So Tony’s done a new transfer update vid.

[Statto]

Not sure "a couple" of new signings will be enough. Also still worried that we seem more concerned about getting players in at a good price, than how soon they join or whether they meet the specifically tactical needs. Opportunistic wheeling and dealing in other words.

Nonetheless doing the video was a decent gesture. Once again comes across as a nice guy who's probably hard to dislike once you get to know him. Just a bit naive and silly sometimes.

[Samsara]

Well I thought that was a pretty cool thing to do. It's good to know that he is prioritising center backs as much as we would do.

I agree. He's speaking directly to us and is addressing our concerns. That's rare in administration to say the least.

[jayffc]

Not sure "a couple" of new signings will be enough. Also still worried that we seem more concerned about getting players in at a good price, than how soon they join or whether they meet the specifically tactical needs. Opportunistic wheeling and dealing in other words.

Nonetheless doing the video was a decent gesture. Once again comes across as a nice guy who's probably hard to dislike once you get to know him. Just a bit naive and silly sometimes.

Bloomin eck thats about as complimentary as we could have hoped for from you ha!

FWIW I don't think he literally means 2 when he says a couple, and he's clearly being cautious as obviously as he mentions anything can happen in football negotiations.

Agree I think its really refreshing to get that sort of insight, it felt honest and sincere and shows there's a hell of a lot going on that none of us know the ins and outs of. Once again and hopefully finally, puts to bed the layout of our transfer system and interesting to hear that he was willing to trust Parkers strong reference for Josh having not recieved a tick from his stats system. All in all seems very reasonable, think we all have the capacity to make mistakes and in our lives and careers, were all human but I do appreciate the time taken to give fans a seemingly very open talk on the realities of the transfer window.

Hope like Statto it does indeed end up being more like 3-5 signings than 2 as feel were still in need of 2x CB , 1 wide player, 1 cam and 1 striker if possible. But time will tell and heres hoping another Mitro-esque signing oppurtunity pops up late in the game!

[grandad]

Very refreshing to hear TK speak so openly. I have no complaints with what he is striving for. The players we have not signed for various reasons shows how hard the recruitment job is.

[Lighthouse]

Football fans always need a bit of encouragement. We are always happy to blame him when things don't work out and rightly so. But nice to see that many players have been in the mix and either didn't want to come, were ill or were injured or were in prison or were high on drugs or were waiting at a bus stop or were.........

But when he says a couple I think he knows that he can be sure that a couple are on the brink of coming in. He made a point of talking about the end of the window. So I take it that he hopes for two shortly and hopefully anything can happen from then on.

[General]

Interesting what he said:
'We had one free agent we thought would join' - I'm guessing Malang Sarr?

Could have been Ryan Fraser, if we don't assume him to have been talking just about CBs there.

One we thought would be fitter quicker' I'm guessing either Longolo or Calum Chambers?

Kongolo I'd assume. His injury doesn't seem like it should have taken this long to get over.

he was talking exclusively about center backs at the time, so I presume it was sarr that he was referring too

Ivanovic perhaps?

[ALG01]

My view is well known that I think TK is entirely the wrong person to fill the role.

on the video we saw what seemed to be a very nice young man that is very committed to the cause ad that is brilliant. I will not do a forensic analysis of what he said but what I can tell you is that je remains a total amateur. Everything he said but one thing gave me no confidence in his ability. His assertion he was trying to get players but continually failing is the mark of an amateur. He made excuses not demonstrated his ability to getthe job done. the day we were promioted we all knew what was needed, and we still need the same. we have brought in players and they look OK, but not top quality (maybe tete is) and it is his job after 5 years, or his dad's after 7 to sort this out.

MAF got top profesionals in to run the show, that is what we need.

What I heard was a bunch of schoolboy excuses.

He did say scott was the only manager that regularly turned up at the selection committee, if you will allow me to call it thta. The least expereinced manager is the one that turns and no doubt ciontinue until he realises that he is wasting his time. TK cannot or will not get the right players in.

The one thing that made me p**** my ears up from the whole thing was about Slav. I though that was strange, I do not think they left on good terms, Ithink Slav's opinion aligns with mine.   I am genuinely sorry to be so gloomy but until he gets proper players in to play at center back and a new foorward what else can i be. Other teams have managed to get good players so why can't we?

[FFC1987]

Still going to be supportive but this video only made me a little mad, and a little more certain we're in for a really, really difficult season. We knew that anyway but I'm losing confidence.

[Bryanthebroom]

Thought the video was a great gesture. Not many other clubsfans' get that kind of inside info feom the DoF.

I urge some of the other fans on here to manage expectations. Its always incredibly difficult for newly promoted clubs to bring in very good players; the expectation is that we're going to go straight back down. A lot of clubs end up yo-yoing for a good few years before they obtain a good enough squad to keep them in the division.
Some teams get lucky in their recruitment. Some have world class managers. Most give it a good go and get relegated.

When I look at the goals we've given away - most have been farcical. They're not difficult things to rectify, especially with a few good defensive reinforcements.
We play excellent football, and with mitro we have goals in our side. If we can stop a few defensive errors, we'll stay up this season.

[General]

It's the most mature video from him to date and he is obviously trying to address almost everyone's grievinces aimed at him and our recruitment, which is a first as I've always had him down always seem meone who publicly and naively and at times stupidly gets defensive and tells people to leave him alone.

He needs to realise and perhaps he's starting to that he's in a very important role for the success of this club and whilst he is the owner, he is ultimately accountable to the fans who are what the club is a large part of.

There is one criticism I could levvy and that is how has he not got any of the CBs in. Hopefully Marlon comes in and at least one more who can be a starter and safe pair of hands as the saying goes, but, whilst I'm sure that it's perhaps normal to miss out on players I think I'd question why so many have slipped through the net if we were in talks with them? Seems like they were players we wanted so what is being said that makes them not come?

One having covid seems like a negligible issue unless severely debilitating as presumably after a period of quarantine. So that in and of itself seems more like an excuse rather than a legitimate reason.

Surely the better your are at this and finding the right players, the less you should be casting your net that wide and getting nowhere.

[Deeping_white]

Having watched it I think it's a fairly good bit of content. Credit to Geoff for asking the questions we really wanted answers to, and I think Tony did a fairly good job of answering them. Maybe it was my interpretation but it certainly feels like we've still got a few players coming in, he seemed to allude to more than one CB, and in general it felt like he was suggesting other positions too, although it did seem like he checked himself before going into more detail on that.

I feel like whatever he says there'll be a dividing line as he's seen as a marmite figure amongst the fans, and certainly having watched the interview for myself and then reading peoples comments, it seems like there's a fair bit of confirmation bias going on. Personally I'm neutral to TK, I think he does some things well and others not so well (I.E I think we could've got a CB in quicker than we have, although I admit I'm not privy to any transfer information so can't really judge too much), but then you'd have to applaud getting Tete in at £3m, as well as Robinson so he gets credit for that.

A question though to those who watched it and have a negative response; what would you have actually wanted him to say on that video for you to have had a positive reaction?

[Matt10]

Having watched it I think it's a fairly good bit of content. Credit to Geoff for asking the questions we really wanted answers to, and I think Tony did a fairly good job of answering them. Maybe it was my interpretation but it certainly feels like we've still got a few players coming in, he seemed to allude to more than one CB, and in general it felt like he was suggesting other positions too, although it did seem like he checked himself before going into more detail on that.

I feel like whatever he says there'll be a dividing line as he's seen as a marmite figure amongst the fans, and certainly having watched the interview for myself and then reading peoples comments, it seems like there's a fair bit of confirmation bias going on. Personally I'm neutral to TK, I think he does some things well and others not so well (I.E I think we could've got a CB in quicker than we have, although I admit I'm not privy to any transfer information so can't really judge too much), but then you'd have to applaud getting Tete in at £3m, as well as Robinson so he gets credit for that.

A question though to those who watched it and have a negative response; what would you have actually wanted him to say on that video for you to have had a positive reaction?

Well said, and a good question to boot.

Also, as an American, when I say a "couple", that usually means "2-3".

[blingo]

First thing that peed me off......why didnt he do the interview with just the FFC background? It made me feel like FFC is the toy that SK has given TK to play with.

[fulhamben]

First thing that peed me off......why didnt he do the interview with just the FFC background? It made me feel like FFC is the toy that SK has given TK to play with.

im guessing it was done at the jags stadium. We know he is in America so what does it really matter

[Herbie]

How is that any more annoying than the number of organisations on display behind the interviewer.  Sometimes it feels like whatever he does is never going to be good enough.  For me, it was good to see and have an honest insight into where we are.  I think he's listening to feedback and improving his communication. Those are all good signs of leadership.

With regards to the "couple", my take on that is there may be more, but it's a case of managing expectations based on how likely it is that some deals may fall through for a multitude of reasons that our being the club's control.

Good video. Keep them coming, please.

[rebel]

If you want to go into deep analysis, write the questions out, then check his responses to the questions, all very telling  -

https://fremont.edu/how-to-read-body-language-revealing-the-secrets-behind-common-nonverbal-cues/

[Herbie]

If you want to go into deep analysis, write the questions out, then check his responses to the questions, all very telling  -

https://fremont.edu/how-to-read-body-language-revealing-the-secrets-behind-common-nonverbal-cues/

Interesting link, thanks Rebel

[toshes mate]

I am not going to mince my words.  Lies, half-truths, generalisations, in fact nothing of substance throughout.  A blabber-mouth going on about nothing for just about twelve minutes trying to become able to say he 'involves everyone in recruitment and transfers even supporters of the Club who watch his videos'.  I'll repeat 'Nothing of Substance' in it at all.  I wonder who's idea it was to do this ...

[SG]

Good that he was prepared to provide us with some clarity and explanations. It is clearly a very complex and frustrating process with many pitfalls. I still think the job is made more difficult with his lack of experience in football matters. Added to that being in the States negotiating these deals simply adds further unnecessary complications.
In conclusion nice guy trying hard but the set up and arrangements are flawed

[FulhamStu]

Here are some of the things he said.

We are trying to bring in centre backs, and he detailed way more than what any DOF has told fans before why certain players have not yet signed.

He explained how Scott is very involved in communications and the transfer process, also how Javi was involved and sad that he has now gone.

He explained how Scott influenced the signing of Josh and how he dropped the need for scouting reports.

He said we hoped to get more signings done, some may be soon and some may come in nearer the end of the window.

What more do you want ?  These are all substantial details to my mind and direct detailed feedback to the fans that I have never heard from a football person of his status.

Feel free not to like him if you want but to expect even more than this is frankly ridiculous.

Well done Tony for being so transparent.