Okay, this is not a WUM post, I would just like to know. Why are people so against John Delaney? Now I know that he got the call on Staunton wrong, of that there is no doubt, but is that worth him losing his job? The FAI have done some great work with the eircom League and ploughed a lot of money into the game at grassroots level under his stewardship.
When I ask people who oppose him why they do I just get some generic reply. So can people please tell me the genuine reasons why Delaney should go. Is it all based on one bad decision (Staunton) he made? There may well be more, but to be honest I'm not aware of them.
His rise to power in the FAI was at the expense of others. He got rid of Rooney, who was a lot more progressive than Delaney and then took his job, firstly temporarily and then full-time. In an interview he admitted one of his key motivations was to avenge the treatment of his father who was forced to resign after quite amount of ticket money went missing after Italia 90. He promised that if the Genises report was not implemented within 12 months he would resign, it wasn't and he didn't. Thats just for starters.
Always look on the bright side of life
He gave himself a 6 year contract.
He promised a, in his words, 'a world class' manager. He gave us a reserve team coach from Walsall. Thats the thing i hate about the guy (and his hair). Its like me promising to buy someone a ferrari and instead giving them a 1989 Fiat Uno
Class carloz! My reason to get rid of him is cause he is a ballroot!
Reasons why he should go; The guy wont own up to the fact that he got the wrong manager in. He persists with him and therefore will make things alot worst for when Stan does finally leave. And as mentioned above his hair is ridiculous.
"Are those my feet" Fr Jack Hackett
So ladies and gents what we have is:
1. He has a bad haircut
To be fair, it is the worst of mops but hardly grounds for losing his job.
2. He gave himself a 6 year contract
So what?
3. He answers to nobody
This happens in every organisation. Should Microsoft get rid of Bill Gates?
4. He knifed people in the back to get where he is.
Big deal. It happens in every walk of life and that has no bearing on the job he does now.
5. He played a major part in appointing Stan "The World Class Manager".
Fair enough, this was a bad call. But the FAI is responsible for so much, should Delaney be ultimately judged on this one decision? I don't think so. The English FA appointed Taylor and Keegan and they were disasters. Successive Liverpool boards appointed Souness, Evans and Houllier yet no one resigned there either. In the real world, people rarely lose their jobs just for hiring the wrong person.
6. The Genesis Report has not been fully implemented
I don't know a lot about this to be honest and I'd be interested to hear more detail. However, if a new man came in, would you expect him to implement the Genesis report within 12 months? If not, why get rid of Delaney? What purpose does it serve? Is Delaney solely responsible for implementing it?
All I hear from people is a lynch mob mentality over Delaney. The mans public persona is not likeable, I would not dispute that. The man makes some silly statements in public (world class manager being the most ridiculous). But on the whole, I believe that he is doing a good job. It seems to me that people are just looking for a sacrificial lamb and Delaney is the easy target. If he went, would the FAI drastically improve? Who would get his job? Again, I'm open to standing corrected on this because I'm not all that familiar with Delaney, beyond what is widely known, but I have yet to hear a compelling reason for him to go.
A close friend used to go to college with him while both were doing accounting. He seem to dwell on the fact that Delaney admitted to him he had never been to a football match in his life.... Soccer man my rear end. An accountant who ballanced the books bringing in Stan on minimum wage. Good business brain though
For those waiting in the long grass around Merrion Sq to oust Delaney this could prove the opportune time.
All of the above plus:
Himself and his father should never have gotten any sort of power in the FAI. Both blackmailed and back stabbed there way there-FACT!
Hes not even a great business man, hes been in a lot of financial trouble over the years in business.
He also has no regard for the domestic game.
Again, the fact he back-stabbed shouldn't have any bearing on how his performance in his current job is evaluated. Every person who works their way up the career ladder stabs people in the back.
I believe he ran into trouble in other businesses. Again, it doesn't really matter until he screws up at the FAI.
He has presided over the eircom League getting more advertising, more media coverage and being infinitely better run than ever before. Prize money has also increased. Hard to believe he has no regard for the domestic game.
Bookmarks