Paul Bird management style

**Bigyin** · 08-05-12, 11:42

So according to Paul Bird from his chat to eurosport at the BSB round he thinks the best way to address a riders lack of confidence is to remove that rider and publically announce it live tv .....jeez

James Ellison is struggling on the GP bike and complaining of lots of chatter but Birdy thinks he should be going quicker as Stoner also gets chatter but still wins. So to find out if Ellison is right he has offered the next GP outing to Shane Byrne to try it out and then evaluate what Shakey tells him.........I can see Ellison back in the UK very soon as Birdy said "maybe its time for a management decision"

Anyone else think this is a bit of a kick in the bollocks for Ellison or just Paul Bird being his usual ruthless self as he seems to like some riders who he gives many many opportunities (Easton and Sykes spring to mind) yet others are culled at the first sign of weakness

**GiantPygmy** · 08-05-12, 11:52

Didn't see the interview but Ellison certainly hasn't had any luck. I've got no problem with Bird dropping riders if he thinks he can put a faster one the bike, but it might be nice to get a bike sorted to some degree before he does that though.

**Tomcat** · 08-05-12, 11:56

It's not an unfamiliar management technique, Chelsea and England football managers are familiar with it.

Pretty shitty though as the individuals concerned are also unprepared to make long term commitments and focus on nothing but short term results and the next pay cheque, not to mention making sure there's a good golden handshake clause written in.

**Weeksy** · 08-05-12, 12:29

It's not exactly great for making friends...

However, Bird has Sykes topping WSB and Shakey topping BSB which proves 1 thing... he can get results... He also seems to have no trouble getting people in to his teams... so whilst ruthless... if you're known for it and know for WHY... then it doesn't seem to be an issue.

TBH, i can't understand why he chose Ellison in the first place...

**Bladerideressex** · 08-05-12, 14:58

Sykes isnt running in a Paul Bird Team this year though!

**Weeksy** · 08-05-12, 15:50

Originally Posted by Bladerideressex

Sykes isnt running in a Paul Bird Team this year though!

Is he not ? i thought Birdy still had the WSB reigns.

**Tomcat** · 08-05-12, 15:56

Originally Posted by Weeksy

Is he not ? i thought Birdy still had the WSB reigns.

Sykes is with Kawasaki this year, and doing quite well.

SBK.COM | RIDER

**dickymint** · 08-05-12, 16:04

Originally Posted by Weeksy

Is he not ? i thought Birdy still had the WSB reigns.

Nope he lost them at the end of last year. Think the team is run by Provec (or similar) now.

**demographic** · 08-05-12, 16:31

The Lazonby chicken ranchers son is a bit of a knob end though isn't he?

Been known to arrive at Barbon (where to be fair to him he held the bike record for) in a helicopter, just to show the bling.

**Bladerideressex** · 08-05-12, 16:36

Its his money and he is entitled is my view... but yes he doesnt always come across as well as he might!

**Danny_Two** · 08-05-12, 18:03

That bike ain't winning anything, and Ellison at least has moto gp experience. Shakey wont make it go any quicker, and he's never struck me as the development rider type.

**Bigyin** · 08-05-12, 19:56

Glad to see its just not me then

As said Ellison has had GP experience both on an underpowered bike and also in the fledgling Tech 3 team which iirc ran Dunlop tyres that only he and his team mate used. Shakey has GP experience as well but on an even shittier bike than Ellison

My question over Birds loyalty to certain riders comes from his sticking by Tom Sykes and bigging him up constantly yet he didnt deliver till he moved away from Birds team into another team and has shone there. Stuart Easton has ridden well for Bird in Supersport over the years but lacked success when run by Bird in the Superbike card yet came 3rd to a dominant GSE team when easton was under the Shaun Muir umbrella.

Great if he likes you but watch out if you are not on the "chosen one" list as his attitude towards riders in each camp is at opposite ends of the spectrum.

I sometimes wonder if Bird has too many plates in the air at one time as he never seems to have one team on the go at a time either in BSB, WSB, now MotoGP and even 4 wheel rallying when he was driving as well as managing.

Interestingly i had a read on Ellisons GP forays and he struggled with ........ "tyre chatter"

**2ptjoe** · 08-05-12, 20:23

I cant stand the flash twat. The way he has treated riders over the last few years ........... it makes me wonder why anyone would still ride for him .
He gave Hislop the right run around for a year or 2 . Granted Hizzy could be a winner one day and a top 10ish the next but thats all the more reason to keep him happy, not fcuk him about .

I laughed out loud when his team got napped for having drugs stashed away in the race truck and it's even better to see the Kwaka is now winning races .

**Trashcanman** · 09-05-12, 18:35

Originally Posted by Weeksy

Is he not ? i thought Birdy still had the WSB reigns.

I read an interesting interview recently with the Kawasaki team boss,he got rid of Bird because Bird needed to be top man and wished to be totally independent from Kawasaki,(but still take their money.

)This caused problems with communicating the direct of development. Mr.Kawasaki bossman claims the current performance of the ZX10R is down to ditching Mr.Controlfreak,Paul Bird.