MTLNOVEL Chapter 15: 15
Burnley Football Club's 2021 Summer Transfer Window Releases and Transfers:
Phil Bardsley, 35, moved to Nashville, USA for £100,000*Aaron Lennon, 34, moved to Vitesse in the Netherlands for £70,000*Matej Vidra, 29, moved to Cruz Azul in Mexico for £2 million*Ben Gibson, 28, central defender, transferred to Norwich, England for £8 million*Ashley Westwood, 31, moved to Norwich for £10 million
Total income: £20.17 million
Completed prior to acquisition by Cartwright Fund
Burnley Football Club's 2021 Summer Transfer Window Signings:
Maxwell Cornet, 24, Left-back/attacker/right-back, signed from Olympique Lyonnais in France for £12.75 million*Connor Roberts, 25, right-back, signed from Swansea, England for £3.5 million*Wayne Hennessey, 34, goalkeeper, free*
Total expenditure: £16.25 million
Completed prior to acquisition by Cartwright Fund
Burnley Football Club's 2021 Summer Transfer Window Loan Signings:
Jacob Ramsey, 20, central midfielder, on loan from Aston Villa, England (£0 per week, £47 million option to buy permanently)Karim Adeyemi, 19, central/right winger, on loan from Austrian side RB Salzburg (£44,000/week, £14 million option to buy permanently + £1 million add-on option)Nicolas Seywald, 19, central/defensive midfielder, on loan from Austrian side RB Salzburg (£39,000/week, £1,300 option to buy permanently + £1.5 million add-on)Hannibal Mabrey, 18, central midfielder, on loan from Manchester United, England (£0 per week, £33.5 million option to buy permanently)
Burnley Football Club's Net Spend in the Summer 2021 Transfer Window: -£3.92 million
Burnley Football Club, which had been in financial turmoil after being severely impacted by ALK Capital, has been restored to normal through the sale of key player Ashley Westwood and an emergency injection of funds from the Cartwright Fund.
After the transfer window closed in August, the board of directors, who had managed to strengthen the squad through loan deals, now focused on addressing other issues that had been delayed while waiting for the appointment of a permanent manager.
One of the most pressing tasks was to rebuild the club's leadership, which had been decimated by the simultaneous departures of ALK Capital and manager Sean Dyche.
It was decided that Helena would assume the role of Chairwoman of the Board, representing the Cartwright Fund, which she owns. She would also serve as the Chief Financial Officer in addition to being the CEO, for the time being.
At this point, the club's finances were unstable, making it essential for Helena to take on these roles, as she was able to work directly with the Cartwright Fund and secure the necessary support. However, due to a limited budget, she had to manage the responsibilities of three positions without any additional help, which led to frustration.
In addition to Helena's roles, a basic organizational structure was created with Mike Garlick and John Banaskiewicz managing non-football operations such as stadium and training facility management, public relations, marketing, and general staff management.
Helena had her reasons for bringing Mike and John, who were nearing retirement, back into the fold. Not only did they provide invaluable experience, but the board of Burnley Football Club was also unpaid, so their expertise came at no additional cost.
The challenge, however, lay in the football-related aspects of the club. With Hyung-min officially taking over as the manager and Arthur Brimlow returning to head the first team, the basics of training and match preparations were in place. But there was still no one to handle crucial non-match football tasks such as scouting, analysis, and player recruitment.
"We need to hire a technical director, and if possible, a football director," Mike Garlick said, and the rest of the board nodded in agreement.
Helena, who had no knowledge of football operations, raised her hand and asked, "Mike, what is a football director?"
During a regular meeting of key executives, scheduled for every Tuesday morning, Hyung-min and Arthur, who had given the players a vacation, relaxed in their chairs, seemingly enjoying some free time.
John Banaskiewicz, acting as Helena's guide, answered her question. "You've met Marcel Brands at Everton or Johan Lange at Aston Villa. Usually, a director of football is responsible for all football-related operations at a club."
He continued, pointing to Hyung-min, "In other words, if the manager leads the team and handles the game tactics, the football director supports him. They operate the scouting and analysis teams, handle player recruitment and transfers, negotiate deals, and manage the hiring or firing of the manager."
Helena then asked, "What about the technical director?"
John Banaskiewicz responded, "The technical director typically has less authority than the football director. They support the football director in running the scouting and analysis teams and assist with player recruitment and transfers."
Helena, still trying to grasp the differences, asked, "It doesn't seem much different from a football director?"
"Well, it's not a position defined in advance. Each club has slightly different roles, and some clubs have both, while others have just one. Some even call it a sporting director," John explained.
Helena, curious, asked, "How do they usually hire for these positions?"
"You can just post an announcement," John replied.
Helena, still unsure, asked, "Is there a job site for this? Or do you post it on LinkedIn or the club website?"
Mike Garlick chuckled at her question. "Well, that's one way to do it. But in this case, reporters can help too."
As the European football world may seem vast, Mike explained, "Rumors spread quickly. If you mention something in a few WhatsApp groups, everyone will know. Isn't that the same on Wall Street?"
Helena nodded, "Rumor sheets and flyers are pretty accurate there too, though spreading rumors carelessly could lead to serious consequences."
John Banaskiewicz added, "In this town, who you know can sometimes be more important than what you know."
Helena smiled slightly at the remark. "I think it's the same everywhere people live."
Over the next week, the three directors of Burnley Football Club reviewed and discussed the numerous resumes that had come in and began conducting interviews with the candidates who passed the document screening. Most interviews were conducted via video conference due to COVID-19 restrictions.
However, they struggled to find a candidate who was the right fit. The young, enthusiastic candidates lacked the football connections or experience required for a Premier League club. On the other hand, the older and more experienced candidates didn't align with Helena's long-term vision for rebuilding the club.
As the interview process dragged on, a surprising application came in: Jonathan Landless, a former Burnley employee.
Mike Garlick, looking through the printed resume, remarked, "Wow, this guy is applying to our team… how unexpected?"
Helena asked, "Who is he? Is he famous?"
Mike explained, "Rather than famous, he's well-known in the industry. He worked at Burnley during the Eddie Howe and Sean Dyche eras and later moved to Liverpool. He's a die-hard Liverpool fan, and I've heard he's doing well there, but it's strange that he applied to us."
Helena quickly scanned the resume. It outlined Jonathan Landless's career, which began as a youth development analyst at Everton before moving to Burnley in 2010. He later moved to Liverpool, where he worked alongside Michael Edwards and Jurgen Klopp, playing a significant role in Liverpool's rise to one of the top teams in Europe.
Helena read the name aloud: "Jonathan Landless."