Director of Football Operations Replacement Thread

[Badger]

If it is Strachan I wouldnt be surprised.

 

I would, as he's just taken a role at Dundee. Plus it wouldn't fit in with the 'Ralph is happy and on board with the appointment' part of the rumour.

[alehouseboys]

Ex Saint though.

 

Beattie? Pahars?

 

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Strachan? Niemi? (Might as well get another keeper in...)

 

 

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Maybe they've enticed Lawrie Mac out of retirement..........this club is presently a mess, this is a vital appointment that needs to repair a lot of damage. Let's hope he's been doing his homework, the transfer window opens in 6 weeks, we need to see a fair bit of movement in and out to turn this around.

[Batman]

Lee hoos or Andy oldknow

[Dusic]

We need someone who has been successful in a football administration role not a recently failed Manager.

 

Most of the best DoF types have not been Managers. Its a totally different skillset, experience and knowledge that is needed.

[shurlock]

Lee hoos or Andy oldknow

 

Andrew Reed

[Useful Idiot]

Along the right lines...

 

Are they moving Kelvin Davis upstairs now he's had a successful spell as a coach?

[tommi]

Non player, more than respectable record, some would say impressive once you consider the recent on field successes.

[stevy777_x]

God...

If it is an ex saint with no experience in that sort of role, that is exactly what we don’t need...

That will just confirm the old boys (Davis, Watson, Fleming) in the job.

[Saint Billy]

Non player, more than respectable record, some would say impressive once you consider the recent on field successes.

 

Does that mean Mitchell is coming home?.

[DT]

Please not Redknapp. Or Adkins.

[Convict Colony]

Lots of Steve Walsh articles in the Athletic at the moment and today's one states he does recruitment for clubs and is back in Leicester temporarily.

 

Could mean nothing but I need straws to grasp.

[SuperSAINT]

Non player, more than respectable record, some would say impressive once you consider the recent on field successes.

 

Harry Bassett is returning home

[Tamesaint]

Harry Bassett is returning home

 

George Burley?

[SuperSAINT]

Matt Crocker would fit the bill.

 

Worked for us before - has done a very good job with England.

[DT]

Koeman?

 

think he has bigger fish to fry

[DT]

Lots of Steve Walsh articles in the Athletic at the moment and today's one states he does recruitment for clubs and is back in Leicester temporarily.

 

Could mean nothing but I need straws to grasp.

 

Not an ex-Saint though I don't think

[Wurzel]

think he has bigger fish to fry

 

He's going down the road?

[Give it to Ron]

Matt Crocker would fit the bill.

 

Worked for us before - has done a very good job with England.

 

Looks a good shout

 

 

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[DT]

He's going down the road?

 

Barcelona may be more appealing

[SaveloyMush]

Matt Crocker would fit the bill.

 

Worked for us before - has done a very good job with England.

 

I think we have a winner.

[Grim Reaper]

I think we have a winner.

 

The only thing it says a non player, Matt Crocker was a professional football player when he was younger

[Marching Halos]

Matt crocker was ex saints academy manager

[DT]

Would presumably mean going back to nurturing talent a la Shaw et al generation so long-term view. Probably the right way forward and possibly recognition that this season is gone. Still, positive if it is him I reckon

[SuperSAINT]

Matt crocker was ex saints academy manager

 

He also was a candidate for the FA technical director role before Les got it.

[Sheaf Saint]

The only thing it says a non player, Matt Crocker was a professional football player when he was younger

 

Did he play for Saints though? I took from Tommi's post that the person in question was not an ex-Saints player, not a non-player completely.

 

I imagine there are very few people working in the technical side of professional football who never played the game themselves.

[Raging Bull]

This guy’s irrelevant though. We’re still gonna be rubbish, we still have championship standard players, all bar a few, we still don’t have any money and we’re still likely to go down.

 

Happy Monday everyone

[Give it to Ron]

This guy’s irrelevant though. We’re still gonna be rubbish, we still have championship standard players, all bar a few, we still don’t have any money and we’re still likely to go down.

 

Happy Monday everyone

 

So you don’t think this is a start of changing that?

What do you suggest? Who in the current set up is qualified to improve things and sign better players?

 

 

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[Raging Bull]

We’ve got no money to buy players in the most important transfer window in a long time. It’s too little too late

[Give it to Ron]

But who will scout,negotiate, agree the spending....we don’t have anyone with any football experience anymore

If it’s too late don’t you think we need someone to sort out coming back up etc

 

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[Raging Bull]

Ron, I agree with you.

 

What blows my trumpet is how they’ve arrogantly continued with this farce of a set up in the “hope” that everything will turn out fine. It’s too late now.

 

The majority of the 1st team are highly likely to be looking for the exit and us muppets end up taking it up the wrongun again.

[Saint Garrett]

Absolutely bonkers this wasn't all sorted out back in the summer. Such a mess

[Dusic]

Crocker a great shout. Was linked with the FA Technical Director role before Reed got it. Knows our setup and also knows all the England youth players very well.

 

I remember in Wallace's article he mentioned Saints wanting something similar to Brighton with Dan Ashworth - and this would be very similar.

 

Dave Jones was also mentioned previously and could fit the ex Saints clue, but I don't see how he really qualifies for that role. Nigel Pearson another who came to mind, but I really hope not.

 

Personally hope we go with the type of thing that usually works for us, i.e a Crocker type, rather than picking an ex Manager who "goes upstairs" because they need some cash and can't get a managerial role.

[shurlock]

Crocker isn’t a bad shout but I’d like someone with relevant experience in the transfer market, preferably across Europe, not just the academy and developing homegrown talent.

[100%Red&White]

"Ex Saint", "non player", what is Clive Woodward up to these days...?

 

Can't get this wrong, whoever it is has got to command immediate respect and have a instant rapport with Ralph - have we ever had a non-playing Austrian/German at SFC in the past?

[SuperSAINT]

Crocker isn’t a bad shout but I’d like someone with relevant experience in the transfer market, preferably across Europe, not just the academy and developing homegrown talent.

 

Aren't Football operations director AND “player trading expert” 2 separate roles?

[shurlock]

Aren't Football operations director AND “player trading expert” 2 separate roles?

 

Not sure. I assumed the role is director of football - in which case there will be people working under him, specialising in the academy/youth and transfers/recruitment but ideally you’d want the DoF to have relevant knowledge and experience of both.

[Saint Billy]

I can't see any of this being the magical fix to keep us up this season, hope I'm wrong.

[Sheaf Saint]

I can't see any of this being the magical fix to keep us up this season, hope I'm wrong.

 

I think that all depends on whether or not the new man brings in a decent new coaching team with him. If so then it could make a big difference to our chances of staying up.

 

A lot of our problems this season seem to stem from basic errors which could be vastly improved by better coaching IMO. Things like defending corners and FKs, taking decent throw-ins etc...

[ally_uk]

Plot twist ex Saints could it be Rohl or Mitchell or the don.....

[Batman]

Plot twist ex Saints could it be Rohl or Mitchell or the don.....

 

You what?

[ally_uk]

Technically they are all ex Saints and non players.....

[Archangel]

So is Rupert Lowe

[davefizzy14]

I still hope its Paul Mitchell or the Stofflehaus guy who was linked a few weeks back. Can we get Danny Rohl back too for Ralph

[pimpin4rizeal]

Crocker sounds like our kind of appointment but kinda sounds more like a youth devolopment type then director of football or player trading expert . What role will he be actually taking ?

[stevy777_x]

How about Huw Jennings?

[Monk]

Matt Crocker would fit the bill.

 

Worked for us before - has done a very good job with England.

 

Still lives in Hythe but has a very cushty job with The FA.

[Give it to Ron]

Still lives in Hythe but has a very cushty job with The FA.

 

Yeah but would he be ok working with Reed wouldn’t he be his boss??

 

 

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[davefizzy14]

Manji any update on this?

[benjii]

Manji any update on this?

 

Yeah, Ralph is well hyped for the new season, there's a great plan in place and things are looking up.

[Saint-Reece]

Poch leaves spurs just days before we are meant to appoint an ‘ex-saint’ as DoF?