Current Staff Ed Waldron

[Shaun Rice]

With the current shambles of a squad I cannot believe Ed isn’t coming under more criticism.

Credit where it’s due, I don’t think we’re half bad at the back. Maybe lacking a bit of pace. It surprised me a little when Rowett said, in an interview, this is the area where he’d like to strengthen.

However the rest of the pitch we are all over the place.

We’re woefully short in central midfield. Lacking pace, creativity and cover.
We only have Mills down the right flank. Nothing on the left and no cover or viable alternatives to change anything.

Up top we are about as effective as a ford focus in an F1 race. I’ve never seen so many players who can’t finish! Okay I’ll omit Lankshear from that.

Seems we’re a lot worse than last season and maybe the one before that. Perhaps Ed was overruled by Rowett. But he cannot be blamed for the obvious lack of quality, cover and deadwood we’re saddled with. Seems to me recruitment is the thing that will cost us our place in the Championship.

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

A common complaint from Rowett was the recruitment team didn't listen to him and signed players in positions that weren't the priority.

Ed has never played or coached professionally, I don't believe he should be in the role he's in personally.

 

[n1]

This is such a difficult one. There are very very strong arguments for and against Ed.

For:

• Turned the club around when appointed to his recruitment role after we almost got relegated (and Manning saved us). After starting with a very poor squad that needed a complete overhaul (signings like Harris and Rodrigues were brilliant at L1 level)
• Has overseen a promotion to the Championship, and survival (which is a great measure of success)
• Long list of very effective and impactful signings

Against:

• Plenty of wastage - poor signings that have had no impact and have cost the club a lot of money, and still are
• Very few players with high ceilings signed in the Dickie, Atkinson, McNally, Sykes, Whyte mould that we had become used to (why can't we find these players now we are the Championship level?)
• Very imbalanced squad this season that now risks the clubs survival in the Championship

 

[Symp59]

His job must be on the line ,end of .He's got to hold is hand up ,to many poor players.

 

[MJB]

Ed has never played or coached professionally, I don't believe he should be in the role he's in personally.

Not sure what relevance this has in 2025, personally.

 

[tatabanya]

With the current shambles of a squad I cannot believe Ed isn’t coming under more criticism.

Credit where it’s due, I don’t think we’re half bad at the back. Maybe lacking a bit of pace. It surprised me a little when Rowett said, in an interview, this is the area where he’d like to strengthen.

However the rest of the pitch we are all over the place.

We’re woefully short in central midfield. Lacking pace, creativity and cover.
We only have Mills down the right flank. Nothing on the left and no cover or viable alternatives to change anything.

Up top we are about as effective as a ford focus in an F1 race. I’ve never seen so many players who can’t finish! Okay I’ll omit Lankshear from that.

Seems we’re a lot worse than last season and maybe the one before that. Perhaps Ed was overruled by Rowett. But he cannot be blamed for the obvious lack of quality, cover and deadwood we’re saddled with. Seems to me recruitment is the thing that will cost us our place in the Championship.

Hard to do your job with your hands tied behind your back. He isn’t immune to criticism, but I think he’s shown to be a decent judge of a player when given money to spend as see by Currie, Spencer, BDK. It’ll be interesting to see whether we spend any transfer fees in January. If we don’t, why can we expect him to bring it Championsip quality players?

 

[Colin B]

Ed Waldron is not our Head of Recruitment, that is Scott Mitchell. Ed is Head of Football Operations (or some similar title). Scott was previously at Wycombe and has a good reputation. He unearthed the likes of Richard Kone, and is an ex player himself.

It is difficult to know for sure, but I think some of last summer's signings were identified by Scott. Ed was responsible for the previous couple of windows, where he had a hit and miss outcome.

Personally, I'd approach Mark Thomas, who is still without a club after leaving Derby, and was responsible for most of the signings we made a lot of money from that are mentioned above by @n1. I'd put Mark in a D of F type role. He was previously Ed's boss. Ed would have to take a reduced role, or leave. It's brutal, but that's football.

 

[Stranger]

Ah, the forum has found a new scapegoat. Well done everybody. Keep going like this and Jonny the kitman will be in charge of everything

 

[Sarge]

Ed Waldron is not our Head of Recruitment, that is Scott Mitchell. Ed is Head of Football Operations (or some similar title). Scott was previously at Wycombe and has a good reputation. He unearthed the likes of Richard Kone, and is an ex player himself.

It is difficult to know for sure, but I think some of last summer's signings were identified by Scott. Ed was responsible for the previous couple of windows, where he had a hit and miss outcome.

Personally, I'd approach Mark Thomas, who is still without a club after leaving Derby, and was responsible for most of the signings we made a lot of money from that are mentioned above by @n1. I'd put Mark in a D of F type role. He was previously Ed's boss. Ed would have to take a reduced role, or leave. It's brutal, but that's football.

Get MT back as soon as possible , and as @Colin B says, in the DoF role

 

[MarkG]

I've been wondering whether the player trading model is harder to achieve in the Championship, because either clubs want or need to keep their best players, or any players good enough to play in the EPL have either already been identified by other clubs, or are signed up by the EPL at a young age and then sent out on loan.

Also our angle of player trading was achieved whilst we were in L1 or L2 and mostly being a top half team, where a player could drop down and get almost guaranteed game time with the hope of getting a move to the Championship. I'm not sure that for instance a Will Lankshear would take a permanent move here to get game time.

However, Brighton seemed to go through a phase where they were selling players to Chelsea every transfer window, so it's not impossible. Looks like player trading has been profitable for the last three seasons of published accounts.

 

[isibuko]

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Ah, the forum has found a new scapegoat. Well done everybody. Keep going like this and Jonny the kitman will be in charge of everything

Pages and pages (quite rightly) of debate on Rowett, the same for most players.

Surely discussing the relative effectiveness of the Head Of Football Operations (particularly at a critical time such as this) is not only fair game - but actually prudent?

 

[JerryL]

Personally, I'd approach Mark Thomas, who is still without a club after leaving Derby, and was responsible for most of the signings we made a lot of money from that are mentioned above by @n1. I'd put Mark in a D of F type role. He was previously Ed's boss. Ed would have to take a reduced role, or leave. It's brutal, but that's football.

Honestly, this kinda decisiveness would be more exciting to me than a new manager atm

 

[OX18]

Ed Waldron is not our Head of Recruitment, that is Scott Mitchell. Ed is Head of Football Operations (or some similar title). Scott was previously at Wycombe and has a good reputation. He unearthed the likes of Richard Kone, and is an ex player himself.

It is difficult to know for sure, but I think some of last summer's signings were identified by Scott. Ed was responsible for the previous couple of windows, where he had a hit and miss outcome.

Personally, I'd approach Mark Thomas, who is still without a club after leaving Derby, and was responsible for most of the signings we made a lot of money from that are mentioned above by @n1. I'd put Mark in a D of F type role. He was previously Ed's boss. Ed would have to take a reduced role, or leave. It's brutal, but that's football.

I may well be wrong on this Colin, but wasn’t Benson one of the reasons Mark moved on.

 

[East Stand Fan]

This summer felt like Pep Clotet levels of desperation when it came to signings. When I look at some of the players in the EFL and what we ended up with, I wonder why we made it so hard for ourselves? Some of the overseas signings we've made have been below the standard whereas other teams seem to unearth absolutely brilliant players who can adapt to the English game through sheer skill and ability. Despite being a first team coach, I reckon Gary could've probably got a few players who could've done the job from the off. We may have ended up with another Bradshaw or two but we also could've got some decent experienced players at this level and for much less money. The recruitment team have overcomplicated things and the end product has been shambolic. I still think we have a good enough squad to stay up but we are light in key areas and overloaded in others with no stand-outs.

 

[Stranger]

I may well be wrong on this Colin, but wasn’t Benson one of the reasons Mark moved on.

The reason Mark moved on was because he applied for and was given a better-paid role at a club that was, at the time, in the division above.

 

[Paul Cannell]

Ah, the forum has found a new scapegoat. Well done everybody. Keep going like this and Jonny the kitman will be in charge of everything

There are some on here who have been questioning the role and capability of Ed Woodward for longer than 1 season.

You will see from recent theads that where the responsibility lies for recruitment and overall on-the-pitch direction is a mystery to many, being surrounded in the fog of opaque club communication.

I don't think your post is accurate, helpful or up to your normal standard. Have a lovely xmas.

 

[Stranger]

Pages and pages (quite rightly) of debate on Rowett, the same for most players.

Surely discussing the relative effectiveness of the Head Of Football Operations (particularly at a critical time such as this) is not only fair game - but actually prudent?

If it was a sensible discussion, no problem. It's not. It's like Reform voters discussing asylum seekers - all froth and nonsense and and winding each other up until the only solution for them is terminal. By all means discuss in a sensible fashion the relative effectiveness of Ed, but remember that as outsiders we're doing it from a point of not knowing most of what goes on at the club or with that role

 

[Colin B]

I may well be wrong on this Colin, but wasn’t Benson one of the reasons Mark moved on.

No, that wasn’t the reason. From memory I’m not even sure their paths crossed at Oxford?

One issue was that he started to feel he was being ignored by the first team manager at the time (KR).

 

[90syeIlow]

This summer felt like Pep Clotet levels of desperation when it came to signings. When I look at some of the players in the EFL and what we ended up with, I wonder why we made it so hard for ourselves? Some of the overseas signings we've made have been below the standard whereas other teams seem to unearth absolutely brilliant players who can adapt to the English game through sheer skill and ability. Despite being a first team coach, I reckon Gary could've probably got a few players who could've done the job from the off. We may have ended up with another Bradshaw or two but we also could've got some decent experienced players at this level and for much less money. The recruitment team have overcomplicated things and the end product has been shambolic. I still think we have a good enough squad to stay up but we are light in key areas and overloaded in others with no stand-outs.

Rubbish.

BDK, Spencer and Lankshear were not ‘Clotet level of desperation signings’ in the slightest.

 

[Carpy]

There are some on here who have been questioning the role and capability of Ed Woodward for longer than 1 season.

He’s so bad that I have no idea who he is

 

[Littlemore Local]

The reason Mark moved on was because he applied for and was given a better-paid role at a club that was, at the time, in the division above.

Derby were in league 1 at the time?

 

[Sarge]

There are some on here who have been questioning the role and capability of Ed Woodward for longer than 1 season.

You will see from recent theads that where the responsibility lies for recruitment and overall on-the-pitch direction is a mystery to many, being surrounded in the fog of opaque club communication.

I don't think your post is accurate, helpful or up to your normal standard. Have a lovely xmas.

he's knocking on a bit now, but I wouldnt mind having him on the bench to salvage a point at away games - sign him up, I believe hes out of contract?

 

[Stranger]

There are some on here who have been questioning the role and capability of Ed Woodward for longer than 1 season.

You will see from recent theads that where the responsibility lies for recruitment and overall on-the-pitch direction is a mystery to many, being surrounded in the fog of opaque club communication.

I don't think your post is accurate, helpful or up to your normal standard. Have a lovely xmas.

I don't have any problem with people questioning things or people if it's done sensibly, but 'oh recruitment has been s**t, sack him' is neither sensible nor constructive.

I also agree that communication could be better, especially in making individuals' roles more transparent, although there will always be some opacity surrounding recruitment and the football operations role which means that a lot of people are arguing from positions of ignorance.

And a lovely xmas to you too, especially on Boxing Day

 

[Stranger]

he's knocking on a bit now, but I wouldnt mind having him on the bench to salvage a point at away games - sign him up, I believe hes out of contract?


View attachment 32533

He was excellent in the Equalizer, but sometimes you need to press on for the winner

 

[Paul Cannell]

He’s so bad that I have no idea who he is

I think you do.

Soz, everyone. I was putting the finishing touches to my latest musical and had cast the Edward Woodward from Wicker Man as the virgin CEO who brings a promising football club to it's knees with a cocktail of hubris and naivety.

 

[Emilio]

Credit where it’s due, I don’t think we’re half bad at the back. Maybe lacking a bit of pace. It surprised me a little when Rowett said, in an interview, this is the area where he’d like to strengthen.

When was our last clean sheet? Almost as long ago as our last penalty.

Yes, I know with a solid midfield your defence is under less pressure, but still, that's pretty shite.



(18th October - 1-0 home win over Derby. Other than that this season it's only been the QPR 0-0 and the 1-0 victory over Colchester in the Cup...)

 

[Joey]

When was our last clean sheet? Almost as long ago as our last penalty.

Yes, I know with a solid midfield your defence is under less pressure, but still, that's pretty shite.



(18th October - 1-0 home win over Derby. Other than that this season it's only been the QPR 0-0 and the 1-0 victory over Colchester in the Cup...)

It's a bad look but maybe it's not been helped by setting up so negatively in most games and inviting endless pressure? Cam is a big miss of course but I think the players are better than they've shown so far, it's easy to say they aren't good enough but I recall similar posts when we were heading towards League 2 with a squad containing Brown, Moore, Brannagan, McGuane, Murphy, Goodrham etc. Get this next manager right and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see people think that maybe the likes of Krastev are definitely good enough for this level.

To try and not take this off track I'm really on the fence about Waldron. For all the criticism levelled at him we've progressed as a club and the squad is certainly in a better place than when he took over. He seems to be proxy for recruitment in general but that's more Mitchell's role and I have to say I've been impressed with a lot of what we've done in the past couple of windows with the caveat that he was completely stitched up in the summer. Waldron will also have been key to manager recruitment and we've done well there three times in a row.

On the other hand Rowett clearly wanted Campbell in the summer. The fact we didn't get him when he was the most low hanging of fruit implies Waldron said no which was a ridiculous risk that we're now paying for. Some contract extensions (Harris!) looked poor at the time and awful in hindsight. The fact we're struggling to shift so many players suggests we're either not good at it or we're overpaying them in the first place which is why no one is willing to match their wage to take them away. We can't afford as much wastage as we have currently, although some of this is carried over from players who got helped us up but were never going to be Championship standard such as Dale and Thorniley. There is a lack of assets but I think either Tim or Grant mentioned we were loving away from the player trading model more into ready to go Championship players, despite this I think BDK and Spencer are assets and who knows what else we could have managed with an unobstructed window

I'd be interested to see if things changed above him he magically looked better at his job. I've said before I'm willing to cut him, and particularly Mitchell, plenty of slack because they were hampered so badly in the summer and most the blame should go above them. That doesn't give a free pass though and this next managerial appointment is massive. Going forwards if rather see the club run competently from above. It would obviously be better all round but it would take away a lot of the cloud and doubt about the likes of Waldron and Mitchell. Get it right above them, give them every opportunity and let them sink or swim, don't dick them about and make a tough job several times harder.

 

[Shaun Rice]

Hard to do your job with your hands tied behind your back. He isn’t immune to criticism, but I think he’s shown to be a decent judge of a player when given money to spend as see by Currie, Spencer, BDK. It’ll be interesting to see whether we spend any transfer fees in January. If we don’t, why can we expect him to bring it Championsip quality players?

What interests me is who identified those 3. If it was Ed then he comes out with some credit. If it was Rowett or the new lad from Wycombe then we need more of that.

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

Ah, the forum has found a new scapegoat. Well done everybody. Keep going like this and Jonny the kitman will be in charge of everything

Johnny out!