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The Phelan factor

Kalvin

Well-Known Member
Would be good to understand from a few of you guys on here in the know what Mike Phelan has actually contributed with in regards to this season?

Not having a crack, just trying to understand what decisions/ influence he has genuinely had or is his role just a gimmick on paper?

Obviously there is also conjecture he may not continue past this season due to MU commitments so just wanting to understand if we actually really losing anything???
 

pjennings

Well-Known Member
I'm not in the know. However, the one good thing that stands out for me was the loan from Burnley of Aiden O'Neill. Other than that I just do not know.

As many have said, whether he stays at the moment is a moot point. If he gets a full time gig again at Man U he should not be our Director of Football.

That doesn't mean that a connection should not be maintained. His deep knowledge of English football should enable him to identify a good fit for us a Director of Football. The other advantage of keeping a connection is the immense trawl of good footballers that he would see at Man U coming through their academies and doing trials. Most will not make it at Man U - but loans from their Reserves / Academies or recommendations of good players that won't make it in the EPL would be most welcome. Just can't see it as full time gig if he has the Man U job.
 

Forum Phoenix

Well-Known Member
I have it from a very good source that he has the full confidence of MC, (understsndable imo) and was calling the shots on who stays and goes. Not much is happening without his input and within the football department he almost certainly has the most weight.
 

Kalvin

Well-Known Member
I have it from a very good source that he has the full confidence of MC, (understsndable imo) and was calling the shots on who stays and goes. Not much is happening without his input and within the football department he almost certainly has the most weight.

Interesting to hear this.. probably evident he has been relatively absent in the way we have managed contracts etc this season... surely we need a set of eyes on the ground in Aus regardless of whether he stays on or not!
 

FFC Mariner

Well-Known Member
On the last podcast, he described the CEO as "Shaun and his commercial team" which indicates/confirms that the office of the CEO has been completely marginalised as far as football matters are concerned.
If MP is running the football dept, who is on the ground making sure the training is being carried out? That contract discussions are being held? That scouting is being conducted? All of the things that well run football clubs do (and we manifestly dont do)
That might explain the complete clusterf**k that passes for our football department and has to be fixed immediately.
Someone with the busiest job imaginable trying to oversee a role from 12,000 miles away is just a recipe for more chaos IMHO.
 

BrisRecky

I'm an idiot savant without the pesky savant bit
Phelan isn’t close to a factor with this club...maybe if he was here all year he would of added some factors ...but nup
 

Forum Phoenix

Well-Known Member
Interesting to hear this.. probably evident he has been relatively absent in the way we have managed contracts etc this season... surely we need a set of eyes on the ground in Aus regardless of whether he stays on or not!

Yeah I share this comcern, I don’t think it requires a lot of imagination to see that Mike Phelan may still be of great value to us, but the day to day work / finger on the pulse stuff, and the need to have someone living and breathing the Mariners dream still needs to be there imo. If he keeps the job at MU, we need someone else aswell imho.

I think for many years we had a coach, football department and most players that were both buying into and living the same dream.

Most rhetoric blames MC, and he deserves to wear his share of it no doubt. But it’s way bigger than that imo. We fractured when we lost Lawrie, (mikes first big mistake) we lost Arnie who gave us a sub standard coach because he was his mate, and gutted our football department by taking Crawley and Clarkey. And also sone key players. Not long after and we broke what had been an exceptional lineage of Captains and we also under spent trying to use money ball tactics and never adequately replaced our former lost talent.

It’s one thing losing a few key players or coach. But losing coach, players, staff and leadership all at the same time. Well... it’s so far already cost us 5 years just trying to recover. And is why no Bandaid solutions like a couple of players or a coach have been anywhere near enough to turn our fortunes around imo.

Phelan though has great knowledge and is clearly a strong leader. I personally still believe in Shaun. The boardroom strengthtjeming looks promising. Now we need a new keeper coach, a new S&C coach, hopefully in Staj we may already have a capable coach, and then we need a great playing roster.
 

Kalvin

Well-Known Member
Phelan isn’t close to a factor with this club...maybe if he was here all year he would of added some factors ...but nup
From the outside looking in it feels like he is our "director" on paper andb that's about it! But his recent media appearances suggest he is doing plenty of hours in between his MU commitments... not sure it's paying off currently!
 

Forum Phoenix

Well-Known Member
On the last podcast, he described the CEO as "Shaun and his commercial team" which indicates/confirms that the office of the CEO has been completely marginalised as far as football matters are concerned.
If MP is running the football dept, who is on the ground making sure the training is being carried out? That contract discussions are being held? That scouting is being conducted? All of the things that well run football clubs do (and we manifestly dont do)
That might explain the complete clusterf**k that passes for our football department and has to be fixed immediately.
Someone with the busiest job imaginable trying to oversee a role from 12,000 miles away is just a recipe for more chaos IMHO.

Yeah I agree with this. He’s more than capable but it’s not a part time, Skype call position. There has to be someone permanently on the ground.
 

Forum Phoenix

Well-Known Member
From the outside looking in it feels like he is our "director" on paper andb that's about it! But his recent media appearances suggest he is doing plenty of hours in between his MU commitments... not sure it's paying off currently!

As per my last post, the machine needs enough parts to all be working at the same time for it to function. And that just hasn’t happened yet. I’d never apportion blame without knowing where it should fairly lie. But Mulvey had me absolutely convinced with his language, and then when we signed McCormack and Oar I really believed it may be enough. But MM was not skilled enough, most of our key early signings were a disaster and several more were money ball fails, our preparation was inadequate, and it all came tumbling down again.

From what I can tell most of that lies at MM’s door. Some at Phelan’s. Some at MC (he spent - but too late). Bugger all at Shaun’s that I can clearly see. I do t think most of what has upset people has been in his remit. I think Millar is probably Phelans. Dodgey agent or not, if he wasn’t in two places I feel like this surely would have not have slipped by so long until it was too late.

But he’s the one who appointed Staj and brought in Jem, and it would be stupid to question his ability, only his time limitations.

But I’m pretty sure if he stays at MU we’ll see his position shift and someone else also brought in to help. Be stupid not to. Shaun + coach + token football celebrity operating only in name has been an obvious losing formula. And I reckon MC is determined to turn us around for the first time from what I’ve seen and heard.
 
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true believer

Well-Known Member
Phelan is just another name. an absenty director of football . Chaos has enchewed because he wasn't here doing his job.
He should leave asap and appoint a director of football that stays on the coast . Not in manchester .
 

BrisRecky

I'm an idiot savant without the pesky savant bit
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