There's no doubt KR improved us (though I could have improved us given the state he found us in!). His time was up a while ago in my view and it doesn't feel right. I no longer get excited for games and I have no reason to be. That responsibility mostly falls with KR; I could handle his silly interviews when winning. I just can't stand them any longer, they're tiresome.
The underdog really suits KR. Sadly our budget nor our ambitions are aligned any longer. An above average-League One budget suits him and that has shown. It's relatively straightforward task to manage a side barring a complete catastrophe to under-perform on an average budget, yet not entirely unfeasible to flirt in play-off contention. He's done some really good things during his time (some which have fallen on his lap, granted) yet he has made some mind-boggling decisions too which are now front and centre.
I have said this before, but he's no more than an average League One manager. There are plenty worse. If we have ambitions to progress, a change is needed. His interviews really do not help him and he could have maintained relations better had he not tried to justify his irrational decision making. There have been some musings relating to KR's management, handling of playing staff and a disenfranchised club culture. In his defense, most managers do share similar thought processes, take equally mind-boggling decisions and manage personnel in a similarly detestable manner. This isn't a KR thing. It's an industry thing. The vast majority of football managers aren't (and it isn't their fault) all that bright nor equipped to do their job. I don't agree with it; but football is a deeply unpleasant business and much of the behaviour from senior staff is deeply entrenched in the culture of football.
Which other industry can you go from athlete (I know KR wasn't a player) to managing playing and coaching staff (30+ people), handling recruitment, managing up and down, attending board meetings, having a handle on budgets, managing agents, belligerent staff/players, club discipline, managing peoples futures, creating a culture, planning, making tactical decisions, media duties and often being the face of the club? It's a tough job not helped by the personnel.
Most managers are totally ill-equipped to handle the responsibility and it isn't a surprise. They simply don't have the foresight to manage backroom and playing staff in a functional manner let alone the additional responsibilities and the intangibles needed to be successful. Most experienced business owners and staff don't necessarily do that well, so how can football managers be expected to do that all-while everyone is watching?
