Gabbs - He's not wrong is he?

[Ninja]

I think his recent comments about the club being directionless are pretty spot on. Does anybody have a scooby about where we're going these days?
The lack of communication is, quite frankly, f*cking staggering. Probably the worst I've seen it in over 35 yrs as a fan.
The last time I remember it being this bad was when Kumar was assett-stripping us and selling the tables and chairs.
Have we ever had an owner so staggeringly ignorant as Tan is now?

[UNDERHILL1927]

Tan has always been staggeringly ignorant

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I think his recent comments about the club being directionless are pretty spot on. Does anybody have a scooby about where we're going these days?
The lack of communication is, quite frankly, f*cking staggering. Probably the worst I've seen it in over 35 yrs as a fan.
The last time I remember it being this bad was when Kumar was assett-stripping us and selling the tables and chairs.
Have we ever had an owner so staggeringly ignorant as Tan is now?

We've been saying the same things for the last few seasons.

[Hilts]

All would be ok if things were good on the pitch.

Football ok no one would care about the board unless there were real financial issues.

[The Bloop]

A combination of Sala, relegation and Warnocks spending, seem to have knocked the last bit of stuffing out of any interest he had.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

I find it hard to come to the conclusion he's not aware

I just think he's not that bothered and doesn't want to spend any more money at the moment

[Ninja]

I find it hard to come to the conclusion he's not aware

I just think he's not that bothered and doesn't want to spend any more money at the moment

I think he only bought Robinson because of pressure from the fan-base.

I know there's always an element of "better the devil you know", but we don't even know who the devil is anymore.

Might as well do one, not much point hanging around anymore.

[jon1959]

Might as well do one, not much point hanging around anymore.

What does that mean?

Some people seem to be very confident there is a queue of people with deep pockets desperate to buy Cardiff City FC.

I doubt it. I doubt there has been any interest, serious or not, since before Covid.

'Doing one' means walking away. That really would be disaster for this club.

I believe the regular manager stories about telephone or zoom calls with Tan and that he watches all the matches. His interest and his wealth may have gone south, but they are still there. He is overseeing a club without a strategy, with a part-time and out-of-town board that has very limited football knowledge, and a complete inability to communicate with the fans. But there are also positives to the club, and many of them have come good under Tan's ownership. There are better Championship owners out there, but there are also some much worse.

[the other bob wilson]

What does that mean?

Some people seem to be very confident there is a queue of people with deep pockets desperate to buy Cardiff City FC.

I doubt it. I doubt there has been any interest, serious or not, since before Covid.

'Doing one' means walking away. That really would be disaster for this club.

I believe the regular manager stories about telephone or zoom calls with Tan and that he watches all the matches. His interest and his wealth may have gone south, but they are still there. He is overseeing a club without a strategy, with a part-time and out-of-town board that has very limited football knowledge, and a complete inability to communicate with the fans. But there are also positives to the club, and many of them have come good under Tan's ownership. There are better Championship owners out there, but there are also some much worse.

I wouldn't disagree with much of what you say Jon. Tan just walking away would be a huge, possibly fatal, blow for the club - there's virtually no chance of that happening though.

However, if it really is Vincent Tan's desire to leave the club in a better state than when he came into it, then I can't help thinking that he needs to sell up quickly. I say that because, although I'm more optimistic than most it seems about our current squad, we're only heading one way based on how the club has performed on and off the pitch this season and last. It may not happen this season, but we're heading for League One if Vincent Tan continues with the present approach and once we're there, any claim Tan has of leaving us in a healthier position disappears.

As for potential buyers, I agree that it's harder to find them post Covid and in the current economic situation, but I don't think it's impossible - I'm sure that if word went out on the football grapevine that Cardiff City's owner wanted to sell up quickly, then there would be potential buyers out there.

The imponderable in all of this though is the Sala situation and I believe that's the most likely reason for the inertia around the club at the moment. I read recently that City are planning a further appeal against the Arbitration in Sports verdict - it's hard to see how this can benefit us and I think we should just accept the verdict and look to the future now, but I fully accept that it's easy for me to say that as it would cost me nothing.

So ,my guess is that Tan won't be going anywhere until we've reached the position where there are no more avenues which could exonerate us to be explored. However, if we do that, then the likelihood that our owner will be able to leave us better off than when he came in declines dramatically - if current levels of backing and interest are continued.

[splott parker]

Isn’t Gabbidon involved with Isaak Davies in some way? If so, with his closeness to a player(s) his views could be echoing the squad’s take on matters.

[splott parker]

[QUOTE=the other bob wilson;5358912]





The imponderable in all of this though is the Sala situation and I believe that's the most likely reason for the inertia around the club at the moment. I read recently that City are planning a further appeal against the Arbitration in Sports verdict - it's hard to see how this can benefit us and I think we should just accept the verdict and look to the future now, but I fully accept that it's easy for me to say that as it would cost me nothing.

[/QUOTE

The Sala situation leaves a bad taste in the mouth regarding the club. Throwing a lot of money in various legal costs to ‘save’ money on the transfer fee, it’s ludicrous. Terrible analogy and I apologise in advance of this part of my post. Id imagine we’ve all bought something that when brought home doesn’t do what it says on the tin and we've been livid with ourselves for buying a dud but at the time we wanted it, paid for it, ultimately never used it but took it on the chin. Ok, it wouldn’t have cost as much as Sala’s transfer fee but everything is in ratio and the City are a multi million pound concern.

City, be the bigger man, pay the bill, whilst issuing a full statement with observations re. The McKay’s involvement and various other discrepancies. It would, hopefully, help the club’s current PR, which in some circles, I’d imagine is in tatters.

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

He is overseeing a club without a strategy, with a part-time and out-of-town board that has very limited football knowledge, and a complete inability to communicate with the fans.

This is the key point. Tan doesn't need to go anywhere or inject more money to have a more successful and economically sound club.

[jon1959]

The imponderable in all of this though is the Sala situation and I believe that's the most likely reason for the inertia around the club at the moment. I read recently that City are planning a further appeal against the Arbitration in Sports verdict - it's hard to see how this can benefit us and I think we should just accept the verdict and look to the future now, but I fully accept that it's easy for me to say that as it would cost me nothing.

I think you are right about this. I was in favour of the club challenging the Nantes fee if (as it was claimed) the contract was incomplete and that was in major part due to parties other than Cardiff City FC. But rightly or wrongly we now have a verdict from CAS that backs Nantes and FIFA.

There is the possibility of a further appeal via the Swiss courts, but only on the basis that an error in law has been made at an earlier stage - if that is done it seems like a desperate exercise in kicking the can down the road to buy more time, but probably won't delay FIFA sanctions - with a three window transfer ban for starters. There is also the probability (based on Dalman's previous statements) of civil action against the organisers of the flight - but if that goes ahead it should be in the background and not affect fee payments.

Cardiff/Tan should pay the Sala fee. A comprehensive statement on the contract and insurance situation, the FIFA and CAS rulings, and any planned civil action, would help with the fans and press, but I suspect that would be too embarrassing. But it does feel as if this sad and sorry saga has hamstrung the club - not just financially, but emotionally too. Tan and Dalman both give off a sense of deep grievance and anger - but as more times goes by that looks like an indulgence the club cannot afford.

[Dorcus]

I think you are right about this. I was in favour of the club challenging the Nantes fee if (as it was claimed) the contract was incomplete and that was in major part due to parties other than Cardiff City FC. But rightly or wrongly we now have a verdict from CAS that backs Nantes and FIFA.

There is the possibility of a further appeal via the Swiss courts, but only on the basis that an error in law has been made at an earlier stage - if that is done it seems like a desperate exercise in kicking the can down the road to buy more time, but probably won't delay FIFA sanctions - with a three window transfer ban for starters. There is also the probability (based on Dalman's previous statements) of civil action against the organisers of the flight - but if that goes ahead it should be in the background and not affect fee payments.

Cardiff/Tan should pay the Sala fee. A comprehensive statement on the contract and insurance situation, the FIFA and CAS rulings, and any planned civil action, would help with the fans and press, but I suspect that would be too embarrassing. But it does feel as if this sad and sorry saga has hamstrung the club - not just financially, but emotionally too. Tan and Dalman both give off a sense of deep grievance and anger - but as more times goes by that looks like an indulgence the club cannot afford.

I think that's an excellent summary of the situation Jon. However it only serves to underline the fact that the Sala tragedy has become a watershed event for the club and it's owner. I think for both financial and emotional reasons it would be better for Tan and the fan base equally if we part company and the club searches for new beginnings.

[blue lewj]

All would be ok if things were good on the pitch.

Football ok no one would care about the board unless there were real financial issues.

The decisions by the club and its direction are directly linked though. Who the club pick as Chairman, manager and playing staff and how they then work with them day to day has a big say on success on the pitch.

It is arguable that under Tan's leadership there have been very large reasons why we went up twice. Thing that we are not doing now. Malky Mackay, for example, was brought in when the consortium, including Tan, were still very hands on with Dato Chan Tien Ghee as Chairman. He was Chairman between May 2010 and March 2013. He resigns a month before we were promoted to the Premier League. The fact we started bumbling from one bad decision after another after Ghee leaves may be linked to him. It might not.

When Mackay came in he took over a team that finished 4th in the Championship so a fairly competent squad. He was then backed in his first season to buy players like Don Cowie, Craig Conway, Earnshaw, Ben Turner, Andrew Taylor, Aaron Gunnarsson, Joe Mason and Kenny Miller. He guided this squad to 6th in his first season.
The next season we add Joe Lewis, Jordan Mutch, Matthew Connolly, Kim-Bo Kyung, Heidar Helguson, Craig Bellamy, Tommy Smith, Craig Noone, Nicky Maynard and Friazer Campbell among others. We went up as Champions that season.
If you look at the above signings and think that we added these to a squad that finished fourth is it any wonder we improved by a few places to win the league. This was Tan in full 'back the manager mode'. All was well.

We then went to the Premier League and added £36 million of players to it, the owner fell out with and ultimately sacked Mackay just after Christmas of that season. The crazy managerial decisions then started.

I believe that much of that first promotion was due to backing the manager fully. I would also guess that Malky was installed by the consortium, involving Tan but also with decent decision making men on board. Dalman and Choo were not making any decisions at this time as far as I am aware.
Since Tan has been the lone ranger with the exception of Warnock the decisions have been questionable to say the least.

The managerial sequence, including caretakers who sometimes have longer spells at the helm than most clubs, since Mackay went is this -

Dave Kerslake
Ole
Danny Gabbidon/Scott Young
Russell Slade
Paul Trollope (sacked while second bottom of the Championship)
Warnock
Neil Harris
Mick McCarthy
Steve Morison
Mark Hudson

Now after Malky left we slid from being a Premier League team to second bottom of the Championship in 5 managers (3 non caretaker role).
Warnock, I believe, rescued this floundering club because of his football knowledge, link etc and bar the mention of Big Sam, is probably the nearest thing you'll get in the modern game to a Director of Football and Manager rolled into one. He had links and knew how to manage Tan's whackyness and Dalman and Choo. Thanked them for all their great work after every signing if I remember rightly.

Since Warnock the slide has then recommenced with our board believing the best men to take us forward are Neil Harris, Mick McCarthy, Steve Morison and Mark Hudson. We sit a point above the relegation zone and may slip in today.

We look rudderless and a club that doesn't know what we are doing because in the main since Dato Chan Tien Ghee left the club we have made one bad decision after another.
Without Warnock working miracles, and let's be honest he was brought in as a panic choice after Trollope, then I firmly think we would already be in League 1.
If you don't agree look at the succession of awful managers above and take Warnock out. We were on a varying degree of a downward spiral with all.

I think that we won the lottery with Warnock. A stopped clock is right twice a day. Is Hudson taking over permanently, nobody knows because the club tell us nothing. They don't value us enough for that. Season ticket adverts won't be as lax though, on time every year.

We need a managerial lottery win again.
I have no faith in the powers that be getting their heads together and picking a competent manager though. If we get one again it will be very much down to luck rather than judgment.

[Hilts]

The decisions by the club and its direction are directly linked though. Who the club pick as Chairman, manager and playing staff and how they then work with them day to day has a big say on success on the pitch.

It is arguable that under Tan's leadership there have been very large reasons why we went up twice. Thing that we are not doing now. Malky Mackay, for example, was brought in when the consortium, including Tan, were still very hands on with Dato Chan Tien Ghee as Chairman. He was Chairman between May 2010 and March 2013. He resigns a month before we were promoted to the Premier League. The fact we started bumbling from one bad decision after another after Ghee leaves may be linked to him. It might not.

When Mackay came in he took over a team that finished 4th in the Championship so a fairly competent squad. He was then backed in his first season to buy players like Don Cowie, Craig Conway, Earnshaw, Ben Turner, Andrew Taylor, Aaron Gunnarsson, Joe Mason and Kenny Miller. He guided this squad to 6th in his first season.
The next season we add Joe Lewis, Jordan Mutch, Matthew Connolly, Kim-Bo Kyung, Heidar Helguson, Craig Bellamy, Tommy Smith, Craig Noone, Nicky Maynard and Friazer Campbell among others. We went up as Champions that season.
If you look at the above signings and think that we added these to a squad that finished fourth is it any wonder we improved by a few places to win the league. This was Tan in full 'back the manager mode'. All was well.

.

Added to a squad that finished 4th. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Quotes like that are so stupid that it makes me wonder if you are actually a fan.

Ridiculous im not even explaining why as all City fans who were there at the time know what happened to that squad.

[stan butler]

The decisions by the club and its direction are directly linked though. Who the club pick as Chairman, manager and playing staff and how they then work with them day to day has a big say on success on the pitch.

It is arguable that under Tan's leadership there have been very large reasons why we went up twice. Thing that we are not doing now. Malky Mackay, for example, was brought in when the consortium, including Tan, were still very hands on with Dato Chan Tien Ghee as Chairman. He was Chairman between May 2010 and March 2013. He resigns a month before we were promoted to the Premier League. The fact we started bumbling from one bad decision after another after Ghee leaves may be linked to him. It might not.

When Mackay came in he took over a team that finished 4th in the Championship so a fairly competent squad. He was then backed in his first season to buy players like Don Cowie, Craig Conway, Earnshaw, Ben Turner, Andrew Taylor, Aaron Gunnarsson, Joe Mason and Kenny Miller. He guided this squad to 6th in his first season.
The next season we add Joe Lewis, Jordan Mutch, Matthew Connolly, Kim-Bo Kyung, Heidar Helguson, Craig Bellamy, Tommy Smith, Craig Noone, Nicky Maynard and Friazer Campbell among others. We went up as Champions that season.
If you look at the above signings and think that we added these to a squad that finished fourth is it any wonder we improved by a few places to win the league. This was Tan in full 'back the manager mode'. All was well.

We then went to the Premier League and added £36 million of players to it, the owner fell out with and ultimately sacked Mackay just after Christmas of that season. The crazy managerial decisions then started.

I believe that much of that first promotion was due to backing the manager fully. I would also guess that Malky was installed by the consortium, involving Tan but also with decent decision making men on board. Dalman and Choo were not making any decisions at this time as far as I am aware.
Since Tan has been the lone ranger with the exception of Warnock the decisions have been questionable to say the least.

The managerial sequence, including caretakers who sometimes have longer spells at the helm than most clubs, since Mackay went is this -

Dave Kerslake
Ole
Danny Gabbidon/Scott Young
Russell Slade
Paul Trollope (sacked while second bottom of the Championship)
Warnock
Neil Harris
Mick McCarthy
Steve Morison
Mark Hudson

Now after Malky left we slid from being a Premier League team to second bottom of the Championship in 5 managers (3 non caretaker role).
Warnock, I believe, rescued this floundering club because of his football knowledge, link etc and bar the mention of Big Sam, is probably the nearest thing you'll get in the modern game to a Director of Football and Manager rolled into one. He had links and knew how to manage Tan's whackyness and Dalman and Choo. Thanked them for all their great work after every signing if I remember rightly.

Since Warnock the slide has then recommenced with our board believing the best men to take us forward are Neil Harris, Mick McCarthy, Steve Morison and Mark Hudson. We sit a point above the relegation zone and may slip in today.

We look rudderless and a club that doesn't know what we are doing because in the main since Dato Chan Tien Ghee left the club we have made one bad decision after another.
Without Warnock working miracles, and let's be honest he was brought in as a panic choice after Trollope, then I firmly think we would already be in League 1.
If you don't agree look at the succession of awful managers above and take Warnock out. We were on a varying degree of a downward spiral with all.

I think that we won the lottery with Warnock. A stopped clock is right twice a day. Is Hudson taking over permanently, nobody knows because the club tell us nothing. They don't value us enough for that. Season ticket adverts won't be as lax though, on time every year.

We need a managerial lottery win again.
I have no faith in the powers that be getting their heads together and picking a competent manager though. If we get one again it will be very much down to luck rather than judgment.

So if the club pick a competent manager it's down to luck if they pick a bad manager they don't have a clue? So in your eyes they can't win.. You have spent a fair amount of time on google are you Tlg

[blue lewj]

Added to a squad that finished 4th. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Quotes like that are so stupid that it makes me wonder if you are actually a fan.

Ridiculous im not even explaining why as all City fans who were there at the time know what happened to that squad.

I'm definitely a fan.

I don't buy into the support every decision the club makes or you're not a fan.

Regardless of who left he was backed. I don't think Malky is an outstanding manager as he proved before us and since.

In short. We are directionless. Our owners and board need to improve greatly or ship out.

Feel free to add something meaningful and insightful any time you like though. Or just sit back having swipes at people.

[blue lewj]

So if the club pick a competent manager it's down to luck if they pick a bad manager they don't have a clue? So in your eyes they can't win.. You have spent a fair amount of time on google are you Tlg

They stumbled on Warnock purely by luck. There was no real thinking behind it. He was a quick fix after their bad decision to install Trollope.

Yes, I believe they stumble on the odd good manager among the dross. Their thought process prior to bringing in new managers appears to be erratic at best. We are fast running out of time though.

How about you give your view on how Tan, Dalman and Choo have done when appointing managers?

[Hilts]

I'm definitely a fan.

I don't buy into the support every decision the club makes or you're not a fan.

Regardless of who left he was backed. I don't think Malky is an outstanding manager as he proved before us and since.

In short. We are directionless. Our owners and board need to improve greatly or ship out.

Feel free to add something meaningful and insightful any time you like though. Or just sit back having swipes at people.

Add to the squad that finished 4th. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[goats]

The decisions by the club and its direction are directly linked though. Who the club pick as Chairman, manager and playing staff and how they then work with them day to day has a big say on success on the pitch.

It is arguable that under Tan's leadership there have been very large reasons why we went up twice. Thing that we are not doing now. Malky Mackay, for example, was brought in when the consortium, including Tan, were still very hands on with Dato Chan Tien Ghee as Chairman. He was Chairman between May 2010 and March 2013. He resigns a month before we were promoted to the Premier League. The fact we started bumbling from one bad decision after another after Ghee leaves may be linked to him. It might not.

When Mackay came in he took over a team that finished 4th in the Championship so a fairly competent squad. He was then backed in his first season to buy players like Don Cowie, Craig Conway, Earnshaw, Ben Turner, Andrew Taylor, Aaron Gunnarsson, Joe Mason and Kenny Miller. He guided this squad to 6th in his first season.
The next season we add Joe Lewis, Jordan Mutch, Matthew Connolly, Kim-Bo Kyung, Heidar Helguson, Craig Bellamy, Tommy Smith, Craig Noone, Nicky Maynard and Friazer Campbell among others. We went up as Champions that season.
If you look at the above signings and think that we added these to a squad that finished fourth is it any wonder we improved by a few places to win the league. This was Tan in full 'back the manager mode'. All was well.

We then went to the Premier League and added £36 million of players to it, the owner fell out with and ultimately sacked Mackay just after Christmas of that season. The crazy managerial decisions then started.

I believe that much of that first promotion was due to backing the manager fully. I would also guess that Malky was installed by the consortium, involving Tan but also with decent decision making men on board. Dalman and Choo were not making any decisions at this time as far as I am aware.
Since Tan has been the lone ranger with the exception of Warnock the decisions have been questionable to say the least.

The managerial sequence, including caretakers who sometimes have longer spells at the helm than most clubs, since Mackay went is this -

Dave Kerslake
Ole
Danny Gabbidon/Scott Young
Russell Slade
Paul Trollope (sacked while second bottom of the Championship)
Warnock
Neil Harris
Mick McCarthy
Steve Morison
Mark Hudson

Now after Malky left we slid from being a Premier League team to second bottom of the Championship in 5 managers (3 non caretaker role).
Warnock, I believe, rescued this floundering club because of his football knowledge, link etc and bar the mention of Big Sam, is probably the nearest thing you'll get in the modern game to a Director of Football and Manager rolled into one. He had links and knew how to manage Tan's whackyness and Dalman and Choo. Thanked them for all their great work after every signing if I remember rightly.

Since Warnock the slide has then recommenced with our board believing the best men to take us forward are Neil Harris, Mick McCarthy, Steve Morison and Mark Hudson. We sit a point above the relegation zone and may slip in today.

We look rudderless and a club that doesn't know what we are doing because in the main since Dato Chan Tien Ghee left the club we have made one bad decision after another.
Without Warnock working miracles, and let's be honest he was brought in as a panic choice after Trollope, then I firmly think we would already be in League 1.
If you don't agree look at the succession of awful managers above and take Warnock out. We were on a varying degree of a downward spiral with all.

I think that we won the lottery with Warnock. A stopped clock is right twice a day. Is Hudson taking over permanently, nobody knows because the club tell us nothing. They don't value us enough for that. Season ticket adverts won't be as lax though, on time every year.

We need a managerial lottery win again.
I have no faith in the powers that be getting their heads together and picking a competent manager though. If we get one again it will be very much down to luck rather than judgment.

The lack of a decent middle man between Tan and the manager is a very obvious one and I think part of what’s sinking us, highlighted well in this post. Warnock was capable of bridging this, most arent. I wonder what Tan will do if when the inevitable occurs? Club will be worth peanuts in league 1. Wonder if he looks back and regrets what happened so publicly with malky? Whatever, we were definitely on the rise then.

[Bobby Dandruff]

A combination of Sala, relegation and Warnocks spending, seem to have knocked the last bit of stuffing out of any interest he had.

Still blaming Warnock…..🤦*♂️

[dml1954]

We've been saying the same things for the last few seasons.

Is that the Royal ‘we’ or just you and the other two ?

[blue lewj]

Is that the Royal ‘we’ or just you and the other two ?

Well you're not going to be saying it are you.

The club could make progressively more ridiculous decisions and you would say they were good anyway in the name of supporting the club.
It isn't though. Saying things are great when they're clearly not is the quickest way to failure.

[Llandaff Blue]

They stumbled on Warnock purely by luck. There was no real thinking behind it. He was a quick fix after their bad decision to install Trollope.

Yes, I believe they stumble on the odd good manager among the dross. Their thought process prior to bringing in new managers appears to be erratic at best. We are fast running out of time though.

How about you give your view on how Tan, Dalman and Choo have done when appointing managers?

This is funnier than "added to a squad that finished 4th".