2016/17 Ins & Outs

[Welldaft Mk1]

Not sure what his remit will be exactly, but it is the ONE area I would address if ever I was in charge of the club. I never will be - but most companies have a customer charter or care programme. Generally is sets out the bare minimum expectations of how to deal efficiently and effectively with their customers to ensure satisfaction and REPEAT custom.

 

I have had many dealings with the commercial department at the club and some have been fine, but many times it has been left wanting with no response or delayed and non professional responses. I know of quite a few fans who have given up expensive season ticket packages or hospitality due to ineptitude.

 

If this guy can help address this then it may well be the best signing we have made in recent years. Time will tell.

[capt_oats]

I'm not going to pretend to know what the specific remit of a Marketing & Fan Engagement Manager is nor would I make any assumptions on what results the role should/shouldn't be judged on.

 

What I would say is that the new appointment seems to have been highly recommended and judging by the positive comments to the club endorsing the appointment from people who have worked with him, he seems to be very good at his job with experience of having worked effectively in the same role at other football clubs.

 

Picking bits from the article the club published on the official site, I really can't argue with any of this and think it's creditable that the club are acknowledging areas in which they need to improve;

 

"Amongst many things, including improving the clubs comms and marketing, his remit at Fir Park will be to improve the fan experience, particularly on matchdays and help maintain and grow the clubs supporter base through interaction and engagement."

 

"Chief Operating Officer Alan Burrows added: Ive been working to get Ryan to Fir Park for quite some time as I have always been a huge fan of the innovative, engaging work he has produced at his previous clubs.

Ive been extremely keen to try and better how we communicate with supporters but also, eager to improve our matchday experience and what we offer fans when they come to Fir Park every second week.

 

Ryan has terrific experience in that field and has been recognized for it. Over and above that though, his role will also encompass marketing and communications, database and CRM implementation again, all things he is very familiar with.

 

He'll also audit and improve what we do from a fan service point of view, delivering what we say we will, something I feel weve needed to improve on for quite some time."

[Goggles & Flippers]

Derek Weir once told me if we could get another 1,000 (adults) through the gates then we'd break even and that was 5 years ago when our wage bill was running in the top 5 of the league.

 

We're critical of the BBC website labelling the captions to player pictures, and a host of other inaccuracies. Jim Spence goes on the podcast and explains that there's a chronic funding shortage and each employee does the job of x others, therefore you're will have omissions and errors. When furnished with this you think .... ahh OK, makes sense.

 

Same thing with the club, sometimes the business case for employing someone on £xx,000 a year has to be justified by the income they bring in being more. Only thing is it's not generally guaranteed and in football the thinking is too often why have 2/3 office staff when we can get a £2k a week first team starter. Consequently the club has been run with a skeleton staff and some oversights highlighted by Welldaft come to the fore.

 

Good appointment, lets give this guy at least as much time as we give a 18 year old promoted to the first team .... currently 2 weeks before the "useless" shouts surface. This guy managed 3 hours.

 

Would be interested to know if Keith Campbell is still in post.

[capt_oats]

Would be interested to know if Keith Campbell is still in post.

 

Nothing on his Twitter to suggest he's moved on and his LinkedIn page still has him at the club.

[Goggles & Flippers]

Must be sitting alongside him then. Flow seems to be putting a team in place around him to fill the gaps in revenue identified by many now we have this internet thingy and we can be hyper critical.

[Gadgey]

The endorsements he has received at past clubs say two things to me. Firstly, there's clearly a need for a "marketing and fan engagement manager" otherwise he wouldn't have done it elsewhere or indeed been eligible for awards from others who have recognised the need for one.

 

And secondly, he has won awards for what he has done in this or similar roles elsewhere. He is an acknowledged achiever.

 

Given the situation we are in, I think he is a sound appointment. Our future lies in fan ownership yet we are seeing dwindling match attendance, sheer indifference towards the well society and widespread cynicism towards the perceived hierarchy of the club and correspondence coming from it.

 

The bloke has a tremendous challenge ahead, and looking at where else he's been, it may just be his biggest yet.

 

Good luck to him.

 

Also, I did a quick google of marketing and sports fan engagement and this was the top return. It gives a bit more of an idea of what his job entails.

 

http://events.q1productions.com/sports-fan-engagement/

[Toxteth O'Grady]

Lee Lucas to sign until Christmas

 

http://www.motherwelltimes.co.uk/sport/local-sport/lee-lucas-to-join-motherwell-1-4229872

[Well-Made]

That's got to be the weirdest signing yet, been available from the bench and not brought on, despite McGhee saying he looked at the bench in the certain games and couldn't see anyone to bring on.

 

Surely have someone that's a better passer than Las etc, is what's needed when we're trying to keep the ball or break a team down.

[capt_oats]

I think the realisation that McHugh (by all accounts a first pick) is out indefinitely, and even when he does come back will need time to get anywhere near match fitness, along with Lasley having picked up knocks has highlighted that there's probably a need for another body in the short term even if you account for someone like Campbell.

 

Removing McHugh from the equation you have Clay, Lasley and Campbell for 2 central midfield positions. OK you could shift Cadden in one but for the moment he seems most effective on the right side of midfield.

 

For all you can point to McGhee saying he looked at the bench and didn't think there was anyone there he could use, McFadden was on the bench in both those games and he's had no problem using him since. It's clutching at straws a bit but I can't help but feel his reluctance to use Lucas off the bench in a league game could have been tied to the short term nature of his deal and he was only really there to cover in the event of injury. Alternatively, he just made a bad decision in not using his subs. Take your pick.

[Onthefringes]

“We are still working on a shoestring financially, but when things get better he could sign for longer." Then goes onto say about wondering if Lucas can partner the 37 year old Lasley... All the while, young Campbell falls another notch down the pecking order, the penny is never going to drop for that arsehole. Club just makes your head hurt.

[weeyin]

Campbell will be used when he's ready. According to Craigan the players in the U20s aren't as ready to step up as some fans think they are, and I trust his judgement. I'd expect Campbell to be getting games this year too, but we're not exactly swamped with midfielders right now.

[capt_oats]

“We are still working on a shoestring financially, but when things get better he could sign for longer." Then goes onto say about wondering if Lucas can partner the 37 year old Lasley... All the while, young Campbell falls another notch down the pecking order, the penny is never going to drop for that arsehole. Club just makes your head hurt.

 

Agree the quotes attributed to him are shambolic and make next to no sense.

 

The suggestion that we're signing him but don't know if he can play in the shape we're playing. Whut? Lucas has been at the club pretty much all summer why discuss him signing and then immediately highlight a doubt about him?

 

Having said that I do think if McHugh's going to be out for the foreseeable, as seems to be the case, then we are short in the centre of the park even allowing for Campbell who I genuinely hope gets his opportunity soon.

[Gadgey]

We are still working on a shoestring financially, but when things get better he could sign for longer." Then goes onto say about wondering if Lucas can partner the 37 year old Lasley... All the while, young Campbell falls another notch down the pecking order, the penny is never going to drop for that arsehole. Club just makes your head hurt.

A perfect example of the cynicism I spoke of earlier.

 

This is a typical fact versus opinion scenario. What we (as fans) know as fact is that Lucas was an unused sub during his contracted period with the club. We know that McGhee has stated previously that he would have liked to to have signed Clay and Lucas but finances prohibited that. We know that McGhee has stated that he wants to play 433 but at this time can't due to injury.

 

What we don't know as fact is why McGhee never used Lucas from the bench. We don't know if Lucas was match fit. We don't know if McGhee is sincere in what he says publicly about formations or his players. We don't know if Lucas is actually going to be any good. We don't know if his arrival will in actual fact reduce first team opportunity for a youth player.

 

Indeed, all of which we don't know is open to assumption and conjecture. Both of which will be unique to us all and will be based on our opinions.

 

To call McGhee a fud or be incensed in any way by our manager drafting in short term cover for a depleted midfield is in my opinion, bordering on the irrational.

[wellowell]

Everybody keeps going on about giving youngsters a chance and when McGhee thinks they are ready he will as he did with Hall and Cadden last year .Campbell is a great prospect but just 18 and needs to strengthen up IMO which is normal Airdrie over run our youngsters as were stronger and maybe McGhee thinks at this moment none of the youngsters are ready for 1st team and with his wealth of experience I can't argue with that . It's amazing if we don't sign players fans go tonto and if we sign players they go tonto the club and manager can do nothing right according to some on here it's time we let the club do what they think is required and just get behind them warts and all .

[Villageman]

We have to take what McGhie and most football managers quotes with a ton of salt.

Warburton "no gulf in class"

Rodgers "not embarrassed"

Conte "Diego Costa needs protection from the refs"

are three that come to mind this week alone.

[steelboy]

Everybody keeps going on about giving youngsters a chance and when McGhee thinks they are ready he will as he did with Hall and Cadden last year .

 

There's a difference between dropping your own signings and dropping the signings of previous managers.

 

Giving Faddy a game recently and signing Lucas are bad indicators. All five of the boys in the u20s midfield should be aiming for the first team. I don't expect to see any of them get any meaningful game time any time soon though.

[Onthefringes]

A perfect example of the cynicism I spoke of earlier.

 

This is a typical fact versus opinion scenario. What we (as fans) know as fact is that Lucas was an unused sub during his contracted period with the club. We know that McGhee has stated previously that he would have liked to to have signed Clay and Lucas but finances prohibited that. We know that McGhee has stated that he wants to play 433 but at this time can't due to injury.

 

What we don't know as fact is why McGhee never used Lucas from the bench. We don't know if Lucas was match fit. We don't know if McGhee is sincere in what he says publicly about formations or his players. We don't know if Lucas is actually going to be any good. We don't know if his arrival will in actual fact reduce first team opportunity for a youth player.

 

Indeed, all of which we don't know is open to assumption and conjecture. Both of which will be unique to us all and will be based on our opinions.

 

To call McGhee a fud or be incensed in any way by our manager drafting in short term cover for a depleted midfield is in my opinion, bordering on the irrational.

 

You got me, I'm a cynic, but, incensed? really?

 

Only working with the direct quotes from the manager... Article certainly alludes to Lee Lucas playing as soon as possible thus reducing the opportunity for a youth player is it not?

[Gadgey]

 

You got me, I'm a cynic, but, incensed? really?

 

Only working with the direct quotes from the manager... Article certainly alludes to Lee Lucas playing as soon as possible thus reducing the opportunity for a youth player is it not?

You called the bloke an arsehole and said that the club made your head hurt??????

 

See, I interpreted McGhees comments differently to you. We each have formed opinions based upon what he said. You say yourself that "the article alludes" as the justification for your opinion. I've chosen not to look for hidden inferences or casual references.

 

Perhaps our new fan engagement manager may be able to keep the flow of information from the club more regular and literal but there will always be the cynic who will always question it.

 

If you're reading this......Good luck Ryan Murrant

[Kmcalpin]

We have to take what McGhie and most football managers quotes with a ton of salt.

 

Mark McGhee is no worse than most other managers in that respect and better than many.

[Onthefringes]

You called the bloke an arsehole and said that the club made your head hurt??????

 

See, I interpreted McGhees comments differently to you. We each have formed opinions based upon what he said. You say yourself that "the article alludes" as the justification for your opinion. I've chosen not to look for hidden inferences or casual references.

 

Perhaps our new fan engagement manager may be able to keep the flow of information from the club more regular and literal but there will always be the cynic who will always question it.

 

If you're reading this......Good luck Ryan Murrant

 

And what about it? Doesn't mean I'm incensed. 'Club make my head hurt' is nothing more than flippant on my part.

 

Hidden inferences? A contradiction in itself. Hardly hidden. Inference is a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning at the school I went to.

 

The reference to a new club employee is baffling. Don't expect his employment to enhance my matchday experience as was heralded yesterday, fan engagement is a world away from what Mark McGhee is offering in the press and I suspect not his remit to engage the cynical among us.

[Gadgey]

Aye ok mate. Your opinion is more important than mine, I bow to your greater knowledge, education and intellect.

 

Just before you celebrate your victory, go and look up the meaning of the word 'allude'.

[superward]

McGhee was on record during a presser previously (before we signed Clay) saying if we had the money he would sign both Clay and Lucas. But Lucas had been unlucky with injury and Clay had performed well (his words...settle doon...)

 

So....this really isn't a surprise or real snap decision out the blue

[Onthefringes]

Aye ok mate. Your opinion is more important than mine, I bow to your greater knowledge, education and intellect.

Just before you celebrate your victory, go and look up the meaning of the word 'allude'.

Deary me, you certainly aren't my mate. Not once have I thought my opinion to be more important, nor would I expect anyone to bow to any perceived greater knowledge, education and intellect. Playing to the sycophants on here doesn't suit you.

 

No celebrating victory here, but, aligns with my post fairly well unless 'hint at' or 'mention without discussing at length' aren't definitions of the term 'alluded' nowadays?

 

Having a minter here.

[Gadgey]

I suspect you've missed the point but Glad you've calmed down.....G'on yersel big man

[Onthefringes]

Über fan ^^^