You can say literally everything is out of Holland's control until it isn't. He signs a player at a great cap/term, assume it was all Holland and he did a great job. He tries to sign a player but fails, now assume that it wasn't under his control and therefore should be excused of any failings?
It's a results-oriented business. As fans, we can only speculate on things besides the actual results like player thoughts and feelings. So far the results are pretty simple to assess. Losing a solid top 4 D. Not signing needed talent and secondary scoring.
Agreed with the results-oriented business part but I'm genuinely fascinated by this mindset in the context of UFAs. In a similar vein, if I make my very best pitch to Margot Robbie regarding my clearly ideal suitability as her long time life partner and all around sex monkey and, inexplicably, she chooses a different option, is it your contention that I have failed? Is it your contention that the blame and responsibility for that particular outcome lies with me and me alone (or, if blame can be shared, that I am even *mostly* responsible)? That, if only I had tried harder or said the perfect thing or offered the perfect enticement, I could have overcome any objection and avoided "failure"? Or could it be that there's something - a lot, in fact - more to it and that there is another, living, breathing human participating in this negotiation, complete with her own motivations, needs, and wants that may or may not be open or vulnerable to my arguments, no matter how expertly crafted or presented? After all - it's results-oriented, right? Either we end up together together or we don't. If Ms. Robbie exercises her own free will over my attempts at persuasion, in your view I have "failed"? I'm genuinely curious...