Very strange appointment in the last 24 hours of Paul Hart as Academy Director. Paul Hart has a long and varied managerial career behind him and and I could never have imagined him at the Valley and certainly not in a back room role. I'm guessing he wouldn't be a cheap appointment and with Jeff Vetere also taking a rake-off as Director of Football, our new Board aren't shy at employing backroom staff. Chris Powell will be relieved to know we have an experienced manager on the firm if things get sticky before Christmas.
Rumour has it we have also bid £300,000 for Cherries left back Rhoys Wiggins. Maybe there is more cash available to Messrs Slater and Jiminez than we have given credit for of late.
One has to hope a beefed-up administrative staff reflects itself in on-pitch performances! I won't start to feel optimistic until some additional signings of some significance are announced.
ReplyDeleteMy first reaction was that he is been put in place to take over from Mr Powell if the season doesnt start well. God I hope im wrong
ReplyDelete"Chris Powell will be relieved to know we have an experienced manager on the firm if things get sticky before Christmas".
ReplyDeleteI assume this is tongue in cheek!!
The signs are very good I'd say. The only puzzling and less than encouraging decision so far has been the appointment of Chris Powell in January. Let's not kid ourselves, he's going to be under huge pressure to deliver right from the off next season.
If by Christmas performances haven't improved significantly compared to those in the second half of last season - and that means being in a Play-Off place, at least - then our former hero will be gone.
Paul Hart may not then get the job full-time, but he'd be a very useful stop-gap, making it much easier for Slater/Jimenez to act decisively.
Indeed Chris, indeed.
ReplyDeleteSure -let's look at the downside of this appointment.
ReplyDeleteDisregard the fact that Paul Hart has a proven (Brilliant) record of youth development.
Obviously, his appointment, along with Jeff Vetere's has to be categorized as 'Strange'
God forbid there should be anything positive about this.
Ken - let's hope you are right. Like many managers, Paul Hart has a track record in managing younger sides before making the step-up but has been a club manager first and foremost for the last decade. I see his appointment as an insurance policy. Chris Powell would be naive in the extreme if the thought hasn't crossed his mind.
ReplyDeleteIn view of the new salary caps coming in, all is becoming clear.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how this will effect us as we are losing £5m a year. It would seem promotion is even more of an urgency.