Owner claims low budget was to engineer Page exit

[News Feed]

In a somewhat unusual tweet, Norman Smurthwaite has suggested that the summer’s low budget was intended to persuade manager Rob Page and out-of-contract players to leave. In a tweet Smurthwaite said: @SweetsPartyShop Sorry l thought you meant Managers wages.I lowered the budget knowing Rob and all would not accept and leave.Now reviewing — Norman Smurthwaite […]

 

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THIS IS AN AUTOMATED FEED OF A STORY FROM THE OVF FRONTPAGE

[robf]

Perhaps this way Norman's tactics and it all worked out but I must admit I find it baffling.

 

You want to get rid of a manager with a year left on his contract and a load of players you don't rate.

 

1. I can understand that sacking the manager may cost compensation but isn't it a huge gamble to not do so if you don't rate him. Otherwise we've been very lucky that another club does rate him, wanted him and he was able to leave right at the end of the season.

 

2. If you don't want the players why not release them rather than offer reduced contracts?

 

3. If you are doing the above then wouldn't you, erm, probably have a new manager lined up already rather than it being several rejected approaches and several weeks later... what if Page had left in late June rather than May?

 

p.s. I've always liked this quote

 

"What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence. The question is what can you make people believe you have done."

 

― Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet

[Bert Llewellyn]

To my mind a strange and risky way of going about things. If, as he says, this is the situation he wished for then why not simply sack Page and not offer contracts to the players.

 

Tin hat on as I get, yet again, accused of Smurf bashing.

[robf]

To my mind a strange and risky way of going about things. If, as he says, this is the situation he wished for then why not simply sack Page and not offer contracts to the players.

 

Tin hat on as I get, yet again, accused of Smurf bashing.

 

Completely agree.

[Conrad]

I know it's easy to say with the benefit of hindsight, but I thought all along that this was Smurf's plan, at least he's reviewing the budget now, and it makes all those that jumped ship look a bit silly and at least we know those who wanted to play for port vale and those who were just in it for themselves. With the posible exception of O Connor.

[Conrad]

To my mind a strange and risky way of going about things. If, as he says, this is the situation he wished for then why not simply sack Page and not offer contracts to the players.

 

Tin hat on as I get, yet again, accused of Smurf bashing.

If he had sacked page he would have had to pay up his contract, doing it Smurf's way means Northampton have had to pay PVFC compensation.

[robf]

If he had sacked page he would have had to pay up his contract, doing it Smurf's way means Northampton have had to pay PVFC compensation.

 

Yes but if he's massively increasing the budget anyway wouldn't it be sensible to definitely get rid of him even if it cost money. It's a massive gamble to think that Chris Wilder will leave Northampton, Northampton will want Page, Page will want to join them and all in the early summer... Yes, it worked but it's a hell of a risky strategy if true.

[Conrad]

Yes but if he's massively increasing the budget anyway wouldn't it be sensible to definitely get rid of him even if it cost money. It's a massive gamble to think that Chris Wilder will leave Northampton, Northampton will want Page, Page will want to join them and all in the early summer... Yes, it worked but it's a hell of a risky strategy if true.

it just turned out to be Northampton, Page could have gone anywhere( in the lower divisions)

[robf]

Also, slightly off topic. I the tweet he makes it clear that he set the budget. Yet, I thought this year we were getting a general manager who would be in charge of all these things. Does this mean NS is remaining in sole command as it were and the general manager idea is dead in the water.

[robf]

it just turned out to be Northampton, Page could have gone anywhere( in the lower divisions)

 

Sorry, that's not true. It needed to be a club that rated him and wanted a new manager. That's only a tiny number of clubs, I reckon.

 

Just look at the number of candidates NS reportedly said were interested in this job. In the lower leagues Page would be competing with the likes of Adkins, Cotterril, Freedman and many others - not only that but he has little experience compared to some of the others - it's not like he's the only manager available and on the market. Page had already apparently been rejected for the Cardiff, Sheff Utd and Wimbledon jobs in recent years.

[Howjy04]

It could well work out but it could also backfire. Players may start putting their price up.

[Conrad]

Sorry, that's not true. It needed to be a club that rated him and wanted a new manager. That's only a tiny number of clubs, I reckon.

 

Just look at the number of candidates NS reportedly said were interested in this job. In the lower leagues Page would be competing with the likes of Adkins, Cotterril, Freedman and many others - not only that but he has little experience compared to some of the others - it's not like he's the only manager available and on the market. Page had already apparently been rejected for the Cardiff, Sheff Utd and Wimbledon jobs in recent years.

I take your points but if page wanted out he would have applied for any/all available jobs and if his applications were unsuccessful he still had 12 months on his contact at vale.

[robf]

I take your points but if page wanted out he would have applied for any/all available jobs and if his applications were unsuccessful he still had 12 months on his contact at vale.

 

I think he got lucky but I just don't buy the "it was planned" part - there are too many coincidences and too much luck involved in my view.

[Rampant Zebra]

I can't see it doing a lot for team spirit. It appears to me that Norman is trying to change most of the things about Port Vale apart from the name and location. If he wanted a different team why didn't he just buy it instead of buying one he didn't want and trying to turn it into the one he did?

[geosname]

Also, slightly off topic. I the tweet he makes it clear that he set the budget. Yet, I thought this year we were getting a general manager who would be in charge of all these things. Does this mean NS is remaining in sole command as it were and the general manager idea is dead in the water.

 

I think he said the CEO role was defunct, signal interview.

I suppose we would need to know a lot more information re retained list and managers role to make a positive judgement.. ie did smurf have any input into the retained list?... he didnt seem to last year... so maybe the only way to have any input was to drop the budget and salaries accordingly... who knows?