The Usual Weasel Words From Glick

[PeteDerby]

Glick says, "We're looking to buy in the transfer window." = Glick spin.

Glick says, "We're close to a deal to keep Kris Commons." = Glick spin

Glick says, "Kris Common's was offered everything he asked for but chose not to stay, as was his right." = Glick spin (even though this has not been denied by Commons or his agent, btw)

Glick says, "We worked hard to get the players in that we wanted during the transfer window but couldn't close the deals." = Glick spin

Presumably, if Radio Derby run a story on the 1 o'clock news saying that Glick has fallen to his death from the top of the West stand, some people will say it's Glick spin to encourage people to buy a season ticket for next season. The guy can't win whatever he says or does. Why the heck should he even want to do even a competent job for Derby with all the "support" he gets from fans?

I'll make the same point again - too little too late. Worked hard, maybe, worked smart, clearly not because it failed on every level.

[Fullspizz]

I think the fact the both Glick and Clough stated that they were going into the transfer market in early January for reinforcements and then left most things until the last minute annoyed folk.

The other thing is that we had such a shallow spectrum of players they were looking at, they were leaving themselves wide open for disappointment/critisicm if they didn't come off.

Can you honestly blame the fans for being slightly mistrustful, when they were given the patter at ST renewal time last season and then when questioned on the Commons saga said they should really have seen it coming judging by his previous history! How can you then take what they say regarding additions to the squad seriously based on their own previous?

[GboroRam]

But let's not split hairs, I see where you're coming from on the Sammon deal. But it was all too little too late. The need for a replacement for Hulse has been obvious since August.

I think the urgency of the requirement has only just begun to sink in for most. Back in the middle of November, when everything was still wheels-on, I think most people would have been happy to take a quality forward on loan just to bolster the (already well-performing) squad. With Commons, Bueno, Cywka all in form, a forward wasn't top of the list (the leaky defense was my main concern in all honesty).

Now with leaky defense and no goals, the wheels have clearly fell off good and proper.

[Hartley Hare]

Okay, first off, the confusion over the Glick blame saga came because I tagged a post from you to vonwright relating to it. However, you DID tag me in the original post. Hopefully that's that cleared up.

I agree that the lowering of costs equals progress - but only if the playing side is improving too. Otherwise what's the ultimate aim? And herein lies my problem. I believe that our owners' ultimate aim is to make the club as profitable as possible. This can be achieved wholly separately from success on the pitch. Until I see conviction that their aim is to create a team that can challenge for promotion rather than just a cheap one that can tread water, I'll retain that view - and neither they nor you should be surprised at that.

If you're suggesting that GSE are trying to make the club profitable by reducing the cost of wages and bonuses to the playing staff then yes, in the very short term that may increase the profit ratio of the club. But, as you've alluded to previously, to follow that path will ultimately take the club down the leagues as we sign cheaper and therefore generally poorer players who won't be able to "tread water". By dropping down the leagues, income drops, crowds drop, more cuts have to be made to budgets to sustain profit ratios and the club spirals down the drain. We know that GSE don't have the experience of English football, but they are businessmen. You can't seriously believe that GSE intend to take that path, do you?

[Hartley Hare]

Accepted from Wigan belatedly after we'd p1ssed about with daft offers and dithered around for weeks (Glicks own admission) rather than getting a deal done.

But let's not split hairs, I see where you're coming from on the Sammon deal. But it was all too little too late. The need for a replacement for Hulse has been obvious since August. Why, if there's money to spend as they claim, is the club trying to beg loans or leaving until the last day to do one deal?

Very unprofessional. And please don't tell me Porter and Davies might have got fit - 20,000 people knew that wasn't going to happen, without having to bother speaking to the fitness coach or physio.

No Pete, I for one was not expecting to see Porter and Davies fully fit by now, and lo and behold they're not. If we didn't go out and get people lined up to be signed in January, why don't people ask Clough? What's his role in all this? Clough knows the squad and knows in his own mind where it needs strengthening. Maybe the good form in October & November made the club complacent, I don't know. But if that's true then they look pretty silly now. We should have got at least 1 striker in during the January window because, as has been said previously, we sold Hulse in August and didn't replace him. True, they were perhaps thinking Luke Moore might sign on loan for the rest of the season, but where's the fallback plan? We should not be having these discussions because we should have made more signings, the fact that we didn't should persuade the club to look critically at their player recruitment process and make some changes, in my opinion. But it's just my opinion because I, like everyone else, don't have all the facts...

[Hartley Hare]

I'll make the same point again - too little too late. Worked hard, maybe, worked smart, clearly not because it failed on every level.

The thing is though Pete that people criticise Glick for spin, but in doing so they often put their own interpretation on what Glick has said, in other words they're spinning Glick's spin!

Glick has said he got it wrong with the way he wwent about trying to do the Sammon deal. It doesn't let him off the hook, but at least credit the guy for owning up to his failures.

I don't agree with everything that's seemingly happenning at the club, both on the field and off. I'm not a board apologist and I'm not a wrist slasher. I just wish people would treat Tom Glick a little more evenly before rushing to slate him for every word he's said - or in some cases every word he hasn't yet said!

[Dangerous]

because i don't get sucked in by the "oh, they are American, they must be lying" rubbish that so many do.

If nigel trusts them, then that is good enough for me.

If im to think your picture was in todays DET.Are you the young child?

[Bluedogmaz]

Get a grip....maybe, just maybe, he is telling the truth...and I firmly believe he is.

Good article youve written in todays Derby Evening Telegraph - Good work Son!

[CraigZ]

If you're suggesting that GSE are trying to make the club profitable by reducing the cost of wages and bonuses to the playing staff then yes, in the very short term that may increase the profit ratio of the club. But, as you've alluded to previously, to follow that path will ultimately take the club down the leagues as we sign cheaper and therefore generally poorer players who won't be able to "tread water". By dropping down the leagues, income drops, crowds drop, more cuts have to be made to budgets to sustain profit ratios and the club spirals down the drain. We know that GSE don't have the experience of English football, but they are businessmen. You can't seriously believe that GSE intend to take that path, do you?

That's certainly where I believe that path leads and you clearly concur. But our owners? I think they're naive as to just how quickly all that can happen. Because we haven't flirted with relegation yet this season, I think complacency has crept in. I reckon Glick believes we could afford to lose Commons and Hulse without replacing them and finish a nice, comfortable 15th. That may still be the case. But it only takes one bad decision (or lack of conviction in a window) to tip the scales. And relegation usually follows player sales rather than purchases.

I still think we're in more danger of going down this year than any so far.

[ESR]

I love the whole 'Glicks said something, he must be lying, lets slag him off' effect thats happening nowadays, its typical from our fans, waiting like vultures for every interview Glick/Clough do now.

What are people aiming to achieve with all this 'Board Out' nonsense?

The fact of the matter is they aren't going to sell up, a hundred or so fans chanting won't get their chequebooks out, and the more ill-feeling from the fans will only end up affecting the team at some point.

I'm neither a board in or out person, they have their faults but so does everyone, would you want someone like Milan Mandaric who does invest yet goes through more managers than meals?

Back in the days of the 3 amigos, the fans were unhappy with them despite some good players being at the club and having a good season ending in the playoffs. Now we don't have the best of teams and we are doing average (over the season) on the pitch and everyones up in arms. Looking at it, it seems as if we won't get that winning solution of being happy with behind the scenes and on the pitch no matter whos in charge

[rynny]

I merely react to what comes out of the club. The statement from Glick was posted this morning and so I posted on here, as someone else would no doubt have done.

You don't like the fact that I don't like/trust the board and post comments to that effect. I'm sorry but I will post what I want in order to make my point, just like you are entitled to do.

If you don't like what I post, don't read it - simples.

Sorry I meant to say thread not post, like I said, I respect your opinion and can see where you are coming from, it is just starting a new thread but saying virtually the same thing, that is where you lose respect of your point of view with me.

[Smalley Ram]

I heard Glick on RD last night and for me he sounded very much under pressure and stressed out. I'm as frustrated and depressed as any Rams fan at the moment but hearing Glick and the way he talked (as well as simply what he said) I have to say I believe him and I was waiting for the interview so I could vent my spleen at the radio. I think he tried as hard as he knew how to bring in the players Nigel wanted.

Rather than think Glick and co are lying to us this time I think the fiasco of the transfer window has just shown how hapless they are. I read in another thread about how Smith for example would move onto the next target as soon as a problem cropped up with a player he was trying to sign - this seems to me to be the only sensible approach to the bloody transfer window.

"Weasel Words" - I don't think so. I think what Glick is saying is the truth but I guess many will always choose to tag someone like him as a liar regardless of he says. He just can't win - a bit like the team at the moment.

[Hartley Hare]

That's certainly where I believe that path leads and you clearly concur. But our owners? I think they're naive as to just how quickly all that can happen. Because we haven't flirted with relegation yet this season, I think complacency has crept in. I reckon Glick believes we could afford to lose Commons and Hulse without replacing them and finish a nice, comfortable 15th. That may still be the case. But it only takes one bad decision (or lack of conviction in a window) to tip the scales. And relegation usually follows player sales rather than purchases.

I still think we're in more danger of going down this year than any so far.

I'm sure that that is where that path leads. However, you think that we're on that path. I don't. Time will tell.

[Alph]

I heard Glick on RD last night and for me he sounded very much under pressure and stressed out. I'm as frustrated and depressed as any Rams fan at the moment but hearing Glick and the way he talked (as well as simply what he said) I have to say I believe him and I was waiting for the interview so I could vent my spleen at the radio. I think he tried as hard as he knew how to bring in the players Nigel wanted.

Rather than think Glick and co are lying to us this time I think the fiasco of the transfer window has just shown how hapless they are. I read in another thread about how Smith for example would move onto the next target as soon as a problem cropped up with a player he was trying to sign - this seems to me to be the only sensible approach to the bloody transfer window.

"Weasel Words" - I don't think so. I think what Glick is saying is the truth but I guess many will always choose to tag someone like him as a liar regardless of he says. He just can't win - a bit like the team at the moment.

Do you know what i think Glick is?

A man with an impossible job. He's got the task of calming the fans and being the happy friendly face of the investors when really he's probably scratching his head much like the rest of us.

I'm sure he is doing everything he can. But i don't believe he CAN do anything more. I wonder if he feels like he's been hung out to dry. Like a fella trying to look after a dog. 'Cept when the dog gets hungry he's just been given instructions not to feed it. Just keep it playing.

But because he's the only face fans see. He's the only face fans are going to come at. He may not deserve the protesters anger imo. But he's all there is over here to protest against.

[Stimacked]

If Glick was just to pack his bags and go and pick up some cushy job back in the states, it would most probably leave us even more in the mire.

He has been trying to learn on the job but when it comes down to it

he has been left stranded by the coulden't care less investors.

He is failing to do the second job he took on, when he added Adam Pearson`s responsibilities to his marketing ones. He started with zilch experience. Possibly he did well to pull off the Ben Davies transfer.

Maybe he was also helpful in us bringing in both Brayford and Bailey together, who knows.

Seems like he was involved in the negotiations with Commons and his agent. No doubt he tried the same approach he applied with Notts County, with Kilmarnock, but it fell flat. Would be sure that Adam Pearson would have either pulled it off, or had years worth of connections to be able to suggest a dozen other possible targets to be able to pull off at the last minute to help out Clough. Pearson was blamed for putting the club in a mess, but think he did an excellent job and we desperately lost out when he departed the club. End of the day its down to a lack of investment and that is the fundemental reason why we are all suffering.

He has clearly been as honest as he can within his job remits. He is ultimately merely a PR and marketing specialist and way way out of his depth to handle the current crisis facing Derby County football Club.

[Hartley Hare]

This article seems to sum the last transfer window up for me.

http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/derbycounty/fb_news.php?storyid=11215

[WilkoRam]

I still don't know where to place the blame for what I consider another bad transfer window. I know people will say things such as "It's a January window, shouldn't do much business in that" or "The summer is where the main activity is done" but this isn't about this one window, it's one more window in a list of windows. It's the same when people moan about things after a loss and they get given the lines "oh a knee jerk reaction from a defeat" it's not it's yet another defeat and that's the issue. These aren't isolated incidents in an otherwise successful period, this is becoming the norm.

On the one hand I have the opinion that money needs to be there and I'm not sure it is. It seems that comments about us having the money from the Commons sale may point to a 'spend what we get back' way of working and might help explain the Moxey sale (yes I know Nigel came out and said it was for footballing reasons but who knows what the reasons are I'm just exploring all avenues).

On the other hand none of us are asking for much in the way of spenind. A modest about, not suggesting £1m players are needed but that we have enough players to last a season, if they're good enough then it doesn't matter how much they are. And we have bid for players, players such as Hooper and Sammon. But when they don't come off then nothing happens. We don't go finding other players, mtgs scouts don't have a list of potential targets we seem to have one target. This doesn't work, we can't and won't always get our man and we need another option. Are you telling me that if Nigel went to Glick with a list of 4 potential strikers, 3 midfielders and 3 defenders we wouldn't have signed anyone in Jan? If that is the case then there's an issue with our negotiations and possible funding. If it's not the case then there's an issue with the playing staffs transfer strategy.

That's how I see it, simply as I can put it. It comes down to what goes on behind closed doors. We won't be able to answer it, I sway from one scenario to the other in terms of what I think is more realistic. At the moment I'm think more towards the latter. That we don't have a good setup in terms of finding potential targets, it leaves us short of options and relies on us getting the one player identified, when we don't we start from scratch and scout again. It seems Sammon only became a target when we seemed to be missing out on Waghorn rather than already identified, scouted and put on the list of targets.

[MuespachRam]

Good article youve written in todays Derby Evening Telegraph - Good work Son!

Thank you Mr Pike. Got a bundle of them being shipped over now to distribute around...look out for me on Sunday Supplement next..!

[ramsbottom]

I still don't know where to place the blame for what I consider another bad transfer window. I know people will say things such as "It's a January window, shouldn't do much business in that" or "The summer is where the main activity is done" but this isn't about this one window, it's one more window in a list of windows. It's the same when people moan about things after a loss and they get given the lines "oh a knee jerk reaction from a defeat" it's not it's yet another defeat and that's the issue. These aren't isolated incidents in an otherwise successful period, this is becoming the norm.

On the one hand I have the opinion that money needs to be there and I'm not sure it is. It seems that comments about us having the money from the Commons sale may point to a 'spend what we get back' way of working and might help explain the Moxey sale (yes I know Nigel came out and said it was for footballing reasons but who knows what the reasons are I'm just exploring all avenues).

On the other hand none of us are asking for much in the way of spenind. A modest about, not suggesting £1m players are needed but that we have enough players to last a season, if they're good enough then it doesn't matter how much they are. And we have bid for players, players such as Hooper and Sammon. But when they don't come off then nothing happens. We don't go finding other players, mtgs scouts don't have a list of potential targets we seem to have one target. This doesn't work, we can't and won't always get our man and we need another option. Are you telling me that if Nigel went to Glick with a list of 4 potential strikers, 3 midfielders and 3 defenders we wouldn't have signed anyone in Jan? If that is the case then there's an issue with our negotiations and possible funding. If it's not the case then there's an issue with the playing staffs transfer strategy.

That's how I see it, simply as I can put it. It comes down to what goes on behind closed doors. We won't be able to answer it, I sway from one scenario to the other in terms of what I think is more realistic. At the moment I'm think more towards the latter. That we don't have a good setup in terms of finding potential targets, it leaves us short of options and relies on us getting the one player identified, when we don't we start from scratch and scout again. It seems Sammon only became a target when we seemed to be missing out on Waghorn rather than already identified, scouted and put on the list of targets.

That's pretty much how I see it too, the scouting network isn't there and a proportion of the blame for this is down to Nigel. As if Fergason, Wenger, Ancelotti, Redknapp rely solely on their scouts when they're thinking of bringing players in??? All good managers should have a substantial knowledge of the better players in each division and at the moment I don't think Nigel has, hence the lack of potential targets during the window...

[Smalley Ram]

Do you know what i think Glick is?

A man with an impossible job. He's got the task of calming the fans and being the happy friendly face of the investors when really he's probably scratching his head much like the rest of us.

I'm sure he is doing everything he can. But i don't believe he CAN do anything more. I wonder if he feels like he's been hung out to dry. Like a fella trying to look after a dog. 'Cept when the dog gets hungry he's just been given instructions not to feed it. Just keep it playing.

But because he's the only face fans see. He's the only face fans are going to come at. He may not deserve the protesters anger imo. But he's all there is over here to protest against.

I heard the rumour (or maybe read it on here) that Glick had been "hung out to dry" as you've suggested. I'm starting to think this may be the case, certainly after listening to him.

It feels like the investors have said "We have put the money in that we intended (i.e. takeover and debts etc plus PJ's signings) and are now leaving it to you Mr Glick to make the club self-financing". This would explain the sea change (when Nigel came in) to the focus on cutting wage bills and limiting spending on new players when only in the previous summer we were told Derby were the biggest spending club in the Championship. Such a dramatic strategic change is unusual in most industries and I can't say I've seen it in football other than for clubs that have hit the skids.

I agree an impossible job for Tom Glick and the rest of the management team although it would seem they are managing it - the proof will be if we can make progress on the pitch under such circumstances.