Rescuing the Royals

[rabidbee]

Who published it? Sounds like it’s been rushed out with insufficient editing to be on sale for the start of the season. Sounds more like the background research is too shallow, doesn’t mean his own observations or interviews are similarly prone to inaccuracy.

[mansfieldroyal]

Who published it? Sounds like it’s been rushed out with insufficient editing to be on sale for the start of the season. Sounds more like the background research is too shallow, doesn’t mean his own observations or interviews are similarly prone to inaccuracy.

Icon Books. UK-based and have published quite a few football books.

Not sure the extent to which the book was 'commissioned' by the ownership but given the multiple references to Wrexham and making Reading a 'global brand', you can tell it has been written for an American audience.

And I agree, the actual journalistic material is worth reading, even if just to get an understanding of Couhig's perspective on business and mindset in general. It's also just an entertaining read in terms of piecing together which rumours over the years were (apparently) true or not.

[Ark Royal]

Just finished the book and it is good read. My takes from it were:

- My impression is that Couhig greatly overrates Richardson
- Still absolutely cannot believe that Couhig, Carey, Jacobson all picked Richardson top of a three-man list that included Luke Williams and Matt Bloomfield, especially a manager whose last job saw 2 wins in 24 at Rotherham
- Joe Jacobson is a yes man out of his depth
- Richardson is full to the brim of excuses for bad performances, which normally boil down to two/three/four weeks behind in fitness, no pre-season bollocks
- Couhig bluntly refuses Richardson an extension to his contract

[RoyalBlue]

Who published it? Sounds like it’s been rushed out with insufficient editing to be on sale for the start of the season. Sounds more like the background research is too shallow, doesn’t mean his own observations or interviews are similarly prone to inaccuracy.

I think you've hit the nail on the head there. Another thing I noticed was that the 'Cast of Characters' - key people and job titles was missing a key character who crops up quite a bit.

His name is Dave Calle who sounds like a fairly typical cost-cutting Accountant/CFO who looks at people working and decides whether he thinks they are value adding or not: 'All I see him doing is stuffing envelopes'. I suspect he and his assessments are behind many of the redundancies that have taken place.