The Tommy Wright Interview [merged]

[Diego_Sideburns]

Have some people thought about the possibility that Corney might have already tried saying in private the kind of things he said in the interview without any discernible improvement in attitude and performance? That it might have been the only way he could think of to concentrate certain minds? That some people at the club are spitting out dummies actually says more about them than Corney?

 

As already said, reading between the lines it seems like he might be sick of seeing money spent on players who don't have the bottle to see the job through. Last season was big disappointment given the squad we had, while the throwing away of our best promotion opportunity in nearly two decades the season before was nothing short of a disgrace, small squad or not.

 

Now we have a bigger squad, and quite possibly the strongest we'll see at BP while we remain at this level. We might only be seventh but we were top not long ago. This squad was assembled at considerable cost, with promotion in mind (as most on here seemed to agree pre-season). After the last six or seven weeks, the great start and raised hopes, perhaps Corney and co. fear the season going the same way as so many others, due to apathy and certain players not really wanting to take a step up and move out of their comfort zone. Perhaps the penny has finally dropped that, especially as we slip into recession, the Oldham public won't regularly attend in break-even numbers or better unless the club looks serious about making something of itself again.

 

Couldn't have put it better myself CJ!

[Corporal_Jones]

Corp - stop winding me up and posting things I agree with. It's playing havoc with my delicate mental equilibrium.

 

Simon Corney will have thought about the wisdom of giving the interview beforehand . I give him credit for being a succesful man, and presumably one who employs different tactics for different situations. A public outburst, hometruths, then internal meetings to move things forward and on - and leaving nobody in any uncertainty about what's expected.

 

 

 

Precisely. I doubt very much if people in TTA's league, business and money wise, make many public statements without having thought about the consequences.

[LaticsPete]

Precisely. I doubt very much if people in TTA's league, business and money wise, make many public statements without having thought about the consequences.

 

So , you think we could go on a date now?

[shefflatic]

everything corney said in the interview had been said to the people concerned prior to the interview as simon stated 'ive spoken to hughes/gregan/shez'

 

He was only relaying his thoughts to the fans as he was clearly frustrated just as much as us, and needed to air his views. In hindsight it hasnt gone down well, but he had every right to say what he said and I fully agree with all the points that he raised.

 

Hughes was an idiot, we were shocking against yeovil and have been poor prior to that minus scunthorpe. If we had fought and really tried against yeovil and lost i doubt there would have been the uproar that occurred but seeing as we were so disinterested in winning the game and putting in any sort of performance which the players were quite happy to do against scunthorpe, the outburst followed.

 

To be fair, if Tommy and the players cant take what corney said on the chin in a constructive manner then they should think again about what being a footballer involves. They should have been ashamed themselves of what happened against yeovil and the other lesser teams in terms of their performances and agree with corney's sentiments.

 

footballers get paid very nicely for kicking a ball around a bit of grass 2hrs a week on saturday and the odd 2hr training session 3 times a week. People in high pressure jobs, eg doctors/nurses etc earn, in some cases, less in a year than certain footballers and they deal with peoples lives - thats pressure.

We shouldnt pussy foot around footballers with all this 'oh it will damage morale/confidence better not be honest and tell it how it is' and treat them as untouchable beings. Their roles on the pitch arent rocket science to perform to a high standard and to not give any sort of effort or to surrender weakly to, being honest, inferior opposition, is an insult to the paying public and owners.

 

All we as fans and the owners want is 100% effort from players and management for 2hrs every week. We certainly havent had that recently barring scunthorpe. As a player surely you would aim work your socks off every game so it can be said that if not successful as a team, 'at least so and so tried' or 'at least they all gave it a go.'.

 

Get it sorted shez/players or im sure many people if they havent already will begin to think if i work hard all week, why should i waste my money on a saturday watching half hearted displays.

 

Effort=support of fans=winning=success=championship

no effort=less fans support=losing=failure=league 1

 

you decide players......

[JohnnyPimp]

I agree with CJ's suggestion that Simon Corney may have already tried in vain to sort some of our problems internally and I posted this on the original 'explosive interview' thread.

 

Let's face it, if he was looking for a reaction he's got it and I think that the net effect of this whole affair should be positive. The management team and players are under no illusions now that success is expected this season and even when the team aren't getting results, effort and commitment needs to be on show.

 

With regard to Tommy Wright's interview, this is precisely what was required. A passionate, public defence of Shez’s and his team that should give them a new found solidarity. All that's required now are clear the air talks between the management team, TTA and the name-checked players and we can all move forward with purpose off the field and positive results on it.

 

Finally, for those people who are comparing a football club to other businesses, forget it. Football is an industry unlike most others. Rather than consisting of a handful of egotistical, well-paid personnel (usually the bosses), football has a raft-full and is constantly under the gaze of the public and press. It is an entertainment industry, a pantomime and to that end it needs its heroes and villains, even if they are regularly one and the same.

[Corporal_Jones]

So , you think we could go on a date now?

 

 

 

Only if you sign a pre-date agreement not to take advantage of me.

[Corporal_Jones]

I agree with CJ's suggestion that Simon Corney may have already tried in vain to sort some of our problems internally and I posted this on the original 'explosive interview' thread.

 

Let's face it, if he was looking for a reaction he's got it and I think that the net effect of this whole affair should be positive. The management team and players are under no illusions now that success is expected this season and even when the team aren't getting results, effort and commitment needs to be on show.

 

With regard to Tommy Wright's interview, this is precisely what was required. A passionate, public defence of Shez’s and his team that should give them a new found solidarity. All that's required now are clear the air talks between the management team, TTA and the name-checked players and we can all move forward with purpose off the field and positive results on it.

 

Finally, for those people who are comparing a football club to other businesses, forget it. Football is an industry unlike most others. Rather than consisting of a handful of egotistical, well-paid personnel (usually the bosses), football has a raft-full and is constantly under the gaze of the public and press. It is an entertainment industry, a pantomime and to that end it needs its heroes and villains, even if they are regularly one and the same.

 

 

 

Well said.

[LaticsPete]

Only if you sign a pre-date agreement not to take advantage of me.

 

Never thought of you as easy....

[StipeTripe]

So entrepreneurs and successful business people never do anything on the hoof, they never act on impulse?

 

If and it’s a big if, an if so large it’d just about squeeze into the Grand Canyon. If SC had previously expressed a dissatisfaction in the way in which the management staff on the playing side were performing and there had been no improvement then surely a pissy little public outburst wouldn’t be the way to react. Surely previous dressing downs by SC would have been enough to “concentrate certain minds” and if they hadn’t surely Shez, TW maybe even Dux would now be down the dole signing on, because I can’t believe for one minute Simon thought, right the warnings haven’t worked, lets do a video Al, that’ll learn ‘em!

 

Are we really to believe that this public outburst was a Machiavellian plan, fiendishly devised and thought through with a concise analytical business brain? A cunning plan to expose Shez to the realities of his tenure and really show him that TTA mean business. FFS do me a favour.

 

I mean when the video first hit the ether the general consensus seemed to be congratulatory towards SC, not because he was the ace business man with a plan but because he was showing his true passion, and was therefore reacting like one of us would and letting rip with both barrels. Simply venting his frustration. That’s the truth of it, that’s exactly what he did, that’s exactly why the clip has now vanished from the official site. I suspect SC will be wishing he’d not done it, for exactly the reasons some of you state, he is a business man, a very successful one, like the man once said. “I didn’t get where I am today by ………”

 

 

 

Huh huh like he said donut huh huh huh”

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

[GlossopLatic]

I agree with CJ's suggestion that Simon Corney may have already tried in vain to sort some of our problems internally and I posted this on the original 'explosive interview' thread.

 

Let's face it, if he was looking for a reaction he's got it and I think that the net effect of this whole affair should be positive. The management team and players are under no illusions now that success is expected this season and even when the team aren't getting results, effort and commitment needs to be on show.

 

With regard to Tommy Wright's interview, this is precisely what was required. A passionate, public defence of Shez’s and his team that should give them a new found solidarity. All that's required now are clear the air talks between the management team, TTA and the name-checked players and we can all move forward with purpose off the field and positive results on it.

 

Finally, for those people who are comparing a football club to other businesses, forget it. Football is an industry unlike most others. Rather than consisting of a handful of egotistical, well-paid personnel (usually the bosses), football has a raft-full and is constantly under the gaze of the public and press. It is an entertainment industry, a pantomime and to that end it needs its heroes and villains, even if they are regularly one and the same.

 

So what was the reaction The reaction was that it was harder for the management to motivate the players, and the interview has now been pulled.

 

Football is an industry unlike most others in its public and press attention you are right, which is why its public relations are so much more important. Lets look at how it should be done and begrudgingly we have to go to Old Trafford. Now very little gets out of the dressing room there. In his 20 years as manager of the most high profile club in the country Fergie never slags players off in public he leaves it to the dressing room he even goes as far as slagging off the referee even when he gets it right and will risk getting into trouble with the FA because of it to create the smokescreen and to alleviate the players from public blame. With that he has total respect from the players and with that his authority is unquestioned and so is his players motivation. When Roy Keane did a similarly explosive interview after a bad performance on the in house TV station he was jettisoned straight away. Proved the right decision as United got stronger from there. Simon Coreny isn't the manager you might say we know he isn't but when was the last time you saw a high profile Chairman come out and publicly slate of the players?

[Harry Dowds Green Shirt]

I'm in the Airforce and believe me the days of tearing people a new a-hole in public are well and truly over, simply because it is counter productive. People get upset that they have been embaressed in public. This leads to people going sick/not trying/doing worse. If I get torn a new one, it happens in an office away from my fellow peers.

 

Try to look at it in this context. If a Commanding Officer (Simon Corney) slates his Sgt and Corporal (John sheriden and Tommy Wright) in front of all his troops (the players) then his troops will lose confidence with the Sgt and will not be battle ready (matchday). If on the other hand the Sgt tells the CO that he's out of order for what he said then his troops will feel like somebody is sticking up for them and will want to repay the faith shown and not let him down.

 

What Tommy Wright said was also unproffesional, however, due to everything that had already gone on it was necessary. At the end of the day he had a right to stick up for himself and the players.

 

 

 

You can't start talking about CJ like that. These are changing times. The Corpoal is putting out posts and everyone (well nearly) is agreeing with him.

 

Please don't put a dampner on such glorious times.

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

Harry

[boundaryblue80]

Have some people thought about the possibility that Corney might have already tried saying in private the kind of things he said in the interview without any discernible improvement in attitude and performance?

I know for a fact that this is the case. Infact, it was even more so LAST season. I was told many times during last season how things between SC and Shez were strained...the biggest single factor in it was the home performances. And it's no surprise that a performance vs Yeovil which was akin (not quite AS bad but similar in the manner of defeat) to Hartlepool at home last season would see the re-emergence of such tensions.

 

I've said my own personal feelings on the interview last week, in that my main objection was the calling of fans "idiots". That's been discussed to death now, as TW's response is too. I've no problem with their rebuttal TBH either...can only lead to clearing the air or a quick solution. And I'd rather either happened now than in March.

 

On another note, it's nice to see the Corp has finally stopped re-hashing and has started telling us what he wants to see and hear from the club. It's been a refreshing read from the man...long may it continue! I'm glad he's also seen that not many of us are sat accepting mediocrity...something which was often highly debated.

 

Finally...the irony of people scoffing at this "explosive" interview being nothing worth talking much about made me smile. Sorry for posting your post up LL but it tickled me.

 

I've just watched this now, and I can't understand the fuss. I'd imagined that Mr C had been screaming abuse down the camera. In fact he just sounds a bit narked that things aren't going so well, seriously, I'm no corporate high flier and I've taken 100 times worse than that from various bosses over the years. He obviously picked the two players who could take it as well, the message will be heard through the squad but without any of the younger ones feeling picked upon. Storm in a teacup.

 

Incidentally, I just noticed that Alan's Facebook profile doesn't have a photo. Taken in a mirror perhaps?

[leeslover]

Finally...the irony of people scoffing at this "explosive" interview being nothing worth talking much about made me smile. Sorry for posting your post up LL but it tickled me.

So you reckon Alan Hardy can be photographed in a mirror? I'll believe it when I see it

[eddyblue]

What Corporal Jones said is regrettably true albeit depressing. Us older 'tics, or me anyway, will remember that when Frizz got us promoted it was at that time relatively as miraculous as the Joe Royle promotion era, so the expectation level at Latics is unrealistic. that said if we cannot keep hope (or faith) that one day we will get out of this league, upwards by the way, then it takes away the point of following latics, or loads of other lower league clubs. This is why the greedy league ignore the lower leagues at its peril, because whats the point of a premier league without a strong healthy and competitive legue structure undrneath. United v Liverpool would be less exciting to the armchair fan if they were two of only 12 viable clubs left in Britain...a la SPL..rangers, Celtic and ..er who cares

[boundaryblue80]

What Corporal Jones said is regrettably true albeit depressing. Us older 'tics, or me anyway, will remember that when Frizz got us promoted it was at that time relatively as miraculous as the Joe Royle promotion era, so the expectation level at Latics is unrealistic.

Disagree...yeah in the eras you talk about in our history they were miraculous acheivements but for this level, this season, expectations are exactly where they should be. We've one of the highest costing playing staff, we've had this stability we've talked about to build for a season where we shoot for promotion (or give it a damn good shot at least) and where I've felt in years gone by, we have had unreal expectations, this season certainly isn't the case. Under Dowie in the 02/03 season and this season are the only two seasons of high expectations I've had...unrealistic, they certainly aint!

Edited November 13, 2008 by boundaryblue80

[eddyblue]

Disagree...yeah in the eras you talk about in our history they were miraculous acheivements but for this level, this season, expectations are exactly where they should be. We've one of the highest costing playing staff, we've had this stability we've talked about to build for a season where we shoot for promotion (or give it a damn good shot at least) and where I've felt in years gone by, we have had unreal expectations, this season certainly isn't the case. Under Dowie in the 02/03 season and this season are the only two seasons of high expectations I've had...unrealistic, they certainly aint!

Fair enough. Didn't express myself clearly. What I mean is that Latics have punched above their weight in those eras, and I fervently hope we will do so again, and i will be gutted if we miss out again ths season. BUT it takes some doing getting out of this league, so the doom and gloom is an expression of our fears that we might be destined for years of 3rd division mediocrity. When we lose games such as Yeovil at home those fears are brought out. I really hope promotion is achieved but when people get on shez's back we should remember that it is no easy task that faces latics, bearing in mind the poor core support levels compared with say Leeds & Leicester

[Diego_Sideburns]

... it is no easy task that faces latics, bearing in mind the poor core support levels compared with say Leeds & Leicester

 

Unfortunately it always comes back to that root problem.

[Corporal_Jones]

Unfortunately it always comes back to that root problem.

 

 

 

Nobody can deny that attendances are a big problem for clubs like ours, with more illustrious rivals just down the road. However it is not necessarily the main problem. When we won promotion to the top flight we didn't have anywhere near as large an average as the two clubs who went up with us. Similarly, other clubs who have made the big-time more recently, such as Bolton and Charlton, couldn't at the time command crowds as large as some of their main competitors. And we see the likes of Colchester, Southend and Scunthorpe climb out of our own division, at least for a season or two, and none of them can claim to be well-supported.

 

The key is in getting a good team to perform consistently well enough to rekindle the interest of the casual and lapsed Latics fan, as well as those in the area whose first choice club may not be Latics but wish us well enough to come along and see what's going on at BP.