Wallace: The 'Pied Piper', Corporate Speak and the Road to No-Where

[buster. 5,257]

Thus far we have found that Graham Wallace can appear to talk a good corporate game.

Indeed put that beside his legendery CV and we should be glad to have him on board, no matter what the price and foggy criteria to pocket it.

Or should we ?

 

Wallace is cutting his teeth in his first CEO role and it shows. When he is forced into details, instead of general and broad corporate nothingness he invaribly falls flat on his face with blatant contradictions, economies of truth and misleading lines.

 

Sandy Easdale said in December that GW would be the public voice of the board. What has actually happened is either though design or a change in plan, Wallace has been reluctant to face an inquiring independent media. His press conference when presenting the business review was the first time in ages that he had braved the spotlight. He prefers a friendly RTV or more controlled interventions with the media (with expensive spin-doctor sitting beside him). The latest "engagement" being his twitter Q&A which ended up being more a O&G.

 

Previously he had been a Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Manchester City and in the week the club is advertising that position I'd venture that this is a job that would better suit Wallace.

 

I'll touch on one specific issue, scouting.

Wallace has talked about the importance of this since December.

 

When outlining what the 'extra long business review' (xLBR) would cover it included.....

- "Develop and implement a Football Player Asset Strategy to take in First team squad, Youth Development and Succession Planning."

http://rangers.g3dhosting.com/regulatory_news_article/363

 

It was also said that where possible/necessary, ongoing decisions and action would be taken before the xLBR was published.

In January this year GW said the following in an newspaper article.............

"At a time when this club needs to be identifying and scouting talent and acquiring talent at attractive levels our scouting and recruitment was largely dismantled. A small example of short-termism."

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/tom-english-interviews-rangers-ceo-graham-wallace-1-3275716

 

This type of infrastructure usually takes time to bear fruit so is it unreasonable to expect some of the building blocks to be put in place as quickly as possible ? The months passed by and nothing was or has been done.

 

Then came the xLBR and this is what it contained regards scouting or similar.

 

Business Review – Assessment of Current Operations

There is no proper talent identification and scouting operation in place for professional players and

at the time when investment in playing talent needed to focus on identifying value acquisitions, the

Club dismantled its scouting and recruitment network.

 

Future Strategy

Invest in Academy Players – An Academy Development Fund will be created with dedicated

annual investment, increasing over time, committed to the acquisition and development of

high calibre young players at different stages of their careers with the target to increase the

number of Club trained talent coming through to play in the first team at an early stage.

 

Develop Player Asset Management – Developing playing talent is one of the major

challenges at any football club. The Chief Football Operations Officer will also have the remit

to develop the Club’s player asset strategy which will build a long term structure and plan to

deliver playing talent for the Club and maximize value from player trading.

http://www.rangers.co.uk/images/staticcontent/documents/RangersBusinessReview.pdf

 

 

To wait 4 months for that level of detail with vague pointers to how it will be funded is extracting the Michael.

They seem to be in no hurry despite targetting the Scottish League title within 3 years.

 

Wallace talks the corporate talk but doesn't or isn't allowed to start walking.

Mind you he needed to bring in a spin-doctor to help him with the talking.

Importance to the Board: Spin > Scouting

 

Ann Budge / Day One

Talks of the future based on academy/ good scouting system and appoints chief scout.

 

 

Graham Wallace / Day One

Signs a contract with a 100% bonus clause based on 'foggy criteria'.

 

GW / Day 156

Talks of the future based on academy/ good scouting system and appoints spin-doctor

 

 

Anyone thinking 'benefit of the doubt', 'let's see what happens' may want to look at how this board have gone about business and tell me why they should be trusted.

 

 

What strikes me is that the consistent MO of the various incarnations of the boardroom in recent years is to mislead,.... lie,.... play for time,.... talk of 'X' ambition,... vanish with a sackful of our money before accountability can kick-in and a new lot come in......... and start a variation of the process again.

 

Wallace is an empty vessel but it's those in and around the boardroom who have him as their 'Pied Piper' leading us down the road towards footballing obscurity.

Edited May 14, 2014 by buster.

[jhunter 0]

This marvelous CV include being hunted from Cable and Wireless after losing billions.

 

COO of Man city should have been the easiest job in the world with billions to pay for anything you needed.

 

The man comes across as a bumbling fool who uses political weasel words.

[Zappa 0]

Graham Wallace has now been in the job for almost 6 months and that should be more than enough time for any new CEO to convince his doubters and detractors that he's making good progress and that he's the right man to take us forward.

 

Sadly, the only thing's he's convinced me of is that he's an expert in subterfuge, bluffing his way around/avoiding serious questions and that he's probably NOT the right man to take us forward.

 

I'm willing to give him some more time purely because he walked into a total shambles 6 months ago, but his time is running out very quickly and he doesn't have a 'business review' period to hide behind any more.

[aweebluesoandso 290]

Wallace was supposed to be the acceptable face of the Wigs, unfortunately for the Wigs Wallace made a complete James Hunt of the review. We Rangers supporters have been conned by the masters of sleight of hand , smoke and mirrors and misdirection, Wallace is a novice compared those con artist's, he was caught out very early.

 

Nice try Mr Wallace but no cigar.

[der Berliner 3,803]

One should keep this thread bookmarked for future reference.

[buster. 5,257]

One should keep this thread bookmarked for future reference.

 

Perhap's one should expand with some detail for that day in the future when you open the thread again.

 

Did it take you 120 minutes (plus eight to type it) to come up wth that reply ?

[der Berliner 3,803]

Perhap's one should expand with some detail for that day in the future when you open the thread again.

 

Did it take you 120 minutes (plus eight to type it) to come up wth that reply ?

 

Shall I take that as your attempt to volunteer for my ignore list? If so, try better!

[buster. 5,257]

Shall I take that as your attempt to volunteer for my ignore list? If so, try better!

 

Not at all.

 

Better to debate matters and this was what I was looking for.

I apoligize if you took my reply as being flippant, it was intended as an even response to your initial post with a little bit of humor thrown in.

[der Berliner 3,803]

I don't think the OP actually needs any debating. Same arguments, same people getting flak. We've done it to death before, it echoes various other articles on Wallace and the board's strategy and at the end of the day, while people can voice their concerns et al, only the events of the upcoming months will tell us whether those concerns will materialize or not. Then ... one can come back and see whether those concerns have come to pass or whether people were correct in their assumptions and condemnations.

[buster. 5,257]

DerBerliner

 

Posters can choose to debate the OP or not.

When you say "same arguments", I've yet to hear a convincing one in favour of GW, perhaps you could provide one.

 

When you talk about coming back after X months to see if concerns were valid, I'd reply that maybe for once it is time to act upon those concerns and I'd point to the majority of the support presently either having decided to act or considering their position.

 

We have the scars from previous inaction and a further cost is the current crossroads that provides options with varying degrees and timescales of pain.