Lord Duckhunter

What Lawrie achieved with Grimsby and Donny was a toatally different environment to what he found at saints. He had to deal with massive egos, as oppossed to limitted players. He had to follow Ted, when most people would have rather had Ted. Didn't do too bad did he?

Got as good a CV as Lawrie had, when he arrived. MoN-Never a runner in my opinion, but if he was whose to say he wouldn't have been another Harry Redknapp, or Brian Clough at Brighton. I always got the impression that Pardew does not create a stable and steady culture at a Club. Just a hunch after reading various things from his West Ham and Charlton days. I always thought he'd get us out of this league, but that like he did at West Ham it would involve ups and downs and sneaking through the play offs. I never believed he would do a Paul lambert, or Nigel Pearson and walk the League. We are now where we are and all this talk of whether Adkins is better than Pardew is as relivant as whther he's better than Wotte or Burley. In our postion I think he's a steady eddie, who has proved he can get teams out of this league. Let's just hope he's given time by both the supporters and NC to complete the job. Remember without Lawrie being given time, we would have missed out on the Clubs greatest era.

My Dad was underwelmed by an unknown we got from Grimsby to replace Ted.I was only 7, so didn't have much of an opinion on it, but my uncle always reminds him.

I was told that Lawrie recommended Branfoot to the board,the person who told me had very close connections with Bournemouth at the time.

That's the important point and the reason for many failures of this system in England. It's important the DoF does not want the Managers job, it is a totally separate role and you need the right person, someone who is happy in that particular role.

It's because Martin O Neil is such a shrinking violet, that if he happens to be a member of this forum and sees his name, he call the whole thing off.

The whole thing about the KK thing was it wasn't just the shock of him signing for us, it was the way Lawrie stage managed the whole thing. Nowadays it will get out beforehand, even in those days most things were leaked. My mates dad was a sports reporter at the time and he said he'd never seen anything like that in his whole career. Evidently there were gasps when he walked in.

She was, until she was caught messing about with herself, I'll PM you the pictures if you want.

There was a press conference today, but it was top secret.

William Hague?

Ok, this is how I see it working. I win the Euro millions on Friday and Nicola/ML's family sell out to me.I dont know anything about the ins and outs of football, although I know more than Rupes did. I get onto Steve Coppell and ask him to be DoF, and he agrees. I appoint Eddie Howe as first team coach and he can bring his coaches with him. Steve and him will then agree the scouting network and Steve will be tasked with setting it up.I also appoint Doddsy to run the acedemy and ask Steve to overlook it for me, and with Doddsy pick the age group coaches.. Eddie doesn't fancy Puncheon, so Steve touts him around his contacts, and advises me on the money we've been offered by MK Dons. Eddie thinks we need another target man and a couple of flyers for the flanks. He gives Steve a list of names and Steve advises me on whether they're worth the money and what sort of contract we should offer.Steve is there for Eddie, if he needs advise and is there helping me to run the football sides of things.Eddie isw answerable to me for the first team, but Steve is answerable for everything else. If the first team have decent players and underperform then Eddie goes, if the Club aren't bringing youngsters through,or keep wasting my money, then Steve gets the push.If they argue with me, then they are both out

If results are poor, then the wrong man could be in the job. Just like you could have the wrong head scout or acedemy boss, but just because the head coach does a bad job, should not automaticaly mean the DoF goes. John Rudge has been DoF for about 6 differant Stoke Managers, the owner is obviously happy with his role.

The owner/CEO should appoint the Head Coach, not the DoF. John Rudge didn't appoint Tony Pulis, he may have been asked his opinion, but I'm sure a lot of advise will be taken. The buck stops with the owner/CEO.

When the first team Manager/Coach gets the sack, should all the scouts go, should the youth team manager go, should the Chairman go? Abroad the DoF does not get sacked when the Head coach goes, they are two completely seperate roles.

My source is a Pakistani cricketer.

That's not the same job I'm talking about here. When Manuel Pellegrini was sacked at Madrid because of poor results, Miguel Pardeza stayed on as DoF, and now works with JM.

None, but it's subjective. Stoke have a DoF and they are in the top flight for the first time in 30 odd years. Is that because John Rudge's role has helped Tony Pulis and the club,how can you judge whether it has or not? Have Madrid won so much because of it, who knows?

I never said anything about Les Reed having the job, so can't really comment on his ability to do it. If he runs the acedemy, then that is a completely differant job. Has John Rudge contributed to Pulis' great job at Stoke, I dont know. However, why would Barca,Madrid and Inter continue to employ a Sporting Director if they didn't think it was an important job. The problem in this Country is the roles get blurred. Abroad they are seperate,Guardiola couldn't do, or wouldn't want to do Zubizarreta's job and visa versa.I would like to see a foregin structure at Southampton, with the Zubizarreta role taken by an explayer or Manager.It will not affect the person running the first team's ability to do his job in the way he feels fit.

Alan Shearer- My source is Nicola Cortese.

You are completely missing the whole point.Abroad Mourinho works in a structure that includes a DoF, and has done so at Inter and Madrid, and whilst he was winning 2 European Cups. Bobby Robson worked in a structure that included one whilst he was abroad. If Wenger left Arsenal for Barca or AC Milan or whoever, he'd work in a structure that included a DoF/Sporting Directer. Do you think that Andoni Zubizarreta has a "non job" at Barca? He is part of a structure that allows Pep Guardiola to concentrate on the first team and get on with winning football matches.He has 125 spainish caps, so brings a great deal of knowledge to the table.

http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/en/First_Team/1193041476158/Plantilla/Squad.htm The Real Madrid offical web site refers to him as Head Coach, I'm sure they respect him.

This is what I've been trying to say. It seems to go wrong because either the DoF really wants the top job and interferes, dont forget Redknapp started as the Skates DoF. Or the owner/CEO interferes (Lowe). John Rudge does a great job alongside Tony Pulis, so it can work.

The problem with Redknapp was he was the right person at the wrong time. I still believe we should have appointed him instaed of Branfoot,he'd done a great job at Boscombe and could handle big players, like Lawrie did. He'd have kept Jimmy Case and got Matty playing. The other benefit is the Skates would proberly have stayed grubbing along in the lower leagues.It was before he went to West Ham, we should have taken him.

Where was Bally going before he came back. He was a bit of a Managerial joke, but it fitted us and he lifted the place. Shearer will put 5,000 on the gate and unite the support.

Everyone knows who Bobby Charlton is, but players in their 20's and early 30's will respect Shearer as soon as he enters the dressing room.