Swift to... Southampton

[Pepe the Horseman]

Dai won't get what he wants because he's a oxf*rd moron.

He speaks very highly of you, by all accounts.

Like he gives a single oxf*rd about any of us.

[Sutekh]

Dai won't get what he wants because he's a oxf*rd moron.

He speaks very highly of you, by all accounts.

Like he gives a single oxf*rd about any of us.

Yeah, he cares so little that he subsidised away travel for fans last season

[Snowflake Royal]

He speaks very highly of you, by all accounts.

Like he gives a single oxf*rd about any of us.

Yeah, he cares so little that he subsidised away travel for fans last season

Woo, big deal for the billionaire. Shame he doesn't care enough to make any effort to run the club properly.

[Franchise FC]

Like he gives a single oxf*rd about any of us.

Yeah, he cares so little that he subsidised away travel for fans last season

Woo, big deal for the billionaire. Shame he doesn't care enough to make any effort to run the club properly.

I don't want to sit on either side of this discussion, but how many other billionaire owners subsidised travel for their fans ?
I would suggest it's not a big number

[Hound]

Or kept ticket prices rock bottom, gave away Ifollow for free to season ticket holders if they wanted after lockdown, spent money on the team, subsidised 1871 at the expense of away ticket sales etc

He’s screwed up with some of the hirings but certainly he isn’t all bad

[muirinho]

Or kept ticket prices rock bottom, gave away Ifollow for free to season ticket holders if they wanted after lockdown, spent money on the team, subsidised 1871 at the expense of away ticket sales etc

He’s screwed up with some of the hirings but certainly he isn’t all bad

If anything the problem with current owners is they are not thinking like hard-headed busniess-people, they are thinking like fans. Seems to be a lot of emotion in play. So, actually, I think they'd be sad if the fans turned against them, because they think they are one of us.

A moneyball owner would have far less engagement with the fans, and would be trying to get every last penny of value. But on the other hand, we might actually be more successful, because there would be more careful analysis of the financial consequences of any decision

[Nameless]

Which owner was it who told Man Utd they were over charging us on cup tickets and paid the difference between what United wanted and what he thought was fair ? Rumours of United taking legal action over that one !

[Snowflake Royal]

Or kept ticket prices rock bottom, gave away Ifollow for free to season ticket holders if they wanted after lockdown, spent money on the team, subsidised 1871 at the expense of away ticket sales etc

He’s screwed up with some of the hirings but certainly he isn’t all bad

I'd challenge how much is actually him. We only hear about owner decisions on firings, hiring and sales. Loads of that is mundane day to day stuff I'd have expected Howe to have sorted out.

[From Despair To Where?]

Do you think Howe had that much autonomy to make decisions like that without discussing them with the owners?

[Stranded]

Or kept ticket prices rock bottom, gave away Ifollow for free to season ticket holders if they wanted after lockdown, spent money on the team, subsidised 1871 at the expense of away ticket sales etc

He’s screwed up with some of the hirings but certainly he isn’t all bad

I'd challenge how much is actually him. We only hear about owner decisions on firings, hiring and sales. Loads of that is mundane day to day stuff I'd have expected Howe to have sorted out.

Anything that would cost the club the level of money some of the deals fans have had would, at a bare minimum have had to been signed off by the owner - even if the idea originated from Howe. The free away travel was certainly an owner thing - it was his cash as he was paying for a service offered by the club.

You seem to be close to being in a place where everything bad is the owners fault but anything good done must have been done by someone else. It is of course perfectly reasonable to expect that the same indivduals can make errors of judgement whilst also getting other things right.

[Hound]

yep was thinking the same. There have been plenty of good initiatives that have cost the club money. Ultimately that is up the owner. I can't quite see where the angle that is was all Howe's idea comes from. Suppose we'll see if they suddenly stop now he has been sidelined

[Nameless]

So stuff that happened under Gourlay was Howe’s doing ?
I have to say Ian has utterly lost any credibility here. Seems to be simply making stuff up because he has decided he doesn’t like the owners.
Reminds me of RoyalBlue when he twisted anything SJM did I to a negative because he disliked the man.

[Snowflake Royal]

Or kept ticket prices rock bottom, gave away Ifollow for free to season ticket holders if they wanted after lockdown, spent money on the team, subsidised 1871 at the expense of away ticket sales etc

He’s screwed up with some of the hirings but certainly he isn’t all bad

I'd challenge how much is actually him. We only hear about owner decisions on firings, hiring and sales. Loads of that is mundane day to day stuff I'd have expected Howe to have sorted out.

Anything that would cost the club the level of money some of the deals fans have had would, at a bare minimum have had to been signed off by the owner - even if the idea originated from Howe. The free away travel was certainly an owner thing - it was his cash as he was paying for a service offered by the club.

You seem to be close to being in a place where everything bad is the owners fault but anything good done must have been done by someone else. It is of course perfectly reasonable to expect that the same indivduals can make errors of judgement whilst also getting other things right.

There's probably an element of that. I'm oxf*rd furious.

But I don't think it's only that. I don't really see the guy being involved in the day to day running. And I think it's fairly clear money doesn't mean anything to him. He seems to me to be used to just getting what he wants by throwing money at it. Yeah, maybe he does do some good stuff for the fans, but I don't see it as being particularly high value or important to him and I'm far more concerned with the consistent poor running of the club and decision making that leads to poor football, poor performance and financial problems.

I appreciate where you're coming from stranded, and there was a time when I too wanted to see everything in a positive light, but I'd say you're equally as guilty, maybe more so, of seeing only the positive and hoping for the best despite everything.

You're probably happier though, so don't change.

[Stranded]

I'd challenge how much is actually him. We only hear about owner decisions on firings, hiring and sales. Loads of that is mundane day to day stuff I'd have expected Howe to have sorted out.

Anything that would cost the club the level of money some of the deals fans have had would, at a bare minimum have had to been signed off by the owner - even if the idea originated from Howe. The free away travel was certainly an owner thing - it was his cash as he was paying for a service offered by the club.

You seem to be close to being in a place where everything bad is the owners fault but anything good done must have been done by someone else. It is of course perfectly reasonable to expect that the same indivduals can make errors of judgement whilst also getting other things right.

There's probably an element of that. I'm oxf*rd furious.

But I don't think it's only that. I don't really see the guy being involved in the day to day running. And I think it's fairly clear money doesn't mean anything to him. He seems to me to be used to just getting what he wants by throwing money at it. Yeah, maybe he does do some good stuff for the fans, but I don't see it as being particularly high value or important to him and I'm far more concerned with the consistent poor running of the club and decision making that leads to poor football, poor performance and financial problems.

I appreciate where you're coming from stranded, and there was a time when I too wanted to see everything in a positive light, but I'd say you're equally as guilty, maybe more so, of seeing only the positive and hoping for the best despite everything.

You're probably happier though, so don't change.

No, I just try to see what logic there is in something. Sometimes there is none and if as rumoured Bowen is now off this probably falls into that category but I acknowledge that if this guy does well, and whatever the circumstances he deserves the benefit of the doubt then this may be s good move.

So I'm not overly chuffed with this move but will wait to see how it plays out but equally happy to praise when things are done right. Not optimistic or pessimistic just judge each move when facts come to light and try to avoid emotion tainting it. Maybe easier to do with distance granted.

[morganb]

Doubt Swift will be going to Aston Villa now as -

@JackGrealish has signed a new five-year contract with Aston Villa!

[Nameless]

Doubt Swift will be going to Aston Villa now as -

@JackGrealish has signed a new five-year contract with Aston Villa!

There goes my Grealish + £10 million swap proposal.....

[Stranded]

Rumours north of the border that Rangers may be interested.

[Nameless]

Rumours north of the border that Rangers may be interested.

Usual ‘why drop a level’ comments.

Presumably unless it’s significantly higher offer we’d continue to not answer calls for him.

[morganb]

https://mobile.twitter.com/TalkReading/ ... 0866171904

Reading wanted ‘more than double’ the £3.5m that Sheffield United offered for John Swift earlier in the summer.

[Chameleon]

https://mobile.twitter.com/TalkReading/status/1316805970866171904

Reading wanted ‘more than double’ the £3.5m that Sheffield United offered for John Swift earlier in the summer.

Maths checks out. £35m is more than double £3.5m.