Haven't posted in a while. We're obvoiusly in a very poor state as a club & as fans we'd just like some hope that things will get better. I honestly can't see a light at the end of this long dark tunnel.
Our current administration & senior management have a lot to answer for. If it wasn't a documented fact that the Penns are successful businessmen, one could be forgiven for thinking they are simply incompetent. Witnessing the complete mess they'd made of the club over the past 8 years, something had to give. Either they came up with a solution or they cashed in & walked away. Unfortunately it seems like actual results on the field aren't that important & there may be a bigger agenda for them.
Contrary to what some people think, football clubs can't be run like a business. A business is all about the bottom line. To survive you need to be as efficient as posible & make a profit. Clubs are about people & tradition. They're about fairness & working together to not just achieve short term success but also keep the club strong for the future. In 2003-5 we developed a culture that sustained us for the next 10 years. Since then though, that culture has been eroded & we find ourselves at another low point in our 71 year history.
So how do we get out of it? Leadership. Although, I'm not sure if the Penns have the will or even stomach for it anymore. They seem to keep making the wrong call too often. They brought Bozo in to run the club for them but his nepotism caused too many dramas & he had to go. I think that probably stems from the early days when they let Des run the club. Des obviously had success but his ego got out of control & that's what ultimately led to the events of late 2011. If they'd been able to manage Des better, I'm sure things would have been very different.
As for the change of coach, I can't see Barrett turning it around. He's passionate about football but IMO not emotionally ready to be a head coach yet. He'd be better as an assistant coach, where he can be close to the players without needing to make those hard decisions. I think our best option for next year would be Maguire. He'll get back the discipline & fitness we're lacking.