Our day with Mel Morris

[eustonstation]

Stop fishing for compliments.

Abalone trying to fit in. 

But I do like Mel Morris. Eel get us up to the Premier League. 

(Now I see why these go on for pages!)

 

[eustonstation]

Hi Everyone,

I have been reading many of the posts recently about the "Derby Way" and wanted to share a little story about what that means to me......I will do my best to keep it brief.

I am English but coach football (the proper kind) in America. I recently lost my beautiful daughter when she was just 1 day old. Her name was Darbi after our wonderful club. I am fortunate to get to return home twice per year to recruit players to play in America and the trip after I lost Darbi, I wrote to the club and told them my story. I also explained that I coached for a living and asked if the staff would mind me attending a training session as I was a big fan of the attractive soccer we have played over the last few years. The lovely ladies at the training ground spoke to SM and PS and then invited me up. I was so nervous not sure whether to take notes of ask for autographs (despite being older than all the players these days). It was amazing and I have since been back a couple of times where once again the coaches were amazing with their hospitality.

While this was all happening, I had no idea that my wife had also written to the club explaining about Darbi. She apparently asked that if she bought another baby kit would the team sign it for me as that would mean the world. She did not want to mail the one I had already purchased in case it was lost in the mail. She did not hear anything...... Or so she thought....... Right before Christmas that year I received some mail from the Derby in Alabama. Whe I opened it I found a full baby kit signed by the squad. As you can imagine it brought me to tears. 

I know everyone has an opinion about staff and about players. The club though is bigger. I want to thank SM and wish him the very best of luck in the future at Newcastle. i hope he wins the league for them (until we get up there). I also want to thank PS and ES for taking the time to talk to me  and have a cuppa after training. It was truly amazing to speak to other coaches who are in positions I could only dream about. Most of all though I want to to thank the club for being there for me. We could lose every game next year and despite each match hurting, I will always have the memory that Derby County Football Club were there for me and my family. 

We are going to get promotion this year. There is no doubt in my mind and I will be buzzing with the rest of you Rams.

I did though want to share what the "Derby Way" means for me and I hope that I have not bored too many of you with this post. Derby County FC is more than just a Football Club

All the best and hope I get to meet some of you when next over.

Graham (Alabama Ram).

 

I'm very sorry for your loss, Graham. 

When (not if!) Derby do a pre-season tour in the US, we'll have to go and cheer them on. 

Ian (from Phoenix, originally from Spondon) 

[ramesses]

Come on everybody - get with the program. Remember, it's just a jump to the left. And then a step to the right. With your hand on your hips. You bring your knees in tight…

[Rev]

Come on everybody - get with the program. Remember, it's just a jump to the left. And then a step to the right. With your hand on your hips. You bring your knees in tight…

Nice one, next time we'll turn down the invitation,  not report back on here as honestly as we can and we'll all be so much the wiser. 

[ColonelBlimp]

You only have to go 15 miles east and you start reaching pondlife.

same with Southampton, only it's south not east.

[ColonelBlimp]

We all saw what happened to LP, he had DCFC running through his veins and back in the day put an enormous percentage of his worth into the Rams, and in the end got booted out in favour of very unfavourable characters!

I'm all in favour of local ownership, but trying too hard to get forum members on side when nothing has been achieved might be exciting for the invited few, however it smacks of begging favour.

Don't get me wrong I hope this is a new exciting chapter for my team, but we ain't done it yet, here's hoping!

agree with this, we're reading a lot of gushing praise and I hope it turns out to be the start of an amazing new chapter and not a load of brown nosing.

A video of the event would have been nice and inclusive. The GoPro suggestion was actually a good one.

[ColonelBlimp]

 

Isn't it for you two to back up your assertions? You seem to have your own agenda and/or to have made your minds up, so why don't you put your heads together and come up with a collective justification of your statements and implied innuendo that Clement is a puppet to do the triumvirate's bidding?

If you maintain that there is a god, then it's not a valid argument to demand that doubters prove that there isn't, then try to use the absence of proof as justification of your original argument.

are you Richard Dawkins in disguise?

[Ovis aries]

are you Richard Dawkins in disguise?

No,  he is either Sooty or Sweep , not sure which as I have no concrete proof to back up my assertion , just a hunch .

[CheltenhamRam]

Nothing to add, but some great posts in this thread 

[RamNut]

A video of the event would have been nice.

.........see ramesses :-)

 

[RamNut]

It seems like MM is a trying to be a good guy, doing loads for the club.

but it is a bit alarming when a chairman is quite so hands on....sacking the manager, filming everything, and making everyone eat salad, 

i quite like the silent chairmen.

I liked Andy Appleby mainly because his hair looked like an undertaker had done it.

[davenportram]

When I was training to become a teacher I had to video and review lessons. I was antj at first, not sure why, but after doing it I can't overstate the value of the process.

 

video review of meetings, training sessions provide an account not biassed by memory or self protection and in doing so allow you to:

1) address any issues hindering your own communication skills

2) identify ways you lose attention of those being addressed

3) identify if you focus on certain people to the detriment of others.

that is just those things I found that could be relevant to team briefings.

 

I think human nature is be scared of having everything recorded. But it does help.

[Van der MoodHoover]

 

Interesting - draw a circle with a 50m radius around both Southampton and Swansea and what is the first thing you notice about their catchment areas?

Assuming we don't want to sign sealife - we should absolutely be able to compete

 

I won't bang on much more about catchments etc, but within a 50 mile radius of Southampton you also get the Brucie Bonus of the Isle of Wight (extra toes may come in handy) and there's also a strong affiliation in this area to the Channel Islands - LeTissier, Le Saux etc

[LesterRam]

When I was training to become a teacher I had to video and review lessons. I was antj at first, not sure why, but after doing it I can't overstate the value of the process.

 

video review of meetings, training sessions provide an account not biassed by memory or self protection and in doing so allow you to:

1) address any issues hindering your own communication skills

2) identify ways you lose attention of those being addressed

3) identify if you focus on certain people to the detriment of others.

that is just those things I found that could be relevant to team briefings.

 

I think human nature is be scared of having everything recorded. But it does help.

that is far too deep for this forum, remember where you are young man !!!

[RamNut]

When I was training to become a teacher I had to video and review lessons. I was antj at first, not sure why, but after doing it I can't overstate the value of the process.

 

video review of meetings, training sessions provide an account not biassed by memory or self protection and in doing so allow you to:

1) address any issues hindering your own communication skills

2) identify ways you lose attention of those being addressed

3) identify if you focus on certain people to the detriment of others.

that is just those things I found that could be relevant to team briefings.

 

I think human nature is be scared of having everything recorded. But it does help.

um....but Paul Clement has done his teacher training.

some things may have have to be said in the changing room which stay in the changing room.

[ramblur]

I love all he seems to be doing... I just am wary of what happens if he walks away. He invested when we were in the Prem last time then pulled out when we weren't, he came back this time 2 days before a Play off Final. Can see he only wants one thing.

He,along with the other 5, helped fund the promotion season and then also invested in the Prem season via a £3m rights issue,the net proceeds of which (from memory) effectively financed the Miller purchase.

When the LOG first came in they talked of a 3 year plan to get into the Prem,and would have planned the financial firepower to see the plan out.They didn't however make any promises about what would happen if we got there. It's my belief that they always intended to bring on board new investment,probably to work alongside the existing grouping,on achieving such goal.Unfortunately,as we achieved the goal a lot quicker than anticipated,and especially as it came via the lateness of the play offs, it left little time to bring new investment on board. It's my belief  (and only that) that they would have preferred to continue on board working alongside new investors,but it could be that our new owners wanted full ownership (apart from the AP 7%).

Mel and the rest pulled out when we were in the Prem (not when we weren't). There's much evidence that this deal had been agreed in principle long before it took place, in fact the (then) company General Sports Derby (UK) Ltd was set up well in advance of the official takeover date.

Others have suggested that the LOG cut and ran with a profit at the first opportunity.They made relatively little out of this (and AP was a major shareholder at the time) compared to the great strides made with regard to the financial position of the club during their tenure. They could easily have 'done an Oyston'  in the Prem, and been far richer for it. I think people forget that all 6 are Rams fans through and through,and I'm convinced that they all did what they thought was in the best interests of the club at the time.

Rather than concentrating on when Mel pulled out,I think you should turn your mind to when he and the rest first invested into a high risk situation,with heavy debt and a run down squad.Apart from SISU (wow), I didn't see many others racing to take control.

Whatever small amount Mel may have made from the deal,this has already been dwarfed by his investments in the new regime thus far.

[eddie]

It seems like MM is a trying to be a good guy, doing loads for the club.

but it is a bit alarming when a chairman is quite so hands on....sacking the manager, filming everything, and making everyone eat salad, 

i quite like the silent chairmen.

I liked Andy Appleby mainly because his hair looked like an undertaker had done it.

That's buggered Bryson, Forsyth, Russell and Martin ()then.

[ossieram]

That's buggered Bryson, Forsyth, Russell and Martin ()then.

Not if it's coated in batter and deep fried.

[deano180]

It seems like MM is a trying to be a good guy, doing loads for the club.

but it is a bit alarming when a chairman is quite so hands on....sacking the manager, filming everything, and making everyone eat salad, 

i quite like the silent chairmen.

I liked Andy Appleby mainly because his hair looked like an undertaker had done it.

Concerning if Morris is micro managing, trust must exist between senior staff, or ultimately something has to give in that department in the near future, and there will only be one winner.

[jono]

This was the one thing that stood out for me, Mac's target, set by the board,of which Morris wasn't a part at the time, was promotion, nothing more or less.

Clements goal is somewhat different, solid measurable progress throughout the entire club, easily measurable and not just at the sharp end. 

If Clement meets these targets, league position and points tally is irrelevant, meet the objectives and promotion becomes a by product of the progress, rather than the goal.

I am really encouraged by this. Why is everyone in such a big hurry .. You don't go out to serious war with with bodged up tools unless you have to. A real campaign involves planning, strategy and covering myriad eventualities. The gap between prem stability and championship contender is very big. The logistics involved; not in going up, but in going up to stay up, are complex. I genuinely like to sound of MM's long headed view. On PM's  appointment the video of MM was very revealing. A man with a quiet firm voice who didn't spout clichees but seemed to have a vision. It is looking good to me. There is no reason why DCFC shouldn't be a mid table aiming for top 6'prem club. We have the fan base. A good stadium with the facility to increase capacity at a workable cost and we have a name and tradition. This won't be achieved by banner signings or overnight, but via organised, thoughtful progress raising standards and available resources year on year.