing side with the DoF/recruitment and coach reporting up.

[Monters]

1 hour ago, Colos Short and Curlies said:

 

Your sporting director needs to be the top guy on the playing side with the DoF/recruitment and coach reporting up.

Disagree, seems old fashioned to me. Also where is the accountability on DoF performance?

 

Both roles need to be managed, not every relationship has to be linear. 

[TheBrownBottle]

20 hours ago, Conjo said:

 

Agree in general for clubs that rarely keeps the same manager for more than two seasons, but for NUFC I'm all in on the Howe dynasty, long may it last. Better to find someone who can help him achieve his vision rather than hiring someone Howe needs to adjust to.

That’s a view that is absolutely setting up for failure 

[OverThere]

The actual answer is to define a style if play that would consistently achieve results based on the structure of the competitions. Given that is mostly the PL and the CL I would say a possession based system where you are expending the lowest amount of energy is the style we should be going for and that should be directed by the DOF and signings made to realize that, no matter the coach.

[Conjo]

1 hour ago, TheBrownBottle said:

That’s a view that is absolutely setting up for failure 

 

Depends how long Howe stays here. If he's here another 10+ years, it seems a bit silly to prepare for the time when he isn't here already now, rather than getting a system in place to get the best out of Howe.

[TheBrownBottle]

22 minutes ago, Conjo said:

 

Depends how long Howe stays here. If he's here another 10+ years, it seems a bit silly to prepare for the time when he isn't here already now, rather than getting a system in place to get the best out of Howe.

He could be here for 10 more years, he could be here for 10 more matches.  It’s folly in the modern game to hang everything around a head coach - this is part of why last summer’s window was a complete disaster.  There wasn’t any rhyme or reason to who we were signing - and a manager is likely to think short-term.  The worry - as others have stated - is that we’ve appointed a mediocre ‘yes man’ into the DoF role.  Howe’s managed to get far too much power, in no small part due to an absentee ownership.  

[Whitley mag]

3 hours ago, TheBrownBottle said:

He could be here for 10 more years, he could be here for 10 more matches.  It’s folly in the modern game to hang everything around a head coach - this is part of why last summer’s window was a complete disaster.  There wasn’t any rhyme or reason to who we were signing - and a manager is likely to think short-term.  The worry - as others have stated - is that we’ve appointed a mediocre ‘yes man’ into the DoF role.  Howe’s managed to get far too much power, in no small part due to an absentee ownership.  

Exactly how I feel about the situation. This summer will tell us all we need to know on whether lessons have been learned.

 

The squad needs such a dramatic overhaul that we simply have to adapt our approach and target younger players from European leagues.

[Optimistic Nut]

I don't think it needs anything massive. We have less 5 or 6/10s in the squad but our 8/10 keeper has become a 5/6, and we lost our 9/10 striker. 

 

Quality keeper, quality striker, 1 or two Tonali/Bruno/Hall level signings in other positions and I think we're golden. 

 

 

Edited March 9 by Optimistic Nut

[oldtype]

Just now, Optimistic Nut said:

I don't think needs anything massive. We have less 5 or 6/10s in the squad but our 8/10 keeper has become a 5/6, and we lost our 9/10 striker. 

 

Quality keeper, quality striker, 1 or two Tonali/Bruno/Hall level signings in other positions and I think we're golden. 

 

So all we have to do is sign a new starting striker, new starting keeper. And also two additional players in other positions that are good enough to be among the five best players in our entire squad, all while complying with whatever ridiculous financial limitations that will be placed upon us?

 

Sure, no problem  

[r0cafella]

16 minutes ago, Optimistic Nut said:

I don't think it needs anything massive. We have less 5 or 6/10s in the squad but our 8/10 keeper has become a 5/6, and we lost our 9/10 striker. 

 

Quality keeper, quality striker, 1 or two Tonali/Bruno/Hall level signings in other positions and I think we're golden. 

 

 

 

I think this is a bit of simplistic way to look at it (no offense) 

 

We need two goal keepers (surely nobody is paying that 20m clause and do you want to pay Pope a starting salary as a number 2 without Europe?)

 

2 right backs if Tino leaves 

 

If your mad and want to keep Burn and Schar you can skip a centre half but Id want to let one go this summer. 

 

A left back is needed to rotate Hall. 

 

Need a DM if Sandro leaves. 

Need to replace Willock. 

 

Need a right winter (probably have to peddle Murphy unfortunately as we are stuck with Elanga)

 

A left winger is needed if Gordon goes. 

 

A Cf Is needed regardless  

[Optimistic Nut]

Top GK, plus another as backup would be ideal but if we have to keep Pope another year or could haggle Ramsdale down to £12-15m as backup, I'd settle for that. 

 

Left & right-back cover is essential. Someone like Hickey from Brentford who can play both would be the jackpot, like. 

 

I'd be keeping Schar or Burn but not both. Go for a younger defender 25 or under who'd push Thiaw & Botman for their spot. Sell whoever fetches the biggest fee out of Schar & Burn.

 

Sell two of Woltemade/Wissa/Osula, not arsed which two. Get the number 9 signing right in the summer. 

 

Sell Murphy, sign a new RW. 

 

I think that'd be enough of a squad to compete for top 5 when we have either no Europe, or Europa/Conference League level opposition in Europe. 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 9 by Optimistic Nut