I heard it was methven who offered it directly. Andy Scott apparently doesn't talk to dobbo at all. Very odd. They had a meeting Wednesday this week on the first teams day off, but not aware of the outcome. Dobbo did, off the back of thr offer, cancelled his flights to Hungary in order to have thr meeting Wednesday, but not sure what the outcome is. I imagine we will see soon?
Scott managed to get my back up just answering a question, when he needlessly chose to ridicule me (because he couldn't deny his signings had been poor, so went for deflection instead). So he may well be the sort of bloke that tends to rub people up the wrong way. Seems smug and arrogant & I took an instant dislike to him after that.
When I read this crap about Dobson I realise some fans have not a clue and deserve the team we currently have.
Especially when they compare him to Semedo, who got promoted with Sheffield Wednesday the season after leaving and was voted in the Fans PFA league one team of the season.
Let's say the entire story now? Semedo did in fact get promoted but as a runner up. Charlton got rid and vastly improved without him. Not only did Charlton also go up, they finished higher up the table and with more points than sheff wed. Champions in fact!!!
semedo was good for us but good in a poor team. Can you see the similarities?
When I read this crap about Dobson I realise some fans have not a clue and deserve the team we currently have.
Especially when they compare him to Semedo, who got promoted with Sheffield Wednesday the season after leaving and was voted in the Fans PFA league one team of the season.
Let's say the entire story now? Semedo did in fact get promoted but as a runner up. Charlton got rid and vastly improved without him. Not only did Charlton also go up, they finished higher up the table and with more points than sheff wed. Champions in fact!!!
semedo was good for us but good in a poor team. Can you see the similarities?
Does that matter though? If they're good for us, they're good for us. Not their fault if they're surrounded by crap.
I love Dobbo. You’d have a heart of stone not to, but I don’t rate him, that position he plays is about a lot more than just successful tackles.
Over the last two and a half seasons where he’s been a regular, one of the only regulars, the main problem has been the defence, I think we’d all agree on that. Where we might disagree is that although the problem has been defence, it doesn’t solely fall on the shoulders of the back three/four. Whatever players we stick in centre back or full back have had to deal with the goal absolutely peppered with shots from distance, honestly I’d love to see stats on most shots conceded from 20/25 yards we must be miles clear of anyone. They’ve also had to deal with constant pressure from opposing midfielders linking up with forwards and wingers.
So how’s this Dobbo’s fault? It’s not entirely of course, but he’s our DM. That position is about retaining the ball, interceptions, positional awareness, reading of the game. For me, he simply doesn’t have the football brain for that, he’s a league one player because for what he lacks in footballing IQ he makes up for in tenacity, grit and determination. And we rightly love him for it. But to pin your hopes of promotion on him, not a chance.
If he goes I’ll miss him for sentimental reasons, but not for his ability. Probably one of my harshest posts but as ever it’s just my opinion on a forum, don’t bite my head off please!
I think it’s more to do with the ability of his midfield partners than Dobson. Gilbey, Lee, Morgan, Fraser, Kilkenny, L.Watson (not great defensively). You might be right, but I think if we get Dobson and Coventry playing together (and in their proper roles not like Appleton was playing them) then we might finally be able to see what Dobsons like when he isn’t surrounded by crap
Well worth noting that all the bolded players are no longer with us, and our team, indeed our midfield, has got worse without them.
Don't get me wrong, Dobbo has been one of our best players in recent years, but there has been a tendency to blame others for our midfield problems.
When I read this crap about Dobson I realise some fans have not a clue and deserve the team we currently have.
Especially when they compare him to Semedo, who got promoted with Sheffield Wednesday the season after leaving and was voted in the Fans PFA league one team of the season.
Let's say the entire story now? Semedo did in fact get promoted but as a runner up. Charlton got rid and vastly improved without him. Not only did Charlton also go up, they finished higher up the table and with more points than sheff wed. Champions in fact!!!
semedo was good for us but good in a poor team. Can you see the similarities?
When I read this crap about Dobson I realise some fans have not a clue and deserve the team we currently have.
Especially when they compare him to Semedo, who got promoted with Sheffield Wednesday the season after leaving and was voted in the Fans PFA league one team of the season.
Let's say the entire story now? Semedo did in fact get promoted but as a runner up. Charlton got rid and vastly improved without him. Not only did Charlton also go up, they finished higher up the table and with more points than sheff wed. Champions in fact!!!
semedo was good for us but good in a poor team. Can you see the similarities?
Does that matter though? If they're good for us, they're good for us. Not their fault if they're surrounded by crap.
When I read this crap about Dobson I realise some fans have not a clue and deserve the team we currently have.
Especially when they compare him to Semedo, who got promoted with Sheffield Wednesday the season after leaving and was voted in the Fans PFA league one team of the season.
Let's say the entire story now? Semedo did in fact get promoted but as a runner up. Charlton got rid and vastly improved without him. Not only did Charlton also go up, they finished higher up the table and with more points than sheff wed. Champions in fact!!!
semedo was good for us but good in a poor team. Can you see the similarities?
Does that matter though? If they're good for us, they're good for us. Not their fault if they're surrounded by crap.
I heard it was methven who offered it directly. Andy Scott apparently doesn't talk to dobbo at all. Very odd. They had a meeting Wednesday this week on the first teams day off, but not aware of the outcome. Dobbo did, off the back of thr offer, cancelled his flights to Hungary in order to have thr meeting Wednesday, but not sure what the outcome is. I imagine we will see soon?
I heard that Dobson would as captain deal with a lot of things on the behalf of the team, this has lead to being seen as a bit of a troublemaker with some.
Agree with that. I imagine he doesn't like constructive criticism. In addition to what I heard, I've just been informed by Dobbos dad, via mine, that the club have asked for him to hold off until Wednesday whilst they get a better offer over to him.
We are in big trouble and, if Dobbo declines to sign a new contract with us (and who could blame him), I desperately hope that he's still our player come next month until the end of the season. We need fighters in our predicament and any fee we receive should the club decide to cash in will pale into insignificance compared to the cost of relegation to League 2.
Whilst I appreciate that everyone is entitled to air their views on our captain, I'd respectfully like to ask all concerned to evaluate the pros & cons of this apparently enigmatic Addick.
For me, it's a no brainer.
We have been privileged to have this player since he joined us in the summer of 2021 and quickly became a favourite in the red shirt.
Whether a football aficionado or "just" a Charlton fan like me, this young man ticked a lot of boxes from the off and was voted our Player of the Year at the end of his first season. And for the first time in 11 years of co-organising the event, his Dad purchased 10 tickets so that the whole family could attend the dinner. This, I believe demonstrated the growing bond between the Dobson & the Charlton families....
NO-ONE who's watched Dobbo play could question his passion, his energy, his 100% commitment to his team and to giving his all for our club. Of course, he's not a world beater - if he was, the faithful would have missed out on seeing a true professional, in a Roy of the Rovers guise and who, almost overnight became One of our Own.
Why in the world would we want to wave goodbye to this special player ? A player who has held his team together through the thick & thin, the victories and the defeats, who has kept head up when others' have dropped, who has led by example.
And who we've witnessed down on his haunches, head shaking in disbelief and visibly distraught at the final whistle in recent matches in this depessing season.
A player of whom the adage " He leaves nothing on the pitch" has never been so appropriate.
Finally, call me an old softie, but if we allow our latest Captain Courageous to depart for pastures new, at a time in the season when fighters for the cause will be worth their weight in gold, then my recent, if nebulous positivity around AS & co will disappear, once & for all.
Agree with that. I imagine he doesn't like constructive criticism. In addition to what I heard, I've just been informed by Dobbos dad, via mine, that the club have asked for him to hold off until Wednesday whilst they get a better offer over to him.
Whilst I appreciate that everyone is entitled to air their views on our captain, I'd respectfully like to ask all concerned to evaluate the pros & cons of this apparently enigmatic Addick.
For me, it's a no brainer.
We have been privileged to have this player since he joined us in the summer of 2021 and quickly became a favourite in the red shirt.
Whether a football aficionado or "just" a Charlton fan like me, this young man ticked a lot of boxes from the off and was voted our Player of the Year at the end of his first season. And for the first time in 11 years of co-organising the event, his Dad purchased 10 tickets so that the whole family could attend the dinner. This, I believe demonstrated the growing bond between the Dobson & the Charlton families....
NO-ONE who's watched Dobbo play could question his passion, his energy, his 100% commitment to his team and to giving his all for our club. Of course, he's not a world beater - if he was, the faithful would have missed out on seeing a true professional, in a Roy of the Rovers guise and who, almost overnight became One of our Own.
Why in the world would we want to wave goodbye to this special player ? A player who has held his team together through the thick & thin, the victories and the defeats, who has kept head up when others' have dropped, who has led by example.
And who we've witnessed down on his haunches, head shaking in disbelief and visibly distraught at the final whistle in recent matches in this depessing season.
A player of whom the adage " He leaves nothing on the pitch" has never been so appropriate.
Finally, call me an old softie, but if we allow our latest Captain Courageous to depart for pastures new, at a time in the season when fighters for the cause will be worth their weight in gold, then my recent, if nebulous positivity around AS & co will disappear, once & for all.
It was foolish to lose one Legend in Jacko.
It would be criminal to lose another.
Our Dobbo.
You've got to remember that most of the people commenting don't actually go to nearly all the games like yourself.
I think he's an average League 1 player, but one who runs his socks off and leaves nothing out there, he's certainly got fight and the right mentality, if we had 11 of his calibre we may not be pushing the top two, but we'd certainly be a lot higher up the table than we are now.
When I think back to the early 90's, your Garry Nelson's, Stuart Balmer, Darren Pitchers etc of this world were the dobo equivalent. Then of course we were in the equivalent of today's championship, and they were average championship players but of the right mentality. We also had quality in that team whether a Minto, Rob Lee/John Robinson, Colin Walsh etc.
I don't want to see him go right now, we need him, and I've zero faith that we'd replace with any better, most likely worse. Many many other players that we need better from.
I think he's an average League 1 player, but one who runs his socks off and leaves nothing out there, he's certainly got fight and the right mentality, if we had 11 of his calibre we may not be pushing the top two, but we'd certainly be a lot higher up the table than we are now.
When I think back to the early 90's, your Garry Nelson's, Stuart Balmer, Darren Pitchers etc of this world were the dobo equivalent. Then of course we were in the equivalent of today's championship, and they were average championship players but of the right mentality. We also had quality in that team whether a Minto, Rob Lee/John Robinson, Colin Walsh etc.
I don't want to see him go right now, we need him, and I've zero faith that we'd replace with any better, most likely worse. Many many other players that we need better from.
We have already replaced him with better Conor Coventry
I think he's an average League 1 player, but one who runs his socks off and leaves nothing out there, he's certainly got fight and the right mentality, if we had 11 of his calibre we may not be pushing the top two, but we'd certainly be a lot higher up the table than we are now.
When I think back to the early 90's, your Garry Nelson's, Stuart Balmer, Darren Pitchers etc of this world were the dobo equivalent. Then of course we were in the equivalent of today's championship, and they were average championship players but of the right mentality. We also had quality in that team whether a Minto, Rob Lee/John Robinson, Colin Walsh etc.
I don't want to see him go right now, we need him, and I've zero faith that we'd replace with any better, most likely worse. Many many other players that we need better from.
We have already replaced him with better Conor Coventry
You can't possibly know that at this stage. I think some are forgetting what George was like earlier in the earlier part of the season. He was MotM in the first three matches in a row, and by the time of the 4-0 v Reading he was averaging 6.90 on statbank, with only May and Chuks anywhere near his rating. That was a fresh and fired up George Dobson. I'd slightly taken him for granted before, but that start won me over as a fully paid up member of the GD fan club. And I know his scores might be inflated slightly, but stats and ratings websites like WhoScored rate him highly too. He's rated second, just below CBT: https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/160/Show/England-Charlton His scores dipped around that busy Christmas period, and his season average is now 6.38, just behind top scorer Alfie. You can see that he's not quite at that early season level, but that for me is because he's been over used. I don't know the stats, but I'm pretty sure he runs further in each match than any other player, and probably puts in more tackles as well. Rest him occasionally and we'll get more out of him overall. Having Coventry in the side should allow that to happen. If you play both, one of them could be subbed at some stage to rest them, or give them a match on the bench occasionally. Either way, letting Dobson go would be a mistake imho, even with the promising Coventry coming in.
I think he's an average League 1 player, but one who runs his socks off and leaves nothing out there, he's certainly got fight and the right mentality, if we had 11 of his calibre we may not be pushing the top two, but we'd certainly be a lot higher up the table than we are now.
When I think back to the early 90's, your Garry Nelson's, Stuart Balmer, Darren Pitchers etc of this world were the dobo equivalent. Then of course we were in the equivalent of today's championship, and they were average championship players but of the right mentality. We also had quality in that team whether a Minto, Rob Lee/John Robinson, Colin Walsh etc.
I don't want to see him go right now, we need him, and I've zero faith that we'd replace with any better, most likely worse. Many many other players that we need better from.
We have already replaced him with better Conor Coventry
You can't possibly know that at this stage. I think some are forgetting what George was like earlier in the earlier part of the season. He was MotM in the first three matches in a row, and by the time of the 4-0 v Reading he was averaging 6.90 on statbank, with only May and Chuks anywhere near his rating. That was a fresh and fired up George Dobson. I'd slightly taken him for granted before, but that start won me over as a fully paid up member of the GD fan club. And I know his scores might be inflated slightly, but stats and ratings websites like WhoScored rate him highly too. He's rated second, just below CBT: https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/160/Show/England-Charlton His scores dipped around that busy Christmas period, and his season average is now 6.38, just behind top scorer Alfie. You can see that he's not quite at that early season level, but that for me is because he's been over used. I don't know the stats, but I'm pretty sure he runs further in each match than any other player, and probably puts in more tackles as well. Rest him occasionally and we'll get more out of him overall. Having Coventry in the side should allow that to happen. If you play both, one of them could be subbed at some stage to rest them, or give them a match on the bench occasionally. Either way, letting Dobson go would be a mistake imho, even with the promising Coventry coming in.
Dobbos desire and passion to win are key attributes to any team.
Put some quality around him with his drive and you have a key to success. Alfie is our Dobbo equivalent up front.
We need another at the back, then we’ve got our spine.
Agree with that. I imagine he doesn't like constructive criticism. In addition to what I heard, I've just been informed by Dobbos dad, via mine, that the club have asked for him to hold off until Wednesday whilst they get a better offer over to him.
Up to now I’ve been a bit wary of joining in the general pile-in on Scott for lack of hard evidence. You’ve produced the hardest evidence so far, and it is strong because (others take note) you give a clear indication of the source and channel of your information. So thank you for that.
If this is true it appears to indicate that Scott thinks we will somehow be just fine getting out of the current mess without Dobbo. If true that indicates quite appalling judgement. If CBT lines up in a white shirt on Saturday against us because we failed to negotiate a simple one match agreement for him not to play us out of respect to the fans, that is a second collossal misjudgement, albeit more short term in effect.
The only think that still makes me cautious about fingering Scott as the main culprit for these two bad, bad decisions is the voices from Wearside who say that this looks like typical Methven work. They may not realise that he does not play the same role as he did up there, or that we have a quite different board to them at the time; however he has assumed more formal power than he said he would have back in May. It means that if this is Scott’s work and Methven sees the dangers as most us do, he has/had the power to intervene and stop them. Also, it seems Methven does have his own money at stake here, unlike at Sunderland where he was apparently gifted his 6% by Donald. ironically the money is the windfall from selling his 6% share of Sunderland. Again this proves nothing, and of course his 6% share in this club will be devalued if we go down to L2. But it should be borne in mind, and we should all seek clear answers about how these decisions are being taken , and by whom.
I understand the concerns over inappropriate organisational interference in the recruitment/ contract process but I am not sure it is evident here. There will and should always be executive budgetary oversight over all business functions.
If certain individuals are directly interfering in Scotts specific area of control then the questions are valid but Dobson was offered a new contract. So I am not sure there is any dispute over the « club’s » wish for Dobson to stay - more the financial terms needed to secure his services going forward.
He found better terms elsewhere where even a transfer fee (albeit probably nominal) was on offer.
Despite the assurances about further recruitment, Appletons’ departure will have required a review of the funding allocated to further squad restructure. What that will mean going forward remains to be seen but any revised offer to Dobson may be no more than an executive budgetary realignment.
Right now if a player is a) in the building, b) is one you want to stay in the building c) wants to stay in the building then logically why do you want to spend precious key time & funding trying to secure a replacement.
I would rather think right now this squad/ any new head coach will need all the help he can get.
Equally I am not sure even if Methven made the offer it need necessarily be a major concern. Is it not a matter of simple line management over budgetary control? I can speak to several lending propositions I declined where certain seniors overruled me.
That was their right. To preserve my authority and independent judgement, especially after protracted negotiations it is perfectly reasonable for senior executives to take it upon themselves to manage the sanctioned arrangement.
Ultimately it was about the business. I happily congratulated the client on securing their funding but not without noting internally time would tell who was right and who was wrong.
I concede I am relaxed over the retention/ departure of Dobson. He has served us well but beyond a notable defensive profile has failed to register (as a key central midfielder) compelling control of the teams defensive structure or cohesive attacking output. He has struggled to get past his limitations.
Don’t get me wrong he offers value but I regard the role as requiring a significantly greater control of the defensive structure around him and securing a robust platform from which those in the attacking third are able to operate.
Is he helped by the gaping ineptness in central defence? No but organisationally he needs to do more.
Maybe I view awarding new contracts from a different perspective. Yes, there should be a recognition of existing performance but we have in large part already paid for this. New contracts should be about what you are going to do for me tomorrow in comparison to the abilities and cost of others in the market.
If he stays I will wish him well but to grow the team he will like many players at this level need exactly the right balance around him. At this stage I am not uncomfortable with him wearing the shirt but would be looking for others to win it off him.
I think he's an average League 1 player, but one who runs his socks off and leaves nothing out there, he's certainly got fight and the right mentality, if we had 11 of his calibre we may not be pushing the top two, but we'd certainly be a lot higher up the table than we are now.
When I think back to the early 90's, your Garry Nelson's, Stuart Balmer, Darren Pitchers etc of this world were the dobo equivalent. Then of course we were in the equivalent of today's championship, and they were average championship players but of the right mentality. We also had quality in that team whether a Minto, Rob Lee/John Robinson, Colin Walsh etc.
I don't want to see him go right now, we need him, and I've zero faith that we'd replace with any better, most likely worse. Many many other players that we need better from.
We have already replaced him with better Conor Coventry
It’s dry outside. Ronniemoore - I love this rain we are having.
I think he's an average League 1 player, but one who runs his socks off and leaves nothing out there, he's certainly got fight and the right mentality, if we had 11 of his calibre we may not be pushing the top two, but we'd certainly be a lot higher up the table than we are now.
When I think back to the early 90's, your Garry Nelson's, Stuart Balmer, Darren Pitchers etc of this world were the dobo equivalent. Then of course we were in the equivalent of today's championship, and they were average championship players but of the right mentality. We also had quality in that team whether a Minto, Rob Lee/John Robinson, Colin Walsh etc.
I don't want to see him go right now, we need him, and I've zero faith that we'd replace with any better, most likely worse. Many many other players that we need better from.
We have already replaced him with better Conor Coventry
We'll have to sell Coventry then. No room in the team for both players & I expect (especially from what I've read on here) that Scott thought Dobbo was going.
I think he's an average League 1 player, but one who runs his socks off and leaves nothing out there, he's certainly got fight and the right mentality, if we had 11 of his calibre we may not be pushing the top two, but we'd certainly be a lot higher up the table than we are now.
When I think back to the early 90's, your Garry Nelson's, Stuart Balmer, Darren Pitchers etc of this world were the dobo equivalent. Then of course we were in the equivalent of today's championship, and they were average championship players but of the right mentality. We also had quality in that team whether a Minto, Rob Lee/John Robinson, Colin Walsh etc.
I don't want to see him go right now, we need him, and I've zero faith that we'd replace with any better, most likely worse. Many many other players that we need better from.
We have already replaced him with better Conor Coventry
Since Coventry arrived, Dobbo has played all three matches, indeed they've played them together. He may become his replacement in time, but that isn't the situation at the moment. As for Coventry being better, that is in no way the case. He's three years younger and may we become better in time, but he ain't there yet.
I think he's an average League 1 player, but one who runs his socks off and leaves nothing out there, he's certainly got fight and the right mentality, if we had 11 of his calibre we may not be pushing the top two, but we'd certainly be a lot higher up the table than we are now.
When I think back to the early 90's, your Garry Nelson's, Stuart Balmer, Darren Pitchers etc of this world were the dobo equivalent. Then of course we were in the equivalent of today's championship, and they were average championship players but of the right mentality. We also had quality in that team whether a Minto, Rob Lee/John Robinson, Colin Walsh etc.
I don't want to see him go right now, we need him, and I've zero faith that we'd replace with any better, most likely worse. Many many other players that we need better from.
We have already replaced him with better Conor Coventry
We'll have to sell Coventry then. No room in the team for both players & I expect (especially from what I've read on here) that Scott thought Dobbo was going.
Agreed there might not be room in the team for both players but there’s room in the squad for them both to compete isn’t that what we want in all positions having two capable players scrapping for one place? No reason either of them needs to leave.
Comments
So he may well be the sort of bloke that tends to rub people up the wrong way.
Seems smug and arrogant & I took an instant dislike to him after that.
In the end we all loved him to bits.
🎼Don’t it always seem to show…….that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone?🎼
God Bless ya Radistan. 👏
semedo was good for us but good in a poor team. Can you see the similarities?
well, that's a well thought through response!!!!
Theres no one answer to our problems, some people mistake posts like mine as being exclusively “anti-Dobbo”, which is just not true.
Don't get me wrong, Dobbo has been one of our best players in recent years, but there has been a tendency to blame others for our midfield problems.
For me, it's a no brainer.
We have been privileged to have this player since he joined us in the summer of 2021 and quickly became a favourite in the red shirt.
Whether a football aficionado or "just" a Charlton fan like me, this young man ticked a lot of boxes from the off and was voted our Player of the Year at the end of his first season. And for the first time in 11 years of co-organising the event, his Dad purchased 10 tickets so that the whole family could attend the dinner. This, I believe demonstrated the growing bond between the Dobson & the Charlton families....
NO-ONE who's watched Dobbo play could question his passion, his energy, his 100% commitment to his team and to giving his all for our club. Of course, he's not a world beater - if he was, the faithful would have missed out on seeing a true professional, in a Roy of the Rovers guise and who, almost overnight became One of our Own.
Why in the world would we want to wave goodbye to this special player ? A player who has held his team together through the thick & thin, the victories and the defeats, who has kept head up when others' have dropped, who has led by example.
And who we've witnessed down on his haunches, head shaking in disbelief and visibly distraught at the final whistle in recent matches in this depessing season.
A player of whom the adage " He leaves nothing on the pitch" has never been so appropriate.
Finally, call me an old softie, but if we allow our latest Captain Courageous to depart for pastures new, at a time in the season when fighters for the cause will be worth their weight in gold, then my recent, if nebulous positivity around AS & co will disappear, once & for all.
It was foolish to lose one Legend in Jacko.
It would be criminal to lose another.
Our Dobbo.
When I think back to the early 90's, your Garry Nelson's, Stuart Balmer, Darren Pitchers etc of this world were the dobo equivalent. Then of course we were in the equivalent of today's championship, and they were average championship players but of the right mentality. We also had quality in that team whether a Minto, Rob Lee/John Robinson, Colin Walsh etc.
I don't want to see him go right now, we need him, and I've zero faith that we'd replace with any better, most likely worse. Many many other players that we need better from.
I think some are forgetting what George was like earlier in the earlier part of the season. He was MotM in the first three matches in a row, and by the time of the 4-0 v Reading he was averaging 6.90 on statbank, with only May and Chuks anywhere near his rating. That was a fresh and fired up George Dobson. I'd slightly taken him for granted before, but that start won me over as a fully paid up member of the GD fan club. And I know his scores might be inflated slightly, but stats and ratings websites like WhoScored rate him highly too. He's rated second, just below CBT: https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/160/Show/England-Charlton
His scores dipped around that busy Christmas period, and his season average is now 6.38, just behind top scorer Alfie.
You can see that he's not quite at that early season level, but that for me is because he's been over used. I don't know the stats, but I'm pretty sure he runs further in each match than any other player, and probably puts in more tackles as well. Rest him occasionally and we'll get more out of him overall. Having Coventry in the side should allow that to happen. If you play both, one of them could be subbed at some stage to rest them, or give them a match on the bench occasionally.
Either way, letting Dobson go would be a mistake imho, even with the promising Coventry coming in.
Alfie is our Dobbo equivalent up front.
If this is true it appears to indicate that Scott thinks we will somehow be just fine getting out of the current mess without Dobbo. If true that indicates quite appalling judgement. If CBT lines up in a white shirt on Saturday against us because we failed to negotiate a simple one match agreement for him not to play us out of respect to the fans, that is a second collossal misjudgement, albeit more short term in effect.
I understand the concerns over inappropriate organisational interference in the recruitment/ contract process but I am not sure it is evident here. There will and should always be executive budgetary oversight over all business functions.
If certain individuals are directly interfering in Scotts specific area of control then the questions are valid but Dobson was offered a new contract. So I am not sure there is any dispute over the « club’s » wish for Dobson to stay - more the financial terms needed to secure his services going forward.
He found better terms elsewhere where even a transfer fee (albeit probably nominal) was on offer.
Despite the assurances about further recruitment, Appletons’ departure will have required a review of the funding allocated to further squad restructure. What that will mean going forward remains to be seen but any revised offer to Dobson may be no more than an executive budgetary realignment.
Right now if a player is a) in the building, b) is one you want to stay in the building c) wants to stay in the building then logically why do you want to spend precious key time & funding trying to secure a replacement.
I would rather think right now this squad/ any new head coach will need all the help he can get.
Equally I am not sure even if Methven made the offer it need necessarily be a major concern. Is it not a matter of simple line management over budgetary control? I can speak to several lending propositions I declined where certain seniors overruled me.
That was their right. To preserve my authority and independent judgement, especially after protracted negotiations it is perfectly reasonable for senior executives to take it upon themselves to manage the sanctioned arrangement.
Ultimately it was about the business. I happily congratulated the client on securing their funding but not without noting internally time would tell who was right and who was wrong.
I concede I am relaxed over the retention/ departure of Dobson. He has served us well but beyond a notable defensive profile has failed to register (as a key central midfielder) compelling control of the teams defensive structure or cohesive attacking output. He has struggled to get past his limitations.
Don’t get me wrong he offers value but I regard the role as requiring a significantly greater control of the defensive structure around him and securing a robust platform from which those in the attacking third are able to operate.
Is he helped by the gaping ineptness in central defence? No but organisationally he needs to do more.
Maybe I view awarding new contracts from a different perspective. Yes, there should be a recognition of existing performance but we have in large part already paid for this. New contracts should be about what you are going to do for me tomorrow in comparison to the abilities and cost of others in the market.
If he stays I will wish him well but to grow the team he will like many players at this level need exactly the right balance around him. At this stage I am not uncomfortable with him wearing the shirt but would be looking for others to win it off him.