General Dan Harris - Leaving

[werthersoriginal]

I have no idea but wouldn’t be surprised if there were some aggrieved dads of former youth players on here

 

[Scotchegg]

What rumours are being spread?

 

[CCYellow]

Maybe he was the one who made a decision, which led to EB Charging cutting the sponsorship?

 

[Scrongo]

[emoji817]

 

[Scrongo]

[emoji817]

 

[Essexyellows]

Rumour or fact?

What rumours are being spread?

Oh no! Hasn`t Doris kept you up to speed?

There is a reticence within the club to continue to develop very good young players who don`t "tick the boxes" for a key individual.
Those boxes are not based on pure ability but must be in alignment with one person's beliefs.
In turn that makes the Academy Heads' job very difficult, no matter how good they are they don`t get past a key obstacle.

 

[Scotchegg]

Oh no! Hasn`t Doris kept you up to speed?

There is a reticence within the club to continue to develop very good young players who don`t "tick the boxes" for a key individual.
Those boxes are not based on pure ability but must be in alignment with one person's beliefs.
In turn that makes the Academy Heads' job very difficult, no matter how good they are they don`t get past a key obstacle.

Hey its Mr Credible, everyone pay attention!!!

 

[werthersoriginal]

Oh no! Hasn`t Doris kept you up to speed?

There is a reticence within the club to continue to develop very good young players who don`t "tick the boxes" for a key individual.
Those boxes are not based on pure ability but must be in alignment with one person's beliefs.
In turn that makes the Academy Heads' job very difficult, no matter how good they are they don`t get past a key obstacle.

Says who?

 

[Sarge]

Thanks & good luck Dan

 

[Discoland]

Hey its Mr Credible, everyone pay attention!!!

Stop being so facetious.

I don't know you, I don't know if you even live in Oxford, but enough of us do that we know people in the club, like you claim to.

Some of us even know youth players who left within the last year that, from the horses mouth, have said that KR has his favourites and a lot of the time those favourites are given opportunities above the others. Particularly if they happen to be with a particular agency.

You have your views and your positivity but just because you throw enough s**t at a wall that some of it sticks, doesn't then discredit everyone else on this forum with a differing view.

I have no agenda, I love the club, I have my concerns about Robinson and I'm happy to share those, but to completely discount what is again yet ANOTHER concerning sign from the internal workings of the club is nothing short of ludicrous.

 

[Chippy]

Says who?

I’m a bit confused werthers by some of your messages on here. On the one hand you are saying youth players need to be given more of a chance, then your questioning a poster who says the youth players aren’t ticking the right boxes with a certain individual to make it into the side?

Surely you are contradicting yourself here? Either that or I’m thoroughly confused, which is more than possible

 

[Scotchegg]

Stop being so facetious.

I don't know you, I don't know if you even live in Oxford, but enough of us do that we know people in the club, like you claim to.

Some of us even know youth players who left within the last year that, from the horses mouth, have said that KR has his favourites and a lot of the time those favourites are given opportunities above the others. Particularly if they happen to be with a particular agency.

You have your views and your positivity but just because you throw enough s**t at a wall that some of it sticks, doesn't then discredit everyone else on this forum with a differing view.

I have no agenda, I love the club, I have my concerns about Robinson and I'm happy to share those, but to completely discount what is again yet ANOTHER concerning sign from the internal workings of the club is nothing short of ludicrous.

Youth football is ruthless and some will succeed but so many more won't make the grade for all sorts of reasons. Some don't develop physically as early as others and get left behind. Others struggle with the mental side of the game. On the pitch, some positions stand out more and some get more opportunities than others simply due to injuries higher up the chain. And of course there will be players who attract the eye of managers for all kinds of different reasons.

But what you, and others, are suggesting is that Robinson personally intervenes in the development of youth players in order to look after his favourites, at the detriment of the club, as long as they're signed up to the same agency, and this is the reason Dan Harris has left?

That is pretty serious and something that I hope has a little more substance than rumour and gossip.

 

[Marked Ox]

Oh no! Hasn`t Doris kept you up to speed?

There is a reticence within the club to continue to develop very good young players who don`t "tick the boxes" for a key individual.
Those boxes are not based on pure ability but must be in alignment with one person's beliefs.
In turn that makes the Academy Heads' job very difficult, no matter how good they are they don`t get past a key obstacle.

There is a claim of that certainly. It isn't a given it is the case.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

Stop being so facetious.

I don't know you, I don't know if you even live in Oxford, but enough of us do that we know people in the club, like you claim to.

Some of us even know youth players who left within the last year that, from the horses mouth, have said that KR has his favourites and a lot of the time those favourites are given opportunities above the others. Particularly if they happen to be with a particular agency.

You have your views and your positivity but just because you throw enough s**t at a wall that some of it sticks, doesn't then discredit everyone else on this forum with a differing view.

I have no agenda, I love the club, I have my concerns about Robinson and I'm happy to share those, but to completely discount what is again yet ANOTHER concerning sign from the internal workings of the club is nothing short of ludicrous.

Can’t say I know whether this is true or not but it really wouldn’t surprise me. I do like KR, but he does come across as a bit of a control freak in the football side of things. Like he has to have his hands in a little bit of everything & has been discussed on here before. Maybe he takes on too much at the club & forgoes what he’s actually paid to do which is manage the team & get results.

 

[Discoland]

Youth football is ruthless and some will succeed but so many more won't make the grade for all sorts of reasons. Some don't develop physically as early as others and get left behind. Others struggle with the mental side of the game. On the pitch, some positions stand out more and some get more opportunities than others simply due to injuries higher up the chain. And of course there will be players who attract the eye of managers for all kinds of different reasons.

But what you, and others, are suggesting is that Robinson personally intervenes in the development of youth players in order to look after his favourites, at the detriment of the club, as long as they're signed up to the same agency, and this is the reason Dan Harris has left?

That is pretty serious and something that I hope has a little more substance than rumour and gossip.

Completely agree, the vast majority of young players at our club and every other professional club in the country won't make it. For every Matty Taylor there's an Ashley Smith-Brown.

I'm not suggesting that Robinson personally intervenes due solely to the agency as such. What I do believe is that there is a culture where certain individuals are given a better chance of 'making it' than others which on an ethical level is wrong. I am also aware and certain that there is a movement within the club at the transitional point between moving from academy to first team where players are encouraged to sign up to New Era. Whether this has a direct bearing on whether they are then kept on or not I wouldn't like to say and of course there will be other factors at play but the whole thing stinks.

I don't do rumours, I have no time for it. I make the odd post about things I am certain of and share things privately which I know won't be cast out there and will get people into trouble. I don't claim "ITK" status and I don't recycle other people's knowledge as my own but if there is something wrong within the club (whether that is down to individuals or the structure) than I think the small section of the fan base that comes here to debate and discuss have a right to some transparency.

 

[werthersoriginal]

I’m a bit confused werthers by some of your messages on here. On the one hand you are saying youth players need to be given more of a chance, then your questioning a poster who says the youth players aren’t ticking the right boxes with a certain individual to make it into the side?

Surely you are contradicting yourself here? Either that or I’m thoroughly confused, which is more than possible

I’m just questioning some rumours that don’t seem to have anything behind them, I have no insights. But I also have no agenda

 

[Oxford1996]

Completely agree, the vast majority of young players at our club and every other professional club in the country won't make it. For every Matty Taylor there's an Ashley Smith-Brown.

I'm not suggesting that Robinson personally intervenes due solely to the agency as such. What I do believe is that there is a culture where certain individuals are given a better chance of 'making it' than others which on an ethical level is wrong. I am also aware and certain that there is a movement within the club at the transitional point between moving from academy to first team where players are encouraged to sign up to New Era. Whether this has a direct bearing on whether they are then kept on or not I wouldn't like to say and of course there will be other factors at play but the whole thing stinks.

I don't do rumours, I have no time for it. I make the odd post about things I am certain of and share things privately which I know won't be cast out there and will get people into trouble. I don't claim "ITK" status and I don't recycle other people's knowledge as my own but if there is something wrong within the club (whether that is down to individuals or the structure) than I think the small section of the fan base that comes here to debate and discuss have a right to some transparency.

That is one hell of a claim

 

[werthersoriginal]

That is one hell of a claim

Yes that’s really serious, if true.

 

[Yellowmania]

Yes that’s really serious, if true.

Looking at it from a different viewpoint maybe is that there are probably a load of crap agents out there. Recommending one that the club believe might look after them fairly and in the right manner could be a responsible thing to do for a young player?
Not saying that’s the case here but could put a different spin on it if true that is.

 

[yellowbow]

Hmm.. Niall McWillams’ statement seems a bit cryptic.

“We are fortunate to have some great people already within the academy, many of them appointed by Dan, and with Les Taylor here to lend his experience we know that we are in good hands while we look at what we do next to ensure that the academy builds on what Dan has done and continues to thrive.”

No obvious signs that a replacement will be brought in from outside. I wouldve thought ‘while we look for a candidate to replace him’ would have been a more obvious statement than ’while we look at what we do next’. Possibly some sort of restructuring?

Maybe KR will look to be more hands on in the role..?