Rushed decision making is not a characteristic of the current owner, the opposite is more typical. Conservative (with a small 'c') more accurately describes the behaviour of John Boyle in respect to Motherwell FC. Some actions are controversial but they are rarely rushed. It is often the case that a lack of activity opens the club up to criticism. 16 May 2006
More than a few 'Well fans will have raised an eyebrow last Friday when the news of the departure of Malpas and Hegarty was released. There was an assumption that the pair had had a stay of execution when the Coakley deal fell through mainly because there was a presumption that it was not in the nature of the decision making at the club to chop and change team management on a whim.
But the judgement has been made and the inevitable speculation has exploded. Inevitably most of the attention is focussed on the game of Guess the Manager but a deal of consideration is also devoted to rooting out the underlying reason for the change.
The rumour mill is in overdrive but, by its very nature, little exists in the way of hard evidence to substantiate the guesswork. Did pressure from the fans pay off? Was Hegarty's treatment of the players unacceptable? Were the results bad enough to justify a sacking? Or could the Coakley interest be renewed?
It could be that some of the answers will leak out but it would be far, far better if the club felt able to keep the fans informed. The official news that, "The management team are stepping down following discussions with club directors this week", is so bare that it almost invites supporters to create fictitious scenarios.
Surely the board could do more to keep us informed without breaching any of the necessary confidentiality which has to be respected in these matters?