Dave Mackay Ate My Hamster Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 I know he's not everybody's cup of tea, despite spending wodges of cash on our club, often seen as too interfering, having a trigger finger faster than Clint Eastwood, but in a wine-infused moment of clarity, I'm feeling quite appreciative of our Candy Man. Back in the no so distant past of the Three Amigos, our (nationally) unfashionable club was allowed to be snapped up for a basket-case £1 and robbed royally ( and literally, criminally ). We've trundled along for a few years under the faceless American multi-owners and management company, improving from those dark days, and before Mel came along, we'd all have bit ours, yours, mine and anyone else's hands off for a sugar daddy of any description, let alone a local guy to stump up £50million plus to buy our club, then spend another £30-40 million on players and training ground/club improvements. Ask yourself, if you'd put even a quarter of Mel's (best guess) £100 million into any club, wouldn't you be very hands on in protecting your investment, and even , despite your (own) appointments going t**s up, responding quickly to react to what obviously wasn't working. In the case of Clement and Pearson, they both had impeccable C.V.'s, but for different reasons they didn't translate to our club. If you've spent about £100million, what's another £3million, to quickly identify it's not working and admit you got that appointment wrong. I know business acumen doesn't translate to football acumen, but give him some credit for reacting quickly, and even swallowing his pride to bring back the questionable personality that is SM, for his undoubted coaching skills. The 'Derby Way' that Mel hankers over is essentially the Steve McClaren way that seduced Morris to part with a big chunk of his vast fortune. They say the only way to make a small fortune out of football is.... to start with a large fortune! Whilst many are griping how it's been more ups than downs since he took over, just remember, we've definitely got a better squad, things seem to be turning a corner of late, and whilst some whinge that progress isn't fast enough, if we'd been fortunate to have gone up a couple of seasons ago whilst we flirted with promotion, without Mel's deep pockets I think we'd have come quickly back down. At least he's a huge fan - a flawed fan like the rest of us, but OUR fan. What's the worst for us fans? Ongoing disappointment, perennial Championship underperformers? No different from our ( current ) place in the football food chain. The truth is, football has moved on and despite our huge loyal crowds, only huge investment can develop us into a sustainable Premiership club. Think you're a bit p****d off that things aren't going the way you would like things to go at the speed you want them to go at? Try spending £100million on top of that, losing most of it as your investment dwindles and ask yourself how you'd view it then... I've never been fortunate enough to get near my first million, let alone £500million, but I'm guessing, losing even £50million of that must be painful. Btw, I'm not Mel's secret lovechild :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Ram Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 20 minutes ago, Dave Mackay Ate My Hamster said: I know he's not everybody's cup of tea, despite spending wodges of cash on our club, often seen as too interfering, having a trigger finger faster than Clint Eastwood, but in a wine-infused moment of clarity, I'm feeling quite appreciative of our Candy Man. Back in the no so distant past of the Three Amigos, our (nationally) unfashionable club was allowed to be snapped up for a basket-case £1 and robbed royally ( and literally, criminally ). We've trundled along for a few years under the faceless American multi-owners and management company, improving from those dark days, and before Mel came along, we'd all have bit ours, yours, mine and anyone else's hands off for a sugar daddy of any description, let alone a local guy to stump up £50million plus to buy our club, then spend another £30-40 million on players and training ground/club improvements. Ask yourself, if you'd put even a quarter of Mel's (best guess) £100 million into any club, wouldn't you be very hands on in protecting your investment, and even , despite your (own) appointments going t**s up, responding quickly to react to what obviously wasn't working. In the case of Clement and Pearson, they both had impeccable C.V.'s, but for different reasons they didn't translate to our club. If you've spent about £100million, what's another £3million, to quickly identify it's not working and admit you got that appointment wrong. I know business acumen doesn't translate to football acumen, but give him some credit for reacting quickly, and even swallowing his pride to bring back the questionable personality that is SM, for his undoubted coaching skills. The 'Derby Way' that Mel hankers over is essentially the Steve McClaren way that seduced Morris to part with a big chunk of his vast fortune. They say the only way to make a small fortune out of football is.... to start with a large fortune! Whilst many are griping how it's been more ups than downs since he took over, just remember, we've definitely got a better squad, things seem to be turning a corner of late, and whilst some whinge that progress isn't fast enough, if we'd been fortunate to have gone up a couple of seasons ago whilst we flirted with promotion, without Mel's deep pockets I think we'd have come quickly back down. At least he's a huge fan - a flawed fan like the rest of us, but OUR fan. What's the worst for us fans? Ongoing disappointment, perennial Championship underperformers? No different from our ( current ) place in the football food chain. The truth is, football has moved on and despite our huge loyal crowds, only huge investment can develop us into a sustainable Premiership club. Think you're a bit p****d off that things aren't going the way you would like things to go at the speed you want them to go at? Try spending £100million on top of that, losing most of it as your investment dwindles and ask yourself how you'd view it then... I've never been fortunate enough to get near my first million, let alone £500million, but I'm guessing, losing even £50million of that must be painful. Btw, I'm not Mel's secret lovechild :-) Pithy, funny post. Spot on sir. Good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKRam Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 1 hour ago, Robbie Ram said: Pithy, funny post. Spot on sir. Good stuff. Agreed...... only take issue with the 'huge' crowds label. Very decent crowds but 'huge'? Not quite ready to expand any side of the ground just yet! May be one day!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chester40 Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 After 7-8 years (pretty much a generation) of mostly treading water, I'd say they are huge crowds! Promotion and good football under Steve and we'd need a bigger ground.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxjam Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 I'm a big Mel fan. Yes some (all?) of his managerial appointments haven't worked out (it only takes one!) but the improvements you see behind the scenes at the iPro and Moor Farm just show how passionate the guy is about bettering the club as a whole and leaving a legacy that will extend well beyond his stewardship of the club. We all moan when things aren't going well and have our doubts when Mel's itchy finger hovers over the managerial trapdoor (I'm thinking he's like Mr Burns in his office with Sam playing Smithers :P) and perhaps a little more communication at times wouldn't go a miss, but you have to commend the guy for pumping money into the clubs infrastructure and desire for an attractive footballing style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MackworthRamIsGod Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 I have been extremely grateful for him and Sam transforming the fortunes of Derby over the recent years. I wish my old man was alive to see these times, he passed away just after we beat Pompey in the Sheki Kuqi days, he would have loved to see the Mel Morris era. There have been some decisions made that haven't worked out, I was questioning the direction of the club after sacking Pearson, but Mel has proved just how strong a character he is to have got round the table with McClaren and thrashed out the future of the club. Thank you Mel, thank you Rush and thank you DCFC.....now let's get 3 points tonight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
europia Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 I have a feeling that after the Clement, Wassall & Pearson episodes MM is going ease off and let Rush and McClaren get on with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OohMartWright Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 I have to agree with the OP. I am old enough to remember a cup game against Plymouth (we lost to an inswinging corner) at the BBG after which we all went home wondering whether we would ever see another Rams game, the club was in such dire straits. Fortunately we did (that's another story) but it makes me appreciate the financial stability that Mel has brought to the club. Having put £100 million into the club he has every right to call the shots. He's a Ram through and through, of that there's no doubt, and his decisions are made for the benefit of the club. Even if some of them don't work out, I'm sure every one of us has made decisions that we would not have done with the benefit of hindsight. We must look forward, not back, and get behind Mel and the team Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Ram Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 1 minute ago, OohMartWright said: I have to agree with the OP. I am old enough to remember a cup game against Plymouth (we lost to an inswinging corner) at the BBG after which we all went home wondering whether we would ever see another Rams game, the club was in such dire straits. Fortunately we did (that's another story) but it makes me appreciate the financial stability that Mel has brought to the club. Having put £100 million into the club he has every right to call the shots. He's a Ram through and through, of that there's no doubt, and his decisions are made for the benefit of the club. Even if some of them don't work out, I'm sure every one of us has made decisions that we would not have done with the benefit of hindsight. We must look forward, not back, and get behind Mel and the team Yes indeed!! Let's just rock on!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kash_a_ram_a_ding_dong Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 Hope Mel reads this...top man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Ram Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 1 hour ago, europia said: I have a feeling that after the Clement, Wassall & Pearson episodes MM is going ease off and let Rush and McClaren get on with it. Really, really hope so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Ram Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 2 minutes ago, kash_a_ram_a_ding_dong said: Hope Mel reads this...top man Mel Morris = a true Ram. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsley Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 32 minutes ago, OohMartWright said: I have to agree with the OP. I am old enough to remember a cup game against Plymouth (we lost to an inswinging corner) at the BBG after which we all went home wondering whether we would ever see another Rams game, the club was in such dire straits. Fortunately we did (that's another story) but it makes me appreciate the financial stability that Mel has brought to the club. Having put £100 million into the club he has every right to call the shots. He's a Ram through and through, of that there's no doubt, and his decisions are made for the benefit of the club. Even if some of them don't work out, I'm sure every one of us has made decisions that we would not have done with the benefit of hindsight. We must look forward, not back, and get behind Mel and the team Yes indeed, I remember leaving that Plymouth game feeling so depressed that that could be one of the last games I watched my beloved Rams. The events that have happened over the years at Derby put these latest ones into the minor annoyance category. I must admit when I read people complaining about Mel, and the clubs position I wonder what they would have been like in the Maxwell years etc. The stability Mel has brought to the club well outweighs the small down sides of the last year or so. Anyone saying we have failed over the years since Wembley needs to take a long hard look at our history and the depths of despair we have plumbed! The improvements to the training centre, the investment in youth, and in the team are to be applauded, its nice for a while not to be panicking if Derby will be around to see the next season! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richinspain Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 46 minutes ago, OohMartWright said: I have to agree with the OP. I am old enough to remember a cup game against Plymouth (we lost to an inswinging corner) at the BBG after which we all went home wondering whether we would ever see another Rams game, the club was in such dire straits. Fortunately we did (that's another story) but it makes me appreciate the financial stability that Mel has brought to the club. Having put £100 million into the club he has every right to call the shots. He's a Ram through and through, of that there's no doubt, and his decisions are made for the benefit of the club. Even if some of them don't work out, I'm sure every one of us has made decisions that we would not have done with the benefit of hindsight. We must look forward, not back, and get behind Mel and the team I was there that night too. We entered the BBG thinking that we were going to be in the semifinals of the FA cup, and left having lost to a goal direct from a corner and not knowing if the club would exist the following afternoon. I was already making plans to buy a season ticket at Forest in the away end, obviously! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comrade 86 Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 12 hours ago, SKRam said: Agreed...... only take issue with the 'huge' crowds label. Very decent crowds but 'huge'? Not quite ready to expand any side of the ground just yet! May be one day!! My sis and I did a pop concert in our garden when we were nippers. The crowd numbered 3 in total. The two family cats and my mum. Think there might have been a squirrel in the tree but if so, most likely on sufferance. And the cats ran away.... A 30k crowd is therefore 'huge' in every sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth's left foot Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 If you don't like or see what Mel is doing then buy the fooking club yourself. Can't wait for tonight... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaguarRam Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 Out of interest has any owner made money from a football club? From a business perspective (and they are successful business men after all) it seems like the worst investment you could make. The only ones that seem to make money are the players, managers and agents! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spanish Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 35 minutes ago, JaguarRam said: Out of interest has any owner made money from a football club? From a business perspective (and they are successful business men after all) it seems like the worst investment you could make. The only ones that seem to make money are the players, managers and agents! Master Ken Bates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uptherams Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 His non personnel investments in this club have been superb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwram1973 Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 He's done nothing wrong in my eyes. Top man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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