NeilMcD
27/01/2008, 10:46 AM
Panel beaten down as farm hands get ready to pluck their turkey
Tools
Sunday January 27 2008
P erhaps the defining moment of the ongoing process to appoint a successor to Steve Staunton came last Tuesday when the reporters gathered outside Abbotstown were informed they would not be allowed access to the FAI's headquarters as it was a "working farm".
It is, of course, heartening to know that something is working properly at the FAI. Yet the images this phrase conjures up of Milo Corcoran shooing some chickens out before delivering some blue sky thinking or David Blood doing some milking in the multi-media suite are, at the very least, unfortunate for an association trying to convey an impression of modernity. Yet it may be seen as a high point as the search enters the endgame.
Last year, I wrote that if Gerard Houllier wanted the Irish job he would get the Irish job. That was a long, long time ago when we were young and the process had yet to be explained. Once the process was outlined, it should have become clear that Houllier was, in fact, unstoppable. He was, it is now clear, the outstanding candidate.
A process built around the dark arts of corporate craptalk, of interviews and panels, of consultation and hand-washing was always going to play into the hands of the King of Bull****.
Our only hope now is the great civilising force that is French bureaucracy. The idea that the French Football Federation would prevent Houllier from taking the job is all that sustains us. The signs are not good. Houllier was linked with Newcastle before they appointed Kevin Keegan.
"Whenever a club is in crisis my name is mentioned," he said (not strictly true: sometimes a club was in crisis because he was named as manager). At that point, the FFF said they would not stand in Houllier's way. This was the first recorded instance of an association delivering a 'come-and-get-him' plea. It looks like we're doomed.
The men delegated to find an Irish manager are no match for Gerard Houllier. A process forced upon Irish football out of the notion that if no one is seen to be in charge, there can be no one to blame, may now end up with the appointment of the great manipulative genius of European football.
He was at it again recently. This was Houllier's attempt to place all the credit for Liverpool's European Cup on the shoulders of Rafael Benitez during a recent interview with a slightly unctuous interviewer
Questioner: "You were in Istanbul, how proud were you of that team? A lot of credit goes to Rafael Benitez but most of the credit perhaps should go to you. All those players were bought by you so explain how you felt when that happened?"
Houllier: "Thanks very much for saying that but . . . it's true that when you have memories of your career one of the best memories I have is when I went into the changing room after their win against Milan, winning the fifth-time trophy. (It was) mainly because of the warm welcome of the players. One of them said, 'boss, it's our team, it's your team.' It's true that 12 players out of 14 because, apart from Alonso and Garcia, all the players had been either signed or developed by us . . . The aim of a manager is to get success and bring success to the club . . . and to leave a legacy. That means the players you sign and the philosophy of play and so on will bring success even for the future and also to make the players progress both as players and as men. I would say that I was very proud and thought 'at least we've left some players to win the Champions' League'. But all the credit goes to them and to Rafa of course."
Amazingly, Liverpool have yet to mint a commemorative medal celebrating Houllier's achievement in 2005 and we look forward to the Frenchman welcoming Steve Staunton into the dressing room to celebrate another triumphant scoreless draw.
But we should not condemn the three-man panel for falling for him. It is easy to see his appeal to three men sent on a thankless mission, easy to see how attractive his talk of making "the players progress both as players and as men" would be when you've got personal experience of Stephen Ireland.
Houllier's supporters point to the positions he has held, the clubs he has managed, as if a man of bull**** has never attained high office
If they are running scared of Terry Venables, the only alternative to a reign of Houllier spoof is a management team of Liam Brady and John Giles. Many managerial appointments are made as a reaction to what has gone before, but rarely would one be so specific. Steve Staunton believes he was undermined by the criticism of the RTE panel so now the FAI may look to employ that panel. Or at least the members that are employable.
Houllier's appointment would prevent their break-up and if we thought we had seen paranoia under the last two managers, just wait.
But right now he is talking the talk. Houllier's message is a seductive one. The talk of structures, the corporate coaching patter honed on a thousand UEFA courses. There is a hint of sophistication, of fine dining and a life beyond our wildest dreams. There was only going to be one winner. How you going to keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree?
Tools
Sunday January 27 2008
P erhaps the defining moment of the ongoing process to appoint a successor to Steve Staunton came last Tuesday when the reporters gathered outside Abbotstown were informed they would not be allowed access to the FAI's headquarters as it was a "working farm".
It is, of course, heartening to know that something is working properly at the FAI. Yet the images this phrase conjures up of Milo Corcoran shooing some chickens out before delivering some blue sky thinking or David Blood doing some milking in the multi-media suite are, at the very least, unfortunate for an association trying to convey an impression of modernity. Yet it may be seen as a high point as the search enters the endgame.
Last year, I wrote that if Gerard Houllier wanted the Irish job he would get the Irish job. That was a long, long time ago when we were young and the process had yet to be explained. Once the process was outlined, it should have become clear that Houllier was, in fact, unstoppable. He was, it is now clear, the outstanding candidate.
A process built around the dark arts of corporate craptalk, of interviews and panels, of consultation and hand-washing was always going to play into the hands of the King of Bull****.
Our only hope now is the great civilising force that is French bureaucracy. The idea that the French Football Federation would prevent Houllier from taking the job is all that sustains us. The signs are not good. Houllier was linked with Newcastle before they appointed Kevin Keegan.
"Whenever a club is in crisis my name is mentioned," he said (not strictly true: sometimes a club was in crisis because he was named as manager). At that point, the FFF said they would not stand in Houllier's way. This was the first recorded instance of an association delivering a 'come-and-get-him' plea. It looks like we're doomed.
The men delegated to find an Irish manager are no match for Gerard Houllier. A process forced upon Irish football out of the notion that if no one is seen to be in charge, there can be no one to blame, may now end up with the appointment of the great manipulative genius of European football.
He was at it again recently. This was Houllier's attempt to place all the credit for Liverpool's European Cup on the shoulders of Rafael Benitez during a recent interview with a slightly unctuous interviewer
Questioner: "You were in Istanbul, how proud were you of that team? A lot of credit goes to Rafael Benitez but most of the credit perhaps should go to you. All those players were bought by you so explain how you felt when that happened?"
Houllier: "Thanks very much for saying that but . . . it's true that when you have memories of your career one of the best memories I have is when I went into the changing room after their win against Milan, winning the fifth-time trophy. (It was) mainly because of the warm welcome of the players. One of them said, 'boss, it's our team, it's your team.' It's true that 12 players out of 14 because, apart from Alonso and Garcia, all the players had been either signed or developed by us . . . The aim of a manager is to get success and bring success to the club . . . and to leave a legacy. That means the players you sign and the philosophy of play and so on will bring success even for the future and also to make the players progress both as players and as men. I would say that I was very proud and thought 'at least we've left some players to win the Champions' League'. But all the credit goes to them and to Rafa of course."
Amazingly, Liverpool have yet to mint a commemorative medal celebrating Houllier's achievement in 2005 and we look forward to the Frenchman welcoming Steve Staunton into the dressing room to celebrate another triumphant scoreless draw.
But we should not condemn the three-man panel for falling for him. It is easy to see his appeal to three men sent on a thankless mission, easy to see how attractive his talk of making "the players progress both as players and as men" would be when you've got personal experience of Stephen Ireland.
Houllier's supporters point to the positions he has held, the clubs he has managed, as if a man of bull**** has never attained high office
If they are running scared of Terry Venables, the only alternative to a reign of Houllier spoof is a management team of Liam Brady and John Giles. Many managerial appointments are made as a reaction to what has gone before, but rarely would one be so specific. Steve Staunton believes he was undermined by the criticism of the RTE panel so now the FAI may look to employ that panel. Or at least the members that are employable.
Houllier's appointment would prevent their break-up and if we thought we had seen paranoia under the last two managers, just wait.
But right now he is talking the talk. Houllier's message is a seductive one. The talk of structures, the corporate coaching patter honed on a thousand UEFA courses. There is a hint of sophistication, of fine dining and a life beyond our wildest dreams. There was only going to be one winner. How you going to keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree?