metalhead » Mon May 28, 2012 4:47 pm wrote:Pig Catcher » Mon May 28, 2012 9:19 am wrote:Not the greatest source (misleading headline?) but does seem to be linked to the rumour my friend provided yesterday. Interesting they say it’s now a two horse race between Klopp and one other. When my friend wakes up and I’ll ask if he has heard anything else.
anything new from your friend mate?
I spoke to my friend earlier this evening and he hasn’t heard any new rumours. But since we spoke over the phone this time rather than over email he was able to expand a bit more. Bear in mind that the rumour I posted on Sunday was doing the rounds in the US on Friday. Considering it probably took a couple of days to reach the surface in the US, the information and status of the process (if true) is about a week old. This is summary of what he said:
-No candidates where approached for the Manager or Sporting Director positions prior to FSG meeting with Kenny.
-FSG have shelved their initial approach of following the rules by approaching clubs first to seek permission as this was put most managers off accepting talks. They are now approaching managers without going through their clubs.
-FSG are angry with the way the club was run last year and were upset that players were signed with input from so few people. Effectively a player could be identified, approached, fee agreed with the club, wages agreed with the player, contract signed, with only 2 footballing heads (Kenny and Comolli) being involved. They want a more collaborative and businesslike approach towards big decisions.
-FSG want to create a working culture at the club that is more important than any individual’s personal ethos. They believe it’s a better way of achieving sustainable success rather than having the whole club revolving and ultimately dependent on one person. They want a team of people who are intelligent and strong enough to challenge each other, but are still diplomatic and selfless enough to work towards the greater good, like a real business. They want some of the existing staff to form part of this team and it may be that more than 2 people are hired from the current recruitment process.
-Around mid last week FSG had narrowed the list down to 4 candidates for the manager role and 3 managers for the sporting director role.
-FSG are impressed with Jurgen Klopp (unclear whether this is due to his record or outcome of talks) and his name was still being discussed last week despite reports he wants to stay at Dortmund.
-Despite the anxiety of fans, FSG are not going to rush any decisions as they are determined to get it right. They would have no problem with the process running into next week and beyond but believe they should be able to announce an appointment for two roles before the weekend.
Just to clarify, neither my friend nor I are claiming to have any inside contacts. My friend is simply passing on a rumour that was circulating within media circles in the US on Friday.