Tony Sage: Business Management No 1: Pro-bono

Dear Tony

Thanks for what you've done for the game in the west, you know putting loads of dosh into it and all that, but it's not been working has it?

Not really.

And as a football fan I hate to see guys chucking dosh at the game year after year and seeing nothing tangible, nothing long-term for it.

Imagine what you could have acheived if you'd put a tenth of what you spend into community and long-term planning!

And bet you don't run your mining business in the same way and if you did would you keep your men in charge, or maybe you employ women in mining but we won't go there.

It's not to late to learn from your spending sprees, get more bang for your buck and basically get a team your hard efforts and dosh deserve to be proud of.

Sage advice in no particular order:
1.Learn from your competitors, think Roar, think Mariners. No World beaters in those teams, but some fit boys, and some very young Aussies coming thru and when the big guys are out, the young Aussies play exactly the same. COACH is the key.

2. Get rid of Fergie - he's yesterday's man - a thug on the field - has yet to produce a team worthy of the modern game.

3. Read Soccernomics - and read it fast - or else you are gonna do a load more dough. Heard you were after Dean Heffernan. Arsene Wenger doesn't sign 29 year olds - Perth do in their dozens. Is Fergie better than Arsene?

4. Football is a fast modern game. Everyone says Barcelona and Arsenal are the best styles to watch - and they win most of their games. They don't have many if any players over 28. Arsenal even got rid of Thierry Henry at 28. At Perth you don't sign them until they are 28!

5. Invest in the future. Australia is booming with young talent. Robbie Fowler, Mile Sterjovski, Jamie Harnwell, Jacob Burns, Steve McGarry, Branko Jelic, Victor Sakora, Andy Todd, Chris Coyne can I stop. Only two of these can be in your squad. Got it?

6. I'm going to stop now - but the boys and girls in the east are all watching and laughing at the Glory and the re-appointment of Fergie and his next possible signings.

7. And I'll throw in for free - coffee in Canberra. Next time you are over this way let's get away from Perth and talk Glory - dispassionately, let's look at what you can do to improve your dough and have a great team for the future.

I'll leave you with this?

If you spend heaps to get Shane Smeltz and Dean Heffernan to the club and you don't win the league (you won't) what is your next plan, sack Fergie and spend more?

In business you need to act, surely you know that, or has your business skills being over-inflated due to Chinese market demand? Looks like Clive Palmers has, you in the same boat?

Coffee's a me. Consider me a critical friend!