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Let's Respect Mel


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7 hours ago, Bob The Badger said:

I have been really disappointed with the way this whole situation *appears* to have been handled.

But, appears is the operative word because none of us know what was truly happening between Frank and Mel and the two clubs.If Mel is prepared to come out and say Frank has done no wrong

I can only think of 4 million reasons Mel is taking this stance. 

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Right, I'm going to start a lovely post about Mel: 

Early Days - 

He first invested into the club days prior to the play-off final against QPR. He had a small, yet serious, stake in the club and that allowed us to step up our investments quite considerably. We were able to make the biggest signing we had in years, investing the money required to buy George Thorne. We were able to sign Butland, Ibe, Mascarell, Bent, Lingard and Ince on loan deals. We were still not significant spenders, but I think the balance of Mel's money and the pragmatic americans played off against each other. As we know, injuries and other things (Newcastle), came into play and after leading the league with just months left we didn't even make the play-offs. The desire for Mel intensified. 

Money Wasted Days - 

Mel, seeing the real potential he had at the club, bought it outright for an 'undisclosed fee' and hired a coach that at the time was seen as one of the best potential managers in the game. He had been linked with a number of clubs, mostly Premier League sides, and was seen as an influential cog in Ancelotti's success. Well, at the time I think everyone assumed that he would carry on 'The Derby Way' which in essence was the 'Steve McClaren Way' and he did to a certain extent. He was very possession heavy and the football was knocked around at a snail's pace. We had gone from a cut throat attacking side to a side that could put anyone to sleep. We had spent to the tune of £20+ million to make this happen - mostly on strengthening our 'backbone' and adding 'steel' which we were told we lacked under McClaren. We sacked him, brought in our academy coach and Harry Redknapp to get over the line. We did. It's just unfortunate that we came up against a Hull City team that when you look back at it now should have won the league at a canter.  The next season, we continued to beat that 'we need more experience' drum like it was the door into heaven - Nigel Pearson; a guy that had taken a team up and built a Premier League winning side down the road. What could go wrong? It turns around, quite a lot. We don't make a signing until the last few days of the window where it seems like the only club we know how to contact is Watford and sign two promising players - Vydra and Anya. We also sign Chris Weale, but the less said about that the better. This season was the strangest one IMO. We rightfully saw the issues with Pearson, paid off another high profile coach, brought back McClaren who was actually doing a really good job until he went on a minor blip, got rid of him and brought in Rowett. I personally couldn't fathom why we got rid of McClaren, he'd taken us from the bottom half to the play-offs. Rowett's pragmatic approach and links with the club stood him in good stead. 

Signs of Growth - 

Rowett, pragmatic above all else and made no apologies about it. He didn't have much to spend, but he was able to achieve steady growth. The football was always hard to watch, but he did well with what he had at his disposal. Unfortunately, and I said this when he went to Stoke, he's the sort of manager that doesn't need money. He doesn't see footballers, he sees attributes and to his credit he took us to the play-offs and gave us a home win against Fulham against all odds. The way he set us up for the second game was tough to watch, drained us of all hope, but he knew what we were up against. I just felt there was no growth for the club under him and when Stoke came in we were given a get out of jail free card. Mel, then, has a decision to make - he knew the fans didn't like the football Rowett played. He knew he couldn't bring Steve McClaren back for another go at it. Wassall had the Rotherham away game hanging over his head. He had a choice of not too many outstanding candidates. He goes for a talk with Lampard and ends up giving him the job. I was okay with it, some were more happy than others, but overall it could have gone any which way. He had a tough job, but as he started to show his ability I strongly believe that Mel loosened his grip and afforded him the chance to do what he wanted, i.e. gave him the funds he made from sales, despite knowing FFP was lurking. He decided that he could sell the ground and Lampard could compete with a decent budget. We nearly got there, despite falling at the last hurdle, but it was just the enjoyment around this season that has put a bit of life back in the club. He has now managed to pull off a masterstroke - a relatively experienced coach that ticks every single box that he's looking for. I actually believe that he's grown so much from his early days which has opened these doors for him. I guess just like any profession, you gain experience and improve day-by-day and he's certainly done that. 

I guess Cocu may not work out, but at least he's picked him because he aligns with his ideology and not because he's just a big name. I really pushed the Chris Hughton as my primary role, purely because I didn't think Cocu was possibly, but it was clear that he didn't want anyone off the beaten track again. 

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1 minute ago, Lokidoki said:

@Ambitious good read but i feel you've ended somewhat prematurely and also not noted that Mel's become the master of managing the media and perhaps the agents that run football nowadays. Please continue.

I'm happy to see this become more of a relay than a single 400m race.... ?

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2 minutes ago, Ambitious said:

Just because nothing is guaranteed. I fully expect it to fit into place like a glove, but you can never say for certain. He may not like Sunday Dinners, for example.. 

Oh, right. 

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