take over completed!

[Exiled Wiganer]

It is not unimpressed, so much as being underwhelmed and worried.

With my half empty hat on, Lydon has shown no loyalty to our game in the past and has no track record as a CEO. Does the 1 December date mean that we won't have any signings before then? If so, we could find ourselves scrabbling around for dregs which is where we were when we signed Davico, Seu Seu, Moran and DV in the most disastrous winter signing spree of all time.

With my half full hat on, Mo was no administrator (he was a visionary and communicator) and Lenaghan has a very good track record in running businesses generally, and so is very unlikely to leave major decisions in the hands of people unable to take them. On signings, surely we have made tentative enquiries and have options? We should have lots of money to play with - with Withers, Ashton, DV, Millard and Flethcher all gone (and only one of those being lamented) we have our best chance to strengthen we can expect to have for years... plus, Lenaghan has a great track record for signing players of a high calibre for Quins.

[AncientWarrior]

When it comes to hiring and firing, it isn't 'our club', it's Ian Lenegan's (at least 89% of it is) and Joe Lydon, who incidentally is a very clever chap and nobody's fool, has obviously impressed Lenegan whilst working for him at the Quins. I believe that he will prove to be a most able C.E.O.

If these changes bring about a new realisation that the combination of schoolboy and junior/amateur R.L. in Wigan is probably the best in the country and that the release of young local talent from the club before it has had time to mature is counter-productive then I for one welcome them with open arms.

[Sutty]

I am feeling a bit deflated after the press release. I was expecting him to come in and tell us all about how he wants the club to go forward and a vision for the future, then say something about a couple of players that are already lined up to sign.

I was convinced that even though the i's had to be dotted and the t's crossed, Nobby would have had a meeting or two with Leneghan and discussed players and hopefully Leneghan would have given him the green light to go ahead with trying to sign players for next season.

It just all seems a bit poor and under-prepared, in terms of making a statement of his intent, to just say that it is all but sealed and that Lydon will take charge.

On the issue of the club only being signed over on the 1st December, I think this is probably just an administrative date and that all the changes that are going to be madewill possibly be done so before that date. At Leeds, McLennan is only officially taking over on the 1st December also. But I bet he has been there already and is already making enquiries about players for sale, even though he isn't officially in charge for another month and a bit.

Like so many others on this site, I just want to see the club moving forward in a positive direction and was fully expecting todays news conference being used as a statement of intent by the new owners, instead we have been thrown another smoke screen apart from announcing a couple of administrative changes.

Come on Leneghan, we NEED to know what is going on and what your intentions are, for our own sanity if nothing else.

[DaveO]

Sutty posted:

Like so many others on this site, I just want to see the club moving forward in a positive direction and was fully expecting todays news conference being used as a statement of intent by the new owners, instead we have been thrown another smoke screen apart from announcing a couple of administrative changes.

Come on Leneghan, we NEED to know what is going on and what your intentions are, for our own sanity if nothing else.

I agree. The reason for the press release was to simply state he will be taking over "to end speculation for supporters and staff alike," is the direct quote.

I like you would have expected a much bigger fanfare and statement rather than this. Underwhelmed myself.

Dave

[DaveO]

Cruncher posted:
I don't think anyone needs to worry unduly about Joe Lydon. Ian Lenagan will be in charge of everything. No decision will be made without his say-so.

Why appoint him to be CEO then? A CEO is not just a figurehead. They run the operation on a day to day basis and are answerable to the board of directors for their actions. What they don't do is seek board approval for every decision they make. If Lydon has to track down Lenegan every time something needs to be decided that doesn't sound a good way to run the thing to me. So I can only see this as Lydon being appointed as a "real" CEO and he simply has no experience of doing that job.

From my perspective, we at last know who the new owner is, and he's clearly already involved in decision-making on the club's behalf, as he's secured our tenure at the JJB for the next 47 years and has authorised the retention of Brian Noble as head-coach.

What has changed there then? If DW had not sold then Noble would be coach next year and we would be playing at the JJB. It would have been surprising if these two things were not the case.

The only new thing he has done is appoint an inexperienced chief exec.

Not surprisingly however, this being a Wigan RL message-board, there are some people who are determined to be unimpressed.

What is there to be impressed about? Same coach, same players, same ground, inexperienced CEO and a new owner who is saying nothing about his vision for the club and the issue that most fans find the most pressing - next years squad.

A distinctly underwhelming way to start life as Wigan's new owner IMO.

Dave

[cpwigan]

:conf: I cannot really understand why people expected more from today. I presume signings are in the pipeline etc. Matt Cooper has not been plucked out of thin air IMO. No player would confirm until the takeover was announced and the coach confirmed. That has been done today albeit the complete takeover is December.

I think people may underestimate how difficult it would have been dealing with Whelan re the JJB. Dave Whelan likes to try to extract every penny he can whilst judging by his achievments our new owner is no fool and will not be bullied into making rash decisions.

Joe Lydon has league connections in SL, in the NRL and also Union. He is intelligent, articulate and brilliant in terms of generating a positive atmosphere. Graham Lowe rates him very highly. Give him a chance IMO.

When ML was successful he knew very little about RL, he was a glorified bookie. In his second stint he had sublime credentials re experience BUT it went far worse. Energy/Talent is far more important and I cannot envisage a successful man like Leneghan appointing anybody he did have the upmost confidence in.

[AncientWarrior]

A very impressive interview at http://www.wigantoday.net/video.aspx?Vi ... ID=3407394
First time I have heard him speak - he'll do for me!

[DaveO]

cpwigan posted:

We know that but that isn't the complaint. It taking so long has been a source of frustration but what people are bothered about is that now an announcement has been made nothing substantial has happened along side it and not even anything from Lenegan about how proud he is etc to be the clubs new owner.

Joe Lydon has league connections in SL, in the NRL and also Union. He is intelligent, articulate and brilliant in terms of generating a positive atmosphere. Graham Lowe rates him very highly. Give him a chance IMO.

:conf: I cannot really understand why people expected more from today. I presume signings are in the pipeline etc. Matt Cooper has not been plucked out of thin air IMO. No player would confirm until the takeover was announced and the coach confirmed. That has been done today albeit the complete takeover is December.

We are talking about the takeover of the most famous RL club in the world. While expecting new signings to be announced may have been wishful thinking I certainly expected a much more up beat and positive press conference than that.

I think people may underestimate how difficult it would have been dealing with Whelan re the JJB. Dave Whelan likes to try to extract every penny he can whilst judging by his achievments our new owner is no fool and will not be bullied into making rash decisions.

We are going to have to but I hardly think making the obvious comment about him having no experience is unwarranted. He has been at Quins a matter of months in a marketing role so apart from those fans who think that because he is an ex-Wigan player this is automatically a good thing I am sure this will raise eyebrows.

Put it this way had Mo appointed Lydon I am sure there would have been plenty of negative comment.

Dave

[randy_warrior123]

i'm so happy that we have got new owenr i think he will bring so good new idels to the club and im glad we can look forward not back

[thomo]

Now can we make some signings?

Fans need a boost, it is not as if we haven't released anyone from last season with five players going and we were light last season.

Pay some transfer fees and get some people in - two props - one quality back - centre of full back and a utility back