| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary 10:32 - Jan 27 with 8277 views | thehat |
I believe it’s two years this month since Christian Nourry took over the helm at QPR. I thought it would make an interesting midweek thread on what the thoughts were of progress so far. Personally I am in the cup is half full camp and believe we have turned the ship and are now heading in the right direction below are some main pointers from me:
Positives
Squad - Recruitment has improved and we now have the best squad we have had for years and it seems a good blend of youth and experience and looks a much happier dressing room. For the first time in years we have players who are now worth looking at for teams higher up the food chain. We are not (yet) in a relegation battle and still with an outside chance of the play offs.
Manager - Maybe divides opinion but I’m still happy with the progress we are making under Julien Stephan who was a thoughtful choice and the same profile to continue the work done by Marti.
Academy - Plans to upgrade to Cat 1. Seems to be a positive move although only time will tell on this one.
School End - Removal of away fans from lower tier and having our own fans there seems to have certainly helped improve our home form.
Negatives
Better communication with fans. Good to see we are now communicating better with injuries but maybe more sessions with fan groups.
Performance team - This does need to improve the overall condition of our players compared to other clubs does by the naked eye seems very poor not just the injuries but the overall fitness of the team.
Pitch - God knows what happened there, it would be good if the club could let us know what the problem was and what is being done to fix it.
Finally a big shout out to our owners who continue to write the cheques to keep the lights on. Not only that but then converting the debt to shares so it is not shown on the balance sheet as club debt.
So for me this is still very much work in progress but we are in a much better position now than we were two years ago.
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| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 14:48 - Jan 27 with 1328 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 14:43 - Jan 27 by stevec |
Since Nourry came in, it does feel like we have some direction.
For a man who likes a data base, he might find a quick look at the squad ratings could be the key to success. All the players averaging over 5.7 are big solid bastards aside of Mr Chair who’s a little solid bastard.
Insert the words ‘solid’ and ‘bastard’ into his algorithm and all his dreams can come true. |
That made me chuckle.
Very witty. |  |
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| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 15:11 - Jan 27 with 1238 views | TK1 |
The metric that really counts is the trading model.
In his two years we have invested a lot of transfer fees compared to the previous financial cycle on:
Celar
Dembele
Madsen
Varane
Vale
Morrison
Poku
Saito
Burrell
Kone
Edwards
Obikwu
+ some DS transfer fees that all add up, on Smith, Akindileni, Adamson, maybe more
We like a lot of those players, but success will be measured on whether the investment matures or depreciates. It's in the balance overall, I think. Plus I don't imagine wages or loan fees have gone down hugely compared to even the Warburton splurge season. We need to be selling some of CN's signings. Being congratulated on selling the previous DOF's hires seems rich.
Just to add: a couple of comments say he's better than Hoos. Lee Hoos is the Chairman, top of the mast. Thinking he isn't entirely involved is Keyser Soze sht. | | | |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 15:21 - Jan 27 with 1191 views | dmm |
He's done some good things and bad things. We're a little better in terms of the league but no better in terms of the cups. It'll be interesting to see if he can meet the rising expectations among many next season.
Personally, I don't like or trust him. |  | | |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 15:26 - Jan 27 with 1175 views | ted_hendrix |
I'm indifferent about the bloke, I look at our league position and go ''yea well whatever'' It's how It is.
He was getting terrible abuse on here a while back which I thought was unjustified. |  |
| My Father had a profound influence on me, he was a lunatic. |
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| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 15:50 - Jan 27 with 1103 views | loftus77 |
All good points on here. I think, as someone said, the best CEOs/DOFs should be like the best referees - if they're doing a good job, you forget they are there and struggle to remember their names.
The fact we are aware of, and are marking, Mr Nourry's two-year anniversary suggest that there is a lot of room for improvement. If we start forgetting all about him, it means things are going well, football-wise. | | | |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 15:59 - Jan 27 with 1082 views | TheChef |
I think the bottom line with him is he just wants to be Sporting Director; I'm not sure he wants (or is best suited to) a CEO role, but Hoos dangled the carrot and he felt he couldn't turn it down.
Hence the bits which are going well, and the bits which aren't. Feels like he needs an Operations Manager to handle the more mundane day to day stuff (but don't we have one of those?). |  |
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| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 17:21 - Jan 27 with 947 views | Wegerles_Stairs |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 14:46 - Jan 27 by daveB |
He's done really good stuff and some other things I'm a lot less keen on.
I think he talks a good game on the Academy but am still in the have heard it all before position with it, Les Ferdinand made the same noises and after some success that soon died a death, I hope this is different but am skeptical.
We are in a much better place with the squad than 2 years ago but you'd be hard pushed to make it worse when spending as much as we have.
I'm very indifferent towards him at the moment, I can't get my head around those who love and worship him just as much as I don't get why people absolutely hate him. For me he's just another in a long line of CEO's at QPR who are OK but not brilliant.
[Post edited 27 Jan 14:52]
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Yeah, I don't hate him but things like the Ben Williams issue need to be rectified if we're going to progress. Some of the accounts on Twitter are straight out of Jonestown. | | | |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 17:31 - Jan 27 with 953 views | numptydumpty |
Tbf, i would not be basing any opinions i have of him on his character, personality type or whether he is the sort of man, i would like as a mate. I think a couple on here are more negatively assessing the man with this in the forefront of their minds.
Recruitment has been promising and we seem to be slowly improving and our squad is decent in terms of depth. Youth and development is on the up for me. Manager recruitment for me is evolving and improving. Options to cover injuries, are quickly acted on, and am sure we have a few prospective irons in the fire, just in case. In game management has often been lacking and requires work.
I do actually think his ultimate aim is for the Premier League and a stadium that helps self finance the ever changing demands and qualities the squad needs. We will need a new stadium eventually and where it is maybe compromised but i do feel they will design a stadium which maintains old school stadium atmosphere, as well as providing extra income streams. And will be close as is possible to W12.
i think the fact he is on a couple of advisory boards with the council is a clever move. And i think his use of data and background in AI will give us advantages in future foitballing times ahead at Rangsrs. Something that had zero relevance in sport, a decade ago, but in times ahead, there is little doubt, it will have a massive influence.
Injuries and recruiting players with high percentage chances of injury hit seasons needs massive improvements but if the trajectory keeps improving there will be less chances required to take risks.
Still pretty poor on fans engagement so far. Very few forums and the ones so far have been a mess and zero proper engagement with regards to players injuries and their recovery times.
Selling players on for profits, is yet to be seen. This is the key to our current model. Have to say currently, this is where i see failings as its yet to show much at all.
But for me overall its a half decent start. We are better placed without the impact being outstanding. One hundred percent on the "nerd" scale, but a very intelligent and hard working man for me. Being nerdy is not a criticism of the guy, as i can totally see in recruitment, potential, players for a model and those with resale potential profitability, being a nerd in sports management does help.
Chtistian would not be in my close circle of friends, but my overall view is he is a decent appointment and am intrigued to see where we could get to, under his stewardship.
B- for me, so far...
7 out of 10.
And the phrase "Rome wasnt built in a day" is very apt. Lets see where this goes. [Post edited 27 Jan 17:38]
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| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 17:38 - Jan 27 with 928 views | eastside_r |
My initial reaction was this is just another posh boy chancer and I have encountered many of them in my life.
I have seen little since then to change my mind.
Happy to be proved wrong when he actually achieves something. |  | | |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 17:50 - Jan 27 with 896 views | lassel |
As others have said, some good, some extremely bad.
Blacklisting loyal fans like Norf for not toeing party lines and refusing access to media who won’t act as personal PR plus a total blind spot to his mate Williams and the issues he’s causing around the club being his two most egregious errors.
FWIW, *allegedly* (important to add) his position as ‘CEO’ at least is substantially more precarious than you might imagine. | | | |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 18:00 - Jan 27 with 862 views | Ned_Kennedys |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 17:38 - Jan 27 by eastside_r |
My initial reaction was this is just another posh boy chancer and I have encountered many of them in my life.
I have seen little since then to change my mind.
Happy to be proved wrong when he actually achieves something. |
What exactly are you expecting him to actually achieve?
Promotion? New ground? £20 million player sale? 10 youth team players starting for the first team? |  | | |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 18:14 - Jan 27 with 840 views | patrickqpr |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 12:31 - Jan 27 by loftboy |
Can’t warm to him, reminds me of JD Vance. |
But without the eyeliner | | | |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 18:20 - Jan 27 with 760 views | stainrods_elbow |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 17:38 - Jan 27 by eastside_r |
My initial reaction was this is just another posh boy chancer and I have encountered many of them in my life.
I have seen little since then to change my mind.
Happy to be proved wrong when he actually achieves something. |
What does being a 'posh boy' anything (in your idiom/experience) have to do with anything? Would you also call someone a 'working class x/y/z' (insert disparaging noun of choice)? You say you've met lots of his 'type' and don't like any of them - so what? Maybe they weren't that sold on you either - I dunno. It might not be a welcome view with some on here, but I suspect at least some of the antipathy towards him is (class) envy.
He's obviously a bright man, whether he's posh or common: Oxford degree, legal training, and Master's scholar at Imperial College could given anyone's education a run for its money. I don't doubt he skirts one or two things for 'political' reasons, but, when you compare it with our manager's interviews, he comes over as a bastion of integrity. I like the fact that he's articulate, can string some thinking together, and has plenty of insight into how to run the club whenever I listen to him. Plus the fact he's a professional in his field - unlike anyone on this board.
Clearly, on top of that, he had enough credentials and knowhow to convince the owners he was a strong fit for the job - unless Nourry's critics are prepared to call them out too, as they appointed him. It's entirely possible, indeed probable, that his star has risen so far so quickly, because he's intelligent, educated, insightful, and ambitious. Of course, for those who are determined to see people a certain (negative) way, they'll go on looking through their own clouded lenses. He's also benefiting from more and more experience the longer he stays in the job. (Which is what I'd ask him if I were interviewing him: What has he learned since starting at QPR?)
The other benefit with him is a slam-dunk - he's not Lee Hoos.
Naturally, I scrutinise his performance, language, and demeanour, the most important metric among which is how well the club culture/business side is percolating - but even that, on the player side of things, is down to so many variables. The state of/situation with the ground is for me aggravating. When was the Loft roof last painted? 1985? As to 'blacklisting' fans for being too much off-message, I'll confine myself to saying I know all about that. Most people scapegoat some people so they can prop up their own self-image - and not just the 'bad guys'. Rene Girard devoted a career to writing all about it.
Overall, I'm much more worried about Stephan being a Nourry 'yes' man in terms of club steering right now - which obviously also reflects on Nourry, if my instincts are right. The manager needs to be his own man - as we all do. (Unless we're women, I guess.)
B+ for me so far. Promising, sometimes evasive, but we'll no more in a year or two. [Post edited 27 Jan 18:23]
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| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 18:36 - Jan 27 with 785 views | eastside_r |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 18:00 - Jan 27 by Ned_Kennedys |
What exactly are you expecting him to actually achieve?
Promotion? New ground? £20 million player sale? 10 youth team players starting for the first team? |
Not sure. What do you think he has achieved? | | | |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 18:41 - Jan 27 with 769 views | macclesfieldman |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 14:46 - Jan 27 by daveB |
He's done really good stuff and some other things I'm a lot less keen on.
I think he talks a good game on the Academy but am still in the have heard it all before position with it, Les Ferdinand made the same noises and after some success that soon died a death, I hope this is different but am skeptical.
We are in a much better place with the squad than 2 years ago but you'd be hard pushed to make it worse when spending as much as we have.
I'm very indifferent towards him at the moment, I can't get my head around those who love and worship him just as much as I don't get why people absolutely hate him. For me he's just another in a long line of CEO's at QPR who are OK but not brilliant.
[Post edited 27 Jan 14:52]
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I am in the plus camp. I know there are positives and negatives but for mr the critical point is that we are now a professionally run club.
I'd hate us to return to the circus we were under Briatore & Eccleston and then the the child in a candy store period under Fernandes. We are now a well run club
-r |  |
| Wild horses couldn't drag me away... |
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| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 18:45 - Jan 27 with 760 views | eastside_r |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 18:41 - Jan 27 by macclesfieldman |
I am in the plus camp. I know there are positives and negatives but for mr the critical point is that we are now a professionally run club.
I'd hate us to return to the circus we were under Briatore & Eccleston and then the the child in a candy store period under Fernandes. We are now a well run club
-r |
Just out of interest, what are your criteria for a ‘well-run club’? | | | |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 19:33 - Jan 27 with 696 views | JamesB1979 |
He does seem to have a “plan” and is proactive. I still think too early to tell whether it works or not. We were in a hell of a mess 2 years ago.
Not liking someone because he’s posh, ain’t for me. I’ll judge him based on what he does or doesn’t do. And as said, too early for me. | | | |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 19:38 - Jan 27 with 687 views | Ned_Kennedys |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 18:36 - Jan 27 by eastside_r |
Not sure. What do you think he has achieved? |
A better squad, some decent sales, clearing some deadwood, training ground for starters.
What do you think he hasn’t achieved? | | | |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 19:42 - Jan 27 with 674 views | JamesB1979 |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 19:38 - Jan 27 by Ned_Kennedys |
A better squad, some decent sales, clearing some deadwood, training ground for starters.
What do you think he hasn’t achieved? |
Still talks posh clearly 😂. Should have had a cockney English teacher. | | | |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 19:45 - Jan 27 with 670 views | OldPedro |
He needs a big sale or two of players that have joined the club on his watch, to show that the buy low/sell high approach is working.
He also needs to get on top of the injury issues, not deny we have an issue like they did after last season, and continued progression up the table. |  |
| Extra mature cheddar......a simple cheese for a simple man |
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| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 19:53 - Jan 27 with 597 views | stainrods_elbow |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 19:45 - Jan 27 by OldPedro |
He needs a big sale or two of players that have joined the club on his watch, to show that the buy low/sell high approach is working.
He also needs to get on top of the injury issues, not deny we have an issue like they did after last season, and continued progression up the table. |
Why are these the CEO's job(s), exactly? He's there to provide oversight, not do the coaches'/manager's job for them (developing players so they can be sold at a profit, if we absolutely have to) or manage our injuries.
The most pertinent questions are surely why there's little sign that our players ARE developing under JS (one or two at least, like Kone, seem to be stalling if not going backwards) and/or why managing/sharing information about our injured stars seems to be such a sh*tshow. None of which is down to Nourry not doing his job. | |
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| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 20:02 - Jan 27 with 618 views | nadera78 |
A few people have mentioned the need for improved comms but I think it's a bit more fundamental than that. He's shown himself to be somewhat economical with the truth and, once you have that tag, it's hard to shake.
So, yes, improved comms would be good - and I think it's both accurate and fair to say he's done some good, some not so good and some highly questionable things at QPR - but that question of trust isn't going away. | | | |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 20:05 - Jan 27 with 602 views | TK1 |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 19:38 - Jan 27 by Ned_Kennedys |
A better squad, some decent sales, clearing some deadwood, training ground for starters.
What do you think he hasn’t achieved? |
The training ground was opened in June 2023, one week after Ferdinand announced he was leaving.
Nourry's audit of the club began later that summer and was based at the training ground.
Can't really credit him for the training ground "for starters". It had nothing to do with him. It existed before he was employed by QPR in any capacity. | | | |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 20:05 - Jan 27 with 596 views | R_from_afar |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 19:53 - Jan 27 by stainrods_elbow |
Why are these the CEO's job(s), exactly? He's there to provide oversight, not do the coaches'/manager's job for them (developing players so they can be sold at a profit, if we absolutely have to) or manage our injuries.
The most pertinent questions are surely why there's little sign that our players ARE developing under JS (one or two at least, like Kone, seem to be stalling if not going backwards) and/or why managing/sharing information about our injured stars seems to be such a sh*tshow. None of which is down to Nourry not doing his job. |
Doesn't Nourry have a major say in player recruitment and sales?
I honestly thought he did. |  |
| "Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1." |
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| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 20:06 - Jan 27 with 588 views | eastside_r |
| Christian Nourry - Two Year Anniversary on 19:38 - Jan 27 by Ned_Kennedys |
A better squad, some decent sales, clearing some deadwood, training ground for starters.
What do you think he hasn’t achieved? |
A better squad? Possibly, I might give you that, but last season’s roster (particularly strikers?), the start of this season, up to and including Coventry away?
Some decent sales? ‘Some’ implies several and certainly more than one, who are we counting in this?
Clearing some deadwood – Again I might give you this one, but he’s also got rid of Marti Cifuentes and Paul Furlong, are you counting either of those as deadwood or are we just conveniently forgetting about those ‘departures’?
Training Ground? Predates him surely?
What do you think he hasn’t achieved? - I am struggling to answer that without being facetious.
I don’t think what you have provided amounts to much. I mean I could list lots of negatives but I don’t want to be considered as just a negative guy.
Jury is still out for me, but as I said, can’t think of anything substantial that has changed my initial opinion. [Post edited 27 Jan 20:07]
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