The wait to find the next England manager, it seems, is over. For England supporters it was not a particularly long wait. For the journos freezing their nuts off outside Soho Square, it probably can’t end soon enough.
Yes, Fabio Capello is expected to be named as successor to Steve McClaren today. It is probably true to say that he was not the nation’s preferred choice but, in truth, that probably has more to do with the fact that people in England know more about Jose Mourinho, through the success he brought to Chelsea, than they do about Capello.
Being England Manager is much like being a politician. Wanting to do the job should, by definition, preclude you from getting it in the first place. Let’s face it, what person of sound mind and body would willingly choose to do it? But, Capello did in fact make his enthusiasm for the job known from the outset and those, like RTG, who demanded a man with a winning mentality, and a proven record of success, cannot claim he does not fit the bill. At RTG we were indeed very pro-Mourinho for the England job. But, after a period of quiet consideration of the two candidates (if indeed Mourinho ever really was a serious candidate), the more Capello looks like a better choice for the job. His record speaks for itself and he appears to pay little heed to reputation as could be seen in his treatment of the Galacticos when he took over at Real Madrid. One Galactico, in particular, came in for short shrift at first but, to be fair to Capello, he later conceeded that David Beckham's work rate and contribution merited his place in the team. And guess what? He coached them to their first title in four years.
It is important also not to forget that, successful though he is, Mourinho has shown a more unpleasant side to his nature in his mean-spirited, and sometimes disrespectful, treatment of other figures in the game. His accusations, concerning Frank Rijkaard’s supposed meetings with the referee at half time in the Barcelona game, were never proven to be true; and his comments regarding referee Anders Frisk whipped Chelsea fans into such a fury that he was forced to give up the game after he received death threats. England does not need a manager that considers manipulation of the media, to his and his side's ultimate gain, as important as coaching and developing the team. Dare we say it also that, perhaps (and this hurts), Brian Barwick deserves a certain degree of praise for not going after Mourinho hell for leather just because he was the people’s choice.
What is required now is a period of consolidation for England. Capello, if he is to be given the job, has until September 2008 before he has a competitive match. That means the FA should put at his disposal whatever resources are required to begin the building process. They have the time now to put a proper plan together in order that we can use his experience to build a genuine legacy for English football. He should also be allowed to choose his preferred backroom staff. Already rumours are rife that he will be forced into accepting a Stuart Pearce, Tony Adams or Alan Shearer as his right hand man in order that they can be groomed for the job. That’s what happened with McClaren and look where it got us.
Sporting just a slight tinge of optimism for the future (likely misplaced), RTG closes making a request to the media. We’re probably pissing in the wind here but can they back off this time and leave this guy to do his job. They effectively picked the England manager last time and it turned out to be a disaster. Their relentless calls to bring back David Beckham just caused Steve McClaren to focus on all the wrong issues and they were the first to crucify him when all he did was try and fulfil their every wish. Capello has enough experience and know-how to pick an England team so leave him alone and let him make the decisions he is paid to do.
Yes, Fabio Capello is expected to be named as successor to Steve McClaren today. It is probably true to say that he was not the nation’s preferred choice but, in truth, that probably has more to do with the fact that people in England know more about Jose Mourinho, through the success he brought to Chelsea, than they do about Capello.
Being England Manager is much like being a politician. Wanting to do the job should, by definition, preclude you from getting it in the first place. Let’s face it, what person of sound mind and body would willingly choose to do it? But, Capello did in fact make his enthusiasm for the job known from the outset and those, like RTG, who demanded a man with a winning mentality, and a proven record of success, cannot claim he does not fit the bill. At RTG we were indeed very pro-Mourinho for the England job. But, after a period of quiet consideration of the two candidates (if indeed Mourinho ever really was a serious candidate), the more Capello looks like a better choice for the job. His record speaks for itself and he appears to pay little heed to reputation as could be seen in his treatment of the Galacticos when he took over at Real Madrid. One Galactico, in particular, came in for short shrift at first but, to be fair to Capello, he later conceeded that David Beckham's work rate and contribution merited his place in the team. And guess what? He coached them to their first title in four years.
It is important also not to forget that, successful though he is, Mourinho has shown a more unpleasant side to his nature in his mean-spirited, and sometimes disrespectful, treatment of other figures in the game. His accusations, concerning Frank Rijkaard’s supposed meetings with the referee at half time in the Barcelona game, were never proven to be true; and his comments regarding referee Anders Frisk whipped Chelsea fans into such a fury that he was forced to give up the game after he received death threats. England does not need a manager that considers manipulation of the media, to his and his side's ultimate gain, as important as coaching and developing the team. Dare we say it also that, perhaps (and this hurts), Brian Barwick deserves a certain degree of praise for not going after Mourinho hell for leather just because he was the people’s choice.
What is required now is a period of consolidation for England. Capello, if he is to be given the job, has until September 2008 before he has a competitive match. That means the FA should put at his disposal whatever resources are required to begin the building process. They have the time now to put a proper plan together in order that we can use his experience to build a genuine legacy for English football. He should also be allowed to choose his preferred backroom staff. Already rumours are rife that he will be forced into accepting a Stuart Pearce, Tony Adams or Alan Shearer as his right hand man in order that they can be groomed for the job. That’s what happened with McClaren and look where it got us.
Sporting just a slight tinge of optimism for the future (likely misplaced), RTG closes making a request to the media. We’re probably pissing in the wind here but can they back off this time and leave this guy to do his job. They effectively picked the England manager last time and it turned out to be a disaster. Their relentless calls to bring back David Beckham just caused Steve McClaren to focus on all the wrong issues and they were the first to crucify him when all he did was try and fulfil their every wish. Capello has enough experience and know-how to pick an England team so leave him alone and let him make the decisions he is paid to do.
Reclaim the Game - The Week's Events
- Eggert Magnusson took his pristine claret and blue scarf back to the club shop, sold his shares, stepped down as Chairman of West Ham and went back to pursuing his other business interests today. At this stage it is too early to tell exactly why (and we reserve our judgement) but perhaps he was not as big a 'hammers' fan as he first made out when he helped take over the club.
- A good week for British interests in the Champions League as five out of six clubs made it to the last 16. The odds were always against Rangers who had the dubious honour of being the sixth and last club left to try and qualify from the hardest group of any of the Brits. Mixed feelings must abound for Liverpool players as successful qualification leaves them with a high-profile away trip in Europe. Once again their homes will be left at the mercy of the gang that has now robbed six of the squad in the last 18 months. Still, better to have your gaff turned over while away to AC Milan or Barcelona in the Champions League than some Swiss or Belgian team you've never heard of in the UEFA Cup.
- Those of you out there complaining about inconvenient changes to kick off times, spare a thought for supporters of FC United. Having to watch the Unibond League team play after the heady heights of Old Trafford must be hard enough. But now supporters of the Manchester United spin off, FC, are finding themselves having to take action again even at these lowly levels. The board of FC United are staying true to their constitution by urging supporters to boycott their fixture against Curzon Ashton on December 29th due to the game being moved to 12:45pm to accommodate an internet broadcast deal. Both clubs have asked the league to reconsider since Curzon are expected to make £10,000 in gate receipts from the 1200 travelling FC supporters and the internet deal itself is only worth £400. The relentless march of the corporate takeover goes on!
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