It was a really interesting session with Robbo last night. He was honest and forthright and didn't duck any questions. In addition to the excellent summary from ICT-Stew, Robbo spoke of his concerns about the pitch which he described as "gone". We can see that with our own eyes and there are clearly major decisions to be taken by the Board in relation to that. Interestingly he referred to the astroturf facility the Rugby Club have and he described that surface as "magnificent".
In talking about finances he indicated that he has reduced the wage bill by over £1million which seems an astonishing amount for a club of our size. He also says he has cut down on payments to agents from about £100k to just £9k! I like that! But with no regular investment (donations) coming into the club, he felt there is a need to do more to attract people, particularly young kids to the games. This may be an area where the Supporters Trust can work with the manager to explore various initiatives with the club.
On the player front, he said that Angus Beith was now just a couple of weeks away from being ready for selection. We'll keep our fingers crossed that it will be worth the wait. Also, OFW is back and whilst he apparently would prefer to play in the States, nothing has come up yet which he wants to sign up to. If nothing by way of a loan deal for him comes up in January then he would come back into the squad as our highest paid player (I think) until his contract expires. In that case, young Daniel Hoban would likely go out on a loan deal.
For me, the over-riding message was that the club has to be realistic about the kinds of contracts it can afford and we all need to understand that we are very limited in terms of the kind of players we can bring to the clubs. Seasoned pros, particularly those with families to relocate, simply are not going to move up here for the wages we can afford. We therefore need to attract younger lads who show potential but who, for one reason or another haven't quite made the grade elsewhere. We have to accept that if they make the grade here, then likely they will move on to in due course. The other route is to develop our own and he spoke with great enthusiasm about the youngsters currently coming through the system.
As I say, a very informative and interesting session. I am sure he will be willing to come to Q&A sessions again and I can assure you, it will be well worth the effort to come along and hear what he has to say.