Manchester City strengthens Executive Leadership Team

[Anonymous]

I said at the time of the Kaka deal that when it fell through it was, in my humble opinion, a reflection on the failure of Garry Cook to finish it off.

At that level of an organisation, when everything is set up to conclude a major deal, it is only ever about finalising it. Personal insults or sleights or perceived inappropriate behaviour all goes out the window... you just have to make sure the deal is done.

And it wasn't.

I thought Cook failed, and with this appointment of Marwood it seems that maybe the owners share that view.

Cook is not a "football man" and that showed up in Milan. At least Marwood can point to a career in football to strengthen his arguments. To be honest, these 3 appointments look excellent and should put us in a much strongher position come next saeson.

However... it STILL all stands or falls on what goes on on the playing field.

Ah, but maybe that's for another day...

Agree with most of that. I don't necessarily think the failure was purely on Cook's part. I think from ADUG downwards everyone underestimated how tough the deal was going to be. Frankly, in hindsight, not having a SINGLE footballing person out in Milan was a joke. Actually, Mark Hughes was the man who should have been there selling "the project" because he was the man Kaka was going to play under...

 

[Soulboy]

I said at the time of the Kaka deal that when it fell through it was, in my humble opinion, a reflection on the failure of Garry Cook to finish it off.

At that level of an organisation, when everything is set up to conclude a major deal, it is only ever about finalising it. Personal insults or sleights or perceived inappropriate behaviour all goes out the window... you just have to make sure the deal is done.

And it wasn't.

I thought Cook failed, and with this appointment of Marwood it seems that maybe the owners share that view.

Cook is not a "football man" and that showed up in Milan. At least Marwood can point to a career in football to strengthen his arguments. To be honest, these 3 appointments look excellent and should put us in a much strongher position come next saeson.

However... it STILL all stands or falls on what goes on on the playing field.

Ah, but maybe that's for another day...

Agree with most of that. I don't necessarily think the failure was purely on Cook's part. I think from ADUG downwards everyone underestimated how tough the deal was going to be. Frankly, in hindsight, not having a SINGLE footballing person out in Milan was a joke. Actually, Mark Hughes was the man who should have been there selling "the project" because he was the man Kaka was going to play under...

I actually said at the time that I found it incredible that Hughes was not in Milan helping negotiate the deal. No matter what my views are of the manager, it is HIS job to sell the vision of the club, answer questions on tactics, future signings and ny other football related matter... NOT the suits!

I thought it was a glaring error of judgement (or a lack of trust on the part of our Chief Executive) and one i hope they never repeat.

If you appoint a manager then you let him manage. Total control over all footballing matters. That's why I refuse to accept some defence of Hughes that he "has" to pick Robinho, Elano, et al. He doesn't. He is the manager and it is always HIS choice. And that's the way it should always be.

I want Hughes to stand or fall on his own decisions not on other peoples.

Everything is now in place for Hughes to take this club forward. The backrooom staff are all his, the board is almost note-perfect now in its ability to progress the club, and he's got pretty much an open chequebook to play with.

No more excuses? Let's hope he does it, I really would expect nothing less now.

 

[JohnMaddocksAxe]

Good points well made. This seems like a director of football type role in all but name (probably so as not to upset Hughes). If there are changes at the end of the season and a new manager brought in I'd have a little wager that Marwood's title changes!

What worries me even more URG, is that this type of appointment, at this point in the season is a little rushed IMO. If you look at how this season has panned out, you have to imagine there will be a "review" at the end of the season and the ADUG will want to bring in new players, maybe a whole new management/coaching set up. Why not make all those changes together.

Frankly, the only manager out there who I believe would be prepared to work under a Director of Football, and who has any kind of pedigree would be Rijkaard. The likes of Mourinho, Scolari, Van Gaal, et al will all want final say on which players are brought in.

The flip side of that coin is that Hughes is actually here for the long haul. But that's an argument in itself because frankly, if ADUG give him another season, he will be under the kind of pressure which will have made the Tinkerman's season at Chelsea look like a walk in the park. It really doesn't bare thinking about.

I agree with this.

In know for a fact that an FD with the responsibilities for IT and the other areas mentioned was desperately needed to take some of the more onerous day to day responsibilities out of the hands of Cook and mean that more than one person can deal with them.

Putting two and two together and making five, it wouldn't surprise me if the lack of someone in this position and it all being heaped on Cook's plate has been behind some of the lack of movement with certain player's contracts.

What troubles me is the appointment of Marwood. I can't get rid of the 'jobs for the boys' tag with this one. He is obviously Cook's mate and whilst this sort of appointment (someone bringing in someone who they know) goes on all the time in all sorts of industries, it disturbs me that the owners seem to have given Cook free reign to bring in 'his man' into a position that fundemetally alters the management structure of the club for the manager and (hopefully) future managers.

I would have thought that Cook would still be in the 'proving himself' stage when it comes to the owners and had hoped that they would be the sort of people to aim for the very best in all positions. I really struggle to imagine that Brian Marwood is the very best Football Administrator/Director of Football around when he hasn't done the role before and part of the reason for him getting the role is that he is a mate of the bloke in charge. That's nothing against Marwood, who may prove very competent, but I would have hoped we were now past the stage were mates get jobs at City (a la Alan Ball), unless they were from the very highest level in the position concerned.

Funnily enough I have heard that Marwood was originally discussing a Director of Football role but Hughes wasn't comfortable with it. To me it seems that he is still covering many of those responsibilites but with a different title and probably without Hughes reporting specifically to him.

It's a very significant appointment in a football club and the appointment of 'a mate' to the role really knaws away at me.

The fact that the performances on the pitch warrant, in my view, a change of manager at the end of the season would only complicate it further. Would someone of the calibre of Mourinho or Hiddink (which is the level we can now aim at and should be aiming at) be comfortable with working with a significant amount of power being concentrated with someone who has no background in such a role and who might be seen as getting the job because he is a mate of the Chief Exec. Some managers are just very uncomfortable with anyone in that role, even if that person has years of experience with top clubs behind them. I don't know, it would depend on specific remits but it's the sort of problem and issue that you could see being concerning.

I'm sur the FD and 'Brand' appointments are ones that were needed and will only strengthen the club immediately. I can't say I'm convinced with the timing of appointing someone as a Football Administrator with those responsibilities though, and the nature of that appointment.

 

[JohnMaddocksAxe]

I'm quite willing to write off the failure to land Kaka as 'one of those things' and think it's harsh to slate Cook for it. Milan, Kaka or anyone else may have had a change of heart and the real reasons for it falling through, whether they are devious or just run of the mill, might never be clarified.

Some targets are landed, some aren't. That's the nature of the beast, surely? Cook won't be the first or last person to miss out on a big transfer.

Yes, he might improve certain things in the future but it might also eventually have been out of his hands too.

However, I am not prepared to give him a free pass for his bleating and insults after the event. That was shocking and an embarrassment to the club.

 

[johnmc]

Brian Marwood will never be the manager therefore it isn't a Director of Football that we have seen at other clubs where the outcome seems inevitable

 

[Uwe Rosler's Grandad]

Some more good posts on here from Soulboy, JMA & Prestwich Blue.

I still think that ADUG are trusting/ backing Cook, Aldridge and Hughes plus giving them the resources to do their job. And I still think that ADUG will review progress on their investment at the end of the season. It appears to me that at no stage can Cook, Aldridge & Hughes say they weren't backed or their ideas weren't supported etc etc....there are no excuses now.

 

[Blue2112]

Putting two and two together and making five, it wouldn't surprise me if the lack of someone in this position and it all being heaped on Cook's plate has been behind some of the lack of movement with certain player's contracts.

Hopefully we'll start to see some progress on this front as of this afternoon.

 

[Anonymous]

Putting two and two together and making five, it wouldn't surprise me if the lack of someone in this position and it all being heaped on Cook's plate has been behind some of the lack of movement with certain player's contracts.

Hopefully we'll start to see some progress on this front as of this afternoon.

Josh, do you think the contract situation is effecting Stevie's game?

 

[Blue2112]

Putting two and two together and making five, it wouldn't surprise me if the lack of someone in this position and it all being heaped on Cook's plate has been behind some of the lack of movement with certain player's contracts.

Hopefully we'll start to see some progress on this front as of this afternoon.

Josh, do you think the contract situation is effecting Stevie's game?

In my opinion its certainly on his mind and I would say he's frustrated with certain things he's been told.

However once he steps onto the pitch I don't think it's affected his game, I know he desperately wants to become our player of the season and will continue to give of his best. I think the reason his game looks a little off is purely down to the blistering form he was in before Christmas and people are naturally making comparisons, very few players can keep that form throughout a full Premiership season, no doubt he'll be stronger next term and maybe he will manage it then. He missed almost all of January due to suspension and was one of only 3 goalscorers in all competitions throughout the month of February. I think he's been performing average to good for the past 6 weeks in fairness to him.

 

[Anonymous]

Putting two and two together and making five, it wouldn't surprise me if the lack of someone in this position and it all being heaped on Cook's plate has been behind some of the lack of movement with certain player's contracts.

Hopefully we'll start to see some progress on this front as of this afternoon.

Josh, do you think the contract situation is effecting Stevie's game?

In my opinion its certainly on his mind and I would say he's frustrated with certain things he's been told.

However once he steps onto the pitch I don't think it's affected his game, I know he desperately wants to become our player of the season and will continue to give of his best. I think the reason his game looks a little off is purely down to the blistering form he was in before Christmas and people are naturally making comparisons, very few players can keep that form throughout a full Premiership season, no doubt he'll be stronger next term and maybe he will manage it then. He missed almost all of January due to suspension and was one of only 3 goalscorers in all competitions throughout the month of February. I think he's been performing average to good for the past 6 weeks in fairness to him.

Wouldn't disagree with any of that...i'm looking for him to become as talismanic as players like Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard, and Fabregas are. He could be the heartbeat of our team, but he's short at the moment. He still needs others around him to perform for him to perform, whereas the players I just mentioned can raise their entire teams game...