Season 20/21

[Notts Royal]

I'm no fan of Bowen as a manager but if we make a change now then I really can't see me being bothered to go back and support the club in the same way I used to, I can't be on board with changing a manager 2 weeks before the start of a season. Pure madness.

It’s just stupidity really...very frustrating seeing our club run so poorly. I have absolutely no faith the owners have a clue what they’re doing, and I’m very concerned what will happen when they want to sell up. I’m not sold on the idea that they have the “right intentions” which I’m seeing over the media. The right intentions is to sustainably run this club and sell players in order to comply with FFP. Their model of spunking cash in transfers & wages hasn’t worked for us...and we’re becoming a bit of a laughing stock to the rest of the league now. Not happy

[Snowflake Royal]

If Bowen goes they can go oxf*rd themselves. I'll be gone too.

[McDermolenko]

Is it really the end of the world if Bowen takes up the role of DoF?

Pretty ideal to me, obviously not ideal circumstances with the potential of an absolute calamity dependant on what the owners are really striving for this season but under normal conditions it'd seem a good fit?

[Old Man Andrews]

It isn't the end of the world no. It is the end of the club as we know it.

[Snowflake Royal]

Is it really the end of the world if Bowen takes up the role of DoF?

Pretty ideal to me, obviously not ideal circumstances with the potential of an absolute calamity dependant on what the owners are really striving for this season but under normal conditions it'd seem a good fit?

We've made poor appointment and decision upon decision. The club has been terribly run for some time.

About 18 months ago that started to get fixed. We started trimming deadwood, ditched Gourlay and brought in Howe. Then we went crazy after loads of hard work to get the FL off our back over FFP and blew loads of cash. It went badly. We binned the awful appointment of Gomes and made a good internal appointment in Bowen. Bar the highly unusual one with Stam, we've just had our best season in years.

But the owners have ignored the advice of the guy who knows how to run the club. They've refused necessary steps to continue the hard work to sort our finances and they've got rid of the one person trying to sort us out.

They now appear to be getting rid of the only decent manager we've had in ages mere weeks before season starts after letting him do half the work in reshaping the squad.

It's a shambolic disgrace.

[Stranded]

So, random theory time.

Howe, in his capacity as EFL board member knows that the EFL has decided to "freeze" FFP this season given COVID i.e. last season's and this seasons accounts will not have any baring on FFP calculations as they accept that clubs are working with contracts signed under very different financial circumstances and a large number of clubs will miss the target due to decreased income - i.e. less matchday income etc.

Knowing this, he advised the owners. They make the decision that, as they have the money, it is now or never to push for the PL - Howe, whilst not completely disagreeing, he doesn't feel like he can stay in the CEO role whilst the club takes this gamble, due to his EFL board seat (potential conflict of interest) so agrees to step down but remain at the club as Vice-Chairman, so that he (and the club) retain that spot on the board but focus, officially, on non-football club interests.

The owners employ one of their guys as a CEO but he is essentially just a man in a seat - the owners (with support from Howe, one of the reasons he stayed at the club) still run the football business side alongside Bowen - who is widely respected by the owners.

As the club hope to push for promotion, they feel they need a "name" manager to attract players who can make that possible - they have approached and are in discussions with a particular manager and an agreement is reached - Bowen is asked to move back upstairs as the club are impressed with the work he has done to reshape the philosophy of the club and want him to continue that work without the distraction of running the first team. His move will only be announced when the new manager can also be announced.


So yeah, probably all complete bollocks but if there really is a "strategic review" in place then given that Howe hasn't left this would fit. Either way, nowt we can do about it and more important things to worry about.

[WoodleyRoyal]

Jlow confirming there is a ‘strong possibility that a new manager will be coming in’

[Hound]

Its all very strange - particularly so if Bowen agrees to move back to the DoF role. Especially as he has started making his mark round the place, bringing in Laurent, not renewing any ooc's etc. It might be he'd still have much more of a role in the first 11 than he did with Gomes.

Can see the owners might see this season as an opportunity to go for it - with Covi and FFP on hold, Sheff Weds on a points deduction, and some pretty ropey teams in the division.

[Old Man Andrews]

Jlow confirming there is a ‘strong possibility that a new manager will be coming in’

Thats Bowen getting a new 10 year deal as manager then......

[WoodleyRoyal]

Jlow confirming there is a ‘strong possibility that a new manager will be coming in’

Thats Bowen getting a new 10 year deal as manager then......

[Notts Royal]

Its all very strange - particularly so if Bowen agrees to move back to the DoF role. Especially as he has started making his mark round the place, bringing in Laurent, not renewing any ooc's etc. It might be he'd still have much more of a role in the first 11 than he did with Gomes.

Can see the owners might see this season as an opportunity to go for it - with Covi and FFP on hold, Sheff Weds on a points deduction, and some pretty ropey teams in the division.

It just doesn’t fall in line with what Bowen was saying literally 3 days ago...about the formation he wants us to play going forwards. Interestingly he did mention we had gone to 3 at the back at the start of last season in that interview...was that then his influence rather than Gomes playing his preferred formation?

Either way, from the performance of the starting line up on Saturday, we do not want to lose that progress and direction. Which is exactly what will happen if we get some foreign manager in and sign a load more Araruna’s and Timbe’s. The focus for now has to be signing players who know the English game with the odd foreign signing.

As Snowflake said, it’s a shambolic mess and the buck stops firmly with Dai

[Stranded]

Its all very strange - particularly so if Bowen agrees to move back to the DoF role. Especially as he has started making his mark round the place, bringing in Laurent, not renewing any ooc's etc. It might be he'd still have much more of a role in the first 11 than he did with Gomes.

Can see the owners might see this season as an opportunity to go for it - with Covi and FFP on hold, Sheff Weds on a points deduction, and some pretty ropey teams in the division.

DoF would still have the remit to bring in players no? Laurent is the type of midfielder who would fit into a number of formations. Remember the initial plan with Bowen always was for him to see out the season and revert back to his Sporting Director/DoF role - his initial success changed that a bit but he was only given a 12 month extension. The tail off in the mini-season may have been enough to make the owners think that Plan A was still the best route to success - Bowen shaping philosophy and the football side in general with a new coach/manager working with him to get the best out of the players.

There is some logic to what is happening but it is a big risk but now is probably the right time to take that risk (certainly from an owners perspective)

[Old Man Andrews]

I think it is wise for all the supporters to remain calm-ish for now, lets see who replaces Bowen. We MIGHT be in a situation where we get a much more accomplished manager in who has a proven Championship record, not sure any of us would really complain too much if that happened. I am going to save the real meltdown until we get some bloke in we haven't heard of who got an unfancied Portuguese side to a cup semi final once.

[Ascotexgunner]

Just trying to think of a manager worse than Clement and Gomes that we would no doubt bring in. Jonathan Woodgate maybe?

[Stranded]

I think it is wise for all the supporters to remain calm-ish for now, lets see who replaces Bowen. We MIGHT be in a situation where we get a much more accomplished manager in who has a proven Championship record, not sure any of us would really complain too much if that happened. I am going to save the real meltdown until we get some bloke in we haven't heard of who got an unfancied Portuguese side to a cup semi final once.

Let's see if he's even replaced first but where there's smoke...

You would hope that if they are going to replace him, that they already have that person tied down and he will start almost immediately - so a Hughton, Pearson or a Howe comes to mind. We of course may end up with a client of Kia Joorabichan who last managed in the Bahrainian Premier League but hey, it's all fun and is making Tuesday a little more interesting.

[winchester_royal]

While it seems ridiculous to me that this is all going on now, 2 weeks ahead of the start of the new season, I'm not sure I share the outrage of others at the idea of moving Bowen into a different role.

He was hardly a roaring success last season, and if it's true that we are 'going for broke' this season in terms of investing in squad etc, it would certainly make sense to entrust a more proven manager with that responsibility.

[Old Man Andrews]

While it seems ridiculous to me that this is all going on now, 2 weeks ahead of the start of the new season, I'm not sure I share the outrage of others at the idea of moving Bowen into a different role.

He was hardly a roaring success last season, and if it's true that we are 'going for broke' this season in terms of investing in squad etc, it would certainly make sense to entrust a more proven manager with that responsibility.

What would you define as a success? Compared to where we were when he took over I can't see how he couldn't be considered successful. My issue with Bowen was the style of play and team selection. In terms of results and final leage placing I can't really argue with it. We are a midtable Championship side and that is where we finished.

[Stranded]

Courtney Friday, so does still seem to have a contact at the club, has just tweeted that IF a replacement comes in, he will be coming in from abroad so will have to undergo a 14 day quarantine. So assuming he arrives tomorrow, he wouldn't even be able to take training until the 9th or 10th September.

[Old Man Andrews]

Courtney Friday, so does still seem to have a contact at the club, has just tweeted that IF a replacement comes in, he will be coming in from abroad so will have to undergo a 14 day quarantine. So assuming he arrives tomorrow, he wouldn't even be able to take training until the 9th or 10th September.

I believe Eddie is the one with the contact and feeds Courtney the info.

[Theroyalbox]

I'm excited for the ride ahead.