What a fascinating read that is. Does he even refer to Jones? If so I missed it.
Not by name " Even my assistant manager didn’t arrive until a few days before the first game of the season" is as close as he gets.
The antidote about missing a chat with Sir Alex Ferguson gets more prominence. Actually that gets almost as much space as the events of last season in their entirety. Now that might be editing or it might be telling.
He may not have any regrets, at least ones he is willing to admit to in public and he is way too honourable to snipe at former colleagues but waiting to appoint Jones might be one.
I suspect had the club appointed a Director of Football before the Head Coach wiser council might have prevailed, although in those circumstances Darren might not have got the job in the first place. Unfortunately we have to consign that to the alternative universe of what might have been and we will never know for certain.
One thing that I thought was interesting was he thought that Pardew was not going to be sacked even after we were relegated. That might indicate how different things look from inside the football club (any club for that matter) than they do looking in. I would have given Pardew zero chance of surviving relegation as would have any fan or journalist familiar with the club.
Much of the criticism Darren has recieved on here is unfair and the nice bloke terrible manager comments are wholly unwarranted. I hope he learns from his experience and finds another job in football he is way too good to be lost to the game and I will always welcome him back to the Hawthorns.