Ben Mansford

TangerTonyGreen said:
It’s bad enough we have threads slating players, now we’re getting on staffs backs.
Ffs😞
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TTG, firstly let me say I have no dealings with the guy personally so it's not a case of me slating the guy or getting on anyone's back.

It's just some feedback I've had off more than one person who has had dealings and the feedback is not good (as Limerick alluded to as well).

Anyone else one way or the other? (Note the opportunity to give positive feedback if deemed worthy)
 
BFC_53 said:
Managers/Directors aren't there to be liked, they're there to get the job done and deliver results. I'd rather judge him on our league position and off field progress in a couple of years time, than whether someone gets on with him or not.
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This is bang on. I’ve heard he’s ruffled more than a few feathers during his time with us, but look at the results he’s now getting.

Reading between the lines I think BM initially struggled getting back into the English game. But he’s a very intelligent bloke by all accounts, the current offseason only highlights that for me.
 
I dont know the guy and dont know anyone who knows the guy so can't comment really on his personality behind the scenes.
I can only judge on what I have seen of him in public. In the interviews I have seen he comes across as a pleasant enough guy who talks a lot of sense and those that knew him before he came here seemed to have a very high opinion of him and his capabilties.
It is apparent that the infrastructure and functioning of the club behind the scenes was either non-existent or poor in many areas. He seems, with others, to be rectifying that and putting in place a modern, professional set up.. That includes doing our transfer business behind the scenes with a strategy in mind and in a professional way and making sure we have backroom staff that can ensure we have a properly fit set of players. Big changes in organisations, particularly ones that designed to improve things, are often challenging for some of the existing staff.
 
Makes absolute no difference to me or my life. I’m sure lots of people at the club are not perfect either. Are we now so self righteous that everyone’s must be perfect for us to be in a good place.
 
I do get the feeling that the club has a different attitude now. Yes, more professional. Much. But less engaging. It feels much more of a "they" than a "we" - I understand the need to move forward and draw a line under the past, but a lot of people made a lot of sacrifices and went through a lot of pain, and it's kind of "you've done your bit, now go away and leave us to it". Sometimes, you need a bit of heart, soul, emotion. Replacing all the tangerine-blooded people with football/business "professionals" just feels almost like we're being treated as a franchise. I hope we're not just Sadler's mid-life crisis.
 
TangerineTractor said:
I do get the feeling that the club has a different attitude now. Yes, more professional. Much. But less engaging. It feels much more of a "they" than a "we" - I understand the need to move forward and draw a line under the past, but a lot of people made a lot of sacrifices and went through a lot of pain, and it's kind of "you've done your bit, now go away and leave us to it". Sometimes, you need a bit of heart, soul, emotion. Replacing all the tangerine-blooded people with football/business "professionals" just feels almost like we're being treated as a franchise. I hope we're not just Sadler's mid-life crisis.
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I know what you mean, but taking that to its logical conclusion, the Oystons were therefore US 😫
 
Don't know the guy, couldn't care less about him. However, I did write the other day despite on the field activity flying, the training ground looking good and thanks to Sadler the club being in excellent health, I still sense a real discord between those running the club and the fans. I don't know if it's because BST/BSA are so quiet, we have this awful disease or just a lack of communication but in terms of how I thought things would change and how the management are with the fans I can only give them 4/10.
 
Not hard to see where this kind of talk comes from and it ain’t ‘inside the club’ ... at least not this club
 
Let’s hope he is as successful at our Bloomfield. You can only go off impressions and instinct when you don’t actually know someone, but to me he gives off the vibe of someone trying perhaps a little too hard to be likeable and pally and involved in every aspect of things but underneath there is an ‘edge’ to him. I’m not sure you would ever feel you knew exactly where you are with him, which is probably a good trait as a director of football.

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Seems like the consummate professional to me - as others have said don’t need him to be especially nice, need him to be a winner.
 
Sometimes people need their noses put out of joint and for some, possibly many, don’t like change hence why they criticise the new regime. I spoke to a long serving member of BFC hospitality staff last year, who said she was retiring because she didn’t like the way the new management team with their ideas were trying to run hospitality. She said it was much better under the Oystons because they left that side of the business alone!
 
the_dog said:
Don't know the guy, couldn't care less about him. However, I did write the other day despite on the field activity flying, the training ground looking good and thanks to Sadler the club being in excellent health, I still sense a real discord between those running the club and the fans. I don't know if it's because BST/BSA are so quiet, we have this awful disease or just a lack of communication but in terms of how I thought things would change and how the management are with the fans I can only give them 4/10.
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Are there any examples of this apparent discord between club and fans? Everyone seems to be pulling in the right direction and I can't remember a time I've felt more part of the club than I do now?
 
Couldn't care less either, he has a job to do and seems to be doing it well so far just like everyone else at the club!
 
The only problem I'd have is if he used his agent's hat for personal benefit or used his position as an ego trip to be a kind of DoF.

😉
 
Raging_Bull said:
Getting quite a few negative opinions about Ben, anyone else getting any feedback good or bad?
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We had similar situation with Matt,up Karls arris,two faced,upset managers with his input on players,yet most on here loved him. Not met this Ben guy but hope he is a vast improvement on mrw1. Maybe Tim could input on the thread and offer his opinion.
 
Bedfordshire_Seasider said:
I’ve read RBs post and am struggling to see any character assassination. What I see is a genuine question and a genuine answer from Limerick.
what I also see is the usual cancel culture idiots looking for anything they don’t agree with to be deleted. These sorts are the dangerous ones within our society 🙁
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Couldn't agree more Beds, I wasn't trying to assassinate, disrespect or criticise BM at all, I was merely posing a question based on some negative feedback I'd been given and giving people an opportunity to air their views both good and bad. I'll remember to don my tin hat next time I ask for some comments. 🥴
 
Almost every successful, highly positioned person I have come across in my career has not been particularly "warm", with every single one of them having a ruthless edge.
In business, especially within boardrooms, you need to have an aura about you to command the room, a little arrogance and complete confidence in your own ability.
I see no issue with Ben.
 
I've met Ben M a couple of times, one briefly and once for long enough to have a chat. On both occasions he was perfectly decent and happy to chat with us. One of the occasions was a small service we had to lay a friends ashes in the ground - Mark Chandler, who I'm sure some of you know. His family had held off laying his ashes to rest for a long time until the Oystons had gone, because those of you who knew Mark would know in what regard he held the Oystons and they just couldn't do it.

I know from the family that Ben M helped out in getting it all arranged and it was very well handled. He was around following the service to make a point of talking with the family and ensuring everything was as they wanted. He didn't have to do that but it made us all feel the club had taken a genuine interest.

I suspect that a lot of this is the 'new broom' factor as others are saying. There will be long standing staff who perhaps don't like the shake up that is necessary to get the club working well as a business off the pitch. That is natural. As a supporter I'm looking longer term at the off pitch becoming strong and sustainable, and accept there may be some disruption.

As long as it isn't a complete tyranny, which I don't believe it is from what I hear, then Ben M has the calibre of CV and past success to make me feel we did well to get him. And my admitted limited personal experience suggests he is a good bloke to get the business on a better footing for us as supporters.
 
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