Club Doncaster

[scawsby steve]

Great at business. Utterly clueless at football.

They put on good rock concerts, but they're overseeing an absolutely crap football team.

That was embarrassing today against a team that are a shadow of the team that beat us at the Eco. A decent team would have beaten them today, but all they had to do against us was turn up.

We are truly f*cking terrible.

[dickos1]

Can’t see how todays result is the boards fault?
Terrible errors from anderson, Mitchell and molyneux, sitters missed from seaman, miller, Lavery.
Those things don’t happen and we win that game

[pib]

But they did happen. And they keep happening time and time again.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Great at business. Utterly clueless at football.

Good job they don't run the football club then, isn't it?

[dickos1]

But they did happen. And they keep happening time and time again.

They did, but I fail to see how that’s the boards fault.
Anderson, molyneux, miller will all be on very good money

[roverstillidie91]

But they did happen. And they keep happening time and time again.

They did, but I fail to see how that’s the boards fault.
Anderson, molyneux, miller will all be on very good money

it is easy just to keep blaming the board. I echo your comments but we just aren't having any luck at present time.

[Glyn_Wigley]

But they did happen. And they keep happening time and time again.

They did, but I fail to see how that’s the boards fault.
Anderson, molyneux, miller will all be on very good money

Give them more money, that's guaranteed to make them better players!

[Lesonthewest]

But they did happen. And they keep happening time and time again.

Absolutely right, we are now 15th in league 2, so they do keep happening. In two years this decline has been farcical. But let some keep those blinkers on for a bit longer & see where we bottom out.

[donnydogk9]

The whole club Doncaster model was based on Bristol for Sport, and actually started by John Ryan and Liam Scully at the time.

[ravenrover]

Can’t see how todays result is the boards fault?
Terrible errors from anderson, Mitchell and molyneux, sitters missed from seaman, miller, Lavery.
Those things don’t happen and we win that game

Lavery sitter? Must have missed that one

[donnievic]

Can’t see how todays result is the boards fault?
Terrible errors from anderson, Mitchell and molyneux, sitters missed from seaman, miller, Lavery.
Those things don’t happen and we win that game

what sitter did lavery miss???

[scawsby steve]

Great at business. Utterly clueless at football.

Good job they don't run the football club then, isn't it?

Err, according to what we've been told, the football operation is run by Blunt, who is a member of the board.

Who on Earth do you think hires the managers, who've all been crap for the last 2 years?

[DonnyOsmond]

So many people with their eyes shut and fingers in their ears in this thread.

It doesn't matter if we have the biggest budget in the league if the strategy and leadership coming from the top is a shambles. If they're picking poor management, HoF, who in turn are making poor recruitment choices then it is effectively their fault for poor performances. They're running a football business alright but the football team is the worst it's been in 18 year.

[dickos1]

Can’t see how todays result is the boards fault?
Terrible errors from anderson, Mitchell and molyneux, sitters missed from seaman, miller, Lavery.
Those things don’t happen and we win that game

Lavery sitter? Must have missed that one

10 yards out, only keeper to beat should have hit it first time but took a touch and got tackled

[dickos1]

Great at business. Utterly clueless at football.

Good job they don't run the football club then, isn't it?

Err, according to what we've been told, the football operation is run by Blunt, who is a member of the board.

Who on Earth do you think hires the managers, who've all been crap for the last 2 years?

Well coppinger does now

[ForsolongaRover]

I suppose that there are not many Chairmen of football clubs that are formally qualified for the role. Not many have been chairmen of more than one club. The only one I can think of is Peter Ridsdale. A good deal of what I have heard and read about him is not entirely favourable.

Most clubs seem to have a number of people who sit above the manager and Director of Football in the hierarchy. So at least there is some capability to have a debate in decision-making. We used to have several directors and a mCEO. We now have just one man and a CEO who stands back from involvement in the “footballing side”.

Thus, we are solely dependent on the Chairman to direct strategy.

Even if he were really well qualified and very experienced in the role it would be a tough job. Since it is difficult to know precisely the extent of his qualifications, we can only look at his results which, so far, have followed a disturbingly downward trend. It is probably useful that at least for the time being, football is subsidised by the umbrella organisation.

However, if I were an investor I would have no confidence in putting my money into the football club.

Looking more seriously at what a potential buyer might consider, surely it would be Club Doncaster that might be the profitable enterprise MINUS Doncaster Rovers!

[pib]

But they did happen. And they keep happening time and time again.

They did, but I fail to see how that’s the boards fault.
Anderson, molyneux, miller will all be on very good money

If you familiarise yourself with my posts Dickos, I’ve never said that the sole issue, or even the main issue, is money. The decision making at this club in terms of the football side is absolutely woeful.

[karlos]

The board invested in the club and have made it self sustainable but they would never let a business be run like this. No they want to make a profit not just remain on even grounds therefore if they are not going to make the club go forward then they should look for investors who will and make this known. Until this time we could put Alex Ferguson un charge and nothing would change.

[sedwardsdrfc]

I suppose that there are not many Chairmen of football clubs that are formally qualified for the role. Not many have been chairmen of more than one club. The only one I can think of is Peter Ridsdale. A good deal of what I have heard and read about him is not entirely favourable.

Most clubs seem to have a number of people who sit above the manager and Director of Football in the hierarchy. So at least there is some capability to have a debate in decision-making. We used to have several directors and a mCEO. We now have just one man and a CEO who stands back from involvement in the “footballing side”.

Thus, we are solely dependent on the Chairman to direct strategy.

Even if he were really well qualified and very experienced in the role it would be a tough job. Since it is difficult to know precisely the extent of his qualifications, we can only look at his results which, so far, have followed a disturbingly downward trend. It is probably useful that at least for the time being, football is subsidised by the umbrella organisation.

However, if I were an investor I would have no confidence in putting my money into the football club.

Looking more seriously at what a potential buyer might consider, surely it would be Club Doncaster that might be the profitable enterprise MINUS Doncaster Rovers!

Copps is head of football. He leads the recruitment for players and managers now. Not sure what Blunt does probably just agrees the playing budget and that’s about it.

Club were rightly criticised for giving the manager too much scope in the club. But the appointment of Copps does appear lazy. Like the last few manager appointments. Blunt would have chosen Copps and those last few managers so a theme there.

Not saying Copps isn’t a good HoF we just haven’t time to see it work. In summer our business was better than recent years and a lot of our results are down to awful individual mistakes.

[Chris Black come back]

Terry is there now seemingly as the rainy day guy. He’s put in millions and done the hard yards so is now there if we need him but his work is done.

Blunt is there to set out and endorse the strategic vision for the club and to hold the CEO to account. The chair typically acts in the best interests of shareholders although as an effective non-profit organisation this role is a bit different.

Gavin is there to deliver on the strategic vision and generate revenue and have some scrutiny of expenditure of various kinds.

Copps is there to give oversight to the footballing side of the club, delivering to the strategic vision set out by the chair but focused only on what happens in the pitch and at Cantley Park.

Schofield is there to try and generate results on the pitch and have some say in the expenditure and recruitments decisions related to what happens on the pitch and at Cantley Park.

I’ve got no idea what our defensive unit is doing.

[ForsolongaRover]

Terry is there now seemingly as the rainy day guy. He’s put in millions and done the hard yards so is now there if we need him but his work is done.

Blunt is there to set out and endorse the strategic vision for the club and to hold the CEO to account. The chair typically acts in the best interests of shareholders although as an effective non-profit organisation this role is a bit different.

Gavin is there to deliver on the strategic vision and generate revenue and have some scrutiny of expenditure of various kinds.

Copps is there to give oversight to the footballing side of the club, delivering to the strategic vision set out by the chair but focused only on what happens in the pitch and at Cantley Park.

Schofield is there to try and generate results on the pitch and have some say in the expenditure and recruitments decisions related to what happens on the pitch and at Cantley Park.

I’ve got no idea what our defensive unit is doing.

On this analysis, not only does Baldwin have some involvement with the football club (“delivers the strategic vision”) which people close to the club tell me is absolutely not true, but no one has a directive role on the footballing side above the HoF. That surely cannot be true because even by process of elimination someone at Board level must authorise decision-making and spending on the football side.

I suppose you could argue that “delivering” the strategic vision is not ensuring its execution, but there has to be responsibility somewhere above Copps’ level. 

[Canadian Rover]

I’ve got no idea what our defensive unit is doing.

This is a huge part of the problem (and truthfully because of the recruitment and lack of retention) the players in the defensive unit are generally poor. You maybe only as good as your best players but equally you are as poor as your worst and we have a very vulnerable defensive unit and a complex tactical set up. It doesn't work.

Our Goalkeepers aren't good enough but are probably value for the wage.

The central defensive unit; he's an easy scapegoat but RSW has been overall one of the worst centre backs we've seen in the clubs history. I'm sure he's a nice fella and may have attributes to be a good footballer - but they don't appear to be at centre half.

Then we have young promising centre backs like Younger, Faulkner, Oluwu who for various reasons haven't been given a consistent chance in the team and individually can be no worse than 2/3rds of our centre halves.

Big Tom he's a good solid player that seems to be confused in this 3/5 at the back system. When playing this system accountability and clarity of roles and responsibilities become muddied somewhat and a simple system is what suits Tom's attributes the best.

The wingbacks aren't really wingbacks they are full backs that go forward a little bit (but) just like Tom the roles become muddied and don't seem to be understood.The quality of full backs we've seen leave the club have seen downgrade after downgrade.

Overall; Is this because the quality of player is poor? Yes but I don't think it's solely to blame...certainly not 15th in league 2 poor. But I am very worried that we will never have the quality of player required that the system DS imagines. Something needs to change and that's the system or the players and I don't see the quality of player improving that much due to the limitations the model of investment in the first team creates - we must play to our strengths but also understand our limits.

Time for a simple back four and back to basics of roles because the players we have at the back are basic too.

[Chris Black come back]

Terry is there now seemingly as the rainy day guy. He’s put in millions and done the hard yards so is now there if we need him but his work is done.

Blunt is there to set out and endorse the strategic vision for the club and to hold the CEO to account. The chair typically acts in the best interests of shareholders although as an effective non-profit organisation this role is a bit different.

Gavin is there to deliver on the strategic vision and generate revenue and have some scrutiny of expenditure of various kinds.

Copps is there to give oversight to the footballing side of the club, delivering to the strategic vision set out by the chair but focused only on what happens in the pitch and at Cantley Park.

Schofield is there to try and generate results on the pitch and have some say in the expenditure and recruitments decisions related to what happens on the pitch and at Cantley Park.

I’ve got no idea what our defensive unit is doing.

On this analysis, not only does Baldwin have some involvement with the football club (“delivers the strategic vision”) which people close to the club tell me is absolutely not true, but no one has a directive role on the footballing side above the HoF. That surely cannot be true because even by process of elimination someone at Board level must authorise decision-making and spending on the football side.

I suppose you could argue that “delivering” the strategic vision is not ensuring its execution, but there has to be responsibility somewhere above Copps’ level. 

The strategic vision for the club appears to be a financially sustainable club, rooted in the community and (I think still) with aspirations to be in the Championship at some point. Baldwin is heavily involved in this. He is not involved directly in the footballing decisions.