Okon gone

[ballantyne]

Thank f**k for that.
Thank you Paul and Ivan for your service and all the best in your future endeavours.
I want management can deal with opposition pressure, can coach to the team's strengths, can develop some squad depth.
This is a very poor league, deliberately so. We can do better in it.

 

[ballantyne]

Gatt's Sunday tweet surely means Charlesworth briefed him. If there is any substance to the "restrictions" rumours, surely it means we're moving to a DOF structure?

 

[nebakke]

I'm figuring there's a fair likelihood that the restrictions would be tied to the coach. Or he could have been seeing himself doing a Popovic-style wholesale clean out and the club nixed it.
The reality is though that as usual i haven't a clue and this all amounts to rectal communication but still - surprising how little it takes to inspire a little bit of hope.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Coincides with Charlesworth flying in from Europe. Wow.

Does he have an important family holiday that will stop him watching the team he has screwed over?

 

[scottmac]

Does he have an important family holiday that will stop him watching the team he has screwed over?

If he turned up would inspire the largest bay 16 attendance for a while you'd think

 

[midfielder]

If the conditions are "f**k you, no money, Academy players promoted to the first XI only" then we're more f**ked than we realise. Anyone who's been near a game they've played will know what I'm on about - they're just... not up to scratch for A-League level.

I get that Okon had to go, believe me. But Charlesworth has to be next otherwise we'll be handing out license back come 2025. We're not even close to being competitive and the FFA wont hesitate for one second in moving us elsewhere or folding us entirely.

Great post

 

[pjennings]

Everyone in the other thread was saying Okon needed to be on a tight leash if he stayed. That seemed to be what the club was trying to do.

TBH - I think it may have been a way of forcing him to resign

Gatt's Sunday tweet surely means Charlesworth briefed him. If there is any substance to the "restrictions" rumours, surely it means we're moving to a DOF structure?

Maybe - but it doesn't give hope - just raises questions. Surely more to the Gatty tweet on the weekend.

 

[JoyfulPenguin]

Glad to see that we can finally move on. Good luck to Okon and Jolic in their future endeavors. Would have preferred Hutch or Cahn back over Sully but if it's only till the end of the season it's acceptable. Shaun, if it's him who picks the coach, has a tough job ahead of him.

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

Holy crap, didn't expect this when I logged on to the internet for the first time today

Yeah ok I was all like YAY OKON OUT and now I’m kinda like OH f**k I THINK I JUST FOUND OUT WHY OKON QUIT THIS IS NOT GOOD
Word on the street is that he was told he would have very little control over player recruitment next season.

That's truly terrifying...

In response to comments about 'maybe it's a strategy to force him to walk' - why would it be, when he's out of contract soon anyway? What's the advantage to that?

Okon was given more free reign for players than other coaches, within budget. One would hope that MC doesn't see that aspect as a failed experiment. I hope there are other, more nuanced issues at play here.
we are all responding to rumours and hearsay, after all

 

[Ancient Mariner]

In response to comments about 'maybe it's a strategy to force him to walk' - why would it be, when he's out of contract soon anyway? What's the advantage to that?

My guess would be re-signing or not the players who are off contract. Let the new appointment chose his own.

Who knows they could be already talking, especially if Celtic rumours have any basis.

 

[Gratis]

Capn Gus Bloodbeard said: ↑
In response to comments about 'maybe it's a strategy to force him to walk' - why would it be, when he's out of contract soon anyway? What's the advantage to that?
Okon has made it clear it's Plan A or bust. I think this was more the club saying find a plan B or bust it is champ.

 

[Gratis]

Capn Gus Bloodbeard said: ↑
In response to comments about 'maybe it's a strategy to force him to walk' - why would it be, when he's out of contract soon anyway? What's the advantage to that?
Okon has made it clear it's Plan A or bust. I think this was more the club saying find a plan B or bust it is champ.

Also Okon's 2 year contract doesn't end in a month like many are assuming. It ends 5 weeks before the start of the next season. That would give a new coach even less time than Paul himself had before the start of the season he took over.

 

[Big Al]

Okon always had a Newcastle stench. Just took us two years to realise we got played

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

Also Okon's 2 year contract doesn't end in a month like many are assuming. It ends 5 weeks before the start of the next season. That would give a new coach even less time than Paul himself had before the start of the season he took over.

Fair point. And MC wouldn't want to tell him in advance he's not getting renewed - never show your hand in contract negotiations as it gives them the upper hand.

Okay, so as it stands
1) We have no idea what the real reason is, except hearsay
2) Even if we accept the comment that it was going to be too restrictive, we have no idea what those restrictions were
3) And we have no idea if those restrictions were just to get rid of Okon.

No point worry about any of that.
I know we're worried about the impact of losing our coach making it worse, but we've seen teams play really well immediately after losing a coach. Change in mindset and all that.

 

[Big Al]

What about this.

Shaun said in the pod that Paul didn’t want to talk till after the season.

SFC are sniffing.

We actually offered a contract. Paul says no as can’t get SFC gig as will be tied to us.

He may be making excuses to be available for SFC interviews.

Probably not but Paul was possibly trying to buy time hedging his bets and it ran out.

Most probably not but everyone guessing about the club trying to push him why not the other way?

 

[Big Al]

This has been missed in all the recruitment stuff.

MAN MANAGEMENT

 

[nebakke]

So it does smack a bit of "Paolo, we're going to need you to focus a bit on your man management and motivational areas because clearly it's not working, Also you're not Popa and you can't just get rid of the entire team every season"
Paolo: *table flip*

----
Probably a bit optimistic and exaggerated but it fits with what was needed

 

[Wombat]

Popa used to do it in reverse. Have a great season..sack everyone and battle for the spoon the following year.

Popa absolutely arsed the Asian Cup with the worst Football ever seen and the most luck since Steven Bradbury used to skate.

The only thing i like about him is he understands all good teams are built from the back.

Apart from that he is a f**king wanker.

 

[shipwreck]

Ever since someone told that story of Popas first day in charge of WSW where he walked into the change room and said "I'm going to the top, it's up to you if you come with me" then walked out... I always thought he as a dbag.

 

[Coast Football Ramble]

Any "restrictions"that are being rumoured, aren't actually 'restrictions', it'd be normal practice at the vast majority of clubs.