I've long suspected that the Football Association, with its rotating cast of chief execs, long-established reputation for appointing bottom pinchers to senior positions and inability to produce a football pitch with grass on it, is the worst-managed organisation in the world. Last week's announcement that the next England manager would definitely be English confirmed this supposition beyond reasonable doubt.
There may well be good reasons for appointing an Englishman. There is not one good reason for announcing this is what you intend to do at some point in the future. Where does it get you? It means that you can't have a conversation with any candidate from another country. It means that the three English managers who could claim to be qualified for the job know that they've got the whip hand in any negotiations. And what are you going to do if Fabio Capello wins the European Championship? Why in the name of all that's holy would any organisation show their hand in this fashion?
It's also, I think, an implicit slight against Capello.
ReplyDelete"Yes, I know we've got a Johnny Foreigner in charge at the moment, but it'd cost us an arm and a leg to get rid of him right now. Don't worry chaps - we'll have someone white who can speak English next time!"
It's history repeating innit? Steve McClaren got the job for the same reason, and that turned out to an inspired move by the Soho Square boffins.
ReplyDeleteWhilst i would like to see an Englishman manage the England team. This is not the way to go about it.
ReplyDeleteAs you say, what happens if we do really well in the Euro's in 2012 and where is the incentive for Capello to actually give a damn anymore? Apart from the £6m a year that is!
I think this is just the FA's way of saying, "Sorry, we've cocked up & should never have re-appointed Capello"
I think most of the supporters could have told them that a couple of months ago.
Amazingly stupid press release but they really don't have the monopoly on stupidity: Golf's R&A, Tennis LTA just to mention two. All seem to be organisations with a race, sex, religious or age bias. A much deeper problem than simple stupidity I think.
ReplyDeleteSurely all they needed to say was that the next manager would be able to speak English?
ReplyDeleteAnd welcome back from holiday, and thanks for the consistently high quality of your writing. It's been a bit quiet recently ;-)
We could've had Martin O'Neill over 4 years ago but their obsession that the next manager be English meant we got McClaren.
ReplyDeleteThey're running a 260 million pound (2008 figures) organisation but whenever I see one of them make any public pronouncements I feel like I'm being lectured at by a rather tedious and out of touch schoolteacher.
I think the ECB should be added to the list.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the current trend of churlish comments on Capello's English are ridiculous. After all his lack of spanish didnt stop him winning the league twice over there.
Only we can attempt to put a manager who has won 9 league titles in 16 seasons through the wringer, rather than look at our pathetic excuse for a national side.
The very idea that our dismal display at the world cup is the manager's fault is frankly laughable. The FA should be taking a long hard look at the bottlers on the pitch. What we need is a manager with the courage to ring the changes before the likes of Terry and Lampard cause us any further embarrassment.
ReplyDeleteYet another farce. Remeber the time they insisted Sven's replacement would be named before the 2006 WC, ready to take over immediately afterwards? Scolari got doorstepped while he was still managing Portugal (a rival and, as it turned out, opponent), gave us the brush-off and we got Shecond Choice Shteve
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