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Reply | Ziyad Larkeche contract extension
at 23:16 2 Jul 2025
Nix, re read my original post, I’ve said a move away from last season’s much trumpeter game model after just one season (if indeed it happens, personally, I don’t think it will, but people keep intimating it will happen) would be a damning indictment. It’s conditional. You may feel even being conditional on that change it’s too strong. That’s fine. Opinions.
As you know, I’ve lived through all of those chairman/CEOs too, and been on this board over 25 years. Some of what I have heard about Nourry from a variety of sources all of whom have met him, couple with what I have seen/read/researched myself, and linked to my own opinions on the behaviours a leader should employ, all lead me to believe he is someone to be very wary of.
That doesn’t mean he won’t or can’t be successful. I hope he is. It would mean the football team is successful. I’d just be wary…
On this specific topic, I do think it’s an important one. Politically a change in game model would be a major row back, create inconsistency across age groups or a complete re-training across the club, and would make some of last season’s investments redundant. I think it would be poor. It might be good for the club - perhaps the game model was wrong last year - but I do think a change, if it occurs, would be a poor reflection on him as a DOF. Sticking with it and the club struggling would also be a poor reflection on him. But that is how accountability works when you chose to own and control everything.
I should add, I’m not as negative on the club as you think. The training ground is a huge plus in recent years, but the work to achieve that and benefit from it was put in well before Nourry. Likewise the Dev team. Most of those players (and Kolli) were developed from 9-18 under Chris Ramsey’s watch. Yes, I think Nourry has overseen good signings into that squad of 18yr olds cast off from others, which is wise, but the success of the Dev Squad is much more down to Ramsey than him. Even Paul Furlong was brought into the coaching set up by Ramsey and Les. On the wage bill and FFP, which we seem to now manage to meet each year, which is good, the leg work was done by Ferdinand here. The gamble year under Warburton put us back ten paces but that came from the owners. Righting it thereafter was Les. We will find out how Nourry has done on the finances in his first full season in March. Finally, of course the squad should be better last season and this season than the Ainsworth season (Watford first gam debacle). We were incredibly tight to FFP that season and had to throw everything overboard, including back weighting 2 year deals for players to stay under the limit. Last summer and this summer we have way more wiggle room as the Warburton gamble season is no longer in the rolling 3 year period. As such, the squad should be better. But last season we finished on the same number of points as the season before with the weaker/cheaper squad.
I do think there are lots of positives. I just don’t think many have much to do with Nourry. My negatively relates to him (and Hoos to a degree) rather than all aspects of the club. There are things to be positive about, including some of Nourry’s signings. There is also a lot to be wary about with him, mind.
There, said my piece. May duck out of the MB for a while to save boring everyone with the same points again and again, and to save myself getting riled by the PR war being waged. [Post edited 2 Jul 23:34]
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Reply | Ziyad Larkeche contract extension
at 21:21 2 Jul 2025
The whole point of the “game model”, as explained by Nourry himself (and, tbf, espoused by Clive in the past), is that it is implemented right through the club, a long term model, and head coaches can come and go but it doesn’t change. It’s not “manager wants, manager gets” anymore; there is a game model in place that they coach to, and the youth teams follow to make the transition into the first team easier.
Nourry made a big song and dance about this being his idea and would be happening. Him being in charge of signings is part of this. He’s the constant, and head coaches may not. The signings we make are for the game model enabling the building of a squad with depth in ten right spots…not one set of signings per head coach, which then aren’t what the new guy wants, so we sign a whole new set, and have players we signed the year before out in the cold on good salaries.
All the above, objectively, makes a lot of sense. I have a massive issue with someone who I believe is a charlatan being in charge of it all (separate issue) but as a strategy it has a lot going for it.
Yet, here we are discussing new formations and approaches because the head coach is different. Here we are suggesting transfer and contract renewal activity hints at a change in shape. Here we have posters who post relentlessly pro Nourry stuff suggesting in a very confident manner than we might be changing are first team formation and approach.
How does any of that align with the strategy behind the game model?
The only answers I can think of are:
a) Nourry et al (potentially with input from the new Head Coach) have decided their original game model was wrong. Admitting a mistake and correcting it is good… but it is a relfection (if it not an indictment!) of having a novice with no football experience (playing side) as your DOF. That shouldn’t go unnoticed. It’s precisely the type of thing people have warned about. Financially it risks wasting lots of money. It’s also going to require a ton of time and work implementing a new game model across all youth age groups and the type of players we take on at that level. And it begs a further question: when Stephan leaves (due to either his success or failure) will we change the game model again?
b) We are binning the game model concept entirely - which is an even worse reflection on Nourry
c) We’re going to allow the first team to play how the Head Coach wants but maintain the original game model through the youth set ups…likely creating a disconnect from academy to first team, which is a key pipeline for our self sufficiency.
Based on all this, I cannot see how/why Nourry can/would allow the Head Coach to not follow the game model as it is.
If he does, then those questions I’ve asked are very valid. And since we have a load of Nourry advocates espousing a likely change in formation and approach now, I feel the questions are worth raising now. |
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Reply | Ziyad Larkeche contract extension
at 16:54 2 Jul 2025
More than happy to give Larkeche a chance, even if I think it a gamble. But that has nothing to do with the points I’m making which are to do with our game model and playing formation. |
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Reply | Ziyad Larkeche contract extension
at 15:53 2 Jul 2025
I just think it’s an important set of questions to ask. I don’t know the answers. I don’t think they should be ignored, and those questions are to be asked now, not in 10 games’ time.
It is incongruous to praise or defend Nourry as a DOF, the game model through the club, the signings he’s made, etc, AND entertain/welcome/accept a sudden change in the first team system. And yet, that is what all the pro-Nourry posters are pushing. It’s disingenuous. |
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Reply | Sheffield Wednesday in a right old mess
at 15:05 2 Jul 2025
Agree. Windass would be a decent signing. He’s a proper northern boy though…not sure he’d come down to the big smoke…or how he’d handle it. |
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Reply | Kolli
at 11:46 2 Jul 2025
And Vale. |
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Reply | Ziyad Larkeche contract extension
at 11:44 2 Jul 2025
You were adamant we would be willing a back 3 the other day.
And if the squad is being set up to play 442 or 352, what does that mean for Nourry’s Game Model? Does that mean the game model was wrong last season? Are we going to change the game model across the club? Will be instead ditch the game model concept entirely, when Nourry was so public about the need to have one? What does that mean for last summer’s recruitment (and money invested in salaries) for players to suit a 433 game model?
As I’ve said, I am quite excited see how a two up top works for us. However, a movement away from last season’s game model would be a damning indictment on Nourry, would it not? It would certainly indicate he got it wrong last season. |
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Reply | Kolli
at 09:17 2 Jul 2025
Agree. Anyone at the Bristol City away game could tell you his hold home is nowhere near where it needs to be for him to play 9. He’s not strong enough, doesn’t know where to be, and isn’t good in the air. It’s simply not his game.
I could see him being successful in a Teddy Sherringham role in a front two, as an inverted winger on the left like Chair, or in a traditional 10 role.
His strengths are his touch, close control, passing, crossing, and shooting. He should be feeding the 9 or shooting from the edge of the box.
I agree with Simmo; this is a big year for him. He is not yet ready to start as a first choice, but he has what you need to make it. He just needs to get his head down. He will be fighting with Chair and Vale for that position wide left, potentially fighting with Madsen, Morgan, Chair, and Dembele to play in a 10 role, and fighting with Frey, Celar, and Kelman for a role up top.
That’s a lot of completion. If anything you could argue we are over stacked for a club of our size across the 3 behind the 1 in a 4231.
He should work hard, embrace the competition and see if he can make a spot his own. |
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Reply | You're the boss: What's your current thinking?
at 02:34 2 Jul 2025
Where has this ridiculous narrative come from?! Our great run last season from bottom to being considered a dark horse for the play offs was with Field, Varane, and Morgan in midfield. So Field and Varane can, quite successfully, play together. Our worst run of the season - the start - involved Madsen (and Andersen) playing in the centre.
Even our last win/game of the season up at Sunderland was Field and Varane together (playing well). |
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Reply | QPR complete head-turning acquisition of Peterborough’s Poku – Signing
at 23:05 1 Jul 2025
Spot on. It doesn’t feel entirely strategic. It’s basically admitting one, if not both, of Dembele and Vale are duds and unlikely to be starters…and that’s after very little (and no) game time for us.
We’re all excited about Poku and he should make us better.
But it’s valid to question why we would spend such a chunk (potentially two players’ salary) on him when it’s a position we’re pretty well stocked in (Smyth, Dembele, potentially Vale too). Would it have been better to sign a top forward of box to box midfielder?
Like I said, still very excited about this and look forward to watching him. But they’re valid questions. I can’t see how our wage bill didn’t increased last season (we’ll find out in March) and how it won’t increase against his season (we’ll find out in 18 months). Worries me a little that (and yes, aware of the extra TV money, but it’s not really extra if it ends up in players’ and agents’ wallets - that is just inflation). |
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Reply | How optimistic are you now?
at 13:52 1 Jul 2025
And match day tickets have a much bigger margin. I wonder if they are trying to limit STs to maximise the higher price match day ticket revenue? |
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Reply | How optimistic are you now?
at 09:57 1 Jul 2025
Optimistic about the manager. I was a fan of Cifuentes. Thought he was a very good manager, had a bit of class about him and got the club. But I’m hopeful and supportive of the new fella. I see some similarities, and some differences which could be good for us.
Optimistic about a most of the signings this summer. Still very sceptical about the big signings last summer, but it feels like Nourry had learnt some lessons, though I doubt he’d admit it. Interested to see what happens with Colback’s replacement, whether we do go with what we have at left back, and whether bring in another forward.
Still very pessimistic about Nourry himself and the overall running of the club. The way he carries himself is poor. The way he communicates is poor. His stakeholder management is poor. His honesty and integrity is very questionable. I think he’s more “jobs for the boys” than anyone we’ve had at the club since Redknapp, and I think his judgement is questionable. There are so many better ways to have done certain things. And I fear American money replacing Ruben’s…
So optimistic and on the playing side - as is often the case in July - and will be cheering the team on when the season gets going. Still concerned with our senior executives though. |
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Reply | You're the boss: What's your current thinking?
at 14:41 30 Jun 2025
That’s what I would think too, Davie.
However, lots of the pro-Nourry posters, who post as if they’ve been fed info from inside the club, seem to think we’ll change to a back 3. It is odd. |
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Reply | You're the boss: What's your current thinking?
at 14:40 30 Jun 2025
You can’t play 4 attackers with an average height of 5’8”, none of whom tackle or are known for tracking back. We’ll get steamrollered.
In that shape, either Frey plays instead of Kelman, or Morgan/Vale (at a push if he’s realised he needs to put it about, Madsen) plays instead of Dembele. |
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Reply | 25/26. New kits
at 10:08 30 Jun 2025
Dunno. Feel very crowded in the middle of that kit. A different sponsor and the badge and kit maker logo on the sides of the chest and I think it could look very classy and retro.
It’s too busy in the middle now. |
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Reply | According to Kieren Maguire
at 10:50 29 Jun 2025
Jesus. Give the propaganda a rest. We, and Kevin Maguire, have not yet seen a set of accounts from Nourry’s first full season at the helm! That’ll come out in March.
What Maguire is judging is based on the published accounts we do have which all relate to before Nourry’s reign.
Don’t get me wrong, he might have improved them. Who knows? We’ll find out in March what last season’s financial performance looked like. |
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Reply | According to Kieren Maguire
at 09:28 29 Jun 2025
The club isn’t half a billion in debt. It may have lost have a billion in terms of the P&L over the last decade (probably more, I’d think), but it’s all been converted i to equity. The club has negligible debt. The owners paid for it.
It doesn’t surprise me massively. We are one of the few clubs that pay close attention to FFP and have a number of hindrances which mean we have to be disciplined in order to comply and stay competitive (well, not be relegated). |
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