There is no doubt that TV's managerial record is very mixed, but his failures are invariably tied up in matters that have little to do with the actual footballing side of things and more with money matters (more often than not money which other people may claim is rightfully theirs, as a litany of court cases and bankruptcies testify! Allegedly
). When he is "restrained" by a firm Chairman, who keeps close control of the chequebook, and requires him to concentrate on the footballing side of things, he has been very successful.
The best example of this was his time at Barcelona. Wikipedia quotes the following:
"In 1982 Diego Maradona was signed for a world record fee from Boca Juniors. However his time with Barça was short-lived and unsuccessful and he soon left for Napoli. At the start of the 1984/85 season, Terry Venables was hired as manager and he won La Liga with stellar displays by German midfielder Bernd Schuster. The next season, he took the team to their second European Cup final, only to lose on penalties to Steaua Bucureşti in a dramatic evening at Seville.
After the 1986 World Cup, English top scorer Gary Lineker was signed along with goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta but the team could not achieve success while Schuster was excluded from the team. Terry Venables was subsequently fired at the beginning of the 1987/88 season and replaced with Luis Aragones. That season finished with a rebellion of the players against president Núñez known as the Motin del Hesperia and the 1-0 victory at the Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad"
Note that TV took over arguably the biggest club in the world, which was in turmoil, financially and personnel-wise, following the Maradona episode and was soon in turmoil again after he left. TV won them the League in his first season, which they hadn't done in the previous 11 years (an unheard of "drought").
The following season he took them to within a penalty shoot-out of winning the European Cup for what would have been only their second ever victory.
When he was finally shoved out following a power struggle (afaik involving the notoriously volatile and conniving Schuster), none of his successors, including Aragones, managed to win La Liga for another four years.
To believe that anyone could merely "spoof" his way towards those achievements is frankly idiotic.
Google "Massimo Maccarone" and "Steve McLaren" for a topical example of a player bad-mouthing a manager. Or Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink. Or Paolo Di Canio. Or Eric Cantona. Or (ahem) Roy Keane. Or any one of hundreds who've retired and been offered a few hundred quid by a Red Top.
Most players bite their tongue. Some make mild criticisms, or "damn with faint praise". Some (as above) let rip entirely. But not only do players not do such things with Venables; on the contrary, they invariably actively praise his coaching. As I say, I think he is probably unique for the acclaim he receives on this score, even from enemies, on a scale which almost matches the other things they say about him on non-footballing matters!
Quote
Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar
), but I take it personal for him to take the mick out of my use of the english language. So he is getting a well formulated answer with correct facts and choke on it. And his final point is stupid too, a person who is articulate, will be able speak the players as well as the media, half of stauntons fault was that he couldnt handle the media. So in that respect it is extremely important to have a man who is extremely articulate which hodgson obviouslly is, he can work the media and he can communicate to the players in a way that they understand.
Bookmarks