sheeponacid

Yep. Some people recognised this early on, most didn't. 
My concern crystallised when we signed Shackell back for about £2.5m rising to a potential £4m. We then gave him a three year deal, meaning it would expire when he was 35. Given that he came from a PL club the wage wouldn't have been buttons. I just thought that was madness, but the consensus was 'if he helps us go up it's worth it'. That kind of logic used over and over again has led to this.
In a way I don't blame people for getting swept up it it all, but the lack of questioning of it all at the time amazed me given how recently GSE had steady the ship after the last round of reckless spending.

Three classic comments from the interview:
1) My putting the Club into Adminstration gives it a better chance of finding a Purchaser it desperately needs. Mmmh. Really not sure it does Mel. Let’s be honest it is much more the case that you are simply not prepared to put any more money into the club, notwithstanding you are still comfortably in the top 500 richest people in the UK.
2) No one can continue to put money into the club (£3m pm, down to £1.5m pm more recently) in perpetuity. Mmmh. I wonder who created the income/expenditure imbalance and indebtedness? Any ideas Mel?
3) I’ve been prepared to sell the club for £15m less than I bought it for. Mmmh. Did the club have a Stadium and a decent team when you bought it Mel?
I have had little time for this guy since around 2016, and today he confirmed all my worst fears.

Rooney has been paying for all away travel and accommodation out of his own pocket. He is a credit to our club. 

Probably plenty but, here’s a novel idea, let’s not pre-judge or speculate. Let’s hear it first then, if appropriate, we can let rip.

When he first said his job was to bring the dignity and pride back to the club a while ago, I raised an eyebrow, particularly given what happened later that evening.
Wayne Rooney has many talents, but I thought that was something of a stretch.
Yet in a time of crisis, it turns out he is actually a real leader, and has the emotional depth and intelligence to become a figurehead.
I wanted him gone last season, even started a thread saying so, but recent events have made me re-evaluate his contribution.
He's the leader of the resistance, and today was a test he pulled off with aplomb.
More tests lie ahead, somehow this might not be the darkest moment, but I now see we've got a steady hand on the tiller.
 
 

I wasn't impressed with Rooney last season.
This season I think he's one of the very bright lights at Derby.
He could easily walk away but he's committed to managing the club.
He's drawing or winning a number of games.
I'm glad he's managing the club

Do you know what, it’s a really difficult decision for me. We are looking at this with those hindsight goggles on but there was such a ridiculous amount of bad luck and I agreed with a lot of the decisions at the time.
- Nigel Pearson appointment. He built the team that Leicester won the league with but he tried to change our style of play too soon and the players couldn’t handle it + there was some racism issue with his son.
- Clement. One of the highest regarded coaches in Europe, came to us from Madrid. Percentages say that should have worked. 
- Mac. Did well for us every time he was here, sabotaged us when Newcastle showed interest.
- Lampard. Massively raised the profile of the club and some of the players we could attract through him - look at where they are now. On the flip side all pf his permanent signings were terrible and but for a weird team selection at Wembley and the obvious should I stay/go period, could have been the one to get us to the promised land. 

I am also not buying this theory that the buck stops with him on transfers. You don’t expect the owner to say yes/no to spending money based on the quality of a player. They don’t know enough about the technical side of the game. If a manager tells you this player is the missing link to get us to the prem but by the way mr Blackman will cost X million, that is the fault of the coach not the owner.
Joinersgate. Albentosa getting home sick. The unexplainable disappearance of ability from players like Anya, Butterfield, Marriott, etc who (forget the fees) were all good players before coming to Derby.
 
I don’t want to be the voice of reason because I’m as angry as everyone else and of course there is the flip side of the argument with some extremely poor commercial decisions, but I do find myself feeling for Mel. I honestly believe every decision he has made has been in the best interest of the club, it just hasn’t worked out for him. And unfortunately now he has to fall on his sword. But it doesn’t make me hate the man… 
 
p.s I don’t expect people to read this in full, but emotions are running high at the moment and it made me feel better getting it off my chest.

I have had one of the best nights of my life at Leeds in the play offs.
For that I am abstaining. I will never forget that night for as long as I live. Just like Man U away ok now isn’t good but we’ve had a ride and at the end it wasn’t our money.

Think a lot of people are readjusting their views today. Can we confess in one safe place?? 
I kinda said all along Mel was spending unnecessarily and at inflated prices but that's not to say I was complaining. 
However, got to hold my hands up and say Rooney has acted with a lot of class today. Said all the right things....for him to find out via Sky is an absolute disgrace. 

Disgusted at some fans really. How come trashing Caroline Flack was wrong, and look what that led to, and yet it’s perfectly fine to say what they like about Mel Morris? 
He’s human, he gambled and lost. 
If I lost one of my family I’d be devastated, if it was my money all gone I’d lose sleep, but over football? Not a chance. 

Excited at the prospect of seeing a resurgence of Derby County Football Club.
So many things have been shaken in the past year and there is a need to “Awake and strengthen that which remains.”
Fifty years ago we were the top team in the country.
Forty years ago Forest ruled the roost.
Recently our manager was the most successful player in England.
Forever changes…..that’s life!

Putting aside Rooney's wages and the financial questions to one side.
Seeing Rooney walk would be a disaster, it really would, not that I would blame him for a second if he was to walk, from a selfish point of view I hope his loyalty will not be tested by all of this.
For those wanting Rooney out, just think for a second, we're entering admin, the clubs future is unknown, how many experienced managers will look and think this is a great opportunity?
How many will walk in and have knowledge of our squad, the likes of Dylan Williams, Jack Stretton, Festy Ebosele, these are not household names but are now tasked with playing a part in turning round a minimum of -5 points.
Regardless of fans thoughts on Rooney, his tactics, his misdemeanours off the pitch, performances this season have improved. 
If his fight and loyalty can rub off on the players we stand a far better chance with him than without. 
Surely even those that want him gone can see now is not the time. Even if you can't show him any love, at least be able to tolerate him.
Thankfully in the ground he's been given incredible support so far this season, that HAS to continue and would be nice to see it extended online here and across social media to help create the siege mentality needed to stand any chance of staying up.

I understand that tonight many questions will be asked, both of the club and myself. 
Tonight as the news was broke, I was sat in the pub, still am, it's hit me hard as I'm sure it has you all, I was not expecting it, there was no pre warning, no hint of what was to come.
I also understand that over the years my opinion has been questioned, it's something I have had to deal with, sometimes poorly, but with the best and honest of intentions.
Tonight I am hurting, just as much as you all, this is the club I love, the club I adore, the club I have tattooed on my hand for all to see with pride. 
I love this club, please just think when posting over the next few days, weeks in anger, myself, the moderators, we do not deserve to be on the end of your anger or frustration.
Today is a dark day for the club, but as fans, we need to to stick together. We are Derby County, every one of us and we will move forward as one.
Once a ram, always a ram ?

We don't need demonstrations at any games.
Now is the time to show the football world that Derby County have one of the best fan bases in the country. Loud and proud boys and girls all game tomorrow. 
Let's show any possible buyers that they have a great club to come into, not a toxic one. 

we will be back it looks bleak now but its just another chapter in the DCFC book we survived bigger bankers than Morris we will return UTR x x

Cheer up folks. A win tomorrow and we'll still only be three points behind Forest.

So why don't the EFL announce and publish the exact rule we have broken and punish us accordingly. I said last week, they need to ? or get off the pot.
 

I'm no fan of Mel anymore, he deserves a lot of the stick he receives, same with Pearce, but, protests shouldn't be aimed at them, they should be aimed squarely at the EFL.
It surprises me that some fans haven't clicked onto who the real enemy are. Protesting against Mel Morris will have Rick Parry licking his lips, and Steve Gibsons no doubt. Any protest against Mel, regardless of our feelings, is another dent against the club.
Protests need to be pre-arranged, before and after the game, banners with words to the effect that the EFL are destroying football. The media need to know so the protests get air time and we need a spokesperson who can appear in the media and give facts as to why we feel we are being harshly treated. Such as; if the EFL hadn't signed off all our accounts we wouldn't have paid 10 million for Bielik, or 4 million for Jozwiak, or x amount for Wayne Rooney.
In all of this, we don't have anyone visibly representing Derby and trying to set our story straight.
I am absolutely sick to the back teeth of the EFL and Rick Parry, I would rather see us play non-league football and fight them to the hilt than bend over and accept guilt!
If Mel Morris reads this (he won't), you have made lots of mistakes, but you have my full backing on this, fight the barstewards right to the very end, don't accept any points deduction, at least until the EFL accept liability also.
Protest against the EFL not Mel!

Then we'd better fight the bar stewards! #COYR After all our spending has been based on them being happy with our previously submitted accounts.

Steve Cooper looks like a sculpture of a smack head made out of a melted welly, at least he’ll look the part in Nottingham 

Is Hugton one of Physco’s mates?

?
 

I think we're playing some very attractive football at times this season, just lacking end product. 
Admittedly Tuesday was different,  but that was done on purpose to get us a very valuable point.

Looks guys what have lads proved they will fight and fight and thing is the lads will be thinking if efl going play like this we shall do everything in our power to stay in the champership I do think start from saturday we shall get 3 huge points depanding when or if this point taken away we could still remain the black.

He's still very raw, but in the few games he played at the start of the season, I felt Ebosele offered us something no-one else in the team currently has: the ability to beat a man through sheer pace.
Should he be in the starting XI when fit, or is he more of a bench option? And is he a full-back/wing back, or a player to be used further forward?