Chairmen signing players

[WarszaVillan]

With the imminent signing of Stephen Ireland we are facing a situation where the chairman is deciding which players to sign. We have no full-time manager and therefore the board are directly interferring and directing the football management of the club. If we sign other players before the transfer deadline (and assumming no full-time manager is appointed by then) we will be in a situation that I can never previously remember in my time supporting Villa.

My concern is not the quality or not of Ireland, but the precedent that this sets. Can you imagine the outrage if Ellis had done this?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

The difference is Ellis, given the chance, would do it on his own, based on his great knowledge of football.
Randy will already have all the Head Scout's reports and will consult with many, including Kevin MacDonald.

For this window, I'm not too concerned.

[Mazrim]

Martin O'Neill was not the only person at the club with an idea on who to buy.
We have a network of scouts (no really, we do), coaches and advisors etc.

And whilst K Mac isn't (yet) the full time manager, he can suggest players to buy who would represent good investment.

[Captain Trips]

Would K Mac be upto speed on players? Wouldn't his focus have been on reserve team squads?

[Concrete John]

I think we have to give Randy a bit of lattitude in this regard due to the circumstances we are in.  I'm sure he's taking advice from football people still at the club.  Plus I think the Milner/Ireland deal was pretty much agreed during MON's time, so all he's really done so far is completed a deal set up my a manager.

I'd say a similar thing if we sign Keane, but were to go get a player out of nowhere that would be a different story!

[Countryside Villain]

With the imminent signing of Stephen Ireland we are facing a situation where the chairman is deciding which players to sign. We have no full-time manager and therefore the board are directly interferring and directing the football management of the club.

There's a difference between interfering with the running of a club when you have a full time manager in post and ensuring that the club get the best deal they can in preparation for a new manager.  The money is no good to a manager coming in with 24 hours of the transfer window left, a replacement player already on the books is a lot more helpful to them.

[BannedUserIAT]

Would K Mac be upto speed on players? Wouldn't his focus have been on reserve team squads?

You're right. He probably hasn't a clue who Stephen Ireland even is, let alone whether or not to trade Milner in for him. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that he only knows Milner from his 80 minutes during the Wrist Ham game.

[WarszaVillan]

I am playing devil's advocate a bit here here. But there is a scenario that Martin left because he no longer had full control over the transfers and that once gone the board are pushing through their ideas of how transfers should be in this window. Now they may be right or wrong in their ideas but surely the board should be keeping out of these matters.

[Villa'Zawg]

According to Charles Sale, the League Managers Association has said that none of O'Neill's targets was outside the Villa wage structure - although Manchester City's Stephen Ireland will be.

The implication being that Ireland wasn't the manager's choice for spending on his squad.

The question isn't whether Ireland is a good player, it is who decides on the players we sign.

[john e]

i'm really pleased we have got Ireland in, as most others are,

 so we can make excuses about the chairman signing players because, well.... we like this transfer.

but it would be  a totaly different scenario if he were to bring in someone like Titus Bramble or Alan smith, then most of us would be up in arms about 'interfearing'

i dont think Randy will make any more transfers, if he does it will be because he has appointed KM, so it will be the new mangers decision.

but its a good question to ask, who signed Ireland ?

[Mazrim]

Would K Mac be upto speed on players? Wouldn't his focus have been on reserve team squads?

He's worked with Ireland before so would have a better idea of him than MON, say.
Apart from that, who knows how much other football he sees. But its not hard to imagine him connecting with the scouting team and so on and he'd be fully aware of some of the higher profile players around. If for instance we really were after Flamini and Huntelaar he'd no doubt be aware of them and have an opinion on them.

As an aside, K Mac has been working with the first team for a while now. Not just reserves.

[darren woolley]

I dont mind the ireland transfer because it was part of the milner deal so that's not to bad.

[Concrete John]

According to Charles Sale, the League Managers Association has said that none of O'Neill's targets was outside the Villa wage structure - although Manchester City's Stephen Ireland will be.

I don't think the individual wage of a player is an issue as much as the total wage bill.  I think the board are happy to pay incoming players the required wages, within reason of course, but wanted some shed off of it first.

[john e]

According to Charles Sale, the League Managers Association has said that none of O'Neill's targets was outside the Villa wage structure - although Manchester City's Stephen Ireland will be.

The implication being that Ireland wasn't the manager's choice for spending on his squad.

The question isn't whether Ireland is a good player, it is who decides on the players we sign.

i thought that MON didnt want Ireland, he wanted Mceedy/Keene,
one of the reasons they fell out

With the imminent signing of Stephen Ireland we are facing a situation where the chairman is deciding which players to sign. We have no full-time manager and therefore the board are directly interferring and directing the football management of the club.

There's a difference between interfering with the running of a club when you have a full time manager in post and ensuring that the club get the best deal they can in preparation for a new manager.  The money is no good to a manager coming in with 24 hours of the transfer window left, a replacement player already on the books is a lot more helpful to them.

yeah, but you probably wouldnt be saying that if he'd just signed a player you didnt like

[not3bad]

I did read that MON wanted just the money for Milner as opposed to any player swap.