kismet said:
PB you think the comments from the press are acceptable then................
Personally I think some are spot on but whether I do or not, we've give them a loaded gun and they've fired it.
Have you ever dealt with the press? I have and it's a minefield. Even innocent comments get twisted out of all recognition and you have to think on your feet all the time.
They made themselves hostages to fortune when they went public on their target, which I actually thought was a good move as it showed honesty and openness. But having done that, you have to think very carefully about what people will say if you do something that seems to fly in the face of what you said a few months before.
And then when they actually do something, they should have done it on Wednesday night/ Thursday morning, when they would at least have had the benefit of a dismal performance to support their actions. But they left it and had to make a formal announcement during the game on Saturday, which resulted in a flawed but thrilling win.
Remember Steven Byers and the "good day to bury bad news" issue that forced his resignation? Well I know the senior civil servant at the centre of that and he told me the story. His head was demanded as a quid pro quo for Byers and his assistant. This would have been managed with typical Civil Service efficiency at a meeting between him and the Permanent Secretary and the Press Office were then to release a statement confirming his "resignation".
However the meeting was delayed as he had a dentist appointment first thing but no one thought to tell the press office, who released the statement as planned just as he was driving to work. This of course made the people involved in carrying out the sacking look complete idiots and he got a very nice pay-off out of it, far more than he otherwise might have got.
