Time to get rid of Stewie and Solanki...

Stewie.

He has had plenty of time at the club and is making NO progress with the team. Legend as he was as a player he is simply clueless as Tracksuit director. Overseas choices are normally poor, new signings are normally poor, new coaches are normally poor. Existing players normally go backwards. We keep players like Batty and Dernbach too long. We sign over the hill former England players. Its a crock of rubbish.

By all accounts hes a miserable sod at club members meetings, so hardly provides a good link between the club and players. Ive said before that he should have given himself the first team coaches role, but he has bottled doing that.

Due to his legendary status he has deserved a good crack of the whip. Time is up im afraid.

Solanki.

I am not remotely convinced that he was anything more than a tokenistic appointment. He looks like he would be scared of his own shadow. I cant imagine him motivating the players one iota. He appoints useless captains and lets them make useless decisions. Again he clearly doesnt make many many of the younger players any better. To me he is simply Stewies little puppet. Ive no doubt he must be a nice man, but being manager of a huge club with title ambitions, requires gravitas, and personality, as well as tactical nouce and motivational skills.

We need to make this decision now, so that we can prepare for next season and hit the ground running. The club is not run for the benefit of the Stewarts, its for the fee paying fans. For the love of god Richard, grow a pair and make the decision now. We will end up with a beautiful new stadium that will host nothing more than desperately poor cricket.I am sure none of us want this to be the case.

Tough calls are part of the job of running a big cricket club, make it NOW.

I certainly think that Stewart has some difficult questions to answer. I accept the team has been handicapped by internationals and IPL calls. The team has also been beset by injuries, I think an investigation into the number of injuries and the time taken to recover is urgently required. The absence of players does not excuse the poor performance of the team last season and so far this season. The squad contains a number of elderly players at, or even beyond, the end of their careers and is particularly short of wicket taking pace bowlers, Stewart is responsible for this and I think the pressure is making him tetchy. If I was chairman Stewart would have to convince me that he knew what was wrong and how to fix it. Batty has shown he is still a good bowler in the T20, he has bowled well. As spin bowling coach he must also take some credit for Moriarty playing so well.

The problem is too many coaches and hangers on. The best way to get fit for cricket, or indeed any sport, is too play it. Not running round the pitch, playing football or all this pounding in the gym. These guys are cricketers. We're not training Olympic athletes, although you wouldn't think so. You know we have young guys like Mckeer constantly injured, he's probably not played a total of one seasons games in 4 years! There's Dunn, Topley, 3 International s suddenly brake down...The list goes on.

Yes, these injuries are indeed a worry (and unlikely to be coincidental). And it's clear we have prepared inadequately for the demands of central contracts (yes, I know, but that's a different matter ...).

If, as I believe, the strategy is to recruit senior pros of good quality who are unlikely to be awarded such a contract, and mix them up with homegrown youngsters whom they should be influencing for the good, then I agree with it. And Batty, Clarke-with-an-e and Evans, all prodigals returning, are successes in this regard.

But other signings have been inadequate (Stoneman has underachieved, Borthwick is unlamented, and Clark-without-an-e has been inconsistent) and our overseas players haven't exactly set the world on fire (and only seem to be here five minutes anyway - this policy needs reviewing, by the way). At the moment we seem almost completely reliant on Will Jacks.

What have Essex got that we haven't? Definitely time for a shake-up (and -out).

What Essex have is an excellent Management team and good work ethic. They are also lucky to have virtually no England calls. Perhaps we be recruiting managers,not players

Solanki yes, but Stewart has credit in the bank and has deserved a stay of execution.

Might be worth Surrey and England asking New Zealand to advise about player and squad development. Because neither have a clue. Don't suppose they would tell though!

I think before people jump in with both feet we all to understand the distinction between Director of Cricket and Coach and who makes decisions on recruitment such as:.

Why does Surrey invest in injury prone fringe England players who if fit wont play for Surrey but be in the England squad.

Why is it that Surrey seem unable to develop genuine fast bowlers (Meaker, Dunn. McKerr etc)

Is there a culture problem at the club - Other Counties seem to think so

and I am sure others can think of a few questions to add to that...

SEVENTY TWO ALL OUT. Come on stop keep making excuses. s far as I am concerned Stewie has now used up the credit in the bank. He gets in these useless players and he appoints the lap dog coach.

Stewie clearly hasnt a clue as to what needs to be done to develop us in to a club genuinely challenging for honours. Injuries and call ups are not the issue. Its rank poor choices of players and first team coaches.

The attitude of some players absolutely stinks. A coach worth his salt will not allow this. A coach worth his salt would not allow Batty to make decisions which are beyond madness game in game out. A decent coach would instil in his players how to manage their own games. Solanki has not one of these attributes.

Stewie I am very sorry to say just comes across as a law unto himself. He seems very arrogant. Clealrly the two Dicks are/were in awe of him, which I find pathetic.

Stop the excuses and sack these hapless pair. And take half of the team out of the door with them

Are you blaming Batty, our T20 captain who currently has us 3rd in that league, for 72 all out in a Championship game he's not even playing in?

I know you don't like him, but...

I can accept lack of talent,but not lack of application or bottle. Stewart,who appointed both MDV and Solanki,must take the blame, but seems bulletproof! Time for someone higher up to bring an end to this management set up. Time to restore some pride in the team!!

RB wrote:Are you blaming Batty, our T20 captain who currently has us 3rd in that league, for 72 all out in a Championship game he's not even playing in?

I know you don't like him, but...

Dont be so ridiculous. My thread is CLEARLY about all that is wring at Surrey this season. Where did I say 72 all out was Battys fault?

Batty however is an absolutely terrible captain in the T20. His bowling choices/changes are the work of a man who doesnt have a clue. His batting line up juggles are plain stupid. His leaving out Amla to pick Geddes is beyond parody.

The only thing going for Batty is that when he can be bothered he is quite good at bowling.

Sir Winston Churchill wrote:His leaving out Amla to pick Geddes is beyond parody.

Right, so having denied you're not blaming Batty for decisions made by Stewart and Solanki, you suggest Batty picks the team!? This isn't a club game. The captain doesn't pick the side.

I think with Stewie his behaviour at some members' fora has done him little credit. I'm sure some of us must occasionally stretch the professionals' patience (there are analogies in many walks of organisational life - governors, shareholders, non-execs ...) but being downright rude in public is no way to make friends.

I think the manager/coach’s job is to send the players onto the pitch in the best physical and mental condition to succeed. In both respects he has failed miserably. If he cares as much as about Surrey Cricket as the posters on this forum do,then he would take responsibility for his failures and resign. I just wonder if this was one of reasons that Gould is leaving, frustrated at the invulnerability of Stewart.

Its now been 3 years of huge underachievement. Whatever the mitigating circumstances, management still has to take responsibility. Unfortunately with RG moving on nothing will change until they bring in a new permanent CEO. There is zero chance of the interim guy getting the gig by the way, so it will be very interesting who does get it. RT, being the head of a leading sports agency will not just be looking within cricket btw...He is also a big Stewie fan, and as we saw from the AGM Stewie, when sarcastically dealing with a reasonable question from the floor, can be far more defensive than he ever was when front foot pulling the world's leading quicks in the 90s. Of course, Stewie always was and always will be ENGLAND FIRST. In his embarrassing answer to said AGM chap he said success at Surrey was measured EQUALLY between winning games of cricket for the club and PROVIDING PLAYERS FOR ENGLAND. So naturally he will see his tenure as a resounding success. After all he appointed a coach who then won the Championship, followed by most of those players being selected for England. The subsequent slump in form is just a by-product of this, sorry chaps. Despite Thommo's rhetoric of a golden years winning dynasty, we are looking at the reality of a 2018 blip in a cesspit of mediocrity (c. Steve Rixon) a la the 1971 beacon amongst decades of dross.

I was always a big fan of Alec,UNTIL he was downright rude to that old boy you refer to above.That was out of order.

When he told hin "you might have scored 25 on that" if only he'd replied by telling him that 4 Surrey players didn't!

I wonder if anybody will be prepared to stand up and tell Stewart and Solanki it's time to go at the Forum?

Can member pressure actually come to bare in any of this?

Anyone have any suggestions for who would be good in the role(s) instead.

Surrey priorities are all wrong.
They prioritise above the mens first team:

1/Developing as many new stands as its possible to fit in one ground, even if it means facing the wrong way.

2/ Developing an ACE programme which priorities black kids of any social level, over any white kid whatsoever. Then lauds how great it and Ebony are for their discrimination against budding white cricketers. (Ive always said the ACE programme should be to encourage all under privileged kids no matter what colour.)

3/ Developing a womens team that barely registers a blink on the dont give a hootometer.

4/ Developing the Oval Invincibles , as they know one day they may have a franchise they can sell on for a huge profit. (Though of course its an even more stupid idea that British Leyland developing the Morris Marina.)

5/ Finally they are more interested in selling the worlds most expensive bags of crisps. Apparently we are winning !!

Surrey really have taken their eye off the ball.

I make you right on much of that, SWC. The key charge against the club as it is today is that it has the wrong PRIORITIES.

I am personally less exercised about the promotion of women's cricket than I am about directing so much effort and resource to a programme aimed at encouraging more Afro-Carribbean kids to take up cricket when all the evidence is that it is under-privileged children regardless of ethnicity who we should be targetting. What happened to inclusivity? Where is the current generation of players from working-class/state school backgrounds like David Smith, Monte Lynch and Alan Butcher from the 80s? Most of those who have come through the ranks in recent years went to Whitgift or a similar fee-paying school.  The latest cab off the rank -  Benedict Brodie Albert Geddes - went to the prestigious St John's in Leatherhead.

I would add to your charge sheet - in fact at the very top of it - regarding producing England players as equally important to producing successful Surrey teams, when the two are now mutually exclusive.

Sir Winston Churchill wrote:Surrey priorities are all wrong.
They prioritise above the mens first team:

1/Developing as many new stands as its possible to fit in one ground, even if it means facing the wrong way.

2/ Developing an ACE programme which priorities black kids of any social level, over any white kid whatsoever. Then lauds how great it and Ebony are for their discrimination against budding white cricketers. (Ive always said the ACE programme should be to encourage all under privileged kids no matter what colour.)

3/ Developing a womens team that barely registers a blink on the dont give a hootometer.

4/ Developing the Oval Invincibles , as they know one day they may have a franchise they can sell on for a huge profit. (Though of course its an even more stupid idea that British Leyland developing the Morris Marina.)

5/ Finally they are more interested in selling the worlds most expensive bags of crisps. Apparently we are winning !!

Surrey really have taken their eye off the ball.

I didn't realise that Stewart and Solanki were responsible for any of these.

Having given it some thought, I wonder if our ire ought to be directed at Daz Venness.

One injury crisis (in 2019) might be considered bad fortune.
Two injury crises (19 and 20) might be considered VERY bad fortune.
Three injury crises…?

Other than Jacks none of the internationals were unexpected and the club would have planned accordingly.

Sir Winston Churchill wrote:Surrey priorities are all wrong.
They prioritise above the mens first team:

1/Developing as many new stands as its possible to fit in one ground, even if it means facing the wrong way.

2/ Developing an ACE programme which priorities black kids of any social level, over any white kid whatsoever. Then lauds how great it and Ebony are for their discrimination against budding white cricketers. (Ive always said the ACE programme should be to encourage all under privileged kids no matter what colour.)

3/ Developing a womens team that barely registers a blink on the dont give a hootometer.

4/ Developing the Oval Invincibles , as they know one day they may have a franchise they can sell on for a huge profit. (Though of course its an even more stupid idea that British Leyland developing the Morris Marina.)

5/ Finally they are more interested in selling the worlds most expensive bags of crisps. Apparently we are winning !!

Surrey really have taken their eye off the ball.

You've omitted a biggun, Winston...

Surrey spending £7.9m last year on land on the other side of the road from the ground to (maybe sometime) build a hotel that the club doesn't need.

Can't blame Stewie or Solanki for that one, though.