Best Of

I agree there is a big difference. Clearly there is animosity from both sides - we don't know that MB didn't play a role in this though. I imagine the fact GA rejected bigger clubs for years to remain with Wycombe is also a factor, whereas it appears MB entertained every opportunity that came his way. It is a difficult scenario to manage for all parties.

I find it really difficult to comment on the Scott Mitchell departure. Despite what people claim, I am not sure anyone has actually disclosed many facts and its unlikely we will find out the full story. The owners made it clear from the outset that they wanted to take a unique approach, one which they believe in and will be making a large financial committment to. If Scott Mitchell wasn't supportive, I don't see the issue in parting ways. Especially now we are seeing the sums that they are willing to spend.

I agree that ML has been quiet. But Dan Rice is the DOF and introduced as the main man on the footballing side. I actually think that they have been pretty open. There are regular updates on academy progress, there was a whole fan forum, and they have delivered everything they have promised to date.

I'm not trying to say everyone is wrong, maybe there is a darker side to it, but it certainly shouldn't be claimed as fact.

I think it's time people move on....blooms has left ...let's look ahead not in the past

They could have. They could have also sacked him on day 1.

Literally no one could have stopped them doing what they wanted. If they wanted to, they could have done.

This

The trouble is there are people on both sides here who are refusing to see things from both sides.

I think Matt should still be here, but he isnt, it's happened before in football and it will happen again.

In my 45 years of watching this team I've seen a lot of managers come and go, some good, so great, some awful ! But that's what they do, they come and go. The club will always be here and we will still be supporting them, because it's what we do. We need to agree that were not all going to agree here, but we need to move on.

The king is dead, long live the new king (whoever he may be.. as long as its not Rooney)

if we managed to pull this off would be amazing signing however with no manager in place not looking good....unless Current Brentford number 2 is on his way to AP!

Okay, this is now the funniest post I have ever read, from a Newcastle fan. Sportswashing has certainly washed some Geordie brains!

https://x.com/wwstrust/status/1879438378392748478

It'd certainly be interesting to find the thread where there were a lot of raving comments about Rice early on, especially having heard him speak a couple of times and compare the comments then to now!

Thanks to Jason a real servant to the club. Surprised he didn’t carry on playing but maybe he will drop down the levels at a club near Brighton for the odd game?

How much of that is people talking with authority on a subject they know well from the inside, and how much is tired football stereotype that’s trotted out every time a new owner of a football club comes in. Because that sounds very much the latter to me tbh.

An Incumbent manager who has a new boss is always not “the owners man” unless and until they give him a contract. Same can and is said for players after a new manager comes in.

I’m not saying MB wasn’t regarded as the new Ownerships “man” - he probably wasn’t- but they could have done what Everton’s new owners did and get rid of the manager almost as soon as they came in.

I rather suspect Rice et al also didn’t pull any punches in that respect and gave MB the courtesy of telling him the truth that the whole structure of the football club will change and that included the position of Manager towards a head coach role.

That scenario both explains Matt not “being their man” and him “not having them” as everyone internally knew what direction it was going in and it was different to what Matt wanted.

And certainly with a bit more hindsight, the interview Dan and Jeremy gave about the academy and saying that positions will be filled with people with similar goals and aspirations were clearly talking about the first team manager and staff.