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Getting there: agreement, disagreement and the fine art of negotiation, from domestic to City

4th April 2017 By Stewart Lewis 16 Comments

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My wife and I agree about much in life. Being natural debaters though we’re usually drawn back to the things we disagree on.

Those things range from Brexit to playing two up front (she’s for both, I’m against). We spar, each being influenced by the other’s arguments but rarely admitting it.

Ironically, one of the things we disagree about is negotiation. For her, negotiation has connotations of unsavory horse-trading and unprincipled fudge. For me, it’s about finding solutions acceptable to both sides in situations where at first glance that seemed unlikely or impossible.

Negotiation hasn’t always been successful, for sure. Sometimes it’s only papered over cracks or produced illusory, short-term fixes. It can also count spectacular successes, though, from the peaceful transfer of power in South Africa to City’s signing of Darren Huckerby.

Somewhere in the middle, for thirty years, was the annual discussion of my salary and bonus.

It’s quite possible that our difference in view reflects our backgrounds. I’m English, steeped in a tradition of muddling through and finding practical solutions that avoid full-on, bloody conflict. My wife’s American, with the strongly imbued idea that only a civil war can properly resolve a clash of ideas.

(Yes, I know we had one too – but that was 200 years earlier and uncharacteristic of our way of doing things.)

The problem with negotiation, as I suspect we’ll see over the next couple of years, is that it takes patience to reach a successful outcome. In life generally, and especially in football, that’s a commodity in ever-diminishing supply.

Take City’s purchase of Robbie Brady in summer 2015. Hull wanted £15m; we bid a little over £2m. A long negotiation followed, to the mounting impatience of our fans: “just pay what they want!”

If we were Bournemouth, that may have been right. But with City’s resources, paying over the odds would have seriously hampered our chance of making other important signings. (In the event we failed with those signings, but at least we were able to make big bids having secured Brady for £6-7m.)

Of course, you have to know what you’re prepared to lose out on. In negotiation, there’s a concept called BATNA – the Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement. It means the best you can get if the other party won’t negotiate with you.

Being clear about your BATNA is critical if you’re negotiating: it tells you when an offer from the other side is worth accepting, and when it’s right to walk away.

I trust our political leaders are thinking it through, hard and dispassionately, about Brexit.

Meanwhile, Norwich City have been in negotiation to get Stuart Webber from Huddersfield as our new Sporting Director.

Evidence suggests the hold-up was not on our part. We triggered a clause in his contract, and wanted him as soon as possible. Huddersfield played hardball, though; they couldn’t stop him leaving, but they could stop him joining us immediately by making him serve his notice on ‘gardening leave’.

There’s almost always a solution to this, usually through offering more money.  Obviously, we needed any extra spend to be within reason. However, it seems Webber was clearly our first choice and our BATNA therefore wasn’t very attractive; I’m not surprised we negotiated a way to break the impasse.

Interesting as the new Sporting Director (and for some of us, the process of getting him) is, the real excitement will come with the appointment of a Head Coach. And given Webber’s track record, it should be exciting even if we’ve never heard of him.

That appointment will bring to life the issue of which players stay and go in the summer.

It’ll be a window of major turnover, of course.  A number of senior players such as Bassong and Lafferty reach the end of their contracts; it’s hard to imagine any incoming manager wanting to block their departures. The wages saved will be a welcome boost to the war-chest for recruiting younger, hungrier talent.

On the other hand, I’m not convinced the turnover will be wholesale. In obvious and understandable frustration, some fans have called for a complete cull of City’s goalkeepers and defenders.

We should remember, though, that every manager (with his coaches) inspires different performances from his players. With only one addition to what he inherited, for instance, Sam Allardyce has transformed Palace’s defensive competence and results.

An issue we haven’t discussed much this season is taking loan players from the Premier League. Alex Neil was clearly against it, with fair reason. Other Championship clubs have made effective use of the system, though – not least Huddersfield.

It’ll be an interesting summer for us all to negotiate.


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Filed Under: Column, Stewart Lewis

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Canary Mary says

    4th April 2017 at 8:21 am

    Excellent article Stewart.
    Babies & bathwater ! Isn’t always ideal.
    However I think perhaps while on “gardening leave”!
    I believe our possible DOF(2B)? Has been carefully having a watching brief while sounding out his HC WISH LIST !
    Think all will be made clear after our Sky appearance tomorrow night! Win-Loose-or draw ????
    The question for AI is system & players off the naughty bench!
    I wait to see his plan.
    Not IMO a game for yoof!

    Reply
  2. Gary Field says

    4th April 2017 at 8:37 am

    Stewart – Unlike yourself, I believe that the turnover of players will be high this summer, into double figures, more out of financial necessity, due to another season in the Championship.

    The starting point will be players out of contract and I’m guessing only one or two will be retained.

    Watch this space!

    Reply
  3. Chris says

    4th April 2017 at 9:06 am

    Like Gary #2, I feel the turnover will be high. The twelve out of contract players have contributed little or nothing to the cause for a period of time and without exception can be dispensed with.

    Having watched the under 23 team produce an excellent performance and result at Liverpool last night, it is obvious that the advancement of players like Adams, Ashley-seal, Jaiyesimi, to name but three, who were all outstanding is being held back by a log jam of expensive dead wood.

    I wouldn’t be averse to any or all of those lads appearing on the bench before the end of this season.

    Reply
  4. martin penney says

    4th April 2017 at 9:25 am

    A very good read.

    On the player turnover issue I am very much with #2 Gary, and would agree that “watch this space” has rarely been more appropriate.

    Of those who I understand to be out of contract, I am struggling to think of anybody I would retain apart from Declan Rudd.

    Reply
  5. pab says

    4th April 2017 at 10:21 am

    Stuart – Alex Neil’s loan signings (Wisdom, Bamford and Mbokani) were poor, just as most of his permanent signings were too.
    Webber helped Huddersfield get some really top young season-long loan signings in because he has good contacts and has earnt the trust of their parent club. They know the loanee is going in to perform a planned specific key role and will develop as a result.

    Reply
  6. Jeff says

    4th April 2017 at 10:53 am

    I think I love your wife more than you do.

    Reply
  7. Jeff says

    4th April 2017 at 11:03 am

    Your example of negotiation is so poor. The Brady scenario was the one that got through, whereas there is a list as long as my almost shredded arm of those that failed. Afobe, McCormack, Austin, Rhodes etc. Not only does it give someone else the opportunity to steal in with an improved offer while you’re faffing around like a naked jester, but also gives the impression to the player you’re chancing your arm and not really interested, let alone actually have the money to follow it through. I agree, negotiation is key (which is actually simply obvious) but suggesting it’s acceptable to start £2m when the finishing price was £7m is embarrassing. Do you kiss a picture of Delia good night before sleepies?

    Reply
  8. Gary Field says

    4th April 2017 at 12:03 pm

    @7 Jeff, you name four players, only one of which, McCormack, did the Club ever officially confirm as a target. The rest are speculation at best.

    As for Brady, is starting at the £2m (which actually came from Bruce) any more ridiculous as starting at £15m, which Hull were widely quoted as doing?

    Reply
  9. martin penney says

    4th April 2017 at 12:20 pm

    #7 Jeff: This failure to land targets is exactly why they’ve finally woken up and got the Steve Stone-Stuart Webber axis in place.

    I accept the Brady situation was lilting towards the ridiculous, and with 20-20 hindsight it might have been better if we had failed to land him (pitchwise, not financially as we achieved a sound profit).

    My two biggest misses are now star centre halves at Southampton and Tottenham – both difficult to spell when you don’t have time to Google them. Toby and Virgil will have to do for now.

    Please give the new set-up a chance – it hasn’t even evolved yet.

    By the way, I have pictures of Liz Hurley and Sharon Stone under my pillow (it’s my age). I hate what to think the Missus has under hers.

    Reply
  10. Stewart Lewis says

    4th April 2017 at 1:46 pm

    Jeff #6: It may be that you AGREE WITH my wife more than I do – but it’s not quite the same thing…

    Thanks for everyone’s comments. I’ll send proper responses a bit later.

    Reply
  11. Azores Canary says

    4th April 2017 at 2:18 pm

    Since you brought the subject of negotiation up, Stewart, I point out that ‘the peaceful transfer of power in South Africa’ has led to a near lawless state of anarchy and corruption. ‘City’s signing of Darren Huckerby’ is now irrelevant because he was never properly replaced when he became time-expired – just like the Grant Holt debacle and many others.

    I could go on – so I will:

    Your ‘I’m English, steeped in a tradition of muddling through and finding practical solutions that avoid full-on, bloody conflict. My wife’s American, with the strongly imbued idea that only a civil war can properly resolve a clash of ideas’ is utter rubbish. The ‘English’ throughout history have strode into war with gay abandon: Napoleonic Wars, WWs 1 & 2, Falklands, Gulf Wars 1 & 2 to name but a few of an endless list. On the other hand, the Americans will only enter a conflict when the odds are heavily stacked in their favour (yes, they did ‘lose’ Nam, but on paper they shouldn’t have).

    My point is that history teaches us that ‘negotiations’ are only one small part of a long term strategic plan. If we don’t have a plan (or a clue) then isolated negotiations to save us a few bob at a finite moment in time are a pointless waste of time.

    I think and hope the Smiffs have a strategic plan to establish us in the top flight: succession on to Young Tom; appointing board members with a passion for the club; shaking up the structure to allow the ‘manager’ to manage the first team effectively; recruiting a knowledgeable man like Webber to take some of the load off the ‘manager’; investing in the academy as a way of using ‘ones of our own’ to boost the coffers or supplement our future Prem playing squad; replacing our truly great players with suitable successors when the time comes; and never ever again signing players on ridiculous contracts that reward them regally for hardly ever kicking a ball!

    I’m with Jeff on this one. OTBC

    PS I’ve got Janet Street Porter under my pillow.

    Reply
  12. Ben K says

    4th April 2017 at 2:35 pm

    Stewart, you seem to be obsessed with Bournemouth.

    I must confess, I’m not one to look into the running of other clubs much. What is it about the club or how its business is done that sticks in your craw so much?

    Reply
  13. martin penney says

    4th April 2017 at 2:51 pm

    #11 Azores: I enjoyed reading your post very much.

    I’ll not refer to that God-awful poem about Sir Richard Grenville and his pedolos being holed up in Flores that I was forced to read at school, but I’d care to make two observations.

    Firstly, your last full paragraph reeks of common sense and I totally agree with you, particularly the observation about ridiculous contracts – a hallmark of the Adams and Neil incumbency imo.

    Secondly, I am not swapping either Liz or Sharon for Janet. That WOULD be ridiculous:-)

    Reply
  14. Stewart Lewis says

    4th April 2017 at 5:03 pm

    Lots of great and thought-provoking comments – thanks.

    Azores Canary #11: The peaceful transfer of power in South Africa, I’d still contend, was a near-miracle. Desperately sadly, the current ruler exemplifies the corruption that Mandela fought so hard against.

    The English temper is bellicose towards foreigners (again. sadly) but generally pragmatic to resolving domestic disputes. We don’t have riots and violence to anything the extent other countries do.

    Ben K #12: My resentment towards Bournemouth is mainly about the disconnect between their Cinderella image and a cynical reality. They’ve driven a coach-and-horses through rules such as Financial Fair Play, on the (correct) assumption that the fines will be small in relation to the benefit they gain.

    Jeff #7: The Brady saga was tiresome, I agree. But if we’d put £6m straight on the table in response to Hull’s £15m demand, there’s no way we’d have got him for less than £9-10m.

    All: I didn’t mean to suggest I thought player turnover would be limited this summer; it’ll clearly be substantial. I just don’t see the kind of scenario some are calling for, where we throw out every senior goalkeeper and defender on the club’s books. It will be interesting, for sure.

    No comment on pictures I may or may not keep under my pillow.

    Reply
  15. Azores Canary says

    4th April 2017 at 5:14 pm

    #13 Martin: LOL. God-awful indeed, but we could sure do with some of Grenville’s tenacity at The Carra! And some of Janet’s too!!

    Never Mind The Danger

    Reply
  16. Ken says

    5th April 2017 at 7:42 am

    I just hope upon hope that he can bring the Huddersfield manager with him.
    Clearly they work well together, which is everything.
    Just hope Huddersfield don’t make the PL, but I feel we can afford to wait until the end of the season, if there is any hope of getting him. My bet is the two of them will have discussed the possibility.

    Reply

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