Show Some Class Ryan!

[wing commander]

I was travelling down to the Sky Sports studios when the news broke: 'Reports are coming in that Doncaster Rovers have placed their manager, Sean O'Driscoll, on gardening leave.'

'What?!!!!' Did I hear that correctly?

I certainly did.

Later I sat in the production office, a TV showing Sky Sports news was playing away in the background. The sound was turned down but I could see John Ryan spouting away on the screen. I didn't turn up the volume because I had no interest in what he was saying. After all you can't believe a word the man says these days.

Was it only yesterday that he was announcing SOD's job was a safe as Alex Ferguson's?

Oh, and whoopee do, we'd appointed a Blue Square Conference rookie. How apt.

But do you know what got to me most? It wasn't that SOD was no longer in charge. It wasn't the blatant hypocrissy of the dreaded Chairman's vote of confidence. No, it was the 'gardening leave' I objected to. In that one phrase I realised my club was not the club I thought it was. It simply had no class.

When SOD was wanted by a Premier League club JR did everything he could to prevent him moving on. Similarly when the Blades, a huge club, came a knocking it was the same. Sean's our man, he told us. He's the best manager in the lower leagues.

Well, when it suits, he's not. I can only assume Ryan has been cuckolded. It clearly wasn't his choice and he has been made to look stupid. But someone decided we'd be better off with a rookie.

So why haven't we been told he was just sacked, or the decision was mutual? That SOD has accepted a compensation package and been given a clean break to start anew. We'd like to thank him for the amazing 5 years he's given us but we all have to move on sometime.

No, he's on gardening leave, which means, I presume, the Board will pay his wages until he's offered another job. That is a cheapskates answer to the problem. It is demenaing. It shows just how little respect this club has for its personnel and I'm disgusted. The board is disgracing me, and I'll tell you this, I shall not attend another game until the decent thing has been done.

We as fans are part of the club and we're guiltly of trying to weasel out of reaching a dignified split.

SOD has been a valiant and loyal servant of this club. He's the man who has turned worthless offcasts into valuable assets. He dared to raise our dreams. He made other clubs jealous and he did it on a shoestring.

Whether he deserved to be relieved of his duties is irrelevant. It's how you dispense with his services that dictates whether you have any class whatsoever. We are demonstrating to the world that we have none at all. We back him and then sack him on consecutive days. That alone says we clueless with no clear plan or direction. We panicked.

So, please John, just pay him up. Now. Every last penny. And then move on.

Right now I feel the board is a laughing stock. I do not trust their abilities.

They have assets in the squad who have remained out of respect for the manager. I think we'll see a very different squad after January. Players who were valued in the millions two months ago could yet move on for a fraction of that.

Let's face it, this club has no loyalty. Why should the players have any?

  Cant agree with a single word Bob,I would normally argue why but reading that has just made me livid.... :angry: :angry:

[benaldo]

Bob = Bobbins


In fact I loved the part about \"SOD has been a valiant and loyal servant to the club\" - The man who went for two jobs in the past 12 months certainly isn't loyal is he?!

Stop the SOD hero worshipping. I would hazard a guess that with the resources he had four years ago, anyone on this forum could have got Rovers into the play-offs! (Excluding a couple of the more \"notable\" posters on here).

[timdrfc]

Just because you write a long post doesn't make your point valid. Your reading of the situation is a little skewed and I need to point out a couple of things.

Firstly it was initially stated that he was on gardening leave but then it was confirmed that he had been sacked. No doubt there will be further discussions to sort out the detail.

The interview that John gave in support of Sean was recorded the day before it was released, therefore putting an extra day into the equation. During that time period further discussions had taken place which changed the outcome, it is that simple.

Your loyalty to Sean is commendable, but we owe JR a bigger debt and your loyalty should be to him. Sean didn't make Doncaster Rovers what they are today, John Ryan did. Ultimately my loyalty is to the club, but for now I'm backing the man that has done more for this club than any manager.

Well said

[timdrfc]

Bob = Bobbins


In fact I loved the part about \"SOD has been a valiant and loyal servant to the club\" - The man who went for two jobs in the past 12 months certainly isn't loyal is he?!

Stop the SOD hero worshipping. I would hazard a guess that with the resources he had four years ago, anyone on this forum could have got Rovers into the play-offs! (Excluding a couple of the more \"notable\" posters on here).

Have to agree with you as well.

We have had a disastrous  last 9 months or so any other club he would have been shown the door ages ago, so fair play to the board for staying loyal for so long. With SOD there was only one place we were going & the board have acted to try & stop the  inevitable happing with all it's cost implications.  Who would these posters think would have to financially support the club with  three million or so less income in L1 ?

[steve@dcfd]

I would have thought by now that you would have accepted that players and loyalty do not go together.
It is a job to them, that's what they are paid to do simple as that.
They don't think like supporters and in their shoes we would probably all do the same.
How many times do we see the kissing the badge crap only for a player to move on soon after then kiss the next clubs badge.
You have a point regarding the \"Gardening leave etc\" but do we know that was actually said or was it lazy hour is again.
Either way it us time to move on and give Dean Saunders  our 100% backing[/]

I agree with most of your sentiments but I do find your las sentence two faced, you did not give Sean 10% support when he was manager.  But it is time to move on I agree.

[Bristol Red Rover]

Did Sean show any class when he wanted to jump ship to Sheff Utd? Yes he made the right noises when he never went there, but in my opinion, he was offered the job at Sheff Utd and wanted to go, thats why the saga dragged out so long without word from the club, when it became clear that Sheff Utd did n`t want to pay the compensation we wanted Sean had no option but to come out with the right noises, other than resign and lose a pay off, I believe this also happened with the Burnley job. The Sheff Utd job being the more high profile job got to him I think, it`s no co incidence our slump in form started around the same time, basically I think his heart was n`t in the job here anymore, don`y be surprised if he`s already been lined up elsewhere and back in employment in the next 2 to 3 weeks

I'd be VERY surprised if SOD leaps into another job and certainly don't see he's set another job up (with who??) - he has no need to have done as he has a contract with us.

I think JR has handled this situation with true b*llocks and fairness.

[DadsleyRover]

Have to say I totally disagree with Donnybob's sanctimonious retort. He has taken a seed and tried to turn it into a loaf.
I trust John and the board will sort the situation with Sean and Richard.

They do not need some of us trying to infer versions of events that have been reported by second and third parties.

Good luck to Sean and Richard for the future and thank for all the great times we have had.