| DOF 09:54 - May 2 with 8925 views | Northolt_Rs |
How does he get away with so little criticism? Because he was a great player for us I guess. Tbh I’d rather we kept Warburton at the club and binned Teflon Les. As a DOF he just ain’t worked out. Club is in a terrible position. Again. |  |
| Scooters, Tunes, Trainers and QPR. |
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| DOF on 10:12 - May 2 with 4265 views | francisbowles |
It's difficult to know exactly what he does, how many decisions are his, how much influence he actually has.
For example the Austin signing is reportedly down to Fernandes.
As Warburton said the owners sign the cheques and they rightly get to say what and who they want.
Les was said to be highly influential in the Warburton appointment, so that would be a plus point. He also has a positive media profile which gets the club noticed. The club has moved forward considerably from where it was when he (Les) was appointed
However, the club has gone backwards in the last few months and this seasons spending hasn't worked and will probably handicap us for a year or two. If he really is in charge then his next managerial appointment must be one that next season has us performing close to 2021 levels, a very difficult ask with the limited FFP headroom we probably have left. |  | | |
| DOF on 10:28 - May 2 with 4160 views | Wegerles_Stairs |
One would imagine a key responsibility of a DoF would be embedding a consistent style of play at a club and then ensuring it had the players to play it. So after seven years, you'd expect a side that plays with wing backs to actually have a surfeit of young, fast wing backs with sell-on value. Hmm.....
Or perhaps to scour the globe for the latest young prospects to ensure the club develops talent to sell on. Hmm.....oh well, let's go and look at the Spurs training complex instead. Newcastle have a player they'd like to send on loan? Perfect.
If the DoF is just a glorified club ambassador then change his job title. [Post edited 2 May 2022 10:29]
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| DOF on 10:47 - May 2 with 4092 views | danehoop |
| DOF on 10:28 - May 2 by Wegerles_Stairs |
One would imagine a key responsibility of a DoF would be embedding a consistent style of play at a club and then ensuring it had the players to play it. So after seven years, you'd expect a side that plays with wing backs to actually have a surfeit of young, fast wing backs with sell-on value. Hmm.....
Or perhaps to scour the globe for the latest young prospects to ensure the club develops talent to sell on. Hmm.....oh well, let's go and look at the Spurs training complex instead. Newcastle have a player they'd like to send on loan? Perfect.
If the DoF is just a glorified club ambassador then change his job title. [Post edited 2 May 2022 10:29]
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Well it's been probably about a year since we had the what does the DoF do question. |  |
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| DOF on 10:57 - May 2 with 4033 views | Whip_It |
Yeh and obviously 'getting away with so little criticism' obviously means being bombarded with abuse on SM by people who have - for some reason - a massive axe to grind with him.
Why don't you target our Chairman for some 'wtf does he do?' scrutiny if you're really up for it? | | | |
| DOF on 11:21 - May 2 with 3947 views | DejR_vu |
The problem, imo, is that we seem to have a toxic mix of privileged rich boys, handed everything by wealthy families, basically using the club as a toy, and incompetents who have been very lucky, holding key positions in the club. Lee Hoos is the only one who seems to be competent in what he does. Take any of the others, take away the family wealth and good fortune, and chuck them in with the rest of us and they’d be nowhere near owning and running a football club, imo, of course.
I can only assume one of them, at least, must have been extremely fortunate, very early, in appointing someone very good to make the key decisions in the business, judging by the record of appointments here and the failures here and elsewhere. I have an image of that person sitting in an office somewhere, looking at emails, rocking gently backwards and forwards, sobbing, hands on head, with breadsticks stuck up both nostrils. | |
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| DOF on 11:31 - May 2 with 3888 views | BrianMcCarthy |
I think the club is better run than at it has been for nearly three decades.
I'm not happy with the handling of the Warburton announcement, but even at that I can see why the decision was made.
That apart, only the permanent signing of Austin* and the loan signing of Hendrick have bothered me. I think we're producing players again, recruitment is good, we're dodging FFP and the training round is a reality. An awful lot of those positives are down to the Director of Football.
*And we found out this week that we have an opt-out on that. |  |
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| DOF on 11:58 - May 2 with 3797 views | PinnerPaul |
| DOF on 10:12 - May 2 by francisbowles |
It's difficult to know exactly what he does, how many decisions are his, how much influence he actually has.
For example the Austin signing is reportedly down to Fernandes.
As Warburton said the owners sign the cheques and they rightly get to say what and who they want.
Les was said to be highly influential in the Warburton appointment, so that would be a plus point. He also has a positive media profile which gets the club noticed. The club has moved forward considerably from where it was when he (Les) was appointed
However, the club has gone backwards in the last few months and this seasons spending hasn't worked and will probably handicap us for a year or two. If he really is in charge then his next managerial appointment must be one that next season has us performing close to 2021 levels, a very difficult ask with the limited FFP headroom we probably have left. |
That first sentence is spot on and renders debate after that pretty much guesswork! | | | |
| DOF on 12:25 - May 2 with 3707 views | PlanetHonneywood |
When Fernandes arrived he didn’t know his backside from his elbow; a state of being that remained for several years. Upon taking over, there was no institutional knowledge in the boardroom about football. It was then that a good DOF was desperately needed, not an events man in Phil Beard.
It was never clear to me what role the DOF was to fulfil. Neither was it clear on what basis SLF was ‘given’ the job. Several years on, I’m not sure on what basis I can say it’s been a success or failure for the money that’s been paid out.
However, insofar as a DOF is/if needed, I agree with the OP, Warburton would be ideal. |  |
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| DOF on 12:26 - May 2 with 3703 views | silverbirch |
| DOF on 10:28 - May 2 by Wegerles_Stairs |
One would imagine a key responsibility of a DoF would be embedding a consistent style of play at a club and then ensuring it had the players to play it. So after seven years, you'd expect a side that plays with wing backs to actually have a surfeit of young, fast wing backs with sell-on value. Hmm.....
Or perhaps to scour the globe for the latest young prospects to ensure the club develops talent to sell on. Hmm.....oh well, let's go and look at the Spurs training complex instead. Newcastle have a player they'd like to send on loan? Perfect.
If the DoF is just a glorified club ambassador then change his job title. [Post edited 2 May 2022 10:29]
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Everything is a chance for a moan. There are so many great things about our club and yet your user name is a moan.
You have little idea what Ferdinand does - just like the rest of us. I think it’s probable that he played a key part in appointing MW and after some great progress and a really dreadful few months he played a key part in deciding not to renew the contract. For what it’s worth (nothing), I would probably have renewed but I understand why they haven’t. A really difficult call, made all the harder if they got on well. | | | |
| DOF on 13:09 - May 2 with 3542 views | bosh67 |
It does seem that Les's job is to get dog's abuse from fans on social media. I think he has always acted in the best interests of the club and has generally helped us move forward. What h can't do is guarantee the team that crosses the line winning games. If he could that would probably be match fixing. Perhaps we should accuse him of that as well? :( |  |
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| DOF on 13:46 - May 2 with 3451 views | ed_83 |
| DOF on 10:28 - May 2 by Wegerles_Stairs |
One would imagine a key responsibility of a DoF would be embedding a consistent style of play at a club and then ensuring it had the players to play it. So after seven years, you'd expect a side that plays with wing backs to actually have a surfeit of young, fast wing backs with sell-on value. Hmm.....
Or perhaps to scour the globe for the latest young prospects to ensure the club develops talent to sell on. Hmm.....oh well, let's go and look at the Spurs training complex instead. Newcastle have a player they'd like to send on loan? Perfect.
If the DoF is just a glorified club ambassador then change his job title. [Post edited 2 May 2022 10:29]
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The DOF's remit is pretty self-explanatory to anyone without an axe to grind. It's to oversee the entire footballing side of the club, in much the same way that the CEO looks after the financial, operational and business sides.
We only switched to a back five at the end of 2020, so we've only really had two transfer windows to implement a proper recruitment strategy around it. We tried to get George Cox last summer, but we didn't want to pay over the odds for him. For me, our selection of wing backs at the start of the season - Odubajo and McCallum backed up by Kakay and Wallace - was decent, particularly given our limited budget, but that fell apart when everyone got injured at the same time. Whether that was terrible luck or something wrong with the medical team is up for debate, but I don't think you can say our recruitment's been wildly incompetent. | | | |
| DOF on 13:54 - May 2 with 3406 views | Hunterhoop |
| DOF on 11:31 - May 2 by BrianMcCarthy |
I think the club is better run than at it has been for nearly three decades.
I'm not happy with the handling of the Warburton announcement, but even at that I can see why the decision was made.
That apart, only the permanent signing of Austin* and the loan signing of Hendrick have bothered me. I think we're producing players again, recruitment is good, we're dodging FFP and the training round is a reality. An awful lot of those positives are down to the Director of Football.
*And we found out this week that we have an opt-out on that. |
And the Hendrick signing was certainly not Les; he was firmly against it. It was Warburton who wanted a midfielder and him (from who they could sign).
Les is the one who has turned the club around from being a refuge of mercenaries and leeches to one that fosters young talent and develops it, with a strong culture and values that all players are meant to abide by.
He’s also been the driving force in all the excellent revitalised community work the club does.
He’s made some mistakes, for sure, but all DoFs will, just like the manager. He was responsible for some bad appointments and Warburton. However, I think he is one of the main stakeholders who thinks Warburton should not be renewed. I think they clashed a bit and on a couple of occasions Les was proven right. Warbs hung his hat on a couple of things that have not worked/been wise. |  | | |
| DOF on 14:00 - May 2 with 3382 views | paulparker |
I have a feeling that if we start poor next year then the knives are going to be out for him
I have a funny feeling we are going to do something similar to Crystal Palace ie that we did away with a steady manager for someone up and coming who is going to bring in young fresh players |  |
| And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot
That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles
Brian Moore
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| DOF on 14:03 - May 2 with 3374 views | PunteR |
The problems stem from the very top and trickles down.
SLF can only work with what he's got. Having said that the way this season has ended I think the jury is still out whether he's doing an outstanding job or very mediocre.
Next season really is make or break for Sir Les Ferdinand as we really need to be improving a lot more if we are going to exist beyond the Malaysian money currently keeping us afloat. |  |
| Occasional providers of half decent House music. |
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| DOF on 14:10 - May 2 with 3353 views | Logman |
In response to the O.P. what criticism do you think should be labelled against him ?
Five keepers getting injured ? The overly possessive style of play with no end product ? The strikers not being sharp enough ?
Other than 2 or 3 signings - which I believe Les didn't sanction - I'm not sure what he has done wrong in his job of over-seeing the structure of the club and establishing the footballing identity. | | | |
| DOF on 14:14 - May 2 with 3332 views | Sonofpugwash |
Apparently Swansea have appointed Gareth Bale as their DOF.  |  |
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| DOF on 14:37 - May 2 with 3244 views | nadera78 |
"so little criticism" is an interesting interpretation of the whole "Les' agenda" and "black mafia" stuff doing the rounds a few years back. | | | |
| DOF on 15:03 - May 2 with 3167 views | derbyhoop |
| DOF on 11:31 - May 2 by BrianMcCarthy |
I think the club is better run than at it has been for nearly three decades.
I'm not happy with the handling of the Warburton announcement, but even at that I can see why the decision was made.
That apart, only the permanent signing of Austin* and the loan signing of Hendrick have bothered me. I think we're producing players again, recruitment is good, we're dodging FFP and the training round is a reality. An awful lot of those positives are down to the Director of Football.
*And we found out this week that we have an opt-out on that. |
I'm with Brian on this
Is club more stable?
Is it closer to sustainability.? We re not living within our means but we have 1 of the smallest capacity grounds in 1 of the most expensive cities in the world.
Have we recruited well? Generally, yes but there's always going to be signings that don't work?
Are the club finding 1st team.players or players who can get there?
Is the club respected? In the community? In the wider football world? |  |
| Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one’s lifetime. (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop |
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| DOF on 16:33 - May 2 with 2997 views | Hastings_Hoops |
Pretty sure warburton appointment and therefore the last three years of net progress have been Les & Lee’s first opportunity without interference from the shareholders.
DoF is there to introduce a football identity and avoid the merry-go-round of managerial appointments and styles / new squads.
I use the words ‘net progress’ above, because no matter how disappointing 2022 has been, the club is in a far better place than it was three years ago - credit to the DoF, CEO and Warburton. |  | | |
| DOF on 18:04 - May 2 with 2821 views | DejR_vu |
There will, clearly, be those on both sides of the argument.
I think the most telling statistic is that he has been at the club so long. Football is a
mad world, but, where it isn’t any different to any other industry is that good people will always be in demand. If he was any good he wouldn’t still be here. A bigger club, or one in a higher division, would have looked at him and poached him.
If you think about other clubs that you consider to be well run by talented people, would you, honestly, have expected them to give that interview, at a golf day, of all places? And that, after seven years in post. | |
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| DOF on 18:19 - May 2 with 2775 views | derbyhoop |
| DOF on 18:04 - May 2 by DejR_vu |
There will, clearly, be those on both sides of the argument.
I think the most telling statistic is that he has been at the club so long. Football is a
mad world, but, where it isn’t any different to any other industry is that good people will always be in demand. If he was any good he wouldn’t still be here. A bigger club, or one in a higher division, would have looked at him and poached him.
If you think about other clubs that you consider to be well run by talented people, would you, honestly, have expected them to give that interview, at a golf day, of all places? And that, after seven years in post. |
I believe he was under consideration for a senior FA role. | |
| Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one’s lifetime. (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop |
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| DOF on 18:26 - May 2 with 2751 views | Juzzie |
How about the OP uses the search button as this has been done to death. (same could be said for other threads that are repeated ad infintum). |  | | |
| DOF on 18:27 - May 2 with 2733 views | stainrods_elbow |
| DOF on 11:21 - May 2 by DejR_vu |
The problem, imo, is that we seem to have a toxic mix of privileged rich boys, handed everything by wealthy families, basically using the club as a toy, and incompetents who have been very lucky, holding key positions in the club. Lee Hoos is the only one who seems to be competent in what he does. Take any of the others, take away the family wealth and good fortune, and chuck them in with the rest of us and they’d be nowhere near owning and running a football club, imo, of course.
I can only assume one of them, at least, must have been extremely fortunate, very early, in appointing someone very good to make the key decisions in the business, judging by the record of appointments here and the failures here and elsewhere. I have an image of that person sitting in an office somewhere, looking at emails, rocking gently backwards and forwards, sobbing, hands on head, with breadsticks stuck up both nostrils. |
Ah yes, Mr 'we're lucky to have him' Hoos. If Evil Les is Teflon-coated, LH is a stone that rolls and rolls and somehow gathers no moss - this despite our endless managerial appointments (how many is it now since he arrived?) having his fingers all over them, presumably counter-signing every incoming transfer, and having the cheek to ask the fans to stump up for, in footballing terms, a piffling sum to honour Stan Bowles on a stand in our (their) ground, all the while presiding (as my question at the last Fans Forum laid out) over the decline of LR while danging the fantasy that one day we'll move to a new all-singing, all-dancing 35k e-stadium in the W12 clouds.
Does this glorified administrator ever get so much as a performance review? Or even look at himself in the mirror? At least Les achieved something meaningful at QPR through his sheer talent and tenacity. [Post edited 2 May 2022 18:30]
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| DOF on 18:28 - May 2 with 2734 views | DejR_vu |
This theory that all the bad appointments prior to MW were as a result of interference from the Board, and the only good one (MW) was down to LF seems to be put forward quite a lot. But, if true, is that not a damning indictment?
If you’re appointed DoF, overseeing football matters, surely you are there for your expertise, otherwise what is the point in being there (interesting question btw)? So what self-respecting professional in any walk of life would then accept their boss (who, by virtue of their appointment accepts he knows less than you) ignoring them and making decisions that they should be making? That, in itself is humiliating, but you’d also be putting your reputation at risk by being judged on someone else’s decisions / errors. Either you do the job you were employed for or, if you are being undermined, you walk away, particularly if you have had a very lucrative career already. | |
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| DOF on 18:31 - May 2 with 2719 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| DOF on 18:19 - May 2 by derbyhoop |
I believe he was under consideration for a senior FA role. |
He was. Technical Director. He turned the interview down. | |
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