It's not the board, It's not the coaches, It's the players!

Quote: vladivar "I don't post on here much as most of the content is bickering, rumour mongering or swapping of ill informed opinions. But I have a really strong view on this discussion so I'll chip in.

The board of directors set the ethos and vision for any organisation and a sports club is no different. If a company employed the best sales people, managers and great customer service staff, with poor leadership, the performance of everybody beneath suffers. Having great people with poor leadership is as good as having poor people.

There's one big common denominator over the last 8 years of over promised under performance and its the CEO.

Moran's cash - check
World class players - check
Fantastic stadium - check
Credible coaching team - check

But you can't buy a winning culture. It comes from somebody at the top setting the right agenda and instilling the plans and desire to see it through. I'm sure some of the board members have their heart in the right place but some of them aren't exactly dynamic energetic business people with a track record of high performance. And the ones that can boast some success aren't there day-to-day, making decisions and driving activity.

Maybe the players do let themselves down from time to time. Maybe the coaching staff over the years have lacked ideas. Maybe there are key positions that are ineffective within the team. However, you could fix all of that and you'd still have an uncharismatic, visionless, hanger-on in charge with a willingness to accept mediocrity. The club would still be managed by meaningless results such as how many people come and visit the the 'showcase stadium' or how deep the 'water bore hole' is. You only have to hear the guy speak in public to know that he's not going to set the place on fire.

Here's a simple question for you before you moan about players and coaches (and each other).

Who, individually, is accountable for the club's performance?

It isn't Jon Clarke or Chris Bridge or Lee Briers. It isn't Tony Smith and it wasn't Jimmy Lowes or Paul Cullen. Oh, and it isn't Simon Moran.

One man is and has been accountable for club's performance for the last 8 years but continues to dance between the bullets and avoid the public attention he deserves. As long as he's around, Warrington Wolves will be mediocre because he doesn't demand or dictate high enough standards.

And as for the last 15 years point - the club didn't have the cash or facilities 10 years ago. His predecessors had some pretty valid excuses for the club's performance. In the last 8 years, there are no excuses whatsoever.'"

Good contribution to the debate if not a little controversial. I have often challenged Gatcliffes vision and drive. I have only met him a few times, and whilst undoubtrably a nice chap, strikes me as more of a capable task focussed middle manager rather than a sporting success driven visionary and leader. I also believe the executive board does seem to lack flair and desire for sporting excellence in my opinion.

For some of the older readers, compare the vision of the current CEO and that of Ossie Davies when he was appointed chairman.