|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| COPPELL'S RISE PROVES RAG PLAYERS CAN MANAGE |
| Posted on 30/05/06 at 10:07 by ABU |
COPPELL'S RISE PROVES RAG PLAYERS CAN MANAGE
One of the happier footballing stories this year has been the resurgence of Steve Coppell and his exciting Reading side but his success is all the more surprising considering the handicaps he's suffered from. Its a well known fact that rag players usually don't have the intelligence or respect from fellow Pro's to manage. After the comfy world of playing for The Franchise, the cold reality of real life coupled with the pressures of managing a team with real supporters usually proves an unassailable obstacle. But how has Coppell managed it where so many others have failed?
He started his playing career with Tranmere, but financial pressures forced his club to rail-road him into a move to Old Trafford. Unfortunately, even lying to his prospective employers about the size of his wages did not put them off and he was duly transferred. After a playing career tinged with disappointment, he first hit the big-time in management with Crystal Palace. A highly successful period with the Eagles followed, but then the realisation that he'd wasted a large part of his career began to take hold and results suffered. In his moving autobiography, Touching the Cloth, Steve describes the culture shock:
"At Palace, people who went to the games lived nearby and you'd see them during the week. As a player at United you could go weeks without meeting any fans in the local area. It was such an eye-opener to realise that fans did care about their club and I couldn't cope. I ran away from it and joined Manchester City but if anything it was worse there. I'd always assumed people from Manchester didn't follow football, but here I was in charge of their team supported by local people and it gradually dawned on me that my playing career had been a complete sham. I hit the bottle and had a complete breakdown"
However that wasn't the end of the story for Steve. He went back to Palace and faced his demons, and though more relegation followed there and at Brighton, he finally found his way to Reading and built an entertaining free-flowing side for the club. There is no doubt that Coppell has proved that he has what it takes to put behind him a shameful playing career, but what of the other rag players who've taken the managerial route?
FAILURES
Bobby Charlton
Took over Preston North End in 1973 but was an abject failure due mainly to insisting on playing long after his legs had gone. Many older Preston fans vividly recall Bobby directing his players while being carried physically on the shoulders of two teammates as he tried vainly to stem the flood of goals. His reputation never recovered and luckily he was able to forge a new career as a walking Munich disaster interview
Steve Bruce
Mr. Potato Head overcame the stigma of having Nans hair from an early age to build a successful trophy laden career albeit at a joke club. After narrowly beating Derek Mountfield to the "most rubbish player ever to win a league championship medal" award, he set off on his managerial career, cleverly changing jobs regularly before he could be found out. Unfortunately this season has been a disaster for him and Birmingham City resulting in relegation
Bryan Robson
Although born retarded, Bryan's first love was always football and his determination resulted in him eventually captaining England. Despite having the mental age of a 6 year old, Bryan bravely entered management at the end of his career after a few years being redface's general dogsbody at OT. However the world of management is a different kettle of fish and despite being given a blank chequebook at Middlesbrough, all the money in the world could not disguise his deficiencies. Was given a chance to resurrect his career at WBA, but after one season in the top flight the handicap of having a manager who couldn't write his own name proved too much
Gordon Strachan
Shit at Coventry, shit at Southampton. Now residing in an amateur league
JURY OUT
Mark Hughes
Life-long Chelsea fan Hughes had the advantage over his contemporaries by twice escaping The Franchise to play for proper clubs. He began his managerial career at the bottom of the pile by taking over Wales and results at Blackburn suggest he could be the next rag player to beat the trend
|
|
| Discuss this article on the Forum |
| Comments |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|