gary cook in the $h1T

[bluechester]

in general always been impressed with cooke, always seems aproachable for fans to meet him, slip of the tongue, and the reaction makes us look small and stupid,

[carl_feedthegoat]

in general always been impressed with cooke, always seems aproachable for fans to meet him, slip of the tongue, and the reaction makes us look small and stupid,

NO IT DOESNT - IT MAKES US CITY FANS WHO DONT LIKE TO SEE US AS A LAUGHING STOCK.

COOK WAS FUCKING STUPID - END OF MATE.

[ant london]

Maybe it's irrational, it probably is, but I really don't like Cook. Haven't since day one. He strikes me as slimy and insincere- he probably goes home and laughs at all us morons who fork out thousands to support City. Pursuing Ronaldinho was madness, the way he handled the aftermath of the Kaká discussions was stupid, the comment about Thaksin and golf wasn't funny either. The 'Richard Dunne doesn't sell jerseys in Malaysia' or whatever it was a few months ago epitomises the guy for me. He doesn't value anything unless there's a commercial pot of gold at the end of it.

I'm not all that surprised about this latest thing. And I don't care how many bridges we build with fucking oil companies, I care about my football team and how it performs.

No disrespect mate as you know how fond of you I am and I hold you in very very high esteem as one of the top handful of posters on the site but I am surprised that you feel that way.

To me, that is all very irrational..actually, no, it's just pure supporter emotion coming through (as it is from most of those who I would say have massively overreacted above...but you are not usually prone to that kind of reaction).

I don't blame you or others who find Cook a bit too slick/slimey. I can see why 100% but I also think he is very competent at his job (for the record Socrates, you are in cloud cuckoo land if you think he's doing nothing but rubberstamping deals that Mansour has ordered companies he owns to enter into. I'm sure you know that that doesn't happen in the real world and you are being deliberately facile in your "analysis" of his involvement)

But I can see why people don't warm to him.

Personally I don't want a fucking fan as chairman. I think Bernstein fucked up (to certain degrees as we got back towards the Prem) due to being a fan, Lee totally did and as for the other "fan" chairman....Kenwright...no way, Parry....even less way, Gibson....hugely flawed decision making.

Give me a professional, detatched, uninvolved and unemotional businessman any day of the week.

As you were Cookie

[Colin the King]

Maybe it's irrational, it probably is, but I really don't like Cook. Haven't since day one. He strikes me as slimy and insincere- he probably goes home and laughs at all us morons who fork out thousands to support City. Pursuing Ronaldinho was madness, the way he handled the aftermath of the Kaká discussions was stupid, the comment about Thaksin and golf wasn't funny either. The 'Richard Dunne doesn't sell jerseys in Malaysia' or whatever it was a few months ago epitomises the guy for me. He doesn't value anything unless there's a commercial pot of gold at the end of it.

I'm not all that surprised about this latest thing. And I don't care how many bridges we build with fucking oil companies, I care about my football team and how it performs.

No disrespect mate as you know how fond of you I am and I hold you in very very high esteem as one of the top handful of posters on the site but I am surprised that you feel that way.

To me, that is all very irrational..actually, no, it's just pure supporter emotion coming through (as it is from most of those who I would say have massively overreacted above...but you are not usually prone to that kind of reaction).

I don't blame you or others who find Cook a bit too slick/slimey. I can see why 100% but I also think he is very competent at his job (for the record Socrates, you are in cloud cuckoo land if you think he's doing nothing but rubberstamping deals that Mansour has ordered companies he owns to enter into. I'm sure you know that that doesn't happen in the real world and you are being deliberately facile in your "analysis" of his involvement)

But I can see why people don't warm to him.

Personally I don't want a fucking fan as chairman. I think Bernstein fucked up (to certain degrees as we got back towards the Prem) due to being a fan, Lee totally did and as for the other "fan" chairman....Kenwright...no way, Parry....even less way, Gibson....hugely flawed decision making.

Give me a professional, detatched, uninvolved and unemotional businessman any day of the week.

As you were Cookie

I understand your viewpoint Ant, and as someone who knows the business world a lot better than I would, you're probably in a better position than I am to know whether or not he's doing a good job.

But to pick up on one thing- you say 'give me a professional, detached, uninvolved and unemotional businessman any day of the week'- see, I'd have no problem with that whatsoever. But with Cook it seems to me that he actually tries to be attached, involved and emotional, but ends up just sounding insincere. If he was to go about his business without any of the cheesy PR stuff, I'd be a lot happier with him.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Maybe it's irrational, it probably is, but I really don't like Cook. Haven't since day one. He strikes me as slimy and insincere- he probably goes home and laughs at all us morons who fork out thousands to support City. Pursuing Ronaldinho was madness, the way he handled the aftermath of the Kaká discussions was stupid, the comment about Thaksin and golf wasn't funny either. The 'Richard Dunne doesn't sell jerseys in Malaysia' or whatever it was a few months ago epitomises the guy for me. He doesn't value anything unless there's a commercial pot of gold at the end of it.

I'm not all that surprised about this latest thing. And I don't care how many bridges we build with fucking oil companies, I care about my football team and how it performs.

No disrespect mate as you know how fond of you I am and I hold you in very very high esteem as one of the top handful of posters on the site but I am surprised that you feel that way.

To me, that is all very irrational..actually, no, it's just pure supporter emotion coming through (as it is from most of those who I would say have massively overreacted above...but you are not usually prone to that kind of reaction).

I don't blame you or others who find Cook a bit too slick/slimey. I can see why 100% but I also think he is very competent at his job (for the record Socrates, you are in cloud cuckoo land if you think he's doing nothing but rubberstamping deals that Mansour has ordered companies he owns to enter into. I'm sure you know that that doesn't happen in the real world and you are being deliberately facile in your "analysis" of his involvement)

But I can see why people don't warm to him.

Personally I don't want a fucking fan as chairman. I think Bernstein fucked up (to certain degrees as we got back towards the Prem) due to being a fan, Lee totally did and as for the other "fan" chairman....Kenwright...no way, Parry....even less way, Gibson....hugely flawed decision making.

Give me a professional, detatched, uninvolved and unemotional businessman any day of the week.

As you were Cookie

That's a good point. We tend to want people with the club in their heart and soul.
But wise words Ant.

[Socrates]

I didn't say Mansour owned them, I said he was connected to them. All the deals have been Abu Dhabi related and will have involved Khaldoon lobbying on behalf of his boss rather than the fruition of some maga masterplan involving a world full of City branded blue motor cars thought up by motormouth. Fact is we are yet to see much actual evidence that Cook is producing the goods in terms of his stated objectives on global branding. A bit like Hughes really, says the right things but little evidence that he knows how to put the words into action. Him being "approachable" to fans is hardly the point either, is it?

[ant london]

I didn't say Mansour owned them, I said he was connected to them. All the deals have been Abu Dhabi related and will have involved Khaldoon lobbying on behalf of his boss rather than the fruition of some maga masterplan involving a world full of City branded blue motor cars thought up by motormouth. Fact is we are yet to see much actual evidence that Cook is producing the goods in terms of his stated objectives on global branding. A bit like Hughes really, says the right things but little evidence that he knows how to put the words into action. Him being "approachable" to fans is hardly the point either, is it?

Being approachable is not, I grant you, a placebo to cure our ill feeling and win us over en masse.

But I think he is actually doing a good job on the profile-building and brand positioning.

First off, the Sheikh does "own" in whole or in part the sponsoring companies.

However, in simple terms, without the influence of the Sheikh through his investments in/sway over the groups in question we would not "as a brand partner" be capable of stepping from an arrangement with Thomas Cook to one with Etihad.

That all being true, if you think that with a simple bit of pressure from Mansour these deals are done without massive involvement from Cook's office you are mad. All of these companies have boards of directors who have to act in the best interests of the companies they serve. They cannot willy nilly enter into deals that bring the company no corresponding benefit to the economic costs of the arrangements. It is the selling of that benefit and tying up the commercial terms that Cook and co will be tasked with and it is a massive bloody job. And in my opinion, one which he's done very well.

[BlueinBosnia]

Personally I don't want a fucking fan as chairman. I think Bernstein fucked up (to certain degrees as we got back towards the Prem) due to being a fan, Lee totally did and as for the other "fan" chairman....Kenwright...no way, Parry....even less way, Gibson....hugely flawed decision making.

That's news to me, as he's a Spurs season ticket holder, and attends games with his nephew, who is a friend of mine.

CtK- I can understand what you're saying there, but the Sheikh bought us as an investment, and investments make money. For that side of things, Cook is the right man for the job.

Socrates- yes, the Sheikh's (affiliated) businesses are the main ones providing sponsorship at the moment, but he's getting free tv time for companies that make him money. That's savvy business sense in my book.

[carl_feedthegoat]

TO HAVE YOUR TOP EXECUTIVE WELCOME AN EX EMPLOYEE TO A HALL OF FAME OF YOUR HATED RIVAL IS UNFORGIVABLE...SLIP OF THE TONGUES HAVE COST JOBS IN THE PAST...POLITICALLY AND FROM TOP EXECUTIVES WORLDWIDE SO IN MY OPINION IT,S NO LAUGHING MATTER AND IS NOT FORGETABLE EITHER....AND HE HAS MADE SOME OTHER DAFT REMARKS IN THE PAST,SO IT,S NOT AS IF IT,S HIS FIRST TIME ON THIS ISSUE.

ON A PERSONAL LEVEL I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GIVEN A HUGE SLAP IF I HAD DONE THE SAME TYPE OF "MISTAKE" AT AN EVENTS SHOW FOR MY LATIN BASED COMPANY....AS IM FUCKING GOOD AT WHAT I DO!!!....BUT I WOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO BOOK AND NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO MAKE SPEECHES AT FURTHER EVENTS WITHOUT IT BEING REVISED FIRST BY MY OWNERS.

IM NOT FOR GETTING HIM THE SACK (NOT YET) AS WE DO HAVE A WORLDWIDE PROFILE, WETHER A HUGE % OF THAT IS DOWN TO HIM SOLELY OR NOT IS DEBATABLE,BUT i WOULD NOT GIVE HIM CARTE BLANCHE TO MAKE UNREVISED SPEECHES FROM HERE ON.

[bluej]

TO HAVE YOUR TOP EXECUTIVE WELCOME AN EX EMPLOYEE TO A HALL OF FAME OF YOUR HATED RIVAL IS UNFORGIVABLE...SLIP OF THE TONGUES HAVE COST JOBS IN THE PAST...POLITICALLY AND FROM TOP EXECUTIVES WORLDWIDE SO IN MY OPINION IT,S NO LAUGHING MATTER AND IS NOT FORGETABLE EITHER....AND HE HAS MADE SOME OTHER DAFT REMARKS IN THE PAST,SO IT,S NOT AS IF IT,S HIS FIRST TIME ON THIS ISSUE.

ON A PERSONAL LEVEL I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GIVEN A HUGE SLAP IF I HAD DONE THE SAME TYPE OF "MISTAKE" AT AN EVENTS SHOW FOR MY LATIN BASED COMPANY....AS IM FUCKING GOOD AT WHAT I DO!!!....BUT I WOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO BOOK AND NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO MAKE SPEECHES AT FURTHER EVENTS WITHOUT IT BEING REVISED FIRST BY MY OWNERS.

IM NOT FOR GETTING HIM THE SACK (NOT YET) AS WE DO HAVE A WORLDWIDE PROFILE, WETHER A HUGE % OF THAT IS DOWN TO HIM SOLELY OR NOT IS DEBATABLE,BUT i WOULD NOT GIVE HIM CARTE BLANCHE TO MAKE UNREVISED SPEECHES FROM HERE ON.

That makes it sound like he had it written down though, when I highly doubt he would have.

[carl_feedthegoat]

TO HAVE YOUR TOP EXECUTIVE WELCOME AN EX EMPLOYEE TO A HALL OF FAME OF YOUR HATED RIVAL IS UNFORGIVABLE...SLIP OF THE TONGUES HAVE COST JOBS IN THE PAST...POLITICALLY AND FROM TOP EXECUTIVES WORLDWIDE SO IN MY OPINION IT,S NO LAUGHING MATTER AND IS NOT FORGETABLE EITHER....AND HE HAS MADE SOME OTHER DAFT REMARKS IN THE PAST,SO IT,S NOT AS IF IT,S HIS FIRST TIME ON THIS ISSUE.

ON A PERSONAL LEVEL I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GIVEN A HUGE SLAP IF I HAD DONE THE SAME TYPE OF "MISTAKE" AT AN EVENTS SHOW FOR MY LATIN BASED COMPANY....AS IM FUCKING GOOD AT WHAT I DO!!!....BUT I WOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO BOOK AND NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO MAKE SPEECHES AT FURTHER EVENTS WITHOUT IT BEING REVISED FIRST BY MY OWNERS.

IM NOT FOR GETTING HIM THE SACK (NOT YET) AS WE DO HAVE A WORLDWIDE PROFILE, WETHER A HUGE % OF THAT IS DOWN TO HIM SOLELY OR NOT IS DEBATABLE,BUT i WOULD NOT GIVE HIM CARTE BLANCHE TO MAKE UNREVISED SPEECHES FROM HERE ON.

That makes it sound like he had it written down though, when I highly doubt he would have.

THATS THE POINT MATE..HE SHOULD HAVE IT WRITTEN DOWN BEFORE HE OPENS HIS GOB (AND THEN HAVE SOMEONE CHECK IT BEFORE HE GOES AND MAKES A TIT OF HIMSELF).....

[ant london]

Personally I don't want a fucking fan as chairman. I think Bernstein fucked up (to certain degrees as we got back towards the Prem) due to being a fan, Lee totally did and as for the other "fan" chairman....Kenwright...no way, Parry....even less way, Gibson....hugely flawed decision making.

That's news to me, as he's a Spurs season ticket holder, and attends games with his nephew, who is a friend of mine.
.

Well he made a big song and dance of being blue....I couldn't actually give two shits if he was or not. He was flawed as a chairman as a football fan who got too involved with the emotion of the club IMO. And even if he goes to Spurs with a nephew who's your friend (although quite why that matters I have no idea....) I could cite some other "famous blues" with non-City families

Colin Shindler's daughter is a United fan

Martin Kelner's brother is also a red

[Socrates]

Personally I don't want a fucking fan as chairman. I think Bernstein fucked up (to certain degrees as we got back towards the Prem) due to being a fan, Lee totally did and as for the other "fan" chairman....Kenwright...no way, Parry....even less way, Gibson....hugely flawed decision making.

That's news to me, as he's a Spurs season ticket holder, and attends games with his nephew, who is a friend of mine.

CtK- I can understand what you're saying there, but the Sheikh bought us as an investment, and investments make money. For that side of things, Cook is the right man for the job.

Socrates- yes, the Sheikh's (affiliated) businesses are the main ones providing sponsorship at the moment, but he's getting free tv time for companies that make him money. That's savvy business sense in my book.

Very savvy business, no argument with it. It's using it as evidence of Cook's capability in positioning us a global brand that I have a problem with!

[BlueinBosnia]

Well he made a big song and dance of being blue....I couldn't actually give two shits if he was or not. He was flawed as a chairman as a football fan who got too involved with the emotion of the club IMO. And even if he goes to Spurs with a nephew who's your friend (although quite why that matters I have no idea....) I could cite some other "famous blues" with non-City families

The reason it 'matters' is I, like you, was under the impression that he was a City fan until about 5 years ago, largely due to his 'song and dance'. Had I been told he wasn't by anyone else, I would not have believed it, just like most people on here wouldn't have believed it had I mentioned it in an unsubstantiated way.

[BlueinBosnia]

Very savvy business, no argument with it. It's using it as evidence of Cook's capability in positioning us a global brand that I have a problem with!

Did we get Puma in the end, then?

[Beefymcfc]

pretty gobsmacked that such a gaff can be made. Would anyone on this board ever make such a slip up? NO...NEVER and we dont work for the club. Astounded he said it, its not even funny.

No mate, I could make that slip up and have on a couple of occasions! Fine line between love and hate there is ;-)

[Socrates]

Well he made a big song and dance of being blue....I couldn't actually give two shits if he was or not. He was flawed as a chairman as a football fan who got too involved with the emotion of the club IMO. And even if he goes to Spurs with a nephew who's your friend (although quite why that matters I have no idea....) I could cite some other "famous blues" with non-City families

The reason it 'matters' is I, like you, was under the impression that he was a City fan until about 5 years ago, largely due to his 'song and dance'. Had I been told he wasn't by anyone else, I would not have believed it, just like most people on here wouldn't have believed it had I mentioned it in an unsubstantiated way.

His attendance at Spurs is well known but is connected to his non-footballing corporate affairs. Bernstein is, and was always, a blue.

[Alex Sapphire]

I think the truth is that of all the club's employees the one most conspicuously out of his depth is Cook.
And I believe that that is the view of people who work in the industry

[Alex Sapphire]

pretty gobsmacked that such a gaff can be made. Would anyone on this board ever make such a slip up? NO...NEVER and we dont work for the club. Astounded he said it, its not even funny.

No mate, I could make that slip up and have on a couple of occasions! Fine line between love and hate there is ;-)

I'm with WW. You simply don't make that mistake. And it's not about City, it's about the basics of taking your job seriously. You NEVER trip up over a competitor's name. We know he's not a City fan, but he must surely do better than that.
Although those who "kicked off" were out of order

[Socrates]

Very savvy business, no argument with it. It's using it as evidence of Cook's capability in positioning us a global brand that I have a problem with!

Did we get Puma in the end, then?

Fantastic idea to get a deal on football shirts. Why did Bernstein and Wardle never think of that?