Essential read from Alan Biggs

[Mister Soul]

3 minutes ago, Ian said:

“Recruitment has improved recently”

 

has it?

 

i suppose if you go from absolute dross to nothing and ignore the loan signings then that is an improvement of sorts

Recruitment has improved but not necessarily the quality of recruitment 

[helmut_rooster]

49 minutes ago, @owlstalk said:

It’s simple to get round that tho

 

Just go into private mode on your browser

 

I thought that only worked for p0rn 

[matthefish2002]

21 minutes ago, rickygoo said:

It's the old Rumsfeld thing innit? We don't know whether journalists have looked into or missed anything about say the source of Chansiri's dosh or our relationship with Doyen or potential squad disharmony. It may be there is nothing to see other than what Biggs has said.  The nature of the beast is that a full scale look at it is going to require someone like David Conn to poke about - but that's not likely to happen until things really go belly up. 

 

 

Think Biggs says it would take a lot of resources and money to allow a few journalists to really look onto what is happening at Sheffield Wednesday behind the scenes with no guarantee they will turn anything up apart from a inexperienced owner over spending his own money.

A mid table Championship club is not important enough for that kind of investigation in the national football picture sadly.

[@owlstalk]

Just now, matthefish2002 said:

 

Think Biggs says it would take a lot of resources and money to allow a few journalists to really look onto what is happening at Sheffield Wednesday behind the scenes with no guarantee they will turn anything up apart from a inexperienced owner over spending his own money.

A mid table Championship club is not important enough for that kind of investigation in the national football picture sadly.

 

yeah precisely 

[Ian]

1 minute ago, Mister Soul said:

Recruitment has improved but not necessarily the quality of recruitment 

Can you elaborate on that please.....not sure I understand what you mean

[Mister Soul]

2 minutes ago, Ian said:

Can you elaborate on that please.....not sure I understand what you mean

The club have brought in new players since.. by definition that is recruitment.

Why we chose to bring in an (seemingly) unfit Connor Wickham I can’t understand.

[Rogers]

Someone’s woke up..and got it wrong. 
 

Always bland and never critical, apart from now and it’s the fans fault

 

 

[Guest]

The standard of journalism from @FootballTyper continues to blow others out of the water when it comes to turning up whats happening in our club

 

But to be fair to the others - they don't because if they were prevented access to the club they would potentially be out of work

[@owlstalk]

Just now, Grandad said:

The standard of journalism from @FootballTyper continues to blow others out of the water when it comes to turning up whats happening in our club

 

But to be fair to the others - they don't because if they were prevented access to the club they would potentially be out of work

 

And sued/shut down

[shandypants]

31 minutes ago, Mister Soul said:

Recruitment has improved but not necessarily the quality of recruitment 

 

29 minutes ago, Ian said:

Can you elaborate on that please.....not sure I understand what you mean

I think he means the clubs recruitment process has improved but the quality of those recruited hasn’t...I think...err.....

[Paddyowl]

Alan Biggs at Large: Why journalists are not to blame for Sheffield Wednesday's plight

Never mind the media, a football club (any club) IS the supporters - and it’s vital that they interact.

By Alan Biggs

Thursday, 12th March 2020, 6:00 am

 

 

This column wouldn’t normally speak up for itself, let alone all the region’s other reporting outlets.

We’re not the story. It’s not our job to sort out a football club’s problems.

Probe and ask searching questions, yes. To those who make themselves available. If the owner chooses not to - as has been standard so far throughout his five-year reign - that’s his prerogative and not our problem.

Nor is it our job to insist he should. Bravo if that changes, but it’s his call.

 

Of course, you may very justifiably feel it is a problem for Sheffield Wednesday. As it certainly seems to be for supporters, albeit invited to occasional forums.

But the suggestion from some quarters that journalists aren’t doing their jobs and are somehow responsible, however indirectly, for the club’s plight is way wide.

The players certainly are responsible. The manager also, though I feel to a lesser degree because of his inherited handicaps. Criticism is justified; support for them, if it can be dredged up somehow, absolutely paramount to drag everyone from this hole.

And no-one has asked me to write this, incidentally. It’s a personal view, independent of editors and colleagues.

 

I’m now away from the coal face of hacking out day-to-day news; more of a commentator on events these days, match reporting apart.

But, after many years at the sharp end, I genuinely believe the journalists who cover Wednesday up close do a diligent, perceptive and conscientious job. As do the organisations they represent, sometimes with financial constraints further pressuring the operators in the field.

The frustration is fair enough, mind you, although to those calling for some kind of undercover investigation (probably demanding national scale resources), I’d respectfully say I see no great mystery here. More a story of good intentions, inexperience, honest (but costly) mistakes, and what can happen to any football club where learning from those mistakes is the only answer.

We don’t always get it right and I’ve made mistakes of my own with club-supporter balance in the past. But, as much as fans are right to demand scrutiny, I think it’s important as well that the Owls media corps do try to be positive rather than negative, empathising with the club - where possible.

 

Also - and mostly - bearing the brunt of all this is the manager, Garry Monk, as the sole senior regular frontman for the club.

Which is not to defend him - or anyone - for this wretched run. It is indefensible. If Monk was sacked tomorrow, a credible objection would be very hard to mount on current record.

But one thing I am absolutely sure of is that it would not solve the problem long term. Short term, yes, maybe.

Managers changing, caretakers being appointed, firefighters installed... any of these normally clears the air and brings an upturn, albeit often temporary.

 

But what then? The club needs a shift in direction from the top, as I’ve argued here many, many times - for years, not weeks and months. Which is as far as my influence - if I have any at all - extends.

For all we know, the chairman may have decided upon exactly that course of action. Certainly, recent recruitment has improved; the greater concern has been (lack of) outgoings.

Some colleagues have argued likewise. The message is similar almost wherever you look and on the same page as many fans regarding delegation to a specialist football management structure.

Further, this column has carried powerful suggestions to that same effect from former Hillsborough favourites like Carlton Palmer and Chris Turner.

 

I say “suggestions” because that is all they can be. You can’t tell someone who has sunk many millions into a business how to run it. That’s his choice, his absolute entitlement for better or worse. And he so nearly succeeded at the outset.

It is also his choice whether to listen to concerns and to heed well-meaning professional advice.

But I hope that, via the newly-formed Wednesday Supporters Trust, there can be some constructive dialogue. The right tone seems to have been struck; to argue strongly but reasonably and not antagonise.

One thing no party involved has ever disputed is that the fans ARE the club and owners merely custodians.

 

Further, I think all parties - inside and outside - are committed to the club and have their heart in the right place. That’s common ground right there for starters.

Forgive the rant, but journalists are simply not the answer. Bringing the club together and learning from the lessons of the past? Now you’re talking.

 

 

[SiJ]

Out of all the local journalists/media presenters that we've had in the last 10 to 15 years, I think one of those we actually do miss is Paul Walker. 

 

Yeah, he was a Blunt, but he was a) an excellent presenter/commentator; and b) he was actually willing to ask some difficult questions of the clubs. 

 

I don't really tune into Football Heaven/P and G all that much these days so I don't know if anyone has stepped up to the plate in that respect. 

 

Regarding Biggs, I just think he's got away with not doing all that much for a number of years. His opinion pieces lack any real opinion, he's very unwilling to be overly critical of any of the local clubs and, if he is, there will be always be some sort of caveat. I understand he wants to keep the clubs on side, but still. 

 

I think Dom Howson is producing better work now that he has left the Star, but Dom is still seemingly one of those who is happy to take what the club says at face value. 

 

Still - the notion that the local journos are perceived as being somehow responsible for what is going on at Hillsborough is utter rubbish. 

 

 

[OWLS about that?]

2 hours ago, SiJ said:

Where has anyone suggested that Biggsy and co are the reason for our current plight? 

 

Questioning why they do/don't ask more probing and searching questions is not the same as suggesting they are in some way responsible for what is going on at S6. 

 

I think we all know that responsibility lies very much at the club, from the chairma down to the manager/players. 

This! Didn't realise it was the journalists who pick the starting 11, don't put a shift in or were responsible for player recruitment.  It's no wonder we're in the sh*t if they've been running things all along 

[FootballTyper]

1 hour ago, Grandad said:

The standard of journalism from @FootballTyper continues to blow others out of the water when it comes to turning up whats happening in our club

 

But to be fair to the others - they don't because if they were prevented access to the club they would potentially be out of work

 

It read better without the second line.

[George]

If Biggs had not been such a dishonest poopydoo in his coverage of Dave Allen's tenure at Hillsborough then we might not be in this mess.

 

And Chesterfield might still be in the league.

[Wednesday_Jack]

3 hours ago, @owlstalk said:

It’s simple to get round that tho

 

Just go into private mode on your browser

it was simple until you gave them knowledge to make it less simple. 

[torres]

3 hours ago, SiJ said:

Where has anyone suggested that Biggsy and co are the reason for our current plight? 

 

Questioning why they do/don't ask more probing and searching questions is not the same as suggesting they are in some way responsible for what is going on at S6. 

 

I think we all know that responsibility lies very much at the club, from the chairma down to the manager/players. 

 

Spot on.

 

The fact that Biggs even thinks this is ridiculous 

 

 

 

 

[room0035]

4 hours ago, @owlstalk said:

 

Here you go. This is essential reading especially for those dullards who like to sit and attack/criticise the Sheffield Wednesday media/journalists

 

https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/alan-biggs-large-why-journalists-are-not-blame-sheffield-wednesdays-plight-2446361

Could we ask one thing of the journalist stop Barry Bannan speaking to them, I for one am stick and tired of hearing players give press bites of we need to work harder, we are in it together, its the players not the manager blah blah blah.

 

Then come Saturday the players and Bannan serve up the same level of dross that they have been doing for the last 3 months.

 

Do your talking on the pitch not in the local subscription only paper.

[torres]

1 minute ago, room0035 said:

Could we ask one thing of the journalist stop Barry Bannan speaking to them, I for one am stick and tired of hearing players give press bites of we need to work harder, we are in it together, its the players not the manager blah blah blah.

 

Then come Saturday the players and Bannan serve up the same level of dross that they have been doing for the last 3 months.

 

Do your talking on the pitch not in the local subscription only paper.

 

Its because the local ''journalists'' ask them the same drab boring questions time after time after time.

They get an answer then instead of expanding on it or questioning it further, they just simply move down their tick list of questions 

 

 

 

 

 

[@owlstalk]

All these journalists experts on here eh?

Who'd have thought