Re: Fans forum - Tuesday 31 August : Wed Sep 01, 2021 10:24 am  

I won’t quote any posters on both sides of the argument because I can understand to a degree both sides of the debate.

For my two pennies worth the date seemed quite rushed and they should have streamed it live on Wigan tv or at the very least they should have updated Twitter as they promised.

My single biggest concern is the long term viability of the club particularly with the new owners of the Latics, the financial issues caused by COVID-19 and the reduced value of the deal with Sky.
To a degree the standard of play pales into insignificance with the overall financial situation of the club.
From the brief chat that I had with my sons these areas were covered but my concerns haven’t been abated because other than a new Head of Marketing they didn’t tell me about any other plans to kickstart the club.

We need some new energy within the club and if IL and KR haven’t got the energy or desire they should step aside. If they need some respite after a very difficult 18 months then personally I’d been fine with that as long as improved communications commence form today because for the last 18 months there hasn’t really been any.

On the coaching front I’m caught between bringing back SW and total new start with potentially an unproven coach. What I don’t want is this siege mentality between the club/coaching staff and the fans that has existed off and on for about 7 years or so.

The lack of activity in schools, amatuer clubs and the still unresolved issue of declining numbers of young fans needs to addressed immediately. IL should be paying top dollars for the best Head of Marketing and I suspect that would mean a 6 figure package would be the minimum to attract the best available. I’d be interested to know who they are using to help them with this recruitment.

Re: Fans forum - Tuesday 31 August : Wed Sep 01, 2021 10:38 am  

Itchy Arsenal wrote:

We need some new energy within the club and if IL and KR haven’t got the energy or desire they should step aside.
.

You're not asking for much, are you?

Obviously they'll step down at some point, but given that it's a job they're both pretty attached to, and have done very well until the Covid crisis threw everybody's cards into the air, I wouldn't hold your breath.

Re: Fans forum - Tuesday 31 August : Wed Sep 01, 2021 10:38 am  

Double post

Re: Fans forum - Tuesday 31 August : Wed Sep 01, 2021 11:13 am  

Cruncher wrote:

Double post

As I typed that I thought that it could be seen as a bit callous but my meaning is that IL could handover the reigns to his son(s) or sell the sell club and KR may decide to move on to pastures new because I suspect the last 18 months or so would have been mentally and physically exceptionally draining.

I don’t wish either of them any ill on the contrary, there is a massive job to be done in still very testing times and to keep picking yourself up can be soul destroying particularly if you don’t see things improving anytime soon.

Re: Fans forum - Tuesday 31 August : Wed Sep 01, 2021 11:46 am  

Itchy Arsenal wrote:

As I typed that I thought that it could be seen as a bit callous but my meaning is that IL could handover the reigns to his son(s) or sell the sell club and KR may decide to move on to pastures new because I suspect the last 18 months or so would have been mentally and physically exceptionally draining.

I don’t wish either of them any ill on the contrary, there is a massive job to be done in still very testing times and to keep picking yourself up can be soul destroying particularly if you don’t see things improving anytime soon.

What if there isn't a good buyer? Look what happened to Latics when Whelan just sold to whoever was willing to buy.

Re: Fans forum - Tuesday 31 August : Wed Sep 01, 2021 11:55 am  

Jukesays wrote:

If I'm honest I would say that's about 75% spot on, with the subjects you've mentioned, there are quite a few topics obviously that you haven't gone into because it was very very detailed

I would say that the 25% I'm saying isn't spot on, isn't because I think its wrong, just that I wouldn't say the context or sentiment of some of the stuff is correctly put.

For example

The IL and Rads dig (as I see it) over them being the ones who choose the players
It was far more complicated than that, and to be honest I agree with what they said.

They said they had the final say, they have people I the coahing set up who identify players, people who have input into the potential signings indie the coa hes and the head coach, but ultimately its those 2 that do the deal and sign off on it.

If I'm being honest, thats not mind blowing imo, in all sports now there are people who identity and complete deals on new players that aren't the Head coach, and the coach/manager has Input into it.

And he never said that those young lads would be the corner stone, he said those players had a big future and would play a big part in the next few years at Wigan. The context was, do we not pay those young lads what they're worth and get rid of 4/5 youngsters so we could bring in 1 big name player

Rads actually asked the audience (and to be fair not one member of the audience answered back) do you think we're doing the right thing? Should we continue to promote youth as we have done over the last 13/14 years.
One member of audience actually said later we have the best youth development in the country.

Jukesays, I explained that I copied a series of text messages I was sent from someone in attendance, nothing more. I also made the post to anger any prying eyes from the club about their clandestine meeting being leaked.

Having spoken to the person that sent the texts and others in attendance, I feel it's clear this was a face saving exercise where Bill and Ben have thrown everyone they can under the bus and by spinning bigger lies than we'd already been told.

It appears to have appeased the happy clappers with vague promises of moving in the right direction, while the more critical fans have been left even more bemused than before.

For example: Why did it take them 2 contact extensions to realise Lam was a clown? I knew for a fact that Burgess was crocked before he signed. I heard a very different version of events about Edwards that Bill and Ben unwittingly corroborated while getting lost in their ever-widening web of lies.

Re: Fans forum - Tuesday 31 August : Wed Sep 01, 2021 12:04 pm  

Suzy Banyon wrote:

Why did it take them 2 contact extensions to realise Lam was a clown?

Conditions on the ground change. It's hardly a shock move to extend a coach who finished top of the league and took us very close to winning the GF. I want him sacked now but that doesn't mean it was wrong to give him the contract at the time.

Re: Fans forum - Tuesday 31 August : Wed Sep 01, 2021 12:07 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

What if there isn't a good buyer? Look what happened to Latics when Whelan just sold to whoever was willing to buy.

Well it sounds like Danson won’t be a potential buyer and I’d be amazed if anyone else would buy us therefore, IL would have to pass on to his son(s)

Re: Fans forum - Tuesday 31 August : Wed Sep 01, 2021 12:19 pm  

So what is the point of Danson, then?

BTW thanks to Jukes and others for efforts over and beyond the cause in explaining all this, Like many, I'm far from convinced that not live-streaming was a good idea, although I can see arguments for the approach they took.

Re: Fans forum - Tuesday 31 August : Wed Sep 01, 2021 12:28 pm  

Itchy Arsenal wrote:

As I typed that I thought that it could be seen as a bit callous but my meaning is that IL could handover the reigns to his son(s) or sell the sell club and KR may decide to move on to pastures new because I suspect the last 18 months or so would have been mentally and physically exceptionally draining.

I don’t wish either of them any ill on the contrary, there is a massive job to be done in still very testing times and to keep picking yourself up can be soul destroying particularly if you don’t see things improving anytime soon.

I know you're not one of the bad guys. I don't want to be adversarial about this either. We're all on the same side.

But it seems to me there was an awful lot of bile poured on here last night, the main cause of which was certain people's frustration that they hadn't got tickets to the forum. I wasn't there either, but from what I hear from those who were, it wasn't a disappointing event.

I've always believed that IL and KR are Wigan Warriors through and through. It's true that we've not seen any of the extravagant spending that Mo indulged in during his first tenure, or heard any of the types of ridiculous promises that Dave Whelan made. But Mo was operating without a salary cap and Whelan didn't fulfil those promises. In contrast, IL, supported by KR, has always been a realist and yet has also delivered lots of silverware. I know I'm telling folk something they're already aware of but I think we sometimes need reminding.

I'm not going to pretend, by the way, that all is hunky dory.

I've said on here myself that it feels as though there's a malaise at present. And some things have gone wrong that shouldn't have been allowed to. But I'd refute the argument that Wigan are a club in decline. That's the line being pushed by those in the media and on Twitter who want it to be so.

IL has pulled us back from the brink before. Within three years of our famous 'relegation' season we'd won the Grand Final (beating the last bunch of 'Supersaints', who Eddie and Stevo reckoned should have won because it would have been a fairy tale finish to KC's career ... yep, some things never change).

The thing I'm most concerned about, if I'm honest, is the situation with the stadium. I increasingly feel that it's too big for either us or Wigan Athletic, which means there will always be arguments about who gets priority, who pays for what etc. I don't know how long this latest Latics owner is going to last, but through sheer ignorance he seems to have reignited this whole feud again. So yes, these are troubling times.

But IL inherited that problem. It wasn't his doing.

If the guy's had enough and wants to go, that's different of course. But by the sounds of it, he still feels there's a job to do. So I'm still with him.