What do you really think of Morris?

[Mostyn6]

I'd like him to make his decisions and then give those decisions a chance to be successful. 

[VulcanRam]

6 hours ago, RamNut said:

Think about the big decisions , and consider for each whether you would have done the same at the time

1 sack mac1/simmo/eric after 2014/15 8th finish 1 point off the play offs

Yes. He clearly wanted to go to Newcastle, didn't want to be at Derby and we had no guarantee the next time anyone came knocking he wouldn't jump ship.

2 appoint clement / peacock / zubie 

Yes. Paul was one of the most highly rated English coaches in Europe and it was a coup to get him to help us build on a vision for the future. 

3 sign all this lot in 2 transfer windows: carson, baird, olsson, pearce, shackell, johnson, butterfield, blackman, bent, weimann, Camara, ince @26m

Yes. The squad was very thin and the first team needed a serious injection of talent. 

4 enter the dressing room after a 1-1 draw to "carpet everybody"

Yes. It was a dire performance. Someone had to say something and the players needed to hear it from the man who pays their wages.

5 sack pc / peacock in feb 2016 5th five points off top

Yes. The players had stopped playing for him, the football was poor, there was disagreement around the vision of the club and future direction.

6 appoint darren Wassall

Yes. We needed a steady hand and someone who knew the club to stabilise it and give us the best chance of making the play offs

7 appoint Redknapp

Yes. While Darren was a good choice for caretaker, he is young and inexperienced, and would no doubt have benefited from one of the best footballing brains in the country and a man of great experience.

8 appoint pearson and Powell

Yes. It was decided to do away with the head coach model and go back to a more traditional manager. The squad had failed for a couple of seasons and had shown a soft underbelly when they needed some steel and discipline in there. Plus Nigel had experience of promotion. Just the man.

9 sign anya and vydra for £12m

Yes. Two excellent talents and international players. 

10 get rid of chris martin on loan

Yes. He was on the decline, and with the manager wanting a different style and some new faces, it was out the way with some of those who embodied the old regime. If a manager is to succeed in his ways, he needs egos, dissenters and slackers out the way.

11 get rid of pearson after 9 games, 22nd in table

Yes. He took a bold approach but the players clearly didn't buy into it. It might have worked but change was felt the best way forward

12 appoint mac2, Chris evans and joe mac

Yes. It worked before and is the closest thing we have had to promotion, so why not give it another go?

13 sack mac2, powell and evans - 10th, ten points off play offs

Yes. It wasn't working out like last time, performances had dropped and the players didn't seem interested. With an outside shot of the play offs still possible, change was called for, especially as our number 1 target was being talked about by others.

14 appoint rowett (finish 9th 13 points off play offs)

Yes. As above, he was the man we wanted and others were after him, so get him in before anyone else does. Perhaps a little earlier than planned, but yes.

15 sack rush

Yes, there were grounds though it is potentially going to court, so not much more to say at this stage.

16 sell Hughes

Yes. He wanted to go, a Premier League team wanted him, Derby got a decent fee. We didn't want to stand in his way after he gave such good service to the club. We hope he does well.

 

Hope that all makes sense, perhaps we can now move on,

love from

Mel x

 

[Mafiabob]

How we laugh...... oh how we laugh. 

[Jack Willow]

6 hours ago, RamNut said:

Think about the big decisions , and consider for each whether you would have done the same at the time.

1 sack mac1/simmo/eric after 2014/15 8th finish 1 point off the play offs

2 appoint clement / peacock / zubie 

3 sign all this lot in 2 transfer windows: carson, baird, olsson, pearce, shackell, johnson, butterfield, blackman, bent, weimann, Camara, ince @26m

4 enter the dressing room after a 1-1 draw to "carpet everybody"

5 sack pc / peacock in feb 2016 5th five points off top

6 appoint darren wassall

7 appoint redknapp

8 appoint pearson and powell

9 sign anya and vydra for £12m

10 get rid of chris martin on loan

11 get rid of pearson after 9 games, 22nd in table

12 appoint mac2, Chris evans and joe mac

13 sack mac2, powell and evans - 10th, ten points off play offs

14 appoint rowett (finish 9th 13 points off play offs)

15 sack rush

16 sell hughes

see how many you agree with.

It looks to me like an incoherent mess.

[TobyWanKenobi]

6 hours ago, RamNut said:

Think about the big decisions , and consider for each whether you would have done the same at the time.

1 sack mac1/simmo/eric after 2014/15 8th finish 1 point off the play offs

2 appoint clement / peacock / zubie 

3 sign all this lot in 2 transfer windows: carson, baird, olsson, pearce, shackell, johnson, butterfield, blackman, bent, weimann, Camara, ince @26m

4 enter the dressing room after a 1-1 draw to "carpet everybody"

5 sack pc / peacock in feb 2016 5th five points off top

6 appoint darren wassall

7 appoint redknapp

8 appoint pearson and powell

9 sign anya and vydra for £12m

10 get rid of chris martin on loan

11 get rid of pearson after 9 games, 22nd in table

12 appoint mac2, Chris evans and joe mac

13 sack mac2, powell and evans - 10th, ten points off play offs

14 appoint rowett (finish 9th 13 points off play offs)

15 sack rush

16 sell hughes

see how many you agree with.

1 - I hated that decision. Thought it was a mistake.

2 - I didn't know who Clement was, I didn't think a coach with no managerial experience was a good idea. I believe I was proved correct.

3 - I thought signing Carson when we had Grant was pointless - I was 100% wrong. Carson was a massive improvement. Baird made sense, as did Olssen, Excited about Bent and Butterfield - both have done okay, the rest were pretty meh for me.

4 - Massive dick move.

5 - Dire football. Made sense to me. Agreed with that.

6 - Seemed like a sensible temporary move until the end of the season.

7 - OMGWTF.

8 - Seemed a good idea at the time. 

9 - "OMGWTFLOL You're joking."

10 - "You've gotta be kidding me."

11 - *Circus music starts playing* (Although it was the correct decision.

12 - OMG

13 - Mel.

14 - Stop.

15 - Pls

16 - STAHP.

[rynny]

On 2017-6-25 at 01:30, rammieib said:

Out of interest, what have been his good decisions? Clearing of debt aside?

Off the top of my head, at the time of making the decision?

• Hiring Clement
• Sacking Pearson
• Hiring McClaren
• Investment of the academy
• Wanting to go down the "Derby Way" route
• Challenging the EFL to actually stick up for themselves against Sky and the TV money they offer
• Wanting to breakaway from EFL's website format and coverage that they try and limit for free
• Bringing in Roy Mac, John Vicars et al to the board

 

On 2017-6-25 at 08:09, Angry Ram said:

I think your trivialise a bit there, it's not about coffee and a scarf, changing rooms or little things like that. The issue is, for me, he does not know how to achieve what he wants. I don't doubt he wants the best for DCFC but how is he going to achieve that. I would have more respect if he stuck with something. A vision.. Direct football, total football, beautiful football, hoof football. I loved the Clement appointment, it showed me he was thinking outside the box, we were not going back to that same old pool of 6 or 7 journeyman managers who continually fail. Great.. Few months later, something has happened and Clement is a gonner. Okay we hear all the rumours, maybe Clement had to go but what a mess to follow. Big statements 'The Derby Way', Wassell, Pearson, Mac, Harry, Rowett. There is no joining the dots with that lot. This way.. Oops, no that way.. Let's get rid of Rush... 

I have no idea of what he wants and how to achieve it, he has no idea either. Qualifications for the job... I get he's a fan but maybe that is his problem? I have read post after post about him keeping the fans happy and you rightly point out you can't keep everyone happy. We are all DCFC fans on here but we can't agree on what day it is. Is he too close and his normal decision making process is suffering? 

 

You are correct I have trivialised it a bit, but I was just pointing out some of the the things people have complained about, and show that regardless of what he does there will be people complaining.

I agree with you, some things just haven't continued in a way that makes sense, or I would have expected. I liked the Clement appointment, for the similar reason that you did, also could see how the team could line up and how it could benefit us, I think losing Hughes and Bryson cost him dearly. By the time he was sacked it just seemed like a relief for him, he looked a broken man and in each interview he just looked more lost and broken. I could understand the Wassall appointment, get things to click again, bringing in 'Arry was just bizarre, Pearson was even more bizarre, Mac felt like a longer term solution to the Wassall appointment and Rowett seems like a lesser evil than Pearson. We certainly have zig-zagged our way over the last 2 years, but as per my original post, who made the decisions, I know MM will have had the final say but who pushed for each manager? Was MM taking Rush's judgement and going with it? Did he ignore what he was being told and did what he wanted? Was it a group decision that all board members were 100% happy with?

All I want now is a period of some stability, a clear plan of what is happening, it actually being put in to place and stuck to.

[CumbrianRam]

2 hours ago, Mostyn6 said:

I'd like him to make his decisions and then give those decisions a chance to be successful. 

Exactly, I have feeling the trigger finger could be activated in November if the start is iffy, well MM has given GR control over the squad should give him time to be honest.

[Curtains]

Mel Morris has appointed Gary Rowett.  

Best thing for DCFC. 

[Gypsy Ram]

3 minutes ago, curtains said:

Mel Morris has appointed Gary Rowett.  

Best thing for DCFC. 

Great if you enjoy hoof ball.

[Curtains]

5 minutes ago, Gypsy Ram said:

Great if you enjoy hoof ball.

You will be celebrating promotion with all Derby fans next season lol 

[brady1993]

7 hours ago, ramblur said:

It's far more easy to criticise (especially with the benefit of hindsight) than to sit in the hotseat yourself.I know from living in Ireland and watching a lot of RTE that certain studio analysts,who were managerial flops themselves(one now departed from the scene) love to launch into criticism.

I don't remember much wringing of hands in 15/16,rather more of fairly embarrassing  bragging of how we were going to walk the league. 

Whilst I see your point, that doesn't make the senior management team free from criticism.

Ultimately we are on our 5th manager in 2 seasons, we have spent a lot of money on both wages and transfer fees, we have gone backwards in terms of league position, points gained and style of play. 

That to be frank is piss poor.

[ramblur]

23 minutes ago, brady1993 said:

Whilst I see your point, that doesn't make the senior management team free from criticism.

Ultimately we are on our 5th manager in 2 seasons, we have spent a lot of money on both wages and transfer fees, we have gone backwards in terms of league position, points gained and style of play. 

That to be frank is piss poor.

I think Mel has owned up to making mistakes and at the end of the day it's his 'lot of money' spent on wages and transfer fees,though I'd admit that the return has so far been very poor. 

[ramsbottom]

Likes - Improving the ground & training facilities, his passion of the academy, he loves the club

Dislikes - Generating the phrase 'The Derby Way', spending faaaaaaaar too much for players, selling a particular player far too cheaply, his impatience with managers

Regarding the buying & selling of players, it could well be that the signings (mostly the incoming ones) were Sam Rush's doing, we'll never know.  But I would be a lot happier if we had a lot shrewder negotiator on the board.  Like David Dein was to Arsenal or David Gill at Man U.  Not so much a director of football, just someone who really knows the market who can occasionally say "Hang on Mel, we can do better here"...

[Angry Ram]

9 hours ago, RamNut said:

Think about the big decisions , and consider for each whether you would have done the same at the time.

1 sack mac1/simmo/eric after 2014/15 8th finish 1 point off the play offs - YES

2 appoint clement / peacock / zubie - YES Bold and I loved it

3 sign all this lot in 2 transfer windows: carson, baird, olsson, pearce, shackell, johnson, butterfield, blackman, bent, weimann, Camara, ince @26m - Nope, too much too soon. Tweaking needed not surgery.

4 enter the dressing room after a 1-1 draw to "carpet everybody" - ******** move.

5 sack pc / peacock in feb 2016 5th five points off top - No his biggest mistake.

6 appoint darren wassall - No his biggest mistake (Oops done that one). 

7 appoint redknapp - Had to do something as Wassell was way out of his depth. Was Harry right? Meh !!

8 appoint pearson and powell - No

9 sign anya and vydra for £12m - Would have missed Anya but Vydra would have interested me but £8 mil??

10 get rid of chris martin on loan - Haha.. Here goes.. Would have sold him.

11 get rid of pearson after 9 games, 22nd in table - Not ideal but such a poor appointment, no other choice.

12 appoint mac2, Chris evans and joe mac - If anyone has read my previous posts on Mac 2, you would have your answer. Not a bloody chance.

13 sack mac2, powell and evans - 10th, ten points off play offs - Yes.

14 appoint rowett (finish 9th 13 points off play offs) - Personally would have gone for Warburton at the time. I think he was a better fit for 'The Derby Way'. Time will tell. Undecided still today about Rowett.

15 sack rush - Without knowing the facts and if there was any dodgy dealings the club had no choice. But otherwise NO.. I liked Rush.

16 sell hughes - No, not to Watford but would have sold him to a Spurs, Everton or a Liverpool type of club. I don't think Will has taken good advice. We have sold too quickly and I fear all parties have lost out, except Watford.

see how many you agree with.

 

[brady1993]

1 hour ago, ramblur said:

I think Mel has owned up to making mistakes and at the end of the day it's his 'lot of money' spent on wages and transfer fees,though I'd admit that the return has so far been very poor. 

In fairness I didn't bring up the money spent as a criticism per se but more to provide context of our performance during Mel Morris' time in charge.

Personally I'd just want to distinguish that my criticism isn't at MM personally, and more towards the broader senior management during that time period because it is difficult to say who was responsible for what.

[brady1993]

11 hours ago, RamNut said:

Think about the big decisions , and consider for each whether you would have done the same at the time.

1 sack mac1/simmo/eric after 2014/15 8th finish 1 point off the play offs - No based off performance over the season but McClaren may have made his position untenable with the links around newcastle. 

2 appoint clement / peacock / zubie - Didn't know a deal about Clement when he first joined but certainly backed the idea of briding what appeared to be a young talented coach.

3 sign all this lot in 2 transfer windows: carson, baird, olsson, pearce, shackell, johnson, butterfield, blackman, bent, weimann, Camara, ince @26m - In fairness MM didn't choose those players but know I wouldn't have, a lot of those signings were made with seemingly little scouting or thought as to what they would add to the side or how they would fit. A terrible window that we are still feelings that aftershocks of.

4 enter the dressing room after a 1-1 draw to "carpet everybody" - It was the wrong decision but I can't say I wouldn't have been tempted in the heat of the moment.

5 sack pc / peacock in feb 2016 5th five points off top - Yes, if the plan was to let Wassall get us back to playing attacking football and then bring in a head coach whose style of play would suit the squad (I.e. what we were lead to believe at the time but looked farcical with the decision to hire Pearson). Otherwise no.

6 appoint darren wassall - See above 

7 appoint redknapp - Not sure on this one, it was difficult to tell exactly what his role was and how much say he had. Left a bitter taste in my mouth though. 

8 appoint pearson and powell - No, single worst senior management decision made so far. A footballing dinosaur that we should have stayed well clear.

9 sign anya and vydra for £12m - (Not a senior management decision) Wouldn't have signed Anya at all an average footballer who hasn't improved the squad, signed for way too much money. Vydra would have tempted me but not at the eye-watering price he ended up costing.

10 get rid of chris martin on loan - (Again not a senior management decision). Absolutely criminal decision to do this with absolutely no replacement in mind and cost us massively this season.

11 get rid of pearson after 9 games, 22nd in table -had to go,  will go down as one of the worst managerial performances at the club.

12 appoint mac2, Chris evans and joe mac - No, because of how things were left last time I doubted he could repair his relationship with the fan base.

13 sack mac2, powell and evans - 10th, ten points off play offs - No, a victim of his own success. The squad had a lot of problems that needed fixing and the bad run of form shouldn't have come as a surprise. This season should have been a free roll for him and then have him judged on the following year.

14 appoint rowett (finish 9th 13 points off play offs) - No, I think like @Angry Ram I'd have gone for Warburton. Far more suited to what we were supposedly trying to achieve, had a track record of developing players and playing attractive football. Not unhappy with Rowett but I'm still on top he fence. 

15 sack rush - Have to trust that this was the correct decision.

16 sell hughes - Would have tried to convince him to stay but let him go if he felt the need to move on. But would have held out for more money.

see how many you agree with.

 

[rammieib]

On 26/06/2017 at 14:26, rynny said:

Off the top of my head, at the time of making the decision?

• Hiring Clement
• Sacking Pearson
• Hiring McClaren
• Investment of the academy
• Wanting to go down the "Derby Way" route
• Challenging the EFL to actually stick up for themselves against Sky and the TV money they offer
• Wanting to breakaway from EFL's website format and coverage that they try and limit for free
• Bringing in Roy Mac, John Vicars et al to the board

 

You are correct I have trivialised it a bit, but I was just pointing out some of the the things people have complained about, and show that regardless of what he does there will be people complaining.

I agree with you, some things just haven't continued in a way that makes sense, or I would have expected. I liked the Clement appointment, for the similar reason that you did, also could see how the team could line up and how it could benefit us, I think losing Hughes and Bryson cost him dearly. By the time he was sacked it just seemed like a relief for him, he looked a broken man and in each interview he just looked more lost and broken. I could understand the Wassall appointment, get things to click again, bringing in 'Arry was just bizarre, Pearson was even more bizarre, Mac felt like a longer term solution to the Wassall appointment and Rowett seems like a lesser evil than Pearson. We certainly have zig-zagged our way over the last 2 years, but as per my original post, who made the decisions, I know MM will have had the final say but who pushed for each manager? Was MM taking Rush's judgement and going with it? Did he ignore what he was being told and did what he wanted? Was it a group decision that all board members were 100% happy with?

All I want now is a period of some stability, a clear plan of what is happening, it actually being put in to place and stuck to.

Hiring Clement - wish he was still here today. For all his faults, we were getting results.

i think he can only be judged on his decisions and how they panned out, not his decisions at the time.

I agree with the off the field points (Not Rush sacking but the commercials) and it's interesting for me that he seems to be thriving in these areas. It's his football decisions related to the first team which are the critical ones and so far wrong.

And please don't start on the Derby way - 99% of us don't have a bloody clue what it is!! It's embarrassing!

[rynny]

1 hour ago, rammieib said:

Hiring Clement - wish he was still here today. For all his faults, we were getting results.

i think he can only be judged on his decisions and how they panned out, not his decisions at the time.

I agree with the off the field points (Not Rush sacking but the commercials) and it's interesting for me that he seems to be thriving in these areas. It's his football decisions related to the first team which are the critical ones and so far wrong.

And please don't start on the Derby way - 99% of us don't have a bloody clue what it is!! It's embarrassing!

How can I criticise a decision that I agreed with at the time? That would just make me a hypocrite. 

Just because you didn't understand the "Derby way" doesn't mean others didn't. I would hardly call it embarrassing. 

[rammieib]

10 hours ago, rynny said:

How can I criticise a decision that I agreed with at the time? That would just make me a hypocrite. 

Just because you didn't understand the "Derby way" doesn't mean others didn't. I would hardly call it embarrassing. 

Derby way?

Sack managers constantly? Appoint managers each having a very different football philosophy? Sell academy players? Enter the dressing room? Sack the CEO? Rename the ground to a company with zero credit limit? 

Please enlighten me what it actually is?

[Ramet]

Does it really matter now,Mr morris has made some mistakes and admitted those mistakes no one will ever agree with it all,i tottaly understand peoples reservations of Mr morris and GR going forward but to be moaning and groaning before a ball is kicked is just dum,judging by half of you lot of here you berate Mr morris for sacking a manager yet alot of you would do it before a game is played just crazy at least wait till we have played some football