How disappointed/angry are you with the 49ers? - Poll of the Day (14th Nov)

[CUSSIE01]

I've gone 50%. The recruitment side was a shambles, hopefully they'll have learned some lessons and will do better going forward.

But even if we get relegated they may not change much as I think they're playing a long commercial game, and for them a bit of short-term yoyo-ing might well be a price worth paying.

Fans are not interested in the long view, we want everything now, and won't get it. We can moan, protest, despair of the failings on the pitch, but it doesn't make a blind bit of odds. The 49ers will do the ER upgrade to maximise revenue streams and when it's complete they'll get us back into the PL if need be and the fans will be back in droves.

That's when our future is most likely to take a turn for the better as they'll then be focused on expanding the brand globally and will need success on the pitch to do it.

That's my take on it, so maybe 5 years.

Meanwhile it's all just pissing against the wind.

I’m not sure you’re suitable for this forum Dave with all this talk of better times, success on the pitch, fans back in droves etc, go and give your head a rattle and come back when you’ve calmed down.

[Carrick Dave]

I’m not sure you’re suitable for this forum Dave with all this talk of better times, success on the pitch, fans back in droves etc, go and give your head a rattle and come back when you’ve calmed down.

That wasn’t me Cussie, it was my evil alter ego.

[BlackHillsPaul]

If they didn't then Harrison gets sold and Marsch stays. I think it's naive to think owners like the Niners wouldn't have final say the second they got 40%. especially as they we're going full buy out in a few months.

And I think you're delusional!! So there we are. Have a nice evening.

[The Subhuman]

And I think you're delusional!! So there we are. Have a nice evening.

Insult, thanks I'll take the win.

[Cjay]

So you are speculating that the MINORITY owners had all the power. That's an interesting take Bro!!

The 49ers have been desperate to distance themselves from all the bad decisions of the last ownership.

But evidence exists they had enough power to not only pull the plug on a £20mil deal but also get a new contract pushed through (worth a heck of a lot of money).

They were also heavily involved in the discussions to sell KP (as evidence on the documentary shows).

And also fully intended on keeping Orta on (had he not left before takeover) per Phil Hay. A person they had so much confidence in they handed over tens of millions for Rutter.

From a PR perspective they had to distance themselves from Radz and Orta.

But evidence exists this probably wasn't the case and furthermore Venture Capital funds always have a large say in how businesses are run.

You can Google that, it's their money after all or rather their investors money.

They aren't going to hand that over with no say in how it's spent.

I think Radz and Orta were absolutely responsible but these owners are far more culpable than they want people to think imo.

[BlackHillsPaul]

Insult, thanks I'll take the win.

Sure thing Pal.

[The Subhuman]

The 49ers have been desperate to distance themselves from all the bad decisions of the last ownership.

But evidence exists they had enough power to not only pull the plug on a £20mil deal but also get a new contract pushed through (worth a heck of a lot of money).

They were also heavily involved in the discussions to sell KP (as evidence on the documentary shows).

And also fully intended on keeping Orta on (had he not left before takeover) per Phil Hay. A person they had so much confidence in they handed over tens of millions for Rutter.

From a PR perspective they had to distance themselves from Radz and Orta.

But evidence exists this probably wasn't the case and furthermore Venture Capital funds always have a large say in how businesses are run.

You can Google that, it's their money after all or rather their investors money.

They aren't going to hand that over with no say in how it's spent.

I think Radz and Orta were absolutely responsible but these owners are far more culpable than they want people to think imo.

Responsible for what though? Taking us up out of the doldrums. We're you here when everyone bemoaned we'd never see the prem in our lifetimes again? How about Bielsaball or 2 glorious seasons of watching Raphinha .. Those short years Rads/Orta were "in charge, were glorious years, loved every second. Then the niners got 40% and it started to fall apart. Not least because you have too many chefs then

[The Subhuman]

Sure thing Pal.

Paul 0 Sub 1 (og)

[Cjay]

Responsible for what though? Taking us up out of the doldrums. We're you here when everyone bemoaned we'd never see the prem in our lifetimes again? How about Bielsaball or 2 glorious seasons of watching Raphinha .. Those short years Rads/Orta were "in charge, were glorious years, loved every second. Then the niners got 40% and it started to fall apart. Not least because you have too many chefs then

The fact Radz had to go to a VC fund in the first place was a red flag imo, you only go to them if you need money.

Bielsa was fun and Raph was a joy so wasn't without fun.

But they made bad decisions.

On recruitment
On managers

Ultimately left us with tons of transfer debt and loan clause which to this day baffle me.

And back in Championship.

Radz had a real chance to build a legacy here after that 1st season.

Unfortunately for us and for him (cost himself a ton of money) he got the 2nd season badly wrong and then the 3rd.

[The Subhuman]

The fact Radz had to go to a VC fund in the first place was a red flag imo, you only go to them if you need money.

Bielsa was fun and Raph was a joy so wasn't without fun.

But they made bad decisions.

On recruitment
On managers

Ultimately left us with tons of transfer debt and loan clause which to this day baffle me.

And back in Championship.

Radz had a real chance to build a legacy here after that 1st season.

Unfortunately for us and for him (cost himself a ton of money) he got the 2nd season badly wrong and then the 3rd.

I'm ok with them not being filthy rich.. Not something you can be blamed for. Investment was always going to be needed, not many clubs are self financing.

I have no problem with the loan clauses, seems rational to me if you want to stipulate halving a wage on relegation. It's a two way street, you have to give the player something in return. If we haven't got sale/loan clauses in this time round and we go down, we're paying DCL 100k a week not to score in the championship for a couple more years and he won't be the only one. We can't afford this salary bill in the championship next season if we end up there and fire sales cripple teams for years

[BlackHillsPaul]

Paul 0 Sub 1 (og)

In your dreams buddy!!

[Cjay]

I'm ok with them not being filthy rich.. Not something you can be blamed for. Investment was always going to be needed, not many clubs are self financing.

I have no problem with the loan clauses, seems rational to me if you want to stipulate halving a wage on relegation. It's a two way street, you have to give the player something in return. If we haven't got sale/loan clauses in this time round and we go down, we're paying DCL 100k a week not to score in the championship for a couple more years and he won't be the only one. We can't afford this salary bill in the championship next season if we end up there and fire sales cripple teams for years

It's funny because had Radz sold after season 1, or even season 2 he'd probably get a lot less stick.

2 Premier league seasons, Bielsa, Raph etc.

OK Marsch but I still think even after the 2nd season he'd have got a good write up.

Promotion, ground bought back (all be it technically owned by him) , Bielsa, a 3rd season in the Prem.

People would see him more favourably than perhaps now.

His big issue imo was he couldn't put his ego aside, he enjoyed the fame and the limelight being our owner got him and he got greedy.

He made too many ludicrous big I am statements to try and big himself up as well (Conte, Zlatan, I know all these people I will use my contacts to do this this and this).

Ultimately we've had worse owners.

But he didn't know when it was time to go and to stop talking.

Had he left us in the Prem he'd get far more credit than he does imo, he held on too long for his own ego and greed, that was his issue and ultimately cost himself financially and us.

[The Subhuman]

It's funny because had Radz sold after season 1, or even season 2 he'd probably get a lot less stick.

2 Premier league seasons, Bielsa, Raph etc.

OK Marsch but I still think even after the 2nd season he'd have got a good write up.

Promotion, ground bought back (all be it technically owned by him) , Bielsa, a 3rd season in the Prem.

People would see him more favourably than perhaps now.

His big issue imo was he couldn't put his ego aside, he enjoyed the fame and the limelight being our owner got him and he got greedy.

He made too many ludicrous big I am statements to try and big himself up as well (Conte, Zlatan, I know all these people I will use my contacts to do this this and this).

Ultimately we've had worse owners.

But he didn't know when it was time to go and to stop talking.

Had he left us in the Prem he'd get far more credit than he does imo, he held on too long for his own ego and greed, that was his issue and ultimately cost himself financially and us.

Never bothered me... different culture he's from. I had a good friend who was Italian and she was similar. So were her brother and mother. To be fair my neice is very look at me I'm a princess. She now lives in Italy.

Nothing wrong with a big ego...

[PhoenixUnited]

There are people who find it very hard to let go. There are people who have lots of fingers in lots of pies. There are Owners that want to handle what they own at arms lenght. There are Owners whose egos get the better of them. There are businessmenwho know when to scarper without a second thought when things are going t*ts up (contradicts the first statement I know but such is human nature)

There for me is Radrizzani in a nutshell. Afer that wonderful and enjoyable first season in the Premiership Bielsa evidently told Radrizanni and his Board that they literally had to overhaul the whole playing squad to stay in the Premiership. That advice was ignored/ was not affordable/ wasnot supported by any sort of
strategy or it was decided to do practically nothing. Perhaps all of that. No idea but all that hard work started to be undone under Radrizzani's leadership from that point. The was thr AR disappeared at the end left a nasty taste in the mouth and his copybook regarding his time at LUFC was permanantly soiled.

Hindsight can be an exact science but really AR should have sold up after that first season in the Prem or he should have remained a majority shareholder but got in significant investors to continue the rebuild of LUFC. He didn't and so here we are - possibly looking at going the same way again!

[The Subhuman]

There are people who find it very hard to let go. There are people who have lots of fingers in lots of pies. There are Owners that want to handle what they own at arms lenght. There are Owners whose egos get the better of them. There are businessmenwho know when to scarper without a second thought when things are going t*ts up (contradicts the first statement I know but such is human nature)

There for me is Radrizzani in a nutshell. Afer that wonderful and enjoyable first season in the Premiership Bielsa evidently told Radrizanni and his Board that they literally had to overhaul the whole playing squad to stay in the Premiership. That advice was ignored/ was not affordable/ wasnot supported by any sort of
strategy or it was decided to do practically nothing. Perhaps all of that. No idea but all that hard work started to be undone under Radrizzani's leadership from that point. The was thr AR disappeared at the end left a nasty taste in the mouth and his copybook regarding his time at LUFC was permanantly soiled.

Hindsight can be an exact science but really AR should have sold up after that first season in the Prem or he should have remained a majority shareholder but got in significant investors to continue the rebuild of LUFC. He didn't and so here we are - possibly looking at going the same way again!

Well he got the Niners in before that and maybe it was them slow rolling the takeover... Rads allowed them to increase their stake in 2021 to 44% so he kind of did sell up or at the very least started the ball rolling. 44% made the niners basically equal partners at that point

[PhoenixUnited]

Well he got the Niners in before that and maybe it was them slow rolling the takeover... Rads allowed them to increase their stake in 2021 to 44% so he kind of did sell up or at the very least started the ball rolling. 44% made the niners basically equal partners at that point

You're not wrong but it seemsto me that Radrizzani left others - Orta, Kinnear & Co - to run the shop and the 49rs @44% were easing themselves into co-pilot position but not necessarily able to throw their weight about as they were still 7% off majority shareholder and so far off from being equal partners.

Something of a Horlicks was it not? The ego that was Orta / the teflon Kinnear and the still wet behind the ears 49rs more attuned to American Football club ownership in charge of things. Radrizanni wanting to keep the 49rs sweet to make sure they stayed onboard and continue with their acquisition plans otherwise he'd truly be in the poo and by the same token the 49rs, relatively new to football club ownership in GB wanting to ease the Club, rather than force it, out of Radrizanni's clutch in time but reserving the option to bail out if things didn't go their way

[The Subhuman]

You're not wrong but it seemsto me that Radrizzani left others - Orta, Kinnear & Co - to run the shop and the 49rs @44% were easing themselves into co-pilot position but not necessarily able to throw their weight about as they were still 7% off majority shareholder and so far off from being equal partners.

Something of a Horlicks was it not? The ego that was Orta / the teflon Kinnear and the still wet behind the ears 49rs more attuned to American Football club ownership in charge of things. Radrizanni wanting to keep the 49rs sweet to make sure they stayed onboard and continue with their acquisition plans otherwise he'd truly be in the poo and by the same token the 49rs, relatively new to football club ownership in GB wanting to ease the Club, rather than force it, out of Radrizanni's clutch in time but reserving the option to bail out if things didn't go their way

No evidence either way but I don't think that the niners sit on their hands during that period and just offer advice. They're preparing for full take over and, for me, had probably a greater voice in the running of the team than they admit, and we have examples of that

I'll say one thing I'd rather watch a Rads/Orta 11 from the first three years of Bielsa than a Niners acquired 11 from their first 3. Rads Orta got off to a rocky start first season but they were rookies and turned it around real quick. Niners inherited a good base to launch from. Rads/Orta inherited a poor one

[Wes Lee Street]

I don't feel angry.

Disillusioned fits perfectly.
I was onboard with the competence of our vastly experienced owners, until they put Russell Martin in charge at Rangers.

[DDB220]

No evidence either way but I don't think that the niners sit on their hands during that period and just offer advice. They're preparing for full take over and, for me, had probably a greater voice in the running of the team than they admit, and we have examples of that

I'll say one thing I'd rather watch a Rads/Orta 11 from the first three years of Bielsa than a Niners acquired 11 from their first 3. Rads Orta got off to a rocky start first season but they were rookies and turned it around real quick. Niners inherited a good base to launch from. Rads/Orta inherited a poor one

So besides the Harrison leaving staying fiasco, what are or is the other example ?

Both takeovers were difficult. I do not have a massive axe to grind with Rad’s ownership, he was a massive upgrade on what went before, but his last season was a complete disaster.

For all the credit attributable to getting Bielsa at the helm it was massively diluted by the decision to sack Bielsa and install Marsch. Even though Marsch kept us up, I think sacking him when they did was a kneejerk reaction, having not secured a quality replacement and the fiasco that played out.

Do you have a fond memory of that 3rd season, or are you laying the blame at the feet of the 49rs ?

It was a complete clusterfuck, the signings were awful and Orta pretty much lost the plot, which also for me undid some of his previous astute work in the transfer market.

[DDB220]

I don't feel angry.

Disillusioned fits perfectly.
I was onboard with the competence of our vastly experienced owners, until they put Russell Martin in charge at Rangers.



Screenshot 2025-11-16 at 11-44-34 disillusioned meaning - Google Search.png

Well arguably Martin was no worse than what has come afterwards.