The Richard money thread

[Arbury]

NO you naughty Luton fans, this isn't a thread for you to get all excited and obsessive about, it's one where all us u's can whinge and moan all things about the great Richard money.

Right is he staying or is he going? As fans we are none the wiser at present, apparently we'd know more after this wk end.

He came into the club at the right time(I've never known us to be as stable as we are) but he's undoubtedly done a fantastic job on the pitch since he's been here, he's transformed us from a bang average conf side to a bang average lg2 side with a cup and cup run chucked in but the last three months of this season have been very hard to watch, it's like we've just accepted to be a crap side when a lot of us know that there's a decent one there, but it's ok because look where the club is now compared to where it was which for me just isn't good enough, us as fans want to watch a winning side and for the club/players to give 100% all the time especially paying a lot money to watch them.

For me I hope he's here next season and is given a good crack of the whip but the last three months may have eradicated some fans patience for next season, time will tell.

Also thought I'd add a little bit about the jeziah, is he interfering and being a control freak or does he just have the clubs best interests at heart? I'm sure we've all heard things we wished we hadn't about him but I'm intrigued what others on here thought?

Regardless of whatever happens my fellow u's KTF.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Sorry for invading this thread, as I know my kind won't be welcome here and I know how this will probably go for me but here goes.

My in laws are huge United fans and they really aren't happy at all with him, even want him gone! Some of what's been described to me, crotchety interviews, shouting at fans in the main stand, loaning in players and then just not putting them in the side, playing shit football when you know there are decent footballers in there, are pretty similar to things that got him kicked out here.

I think sacking him would probably be a mistake, but I can see why your fans would be turning a bit sour on him, we went through largely the same stuff with him.

 

[Arbury]

Posts like yours fat centre are always welcome.

I can understand their views, some of his decision making does baffle at times, the players we've brought in and not played is staggering which why there's talk of the jeziah interfering when he shouldn't of and basically a power struggle between the two, with jez key in contract negotiations nowadays it does make you wonder, all this is pure speculation but with the form of late things do seem to be adding up.

I think the both sets of fans know what he's like, he's good but not as good as he thinks he is(which is why he manages in lg2) and the tolerance of a lot us has gone down somewhat, it will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[3Loggerheads]

Those Luton fans poke there noses in everywhere........ However I have to say I probably agree with that fat centre half!

 

[Habbinalan]

I'm sure he's staying and I'm glad. The contrast between his prickly "all will be revealed" interview last week and his (relatively) relaxed state of mind now is clear. It suggests to me that he was uncertain how he stood going into next season, especially the reaction and level of interference he would get from Jez to his plans and budget expectations.

I guess he's had the sensitive conversation with Jez and the Dog and is now full steam ahead. We're probably safe from another near meltdown until at least September - unless Jonno throws caution to the wind and asks one of the questions he only dreams of putting to him in his wildest fantasies (you know: "That was shit wasn't it? What are you planning to do about it?"),

For me, the Jeziah has his faults but many are also his strengths (same with Richard). The key to the Jezolution is and always was about getting it right from the top down. We've been incredibly lucky to have the steady hand and calm outlook of Dave Doggett at the helm, combined with the patience of Paul Barry. I'm sure DD's now hoping for a more relaxed year and I'm hoping that the team that is being put together will mean that he has less fire fighting to do.

I think (hope?) that DD's dedication and obvious focus on the interests of the club, combined with Jez's obsessive compulsive need for detailed planning and perfection in delivery, will maintain the necessary balance and keep Richard on track and on side. They'll also deal with the transition sensibly and effectively when he goes (as he inevitably will) because they've planned for it.

I'm sure there'll be sparks with the staff and volunteers who have to work with Jez but they'll find ways of coping with his chase for perfection in delivering "the grand plan."

 

[Tom_CUFC]

Think I've made my stance clear previously, for the last 6 weeks I've been hoping he would be gone one way or another at the end of the season, but after the win at Northampton we certainly weren't going to pull the trigger, and despite some of his "outbursts" in recent weeks I've never believed he would resign, and I think if he was going to he'd have done it straight after the game on Saturday, so I fully expect him to be here at the start of next season.

I've always maintained that I understand the people, and still the majority, that want him to stay, history will simply say that in 2013/14 he got us promoted and that in 2014/15 in our first season back we finished 10 points clear of the relegation zone, never being within 5 points of 23rd since the first few games of the season. That reads well, football is about results, all that matters is where you are after the final whistle blows in the final game, and on that basis, he deserves another chance.

2 things that antagonise me though. Firstly, on Saturday a lot of people singing "sign a contract", difficult to properly articulate my point on here but even those who want him to stay the attitude should, in my opinion, be more of a "stay, but this sort of run and these stupid and repetitive mistakes can't happen again". Of course what the fans sing on the terraces, write on the internet, counts for nothing, but it just grated me a bit. The second is the members of the "happy clapping" brigade who barely, if at all, go to games, and act all high and mighty and pretend there hasn't been a serious problem, for more than half the season. Back him, by all means, but trying to defend this run is just a kick in the balls to those who have to watch it with our own eyes week in week out.

In each of Money's 3 seasons, aside from a slow start in his first month here, we've started well, and then to varying degrees gone off the boil in the second half of the season, and this was the worst of the lot. Each of those campaigns the mistakes have been the same, the trend in the style of football, the terrible and/or misuse of signings, playing players out of position, taking too long to acknowledge the problems, and that is worrying.

P27 W4 D9 L14, to end the season in the league, and end the season is the wrong phrase to use as it's over 50% of the season. Pretty much any other manager would be gone off the back of that, the reason he hasn't is sentiment and sentiment alone. Like I said above it is probably just about a plausible excuse still but I would be concerned at how much longer that goes on for, what if we don't have a good start next season like we have in the last two, but stick by him too long? That's my biggest worry.

The club should be looking forward to next season on an extremely sound footing, a lot would argue we still are, but I have my doubts. Financially, undoubtedly, but I remain unconvinced about our ability to bring in the right players, use them and whoever we keep in the right way, and to do that over 46 games a season, responding quickly to adversity when it arises. Equally off the pitch we are making some dreadful PR errors, we have a chairman who seems intent on criminalising the fanbase, and whilst I have no issue with the lack of an early bird price this year, it does feel a bit like a kick in the balls after years of us digging the club out of the mire throughout the summer. We have a supporters trust that are basically an offshoot of the football club and do absolutely nothing to address the concerns of the fans, and whilst the club are willing to do and say stupid things off the back of the action of individuals, there is no-one representing the supporters frustrations when generally you are talking hundreds of people having the same complaint.

Luckily for us there are teams coming into this division, and already here, who are considerably worse off than we are, but I was absolutely delighted when Saturday was over, and both on and off the pitch I am not particularly looking forward to next season. The last 4 months have been a real struggle to get through, and the first couple of next season will be very telling.

Changing manager is always a risk, whether you are or finish top, or are or finish bottom, it can always get better and it can always get worse. I would trust Doggett and Jez to get in the right person more than I trust Money to turn it around next season.

 

[Habbinalan]

Firstly, good to have a place, away from the CUFC knee jerk atmosphere, to discuss these thoughts.

I share many of your frustrations and most of your experiences over the season. I just reach different conclusions - probably because my own experiences make my expectations lower.

I'm more easily satisfied than many and I value stability and evolution over increasing uncertainty and risk in the hope of better outcomes. I don't claim that either approach is right or wrong, we're all driven by different things. One of my long term clients and friends once told an audience: "If it wasn't for Alan, I'd have been a millionaire or bust long ago."

.......2 things that antagonise me though. ......a lot of people singing "sign a contract", ......... the members of the "happy clapping" brigade .......... Back him, by all means, but trying to defend this run is just a kick in the balls to those who have to watch it with our own eyes week in week out.

I share your pain but "water off a duck's back" is my first and second reaction. Our support is full of idiots, many of whom have idiotic views. Some are quite sound but just have different views to me. My pet hate, who I admit caused a curse and outburst from me on Saturday so I'm not that calm, is a serial Dunk heckler in the Habbin.

P27 W4 D9 L14, to end the season in the league, and end the season is the wrong phrase to use as it's over 50% of the season. Pretty much any other manager would be gone off the back of that, the reason he hasn't is sentiment and sentiment alone.

I disagree. I'm sure sentiment (along with a whole mix of other aspects that have little to do with whether he's the best man for the job) is the reason why the fans as a whole are more patient than most clubs and infinitely more patient than Luton. The only way that impacts on Jez's analysis (and I believe DD's as well) will be the knowledge that the fans won't be on their backs as quick. I trust them to initiate the change when the time is right and the transition can be best managed. I also trust them to plans B and C for the more likely event - Richard has his meltdown and disappears down the road mid-season.

...... I would trust Doggett and Jez to get in the right person more than I trust Money to turn it around next season.

I agree and, for now, they seem to think that Richard is the right person. I trust that judgement as well.

 

[Arbury]

So Richard money signs a new 3yr deal, what's happened to the whole rolling contract that jez said was the way forward?

Alan neilsen has left the club and been replaced by joe dunne.

I do what wonder what exactly has/is going on at the minute, seems like total rebuild.


KTF.

 

[Habbinalan]

So Richard money signs a new 3yr deal, what's happened to the whole rolling contract that jez said was the way forward?

Alan neilsen has left the club and been replaced by joe dunne.

I do what wonder what exactly has/is going on at the minute, seems like total rebuild.


KTF.

I think we were seeing a shift in the balance of power being negotiated by Richard over the closing weeks of the season. The outcome could have been this or a new "First Team Head Coach."

I also see DD's steady and pragmatic hand in this outcome. Jez may be a bit less than happy but he has a lot of respect for Richard, so probably won't let it show. He'll now have to get on with building the rest of his empire.

I didn't recognise any benefits coming from Alan Neilsen's input so happy that he's gone. Joe Dunne will be a further addition to the Irish contingent. I'll be interested to hear from the other U's what type of character he is - he certainly looks to offer the better background and connections combined with more recent playing experience than any internal promotion could have delivered.

 

[AtaturkOzgutson]

Dunne played against us in the first win I saw. Thrilling FACT for you all.