Just been thinking about this;

How did Rule qualify to get the job of CEO in the first place? Have often wondered how or what qualifications you would need, certainly business and financial I know. The ex Ceo of the company I work for was pretty young (40, for the size of the business), and this is a £800m turnover business. He went on to another CEO role and has transformed that business into a success.
In general, I could not see how Rule stepped up in the first place, maybe jobs for the boys?

Whatever. Leaving aside the playing side of things, Rule has built a successful organisation, maybe proving his CEO skills if you like from a business point of view. So with this situation we find ourselves now, I am wondering why he wouldn't want to move on and progress from this into something else??

I am thinking of these possible reasons;

1. He genuinely loves FC and wants allround success and will stay until he completes his mission.
2. He is an utter incapable blithering idiot, responsible for nothing other than being the Hetherington's puppet mouthpiece
3. He is renumerated that well, that it would be tricky to get another as well paid job?

If I was him, I would be looking elsewhere, that's why I thought it worth mentioning.

£75k pa, He wont get that anywhere else,

He's been promoted way beyond his capability

Don't know how you can say that - off the field the clubs never been in stronger position.

Agree with this. Rule didn't come into the role as an RL expert at all, but as a marketeer. Kath is the only RL "expert" on the board, and allegedly overindexes in her contribution to recruitment decisions on the playing side of things. Arguably Rule has overachieved in the marketing and commercial aspects of the club and this just makes the playing side of things look even worse by comparison.

Until this season. Surely the club must be taking a big hit in finances from lower gate receipts and people not purchasing merchandise such as shirts etc. They are probably putting that down to the recession though.

Rule has a degree in business & marketing, after which he was involved with something to do with Leeds (shock horror). He's got it through contacts, the Hetheringtons. Still hasn't done a bad job imo.
And 75k pa is well off.

Correct they will be. And if the directors don't want to put any money in, they don't need to, it's their club. They can just cut costs to balance the shortfall in income. Biggest outgoing at the club = player wages. It's called a doom loop or, if you want to be more dramatic, a "death spiral".

Which would necessitate the continued production and development of home-grown talent even more vital in mitigating the decline

Alot of people seem to be questioning Rule and some are even asking for rule to relieve agar of his duties!! silly people (as if its his job to do that). People keep complaining about "spin" from rule but what do you expect him to say? Look were playing $hit at the mo but its ok keep buying the shirts and turning up in ur thousands because im not going to listen to what you have to say?

He's helping run a business (lol i know who'd thunk it) The off field side of it anyway. And for me is doing a great job. Its not his fault we have an inept coach.

Rule is the CEO and Agar reports into him. I'm not faulting Rule at all for what he's delivered off the field, it's up there with the best SL clubs. Rule is reponsible for on the field performance as well. He appointed Agar and is his line manager, which one would imagine involves standard appraisal techniques such as setting expectations on the pitch in terms of results, performance and youth development. You therefore have to imagine that either the expectations are quite low and Agar is therefore meeting them, or the expectations are right but both have agreed mitigating circumstances have prevented their achievement, so they're just carrying on, or that Agar has not met expectations but Kath, as chairwoman, has overruled Rule.

I am concerned about the phrasing of his comments in the press. He is either stupid (which I doubt), extremely naive (equally doubtful), or incredibly arrogant. I am tending towards the latter.

Did he honestly think that his absence from Friday's game would go unnoticed or that it wouldn't matter? I don't really give a toss just how much of an England RU fan he is, to be swanning off to Dublin, instead of attending a scheduled league match is unforgiveable. What would his reaction be if Fitz & O'Meley decided they'd like to return to Oz to watch the SOO series?

He seriously needs some guidance in reconnecting with the fanbase and (if rumours are true), the sponsors. Failure to do so would make his position as untenable as Agar's.

Wouldn't disagree. Think he's a bit arrogant and patronising in style. Whilst this arrogance maybe had some justification when we were in "3 major finals in 4 seasons" mode, it's inappropriate now we're in "no play-off wins in 4 years" mode. I'd love to know the ins and outs of the Rule-Agar-Hetherington relationship. Could be that Rule rates Agar. Could be that he thinks Agar's not very good but is being ordered to front up by Kath. Wonder what really goes on.