The Road Ahead!

[blueheaven]

1 hour ago, Gekko said:

100% agree with everything above. Young Brown had every advantage put in front of him and never took up any of them.

I'll never forget the night we beat Inverness to secure our European place.

I was listening to SportSound, and Richard Gordon interviewed Steve Brown.

You could hear the whole place going crazy in the background. Then the chairman goes on and he couldn't have been more miserable.

Instead of saying what a great achievement it had been, and how excited he was for the future adventures, he just moaned about the price of airfares and accommodation, and how much of a hassle the whole thing was going to be in general.

Richard Gordon said after the interview, "Well, I thought I was going to congratulate him, but by the end I wanted to commiserate him."

Steve Brown never got it. He only cared about numbers and spreadsheets and didn't understand the emotion that makes up a football club. He never cared like we do. That was the start of the long decline.

I don't think either Steve or Geoff ever really understood the PR side of things. All that stuff Steve said about Europe costing us money may well have been true but choosing a moment of celebration to air it just shows a complete inability to read the room. In fact, I can't remember Steve Brown ever saying anything positive about Saints. He used most of his public appearances to talk about how he wanted to "step back" (and yet he always seemed to be front and centre if it involved a jolly or a golf outing). Just not a good look.

I remember Geoff used to do an annual interview with the press where, like clockwork, he'd moan about fans not turning up while at the same time showing absolutely no awareness of the club's failure to market itself. And in more recent years he'd often say it to The Courier, so it would be hidden from a lot of fans behind a paywall, instead of ever thinking to talk to the fans through the club's own channels.

I think we were a very well run club for many years but when it came to talking ourselves up and showing a bit of positivity we always fell short. I think in a lot of ways the rise of the internet, and the sudden importance it put on communication, was something the Browns never quite got on board with. I still remember Saints being the only club in the Premier League not to have a website.

 

 

[CAH]

11 minutes ago, blueheaven said:

I don't think either Steve or Geoff ever really understood the PR side of things. All that stuff Steve said about Europe costing us money may well have been true but choosing a moment of celebration to air it just shows a complete inability to read the room. In fact, I can't remember Steve Brown ever saying anything positive about Saints. He used most of his public appearances to talk about how he wanted to "step back" (and yet he always seemed to be front and centre if it involved a jolly or a golf outing). Just not a good look.

I remember Geoff used to do an annual interview with the press where, like clockwork, he'd moan about fans not turning up while at the same time showing absolutely no awareness of the club's failure to market itself. And in more recent years he'd often say it to The Courier, so it would be hidden from a lot of fans behind a paywall, instead of ever thinking to talk to the fans through the club's own channels.

I think we were a very well run club for many years but when it came to talking ourselves up and showing a bit of positivity we always fell short. I think in a lot of ways the rise of the internet, and the sudden importance it put on communication, was something the Browns never quite got on board with. I still remember Saints being the only club in the Premier League not to have a website.

 

 

Agreed. Now we're getting a new website, a new scoreboard, a new training pitch and new pie stalls. What we haven't got is a decent football team. Ach weel, ye cannae hae awthing!

[Ritspeed]

4 hours ago, Cagey said:

Encouraged by his post match comments ?. The man is a bullshittter.

 

Okay, he could talk the hind legs off a Finnish donkey!  I just get the impression that Adam Webb and Simo are at least formulating a firm plan for the future which is something I don't think we've had over the past few seasons.

[Linky]

I think the Webb statement is good and I’m glad he’s come out and said he’s backing Simo from the start so that plans for next season can get started straight away.

[blueheaven]

31 minutes ago, Ritspeed said:

Okay, he could talk the hind legs off a Finnish donkey!  I just get the impression that Adam Webb and Simo are at least formulating a firm plan for the future which is something I don't think we've had over the past few seasons.

I feel this way too and that's why I'd like to give it a chance. There's been way too much short-term fire-fighting over the last few years and at some point we really need to give someone some breathing space to address the bigger issues and try to turn the long-term picture around. I don't want to see us continually sacking managers every time we make a change and it doesn't result in an immediate up-turn in fortunes. We've done enough of that and it just hasn't worked.

I'm pretty happy with that statement from Webb, for what it's worth. He's clarifying the situation right from the outset, and he's communicating clearly with us, and really that's all I'd ask for. At this point I really feel it's in all of our interests to get right behind the club, and the manager, and give them a chance to show they can improve things. I don't really see any productive alternative.

[SlickDT]

I am getting a little bit bored of cliches and broad statements with little to back them up.

"We build", "We fight", "we go again!", etc, etc.

I want to hear Simo tell us to exactly what his plans are, what his "project to get the club back to its glory years" actually looks like in the real world. All our successful teams of the past were built on a solid core of good local professionals. Reliable and hard working guys that played to their strengths and fought for each other as a team. Is this the same route Simo intends to take? What market will he be shopping in, with a likely reduced budget? Will he adapt his playing style in the division or does he believe a possesion based style of football will work in the league? What players failed him and who are the players he believes that have improved under his coaching?

There seems to be alot of buzz words and phrases that get chucked about the game now. "Visionary coach": what is the vision? I don't think Tommy Wright was ever described as visionary, but I knew what I was seeing on the pitch and how it compares to anything the team has produced this season.

The letter describes a solid group of core players at the club. That is simply not true, if it was, then we would not be finishing behind a poor County and Dundee team in the league. Does the 7/8 best players that we have on the books guarantee us a return to the top league in a season? I ain't so sure on that.

The only real positive I have seen this season has been our fan base. Not once have they allowed it to become toxic, they have backed the team and tried to encourage and support. The manager and players were supported to the death. I certainly don't think we need a call to arms from the owner to support the club next season. That is a given.

They have made their decision. Simo stays and is given the chance to build. Lets see what the summer has in store. We will know quite quickly if there is a solid well thought out plan or not.

 

[rik2304]

Definitely still supporting Simo.

We'll see soon enough if he has what it takes to get promotion and it's vital we make a good start. 

[Saintdunc]

3 hours ago, RandomGuy said:

Geoff Brown is a legend who rebuilt the entire club and saved it from being a Clyde-esque shambles.

He absolutely did step in when he saw Steve throwing it all away though, which was being contested.

Must have misread your earlier post as I thought you were criticising Geoff for the actions he took when appointing Avril.

I am also well aware of who Geoff is, and what he did for the club, so no need to lecture me in that typically condescending manner that you have.

[RandomGuy]

2 minutes ago, Saintdunc said:

Must have misread your earlier post as I thought you were criticising Geoff for the actions he took when appointing Avril.

I am also well aware of who Geoff is, and what he did for the club, so no need to lecture me in that typically condescending manner that you have.

I was just clarifying i dont think Geoff Brown was a bad owner by clarifying I know what he's done for us.

He did make a mistake committing us to Levein.

[GMac]

1 hour ago, SlickDT said:

I am getting a little bit bored of cliches and broad statements with little to back them up.

"We build", "We fight", "we go again!", etc, etc.

I want to hear Simo tell us to exactly what his plans are, what his "project to get the club back to its glory years" actually looks like in the real world. All our successful teams of the past were built on a solid core of good local professionals. Reliable and hard working guys that played to their strengths and fought for each other as a team. Is this the same route Simo intends to take? What market will he be shopping in, with a likely reduced budget? Will he adapt his playing style in the division or does he believe a possesion based style of football will work in the league? What players failed him and who are the players he believes that have improved under his coaching?

There seems to be alot of buzz words and phrases that get chucked about the game now. "Visionary coach": what is the vision? I don't think Tommy Wright was ever described as visionary, but I knew what I was seeing on the pitch and how it compares to anything the team has produced this season.

The letter describes a solid group of core players at the club. That is simply not true, if it was, then we would not be finishing behind a poor County and Dundee team in the league. Does the 7/8 best players that we have on the books guarantee us a return to the top league in a season? I ain't so sure on that.

The only real positive I have seen this season has been our fan base. Not once have they allowed it to become toxic, they have backed the team and tried to encourage and support. The manager and players were supported to the death. I certainly don't think we need a call to arms from the owner to support the club next season. That is a given.

They have made their decision. Simo stays and is given the chance to build. Lets see what the summer has in store. We will know quite quickly if there is a solid well thought out plan or not.

 

Well said

[Kat71]

5 hours ago, RandomGuy said:

He did. He hired Craig Levein after meeting him at a game, and then made sure he remained our manager for this Summer window even though he knew the club was being sold.

Hardly a positive step to try and save the mess his son had made. Just another couldn’t care less gesture from the Brown’s.

[Kat71]

56 minutes ago, Saintdunc said:

Must have misread your earlier post as I thought you were criticising Geoff for the actions he took when appointing Avril.

I am also well aware of who Geoff is, and what he did for the club, so no need to lecture me in that typically condescending manner that you have.

Yes, he did step in, but at least 2 years too late.

[Cagey]

Back to 10 team league which I don't like. Is it play each other 4 times plus 1 up and play offs for next 3.

Let's not think about bottom 4.

It probably means there is something to play for most of the season.

[rik2304]

18 minutes ago, Cagey said:

Back to 10 team league which I don't like. Is it play each other 4 times plus 1 up and play offs for next 3.

Let's not think about bottom 4.

It probably means there is something to play for most of the season.

10,12,14. You'd find something to moan about regardless.

[That Bar Toilet Attendant]

Read Webb’s letter. Cringe. At least give it a day before you plead for the fan’s cash. Embarrassing stuff.

[IBEX1251]

Listen dudes... Maybe let's just all chill out a bit. The owner has spoken... Simo stays... 

Let's enjoy the summer and sunshine, then see what pre season brings in the way of signings etc... 

Maybe everything will turn out just fine in the end?? 

 

GOD BLESS X

[CAH]

19 hours ago, CAH said:

Agreed. Now we're getting a new website, a new scoreboard, a new training pitch and new pie stalls. What we haven't got is a decent football team. Ach weel, ye cannae hae awthing!

Forgot about the new lift in the main stand!!

[Smarmy Arab]

Sorry to see you go, will miss this fixture always the first I look for!

 

Very difficult to pinpoint when Saints started the downward spiral.  Tommy was the right man at the right time and had a core of players who had 'found their club', not a set of circumstances that happen often, as we all know only too well.  Geoff was a titan, but getting on in years an inevitably had to step down. United had a similar situation a few years back, Eddie Thompson was a real player, could work any room,  like Geoff, both were universally respected and admired and both left big shoes to fill, unfortunately neither of the sons could match the character, charisma or commitment of their fathers, and that is probably the bottom line....and I cannot even hold it against either of them, big shoes indeed! Understandably lots of pain about the club and lots of blame being attributed but those working at the club were working in very difficult circumstances, change of leadership at the top, small budget, fine margins all that stuff.  Lot of references to 'capitalising on cup win' how exactly?  Just doesn't work like that.

The past decade has been the best in the club's history and no one can take that away from you, time to turn the page and rebuild.  Take care my friends....good luck to you next season!

 

We'll meet again,

don't know where, don't know when,

but I know we'll meet again, some sunny day! 

🙂

[rik2304]

Never forget that Levein saw fit to replace Mitov with someone wholly inexperienced.

Backed up by someone similarly inexperienced.

Now maybe these guys had the raw potential to become the next Craig Gordon. Fair enough. But he then left them with no goalkeeper coach.

Which led to the insane situation where the number 2 keeper was leading their training sessions. 

[That Bar Toilet Attendant]

35 minutes ago, rik2304 said:

Never forget that Levein saw fit to replace Mitov with someone wholly inexperienced.

Backed up by someone similarly inexperienced.

Now maybe these guys had the raw potential to become the next Craig Gordon. Fair enough. But he then left them with no goalkeeper coach.

Which led to the insane situation where the number 2 keeper was leading their training sessions. 

And let Gordon and McGowan go too. 

[Mizfit]

17 minutes ago, That Bar Toilet Attendant said:

And let Gordon and McGowan go too. 

And then caused the final locker room leader in May out. 

[RandomGuy]

1 hour ago, Smarmy Arab said:

Very difficult to pinpoint when Saints started the downward spiral.  

There's an article from 7 years ago where Tommy Wright urges the club to set up some form of recruitment set up or risk falling behind other clubs.

[Mizfit]

7 minutes ago, RandomGuy said:

There's an article from 7 years ago where Tommy Wright urges the club to set up some form of recruitment set up or risk falling behind other clubs.

This was the point. 
 

Motherwell, St Mirren, Ross County. 
All of them started working towards it at that time. We simply didn’t. 

[Stumpy1949]

2 hours ago, CAH said:

Forgot about the new lift in the main stand!!

A little bit below the belt even for you. 

[CAH]

18 minutes ago, Stumpy1949 said:

A little bit below the belt even for you. 

///

 

19 minutes ago, Stumpy1949 said:

A little bit below the belt even for you. 

The main purpose of this lift will be to facilitate more lucrative corporate hospitality for the prawn sandwich brigade!!!!