QA with Sam Rush and Mel Morris

[SaintRam]

Quotes via @erskinetom29 on twitter:

Sam Rush:

The only players to leave Derby County will be those who Clement cant give playing time too, and that is his decision.

FFP restricitions are guidelines, not rules. Embargoed clubs need to prove they have got their house in order to exit.

We will continue to add to the squad, but there will be a period of reflection. Don't expect signings imminently.

Paul Clement is one of the best coaches in the world, Derby County will provide the best possible infrastructure to help him succeed.

 

Mel Morris:

Sustainability is key, measured progress year by year is how Derby will be run to maintain momentum. No boom or bust.

Sam and I do not take defeat well. Lots of change at Derby and we need to be patient, make no mistake everything is geared at promotion.

Pressure helps nothing. The team need support and patience from me, Sam, the fans. We need to all be one team to make progress.

We will match the funds raised by @DCFC1884Support.

Squad is incredible, some of the training sessions are ballistic to watch.

 

Will Edit in or post below any new quotes worth mentioning, looks to have gone quiet for now.

 

Important one taken from @yvonnegorman: "The way fans treat the players on social media, affects their performance - be supportive" - Mel Morris. 

[Alph]

Mel Morris mentioned the treatment of Dawkins, who was having a really hard time in his life, and Keogh's wife. 

 

[cosmic]

Important one taken from @yvonnegorman: "The way fans treat the players on social media, affects their performance - be supportive" - Mel Morris. 

Unfortunately, I feel this will have fallen on deaf ears.

[Srg]

End of the day, you go on Twitter/Facebook and it's what you get. You can plead all you want, but it'll happen. If you are that sensitive then either don't sign up or make your account private.

[Ashz09]

I feel it effected Keogh a bit. His missus was orite on twitter and put some good funny pictures up especially x factor.. the treatment she recieved after was embarrasing...

[SaintRam]

one more thing - Away teams wont get 3000 if they won't fill the allocation. Means more tickets for #dcfcfans against teams with low support.

[TomBustler1884]

Cheers for putting those up, I think I covered most of what was said. Great event and I can't believe MM offered to match funding!

Need to make sure we raise as much as we can now!

[Ambitious]

Some people are just c*nts, so as said, it will fall on deaf ears. 

[TomBustler1884]

Chard on the popside forum has posted this which is a great summary of things discussed. Hope he doesn't mind me sharing here.

 

1. This is the first year that the Academy has a budget to buy players. Presumably using our Cat 1 status. Referred to Wassall as the head of the academy, so I think he move to U-21 is a promotion.

b. We've taken out insurance for players' salaries in case of injuries for the first time. Didn't have it last year, and the FFP limits were so tight, it was difficult to cover for injuries. We would have received a substantial pay out if we had taken out insurance.

3. Squad size will be around 18-20. The only players leaving will be players that Clement wants to let go, and only after he's had a chance to assess the squad. They gave the distinct impression that we don't need to sell to balance the books.

4. A Chief Medical Officer has been appointed. He/she is a Consultant, and one of the first things they want to do is serve only organic food at Moor Farm.

5. Morris invested two days before the Play-off Final. The value of the club was set between a value in the Championship and a value in the Premiership. We didn't go up, but although that meant he paid over the odds, he was confident that the club was going in the right direction.

6. Club will match the money raised by the 1884 group. I don't think this was a planned gesture, but Mel Morris just made the offer there and then. Presumably, he'll cover that out of his pocket.

7. At Clement's request, the club has installed a "war room" and new tools for analysing the competition. Morris said he has seen a massive step up in coaching even in the short time Clement has been here. The things we've installed are things that the previous coaching staff didn't ask for. Clement has high standards, and they will support him in achieving and maintaining those standards.

8. Clement is the Head Coach. They appointed him because he is the best coach they could bring in to improve the players. He will fit into the structure at the club. They didn't want an old, scarred manager with baggage who would change everything, and then scarper. They like the structure, and Clement fits into it.

9. Said DCFC is a player factory. They have to bring players in and improve them, and that goes for the Academy too. They have to do everything they can to make the players perform at a consistently high level. He said this extends to supporters too. We have a responsibility at the stadium and away from it to support the players. Including on the internet. 

He said abusing players doesn't help anyone, and they need to feel confident and supported. He picked out Dawkins (without naming him), who he said was having a really tough time with his mother seriously ill, but the club was short of players and needed him to play. Just when he needed support to get him through a tough time, the fans were abusing him. 

He admitted that it was a two-way street, and that the club and players need to perform as well, but that support can help that happen, and negativity will hinder it. The club is going in the right direction. Everyone needs to get behind it and push us towards the Premier League.

10. They said there is no pressure to be promoted this season (but I suspect that there would be next season).

11. No players coming in today, but they will look to add to the squad. They want someone with pace (like Ibe). They were clearly holding their cards close to their chest. Players will come in, and it wouldn't even surprise me if it was tomorrow. Just not today.

12. Clubs under FFP embargo have shown no signs of improving. They have to improve. He said QPR broke the rules so spectacularly that the governing body don't have the tools to punish them. Unfair, but they don't know what will happen there.

13. We won't break FFP because it isn't worth the risk if the rules change and for instance a points penalty is imposed. But the rules in terms of losses have been relaxed. Impression to me was that we're on top of FFP, and know how to use the rules (hence large investment in Moor Farm and Academy).

[Animal is a Ram]

Football League can't punish QPR because they were so far away from being FFP compliant?

 

What an age we live in.

[Rev]

Chard on the popside forum has posted this which is a great summary of things discussed. Hope he doesn't mind me sharing here.

 

1. This is the first year that the Academy has a budget to buy players. Presumably using our Cat 1 status. Referred to Wassall as the head of the academy, so I think he move to U-21 is a promotion.

b. We've taken out insurance for players' salaries in case of injuries for the first time. Didn't have it last year, and the FFP limits were so tight, it was difficult to cover for injuries. We would have received a substantial pay out if we had taken out insurance.

3. Squad size will be around 18-20. The only players leaving will be players that Clement wants to let go, and only after he's had a chance to assess the squad. They gave the distinct impression that we don't need to sell to balance the books.

4. A Chief Medical Officer has been appointed. He/she is a Consultant, and one of the first things they want to do is serve only organic food at Moor Farm.

5. Morris invested two days before the Play-off Final. The value of the club was set between a value in the Championship and a value in the Premiership. We didn't go up, but although that meant he paid over the odds, he was confident that the club was going in the right direction.

6. Club will match the money raised by the 1884 group. I don't think this was a planned gesture, but Mel Morris just made the offer there and then. Presumably, he'll cover that out of his pocket.

7. At Clement's request, the club has installed a "war room" and new tools for analysing the competition. Morris said he has seen a massive step up in coaching even in the short time Clement has been here. The things we've installed are things that the previous coaching staff didn't ask for. Clement has high standards, and they will support him in achieving and maintaining those standards.

8. Clement is the Head Coach. They appointed him because he is the best coach they could bring in to improve the players. He will fit into the structure at the club. They didn't want an old, scarred manager with baggage who would change everything, and then scarper. They like the structure, and Clement fits into it.

9. Said DCFC is a player factory. They have to bring players in and improve them, and that goes for the Academy too. They have to do everything they can to make the players perform at a consistently high level. He said this extends to supporters too. We have a responsibility at the stadium and away from it to support the players. Including on the internet. 

He said abusing players doesn't help anyone, and they need to feel confident and supported. He picked out Dawkins (without naming him), who he said was having a really tough time with his mother seriously ill, but the club was short of players and needed him to play. Just when he needed support to get him through a tough time, the fans were abusing him. 

He admitted that it was a two-way street, and that the club and players need to perform as well, but that support can help that happen, and negativity will hinder it. The club is going in the right direction. Everyone needs to get behind it and push us towards the Premier League.

10. They said there is no pressure to be promoted this season (but I suspect that there would be next season).

11. No players coming in today, but they will look to add to the squad. They want someone with pace (like Ibe). They were clearly holding their cards close to their chest. Players will come in, and it wouldn't even surprise me if it was tomorrow. Just not today.

12. Clubs under FFP embargo have shown no signs of improving. They have to improve. He said QPR broke the rules so spectacularly that the governing body don't have the tools to punish them. Unfair, but they don't know what will happen there.

13. We won't break FFP because it isn't worth the risk if the rules change and for instance a points penalty is imposed. But the rules in terms of losses have been relaxed. Impression to me was that we're on top of FFP, and know how to use the rules (hence large investment in Moor Farm and Academy).

On the Medical officer point, this was something offered to Mac last September, who didn't see the need for one.

The same person was involved in a post season analysis of the injuries suffered, and highlighted an unusual amount of muscle injuries not easily explained, but possibly due to the unusual pre season routine.

Good to see we've learned from the past, good post.

[Ambitious]

I like the sound of a 'war room' - instead of Clement analysing the angles, method and tracking of Messi dribbling style, speed and average length, he will be measuring how long and inaccurately 2/3s of the CBs hit a long ball over the top. Easy stuff. 

[Uptherams]

So I wonder who this player will be. I have no idea. But confirms what I was thinking yesterday. If we play a 4-2-3-1 our front 4 at the moment are very strong. But our backups as a group; Bent, Calero, Bennett, Dawkins....by extension Sammon and Thomas are not. I assumed our target was someone similar to Ince. Someone who could play in 3 even 4 of the front 4 positions. 

I don't really rate Thomas, but I think that he could do better than Sammon has done and will do. So if Sammon left I don't think we would necessarily have to replace him. I would be happy to have Thomas as the understudy to Martin and Bent. Then we can focus on a versatile forward. This player with pace. 

[Ambitious]

3. Squad size will be around 18-20. The only players leaving will be players that Clement wants to let go, and only after he's had a chance to assess the squad. They gave the distinct impression that we don't need to sell to balance the books.
 

In the very senior squad at the minute we have 23 players, with the possibility of Shackell, making it 24.

The only one I can see with having no future what so ever is Sammon. It would mean a possible 4-6 players going. 

[Stive Pesley]

End of the day, you go on Twitter/Facebook and it's what you get. You can plead all you want, but it'll happen. If you are that sensitive then either don't sign up or make your account private.

The thing is – those of us old enough to remember life before the internet will know that people slagging off players and having controversial opinions is not a new phenomemon. It’s as old as the game itself. You'd get it every Saturday night in the pub. Everyone would let off steam and then move on.

The problem now is that social media is essentially a global bar room when it comes to football fans, so I genuinely think that the players need to be either barred from using it (harsh) or at the very least, given some sort of counselling on how to deal with it.

I’ve seen this a couple of times now from the club – asking the fans to not moan on social media. It’s not acceptable to make that demand, any more than it’s acceptable for us fans to demand that the players never make a mistake or have a bad game. As everyone’s favourite geordie used to say “THAT’S FOOTBALL”

[Scott129]

In the very senior squad at the minute we have 23 players, with the possibility of Shackell, making it 24.

The only one I can see with having no future what so ever is Sammon. It would mean a possible 4-6 players going. 

A couple of CBs, Sammon, maybe Warnock? One of the centre mids - Hendrick, Bryson or Dawkins?

[DEL]

A couple of CBs, Sammon, maybe Warnock? One of the centre mids - Hendrick, Bryson or Dawkins?

2 CB Sammon Bryson/Dawkins is about right.

[StockholmRam]

Ih he isnt get rid of players until he has seen or assesed them then Shotton must still be on holiday!!

[Rampage]

Personal abuse about relatives of players, especially wives of players is probably easy to deal with. Send them a warning and demand an apology. If no apology then tell them straight, "Next time, the Club will take you to Court on behalf of the player/wife"

Is there a more excited Derby County fan than Mel Morris?

There is so much common sense and good practice going on at Derby that it makes you wonder what the plan was before. Quite simply, the Club is gathering strength at all levels. Real Madrid is the most valuable Club in the world. Paul Clement has been using all the best technology available to football. The structure at Real is absolutely top rate. Fairly obvious where the structure is coming from. John Peacock knows about all the best ideas from St George's so between them it is not far from cutting edge input.

My only negative feeling about this is the squad size.18-20. It is fine if no major injuries and it is great for space for the U21s to come through.. We will see. Time to grab a Madrid starlet on loan?

[DEL]

Personal abuse about relatives of players, especially wives of players is probably easy to deal with. Send them a warning and demand an apology. If no apology then tell them straight, "Next time, the Club will take you to Court on behalf of the player/wife"

Is there a more excited Derby County fan than Mel Morris?

There is so much common sense and good practice going on at Derby that it makes you wonder what the plan was before. Quite simply, the Club is gathering strength at all levels. Real Madrid is the most valuable Club in the world. Paul Clement has been using all the best technology available to football. The structure at Real is absolutely top rate. Fairly obvious where the structure is coming from. John Peacock knows about all the best ideas from St George's so between them it is not far from cutting edge input.

My only negative feeling about this is the squad size.18-20. It is fine if no major injuries and it is great for space for the U21s to come through.. We will see. Time to grab a Madrid starlet on loan?

Just ban them for life, that'll teach them a lesson.