Rudkin

[Stadt]

11 minutes ago, Les-TA-Jon said:

For clarity, I don't think "We don't know" is synonymous with letting people off the hook. It's simply, our discussion is just that - uninformed speculation, conjecture and imagined narratives. 

 

I think the club is, continues to be and has been a mess for the last 2-3 years. 

Should Rudkin be sacked and replaced?

[Dahnsouff]

2 minutes ago, Stadt said:

The Silva deal was pure incompetence, there aren't any successes that match up to that failure purely from the DoF's view.

 

What are Rudkin's big successes in transfer, wage and contract negotiations? What % of deals have we been the clear winner in and then used the funds to good effect?

 

Barnes we got about £5m more than Southampton did for Livramento.

Spurs paid less for Maddison than Everton did for Richarlison despite heaving way more goal contributions.

Winks, £10m good signing about the market rate.

Coady, too long a deal for his age, barely played and not very good.

Choudhury, new 4 year deal despite making circa 90 apps in 7 years.

Fatawu and Akgun's loans, good signings but we haven't secured them yet.

Hermansen, you know what we actually did well out of this one.

Mavididi, good signing, went for the going rate.

Cannon, jury is out, decent enough singing but if we're so hamstrung by FFP and PSR, a 4th striker for £7m wasn't the best allocation of funds.

Casadei, loan - nothing lost about from we're a body lighter in midfield now and our only other physical presence.

 

 

Then when you get onto the players we can't shift permanently:

Souttar, recent signing - will sell for a loss eventually whilst paying his wages

Thomas, not rated, not sold even though he'd be pure profit and his contract expires this summer

Praet, we cut our nose to spite our face here with Torino

Soumare, we've had offers and not sold.

 

 

Then there's the c.£100m of signings that left for nothing in the summer:

 

Mendy

Perez

Soyuncu

Amartey

Evans

Tielemans

 

He's the DoF, academy director, Head of Ops at King Power Racing and a director at Leuven.

 

He's at best overworked and at worst incompetent.

 

Sensi might have f ucked about, Inter might have f ucked about - if that's the case release a statement? Instead we (probably) have a pissed off manager, a pissed off player, pissed off agent  and a pissed off selling club.

 

It really is no surprise most people, including some of the most well informed posters on the forum point the finger at Rudkin. 

 

Top also has to bear the brunt too, we're dysfunctional in the market when it comes to buying, selling and negotiating. 

 

 

Let me take that TLDR back

You raise some fair points

• The fees for players was poor just imagined it was low due to our desperation to avoid FFP problems.
• Would certainly much rather have a single person who is a dedicated DoF
• Yes, the whole management team share the blame for these deficencies.
• Not convinced any of this will be in anyway a surprise to Enzo, but that makes sense too me and isn't factual.
• Maybe their is info out there that categorically prove Rudkin is the point of failure,  but no ITK is going to confirm, so hard to say as he will always be the obvious figure of blame due to his role

 

Edited 2 February by Dahnsouff

[UniFox21]

22 minutes ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

Cant wait for Top's "dont blame me" statement. 

"We need to work together to help propel the team forwards"

[Finnegan]

12 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

It may sound sensationalist

 

The truest part of your post. 

 

Come on Ric, for better or worse people listen to you. Don't start pushing that melodrama. 

 

I'm sure Maresca is disappointed but look around the footballing world. The BBC have just published an article saying January spend is down 700m this year. The bubble has burst a little in English football, clubs everywhere have been spending well beyond their means and it's going to be a bit of a culture shock for a lot of the country's clubs to try and adjust. 

 

I'm not under illusions that Enzo is going to be here forever, he seems extremely competent as a coach and I'm sure he's destined for bigger things. I said months ago I reckon he'll be our first manager in a long time to be poached not sacked. 

 

But ffs he's not going to abandon his first proper job at the top level at a decent club after getting promotion because he wasn't able to sign Sensi on loan when we don't even really need him. I mean, shit, man. We've agreed terms with him and done a medical, we can sign a pre contract agreement with him now, cut Inter out and get him for free at the end of the year if we're that fvcking keen. 

 

This is just a lot of hysteria over nothing. The club is in a tight spot financially, that isn't news. It's offensive to Maresca to suggest he had absolutely no clue at all before he joined and it's offensive to Top or Whelan to imply the opposite. What, we recruited him lying through our teeth that he'd have billions to spend just like Pep? 

 

And fvcking hell we gave him Harry fvcking Winks England international as his first signing!! It's not like he's had sod all. Go on r/Championship and see how many tiny violins the rest of the league's fans are playing for poor Leicester City running away with the league that we didn't get to sign an Italian international in his prime to play in the second tier. 

 

Some of you all need to go outside and touch grass. Look around the rest of the footballing world beyond Leicester. It really isn't just us with issues is it. 

 

[Mickyblueeyes]

Our last few transfer windows:

 

Summer 2021 - Daka, failed, Soumare, failed, Vestegaard - failed considerably for what he was bought for - reprieve in the championship, Bertrand, failed.

January 2022 - failed

Summer 2022 - Faes and Smithies. Faes failed in the PL, come good in the Championship - reprieve. Smithies not worth rating. 

January 2023 - Souttar, Tete, Khristiansen - all failed. 

Summer 2023 - Mavididi - success, Fatawu and Akgun - potential success, Coady - to date, failed, Casadei - failed, Winks - success, Cannon - lots of potential, jury still out, Mads - success, Doyle - jury still out. 

January 2024 - failed. 

 

Total: 

 

11 - failed transfers.

2 reprieves at a lower standard.

2 - complete failed windows. 

3 successful signings.

3 - highly likely to be succesful signings. 

2 - too early to judge. 

 

Have I missed any ? If not, that's 3 good signings in 6 windows. 6 if you add Abdul, Cannon and Akgun. 

 

What is there to defend ?

 

 

Edited 2 February by Mickyblueeyes

[Stadt]

19 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Let me take that TLDR back

You raise some fair points

• The fees for players was poor just imagined it was low due to our desperation to avoid FFP problems.
• Would certainly much rather have a single person who is a dedicated DoF
• Yes, the whole management team share the blame for these deficencies.
• Not convinced any of this will be in anyway a surprise to Enzo, but that makes sense too me and isn't factual.
• Maybe their is info out there that categorically prove Rudkin is the point of failure,  but no ITK is going to confirm, so hard to say as he will always be the obvious figure of blame due to his role

 

The Sam Wallace telegraph article last year

"Rudkin reports directly to Top, as he did Vichai, and is his boss’ chief advisory voice on all matters from signings to managerial sackings and appointments."

Top likely isn't involved in the day to day running so Rudkin assumes the responsibility - that's a fair assumption.

 

Even if Rudkin isn't directly, completely culpable he keeps overseeing issues like this - eventually the senior figure has to take responsibility for it. In the same way that if a manager keeps picking a player that makes mistakes, they're responsible for it.

Edited 2 February by Stadt

[DoveValleyFox]

27 minutes ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

Cant wait for Top's "dont blame me" statement. 

Or....

 

After having a 'monumental cock up' review, meeting, we have decided that, after much consideration that the club will be advertising for an accountant. 

[Viva]

58 minutes ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

Like he was at the start of the window.... 🤣

Since the start of the window, Forest and Everton have been charged with FFP breaches. It was only the end of Nov that Everton were deducted 10 points. 
It would be perfectly understandable if our transfer policy changed during the window. Enzo would have been aware of this. 

[Dames]

2 hours ago, CosbehFox said:

They were plenty raising red flags about the deal. Notably @Ric Flair got a lot of shit for it 

I said the same thing at the time he was signed. Was not impressed and said we’d be lumbered with him if we went up taking up a high wage on the wage bill. Turns out we are lumbered with him now and have got 0 use out of him. Appalling. 

[Reg Vardy]

8 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

The truest part of your post. 

 

Come on Ric, for better or worse people listen to you. Don't start pushing that melodrama. 

 

I'm sure Maresca is disappointed but look around the footballing world. The BBC have just published an article saying January spend is down 700m this year. The bubble has burst a little in English football, clubs everywhere have been spending well beyond their means and it's going to be a bit of a culture shock for a lot of the country's clubs to try and adjust. 

 

I'm not under illusions that Enzo is going to be here forever, he seems extremely competent as a coach and I'm sure he's destined for bigger things. I said months ago I reckon he'll be our first manager in a long time to be poached not sacked. 

 

But ffs he's not going to abandon his first proper job at the top level at a decent club after getting promotion because he wasn't able to sign Sensi on loan when we don't even really need him. I mean, shit, man. We've agreed terms with him and done a medical, we can sign a pre contract agreement with him now, cut Inter out and get him for free at the end of the year if we're that fvcking keen. 

 

This is just a lot of hysteria over nothing. The club is in a tight spot financially, that isn't news. It's offensive to Maresca to suggest he had absolutely no clue at all before he joined and it's offensive to Top or Whelan to imply the opposite. What, we recruited him lying through our teeth that he'd have billions to spend just like Pep? 

 

And fvcking hell we gave him Harry fvcking Winks England international as his first signing!! It's not like he's had sod all. Go on r/Championship and see how many tiny violins the rest of the league's fans are playing for poor Leicester City running away with the league that we didn't get to sign an Italian international in his prime to play in the second tier. 

 

Some of you all need to go outside and touch grass. Look around the rest of the footballing world beyond Leicester. It really isn't just us with issues is it. 

Absolutely on the money......

8 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

 

[Finnegan]

15 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Rudkin is the point of failure,  but no ITK is going to confirm, so hard to say as he will always be the obvious figure of blame due to his role

 

1 minute ago, Stadt said:

Rudkin reports directly to Top, as he did Vichai, and is his boss’ chief advisory voice on all matters from signings to managerial sackings and appointments.

 

You don't need an ITK to tell you what a Director is. 

 

People act like football clubs are these strange, alien worlds impossible to comprehend. Look, if you're one of these clubs with an eccentric owner constantly meddling then maybe sure but for the vast majority - definitely including us - it's just bog standard corporate structure. 

 

For most people, just look at your own places of work. 

 

Rudkin is just a director, he reports to the CEO and chairman and basically nobody else. Directors have portfolios and the Director of Football or Sporting Director at a club is in charge of all footballing operations which means it's his ultimate responsibility what players we buy and sell, what contracts we extend and how the budget for playing and coaching staff is ultimately allocated. 

 

But he's not out there playing football manager on his own with a laptop, he's managing a shit load of service managers (including Maresca and Glover) who lead the teams that do most of the front line work you think the footballing side of a club does. 

 

It's not this mystical, incomprehensible role that nobody understands it's just... management. 

[lcfcbluearmy]

2 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

 

You don't need an ITK to tell you what a Director is. 

 

People act like football clubs are these strange, alien worlds impossible to comprehend. Look, if you're one of these clubs with an eccentric owner constantly meddling then maybe sure but for the vast majority - definitely including us - it's just bog standard corporate structure. 

 

For most people, just look at your own places of work. 

 

Rudkin is just a director, he reports to the CEO and chairman and basically nobody else. Directors have portfolios and the Director of Football or Sporting Director at a club is in charge of all footballing operations which means it's his ultimate responsibility what players we buy and sell, what contracts we extend and how the budget for playing and coaching staff is ultimately allocated. 

 

But he's not out there playing football manager on his own with a laptop, he's managing a shit load of service managers (including Maresca and Glover) who lead the teams that do most of the front line work you think the footballing side of a club does. 

 

It's not this mystical, incomprehensible role that nobody understands it's just... management. 

True and if nothing else Rudkin is failing at managing 

[ACF]

3 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

 

You don't need an ITK to tell you what a Director is. 

 

People act like football clubs are these strange, alien worlds impossible to comprehend. Look, if you're one of these clubs with an eccentric owner constantly meddling then maybe sure but for the vast majority - definitely including us - it's just bog standard corporate structure. 

 

For most people, just look at your own places of work. 

 

Rudkin is just a director, he reports to the CEO and chairman and basically nobody else. Directors have portfolios and the Director of Football or Sporting Director at a club is in charge of all footballing operations which means it's his ultimate responsibility what players we buy and sell, what contracts we extend and how the budget for playing and coaching staff is ultimately allocated. 

 

But he's not out there playing football manager on his own with a laptop, he's managing a shit load of service managers (including Maresca and Glover) who lead the teams that do most of the front line work you think the footballing side of a club does. 

 

It's not this mystical, incomprehensible role that nobody understands it's just... management. 

But then isn’t his job to also manage and communicate expectations when it comes to transfers? He’s “just a director” but directors assume responsibility for the team underneath him.

[Kierzz]

Is it Rudkin who is accountable for this mess we are in financially which is preventing any transfer business and allowing players to stay on massive wages? Or is it actually 

our Commercial Director, who reports into our CEO, more accountable?

 

Seems to be caused more directly by financial issues than football operations (although I appreciate the two are always linked by cause and effect).

[Reg Vardy]

1 hour ago, Tuna said:

Winks does his knee ligaments v Stoke we're absolutely ****ed

 

Clueless strategy

Lets sign Declan Rice

[Ric Flair]

19 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

The truest part of your post. 

 

Come on Ric, for better or worse people listen to you. Don't start pushing that melodrama. 

 

I'm sure Maresca is disappointed but look around the footballing world. The BBC have just published an article saying January spend is down 700m this year. The bubble has burst a little in English football, clubs everywhere have been spending well beyond their means and it's going to be a bit of a culture shock for a lot of the country's clubs to try and adjust. 

 

I'm not under illusions that Enzo is going to be here forever, he seems extremely competent as a coach and I'm sure he's destined for bigger things. I said months ago I reckon he'll be our first manager in a long time to be poached not sacked. 

 

But ffs he's not going to abandon his first proper job at the top level at a decent club after getting promotion because he wasn't able to sign Sensi on loan when we don't even really need him. I mean, shit, man. We've agreed terms with him and done a medical, we can sign a pre contract agreement with him now, cut Inter out and get him for free at the end of the year if we're that fvcking keen. 

 

This is just a lot of hysteria over nothing. The club is in a tight spot financially, that isn't news. It's offensive to Maresca to suggest he had absolutely no clue at all before he joined and it's offensive to Top or Whelan to imply the opposite. What, we recruited him lying through our teeth that he'd have billions to spend just like Pep? 

 

And fvcking hell we gave him Harry fvcking Winks England international as his first signing!! It's not like he's had sod all. Go on r/Championship and see how many tiny violins the rest of the league's fans are playing for poor Leicester City running away with the league that we didn't get to sign an Italian international in his prime to play in the second tier. 

 

Some of you all need to go outside and touch grass. Look around the rest of the footballing world beyond Leicester. It really isn't just us with issues is it. 

 

I'm calling it as I see it. Once the trust is broken between manager and club, its the beginning of the end. He's already making it clear in his press conferences and interviews.

 

Italian managers think nothing of resigning, they don't care about the financial loss of staying put. His reputation gets little negativity by doing so here either. See the season out, get the title or promotion on his CV and his philosophies and principles left intact.

 

He's told us he knew nothing of the financial position that we are in for January, the entire operation this window once again has been groundhog day. 

 

Maresca won't be here by the summer of 2025.

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

16 minutes ago, Viva said:

Since the start of the window, Forest and Everton have been charged with FFP breaches. It was only the end of Nov that Everton were deducted 10 points. 
It would be perfectly understandable if our transfer policy changed during the window. Enzo would have been aware of this. 

The rules haven't changed though have they? If that's the reason then that firmly demonstrates how poorly run we are.

[ARM1968]

Sensi was likely the stop gap for if KDH went to Brighton. Maybe if Praet left. They didn’t. We don’t need him. We go with what we have. Quite simple really. 

[Viva]

Just now, Chocolate Teapot said:

The rules haven't changed though have they? If that's the reason then that firmly demonstrates how poorly run we are.

Whatever has happened has affected the majority of the other clubs too, hence the fact that hardly any money has been spent this month. 

[Finnegan]

9 minutes ago, ACF said:

But then isn’t his job to also manage and communicate expectations when it comes to transfers? He’s “just a director” but directors assume responsibility for the team underneath him.

 

I've said multiple times in this thread that the buck stops with Rudkin. I'm not defending him I'm just saying his role isn't impossible to understand and people claiming we don't know what he does are being a bit daft. 

 

We don't know exactly what makes up his day but we know what his responsibilities are. 

 

As for communication, not 100% sure what you mean there. If you mean communicating with the fans and the general public then, frankly, whilst it might be frustrating at times I have absolutely 0 problems with the clubs' policy on comms. 

 

I understand fans feeling entitled to an explanation, I get that. But the club can't show their hand to the fans without also showing their hand to the rest of the footballing world and it's the latter they have to do business with. It's bad enough that everyone thinks we're skint, the less we have to actually admit it the better. 

 

That's one of the worst parts of the Sensi fiasco. It's really bad optics. It would have been much better to just deny he was ever a target and say we're happy with the squad that's got us ten points clear. 

 

[CosbehFox]

Worth considering in very plain terms. The period involving this season would allow us FFP PS losses of £83million. 
 

Last season we lost £92 million alone - albeit you can take a good chunk of that off as doesn’t apply to FFP but in the context you’d need a loss of £27m per season in this period after FFP deductions 
 

In this FFP financial year, our player trading is at a profit of £14m. 
 

 

[Reg Vardy]

30 minutes ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

Our last few transfer windows:

 

Summer 2021 - Daka, failed, Soumare, failed, Vestegaard - failed considerably for what he was bought for - reprieve in the championship, Bertrand, failed.

January 2022 - failed

Summer 2022 - Faes and Smithies. Faes failed in the PL, come good in the Championship - reprieve. Smithies not worth rating. 

January 2023 - Souttar, Tete, Khristiansen - all failed. 

Summer 2023 - Mavididi - success, Fatawu and Akgun - potential success, Coady - to date, failed, Casadei - failed, Winks - success, Cannon - lots of potential, jury still out, Mads - success, Doyle - jury still out. 

January 2024 - failed. 

 

Total: 

 

11 - failed transfers.

2 reprieves at a lower standard.

2 - complete failed windows. 

3 successful signings.

3 - highly likely to be succesful signings. 

2 - too early to judge. 

 

Have I missed any ? If not, that's 3 good signings in 6 windows. 6 if you add Abdul, Cannon and Akgun. 

 

What is there to defend ?

 

 

Coady has started a handful of games, and not lost.....right failure....

[DJ Barry Hammond]

8 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I'm calling it as I see it. Once the trust is broken between manager and club, its the beginning of the end. He's already making it clear in his press conferences and interviews.

 

Italian managers think nothing of resigning, they don't care about the financial loss of staying put. His reputation gets little negativity by doing so here either. See the season out, get the title or promotion on his CV and his philosophies and principles left intact.

 

He's told us he knew nothing of the financial position that we are in for January, the entire operation this window once again has been groundhog day. 

 

Maresca won't be here by the summer of 2025.

Jettisoning the ownership and DOF might not keep Enzo here either.

 

That would look equally as bizarre would it not? 
 

If, as it seems, FFP is tight one thing we could conclude is that as a club, we backed Enzo as much as we could in the summer.

 

And as we know, getting rid of players that you’ve paid fees for is no longer as easy as just giving them a free because that can still count as a loss.

[Dan LCFC]

11 hours ago, Matt said:

I see the marking their own homework, back slapping and reviews of last season/summer were worthwhile and lessons were learnt…

 

Serious questions need answering and serious pressure needs to be applied now.

It wasn't applied when we got relegated. There's no chance now. We have a flaccid fanbase.

[CosbehFox]

5 minutes ago, Viva said:

Whatever has happened has affected the majority of the other clubs too, hence the fact that hardly any money has been spent this month. 

Yes and no. 

 

On the whole, 2023/24 as a whole was the second largest transfer fees spent since the windows were introduced. 

 

There was a £715m drop between January 2023 and January 2024. But one key difference....Chelsea who dropped nearly £300 million themselves.