The job role duties show that the DoF will do recruitment, someone from overseas won’t know what it takes to get players capable of performing in this league.
Another duty is to manage and implement the coaching programme, again that needs someone experienced in these leagues who knows what coaching methods gets the best out of the players in these leagues.
The traditional manager role covers all of that. No point recruiting a DOF if that’s the brief.
They are two of the many duties. ‘Traditional’ managers are becoming a thing of the past. Well done Walsall for finally moving into the 21st century.
The same DOF can complement old school manager or head coach responsible for first team results only and many variants between. As managers stay for a few years max, later usually wear out, DOF will stay for 15 or 25 years at the same club. That’s why he is responsible for strategic planning of what will happen in the next few years or dozen years. Or rather should be. And he acts as a buffer between coach and owner or directors. I know it can feel like a useless job, but it should help make the club more professional.
I don’t think we could afford him.
I feel a little LP, if we lose the next game or two Dutton will be gone and the owner will have the added pressure of recruiting the right manager and finding a DoF. That’s a tough task to handle in normal times, let alone a pandemic, no fans and no income, not a position I would like to be in.
The task is made doubly difficult due to our position in the league, not many could handle that kind of pressure.
Are anywhere near knowing who it’s going to be?..has anyone sat outside the shrine all day nose holeing(made up word I think) to see the comings and going’s out of the reception area??
Guarantee when the new DOF is announced there will be 1 or 2 who will come out the woodwork and say they knew who the candidates where they just couldn’t say nothing.
sad when you know what’s going to happen isn’t it mate,I don’t even have a clue who’d I’d like or even want it’s a role I don’t really look into to be honest.
The director of football for me needs to be vastly experienced in lower league management with a good contact book and scouting network, and a willingness to see out a minimum of 5 years at the club.
Someone like :
Danny Wilson
Martin Allen
Lawrence Sanchez
Ian Holloway
I’ve posted this link for anyone unsure exactly what a director of football does, explains it quite well and I’d say just what we need.
…In 2008
Yeah that is correct
Given the video you have posted I wouldn’t consider any of those names.
I know this is a bit of a curve ball (since, barring Keates, we rarely go for managers currently employed) but wouldn’t Rob Kelly be a decent shout?
If we get 4 points from Southend and Grimsby, we should be okay.
Walsall can then wait until the close season.
Barrow cannot be seen as a bigger club than Walsall. He is only caretaker until the end of the season, too, so no compo to worry about if we can get in his ear now…
Director of Football is a more secure job than Barrow (3 managers in one season) FC.
Rob Kelly is Midlands born, has links with the likes of Leicester and could also attract the best Barrow players (surely cheaper than the likes of Clarke, Sinclair and Guthrie?). He has also worked at Leeds, WBA and Forest, so lots of possible youth loans…
He also has recent coaching experience in Sweden and Germany! What’s not to like?
He has done a great job at Barrow but there’s no such thing as loyalty and I think he could be a very shrewd ‘under the radar’ appointment.
What do you reckon?
We have to be realistic though don’t we.
Nor me. The description fits pretty well with what I posted above 
Not holding my breath though
David Kelly was singing his praises on ifollow when we played them the other night.
Kelly said “he knows about football” which made me loff given that he’s managing a football team.
Not sure we are a big enough fish though, if he decides to move on.
Being realistic is always the Walsall way, but if appointing a DOF is seen as dragging us into modern football looking at past dinosaurs doesn’t seem to be the place to start.
