CONFRIMED: Takeover collapsed; Back to square one

[Del Goose]

Hey there, Wycombe fan here.

Hopefully you get rescued by a decent new owner, Couhig or otherwise. If it is Couhig, you will probably come to like him. He is a brash American and will basically promise he is going to make you the greatest thing since sliced bread (ands not always 100% deliver), but he does wear his heart on his sleeve and engage with the fans. As an example, when he took over he promised that if any Wycombe fan emailed him, he would personally reply within 24 hours. I tested him on this and got a reply within 2-3 hours (I am in America, so probably easier as far as a similar time zone to his New Orleans base, but still). It was as decent reply, too - and he even gave me a little insight into upcoming plans. He would not do that with Reading, as you have a lot more fans, but it's an insight into his character. He will also fight tooth and nail for your club and not care what anyone thinks. I do think it likely he is heading a consortium rather than going it alone, from hints that have been dropped of his level of wealth and also his circle of influence in the States.

Personally, I am not at all upset he left, as my primary goal is always for Wycombe to remain a going concern. Billionaires can be a disaster, but our billionaire seems pretty unique, being the designer of the most successful app in Kazakhstan, and basically wanting to improve football in Kazakhstan in tandem with owning us, having a Wycombe academy and a Kazakh academy, and trying to being a club heavily based on analytics. It could all end in tears, and I don't care about 'Premier League aspirations' nonsense - I just want to have the best chance of my club remaining in existence in a turbulent period where many lower league clubs struggle.

If you have read this far, all the best, and hopefully there will be good news soon!

Interesting perspective, thanks Shev

[Stranded]

So Couhig was photographed in the Town Centre yesterday and old Chronic guy Anthony Smith tweeted he spent 4 hours at Bearwood yesterday meeting and greeting.

Also states that Joe Jacobson, who left Wycombe at the end of his contract, will be coming in as CEO.

Given Smudgersports accuracy of late, this could be bollocks but if so interesting to see a very recently retired player, only 37, coming in as a CEO. No argument that he'll know the game and the division. Interesting move though, again if true.

[Sutekh]

Chronicle article from Wycombe supporters trust member on what to expect if Mr Couhig does take over

[Sebastian the Red]

Any update on this?

[Stranded]

So Couhig was photographed in the Town Centre yesterday and old Chronic guy Anthony Smith tweeted he spent 4 hours at Bearwood yesterday meeting and greeting.

Also states that Joe Jacobson, who left Wycombe at the end of his contract, will be coming in as CEO.

Given Smudgersports accuracy of late, this could be bollocks but if so interesting to see a very recently retired player, only 37, coming in as a CEO. No argument that he'll know the game and the division. Interesting move though, again if true.

Jacobson as likely CEO confirmed by Earnshaw now.

[traff]

So Couhig was photographed in the Town Centre yesterday and old Chronic guy Anthony Smith tweeted he spent 4 hours at Bearwood yesterday meeting and greeting.

Also states that Joe Jacobson, who left Wycombe at the end of his contract, will be coming in as CEO.

Given Smudgersports accuracy of late, this could be bollocks but if so interesting to see a very recently retired player, only 37, coming in as a CEO. No argument that he'll know the game and the division. Interesting move though, again if true.

Jacobson as likely CEO confirmed by Earnshaw now.

Can we find out if Bowen has bet on it?

[From Despair To Where?]

So Couhig was photographed in the Town Centre yesterday and old Chronic guy Anthony Smith tweeted he spent 4 hours at Bearwood yesterday meeting and greeting.

Also states that Joe Jacobson, who left Wycombe at the end of his contract, will be coming in as CEO.

Given Smudgersports accuracy of late, this could be bollocks but if so interesting to see a very recently retired player, only 37, coming in as a CEO. No argument that he'll know the game and the division. Interesting move though, again if true.

Jacobson as likely CEO confirmed by Earnshaw now.

Can we find out if Bowen has bet on it?

Given his apparent record, I hope not.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I know nothing about Jacobson; he could be a very bright guy who spent his football career studying an MBA in his spare time for all I know. But straight from being a player to a CEO without any experience as a scout, DoF or maybe working at a non League club is nuts.

[On Strings]

Jacobson just turning up every day instantly makes him an improvement on Pang.

Just get rid of Dai, Howe, Pang and Bowen; and lets start the rebuild!

[Crusader Royal]

I know nothing about Jacobson; he could be a very bright guy who spent his football career studying an MBA in his spare time for all I know. But straight from being a player to a CEO without any experience as a scout, DoF or maybe working at a non League club is nuts.

Couhig doesn’t strike me as an idiot, if this does all come about he won’t put people in place he doesn’t trust. Lack of the experience you mention is hardly relevant. Howe wasn’t a player, scout, DofF etc because those are totally different jobs. At the age of 37 you would hope Jacobson has some relevant qualifications and experience but we’ll need to know what the job actually entails and what he is like as a person. It seems Couhig is very hands on so a CEO under him is going to be implementing Couhig’s wishes day to day rather than running the show on his own.

[Crowbar6753]

Reading all the comment's from the Wycombe fanbase and reporter's its looking like Mr Couhig will be extremley vocal with the best interests of the football club at heart and not scared to rattle a few heads!! This is the exact polar opposite of Dai Yongge and is exactly what the club needs right now.

Over the second half of the season something changed and the fan base got their mojo back due to our rousing displays on the pitch and giving it big to both Dai and the Football league.

If Mr Couhig does get the sale over the line and and comes clean over "Bearwood" and is indeed as vocal as we have been led to believe then if he can win over the fan base then with the expected deal to be completed just before the season starts then i for one am looking forward to happier times ahead.

[Orion1871]

Any update on this?

No.

[Ascotexgunner]

Still a bit nervous about this guy, clearly a better option than the twat we have.....but it's just the Wycombe links. Bearwood...and does he have deep enough pockets to run the operation. If he hasn't then we will need Bearwood more than ever for young talent, but what are his plans?....finding a way for a Wycombe/Reading facility share with the council....I dunno.....we need a whelming poll.

[Wycombe Royal]

Still a bit nervous about this guy, clearly a better option than the twat we have.....but it's just the Wycombe links. Bearwood...and does he have deep enough pockets to run the operation. If he hasn't then we will need Bearwood more than ever for young talent, but what are his plans?....finding a way for a Wycombe/Reading facility share with the council....I dunno.....we need a whelming poll.

He is part of a consortium, so doesn't need to have deep pockets himself. He ran Wycombe really well, got them to the Championship, and left them in a far better position than when he took over. And Wycombe have a training ground sorted now.

[Ascotexgunner]

Still a bit nervous about this guy, clearly a better option than the twat we have.....but it's just the Wycombe links. Bearwood...and does he have deep enough pockets to run the operation. If he hasn't then we will need Bearwood more than ever for young talent, but what are his plans?....finding a way for a Wycombe/Reading facility share with the council....I dunno.....we need a whelming poll.

He is part of a consortium, so doesn't need to have deep pockets himself. He ran Wycombe really well, got them to the Championship, and left them in a far better position than when he took over. And Wycombe have a training ground sorted now.

Ah, good, didn't know their ground s sorted, who are the other names, or has that still a secret?.

[From Despair To Where?]

Of all the people linked to buying us over the past 18 months, he's pretty much at the top of the list.

[leon]

Of all the people linked to buying us over the past 18 months, he's pretty much at the top of the list.

this, frankly I'm not convinced by peoples lack of being convinced

[Mr Optimist]

Totally… I welcome the new Glasnost era after the last 12 years of absent owners. An owner who is in regular communication with the supporters will be brilliant, even if they don’t have a pot to piss in so long as they are up front and honest with us.

[Orion1871]

Of all the people linked to buying us over the past 18 months, he's pretty much at the top of the list.

this, frankly I'm not convinced by peoples lack of being convinced

To own a club like Reading is frankly a bigger task than owning Wycombe.

Doing that with potentially a young CEO who has no experience at boardroom level is a risk and a tough task for that CEO given the state of the club as well.

Given what he did with the women's team going amateur and following the same model as they have at Wycombe, then it isn't a big leap to think he will do something similar with the academy. Whilst I'm not a huge fan of the Elite Player Performance Plan, and it's lack of appropriate compensation for losing your top young talent, I'd rather be in it than out of it like Wycombe. It may need to drop to category 2 but anything below that would be a mistake.

I've always said I'd rather a millionaire with a plan than a billionaire like Zingarevich('s father) or Dai, so I have to give Couhig a chance.

[Linden Jones' Tash]

Of all the people linked to buying us over the past 18 months, he's pretty much at the top of the list.

this, frankly I'm not convinced by peoples lack of being convinced

To own a club like Reading is frankly a bigger task than owning Wycombe.

Doing that with potentially a young CEO who has no experience at boardroom level is a risk and a tough task for that CEO given the state of the club as well.

Given what he did with the women's team going amateur and following the same model as they have at Wycombe, then it isn't a big leap to think he will do something similar with the academy. Whilst I'm not a huge fan of the Elite Player Performance Plan, and it's lack of appropriate compensation for losing your top young talent, I'd rather be in it than out of it like Wycombe. It may need to drop to category 2 but anything below that would be a mistake.

I've always said I'd rather a millionaire with a plan than a billionaire like Zingarevich('s father) or Dai, so I have to give Couhig a chance.

But it's not a millionaire with a plan - it's an investment vehicle (Chiron) aiming to make a fast buck and flip the club when it's worth more....

That works by cutting costs and increasing revenues....

If these are the new owners, the days of sugar daddies, however clueless are over...