Rage Online

The previously conservative approach of our chairman suddenly turns into total and utter mayhem.

None of today's events fill me with any optimism.

YF Dan wrote:The previously conservative approach of our chairman suddenly turns into total and utter mayhem.

None of today's events fill me with any optimism.

Quite. I guess more money might be forthcoming, but not convinced by Appleton's appointment as someone able to spend it well. Oops - mustn't condemn him quite so quickly.

Dr Bob wrote:not convinced by Appleton's appointment as someone able to spend it well. Oops - mustn't condemn him quite so quickly.

He can't be worse than Waddock can he?

Does this mean we can actually sign some players now???

Utterly embarrassing.

Seems OK to me. Waddock hadn't exactly established himself as a legend. Ashton is a worry, but you don't get good at things by not doing them, so if the Wycombe and Watford experiences are lessons he as learned, all to the good. I don't like having the manager parachuted in though - that's an unwelcome return to the bad old days, but it's the chairman's perogative to bring in his man if it makes him comforable.

Let's see the wallets open over the next couple of weeks - that's the acid test. And of course winning a few games in the new season.

Bottom line is - yesterday we were not spending money and didn't have a strong enough squad to challenge, with a chairman unable to fund the changes needed to get out of that rut. So any change is welcome.

Really, any more 'embarrassing' than doing nothing at all, and capitulating from serious promotion contenders to utter relegation fodder in the space of 12 months?

Just encouraging debate, but....I can't see that Oxford United owe Gary Waddock any more than the terms of his contract. This is a business and a sports club, and almost ANYTHING would be a positive step from the depressing downturn we have taken in the last six months.

I personally rate Michael Appleton as an upwardly mobile prospect who has yet to have his best days in management.

The only problem I have; is where does this leave Danny Hylton, who may not have been Appleton's choice.

The upside...can we now afford to buy Beano back..?

BigCrompy wrote:Really, any more 'embarrassing' than doing nothing at all, and capitulating from serious promotion contenders to utter relegation fodder in the space of 12 months?

Just encouraging debate, but....I can't see that Oxford United owe Gary Waddock any more than the terms of his contract. This is a business and a sports club, and almost ANYTHING would be a positive step from the depressing downturn we have taken in the last six months.

I personally rate Michael Appleton as an upwardly mobile prospect who has yet to have his best days in management.

The only problem I have; is where does this leave Danny Hylton, who may not have been Appleton's choice.

The upside...can we now afford to buy Beano back..?

Sacking a bloke who was handed a group of demotivated players and promised lots. A bloke who was allowed to bring in one player before being told no more. I would have liked to have judged Waddock on his signings, his style of football and his team.

And my 'embarrassing' comment extends far further than sacking the manager.

Brahma Bull wrote:

BigCrompy wrote:Really, any more 'embarrassing' than doing nothing at all, and capitulating from serious promotion contenders to utter relegation fodder in the space of 12 months?

Just encouraging debate, but....I can't see that Oxford United owe Gary Waddock any more than the terms of his contract. This is a business and a sports club, and almost ANYTHING would be a positive step from the depressing downturn we have taken in the last six months.

I personally rate Michael Appleton as an upwardly mobile prospect who has yet to have his best days in management.

The only problem I have; is where does this leave Danny Hylton, who may not have been Appleton's choice.

The upside...can we now afford to buy Beano back..?

Sacking a bloke who was handed a group of demotivated players and promised lots. A bloke who was allowed to bring in one player before being told no more. I would have liked to have judged Waddock on his signings, his style of football and his team.

And my 'embarrassing' comment extends far further than sacking the manager.

Not a personal attack I assure you, and I do concur that Gary Waddock's hands were largely tied. But I do struggle to become embarrassed in the off-season; if promising signings follow and the club is promoted in May 2015, I will be prepared to forget today's consternation (and the prior six months descent). I would have been embarrassed to drop back to the Conference in '15 after topping the table in mid '13-'14.

Sorry if it seems callous but I think this is progress and I also think it needed to happen. Circus it may be, sub-optimal it certainly is, but personally I do not feel embarrassed by these developments.

I know Crompy, I am just disappointed.

I am disappointed with the treatment of Waddock both today and over the past 4/8 weeks. Having spoken with him today the man can't be any more praiseworthy of the supporters of this football club. He speaks with respect and class, a type of manager and personality we should be embracing at this football club. Personally I think he would have done the job, with the style he wanted if he had been allowed to sign players. He had them lined up.

Moreover, I am disappointed with the way this takeover has happened. Fans deserve better, yes this is Lenagan's club, it is our club too and he has never accepted that. The orchestrated questions at today's press conference where they didn't seem to (according to reports) be allowed to ask the burning questions is hardly surprising.

Just the kind of bold, impressive act we needed to rescue our summer. If this is backed up with cash for players, as surely it must be, we can look forward to the next season with great hope. I couldn't care less if Waddock was awfully nice about the fans, he failed his (admittedly short) audition and paid the penalty. Not one single aspect of his short reign convinced anyone.

Where does this leave Mickey Lewis? Given that the new policy is you can turf someone out if you've got a mate you want to bring in I guess he'll be on his way.

I don't really have a clue about the boardroom side of today but I'm entirely unimpressed by the managerial aspect. Sacking a manager in the middle of the off-season and replacing him with an entirely unproven manager that has already walked away from two clubs, one of which he'd only just joined doesn't reek of common sense. In the official statement the sole reason Lenegan gives for Appleton's appointment was that he'd worked with Ashton before. Not exactly the rigorous process that led us to the man we've just got rid of after a few months.

This feels much more like the start to a shambolic season than the dawning of a bright new era, I desperately hope I'm wrong.

Well a man with a haircut that bad was never going to last, was he...!?

So, does any know if, when that idiot Nick Merry did his amazingly inept deal with Kassam, if FK put in a clause that OUFC had to play at the stadium for a certain number of years? If so, I wonder what would cause FK to remove or waive that clause? Perhaps the consent from the council to build houses on that site and help them relieve their much needed demand for space on which to build and meet their central govt targets, handed down by mr Pickles, for new housing stock.

Oh, and wouldn't it be nice for the same council to build on the land currently occupied by the ice rink? What's that I spy? A new super sports facility out at Water Eaton for the ice hockey and football club (and rugby, too??)?!

I guess we might at least be one step ahead of that chap at Oxford City who is also trying to bring together the city's sports team into one sporting collection.

Darren Moore become assistant manager so what now for Mad Dog?

Brahma Bull wrote:Utterly embarrassing.

Agreed.

After a very lengthy recruitment process last season, Lenagan decided Waddock was the man for the long term, at least 2 and a half years anyway. Lenagan didn't decide Appleton was the right man, it was Waddock.

Now 10 games later, Waddock is no longer the man and Appleton is the man.

Lenagan told us last September that he was not selling, and again this last March he said the same thing. And yet, a few months later, he has sold at least half of his share and apparently the discussions have been going on for more than a year.

My take on this based on the information I have gathered, Ian Lenagan has little or no control of Oxford United anymore, and in any event, the words that come from his mouth are not trustworthy. Lenagan clearly does not have the finances to support an Oxford United with a stadium, and this was a major concern that many of us raised when he took the helm.

Prepare yourself for rocky times ahead.

Serious questions need answering bloody sharpish.

How has the takeover been funded?
Who holds the shares?
What is the shareholders record in other businesses?
What is the shareholders record at other clubs if any.
What is the record of the other new parties involved at other football clubs.
Is the sale on a debt free basis.
What will the nature of the funding be from the new parties and will interest be charged?
If additional money is to be used to fund the playing budget, how will that affect losses and sustainability.
What happens when the new owners walk away, because they will at some point.
What has happened to Lenagan's debts?
What is the position with the KsStad?
Will a new stadium be funded at Water Eaton and who will own it and how will revenues be split?
Who will own a new stadium if it is built?
Will the Kasstad be bought from Kassam?
Will the right to buy be initiated?
And a million other questions.

I was no big fan of Waddock, but Appleton's managerial career has been shockingly bad winning just 1 in 4 games and no more at any of the clubs he has managed. He has never won promotion but has been relegated.

Ian Lenagan has sold OUFC down the river to recoup some of his so called soft debts, which turned out not to be that soft after all.