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Untypical Boro is a lively topical blog by the Evening Gazette's award winning football columnist Anthony Vickers that aims to get behind the headlines to flesh out the stories that Boro fans are talking about.

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English Boss? Or Right Boss?

Posted by on May 14, 2006 10:52 PM | 

SO we jump off a head spinning season and straight onto the managerial merry-go-round. It's definitely Martin O'Neill. It's El Tel. It's a Mogga and Bruce dream team. It's Ray Winstone. Well, he's better than David O'Leary

Boro are at a crossroads. With the club poised for a great leap forward, a mouth-watering array of young talent coming through and the vast capital of goodwill garnered in the UEFA Cup win just willing to be ignited, this appointment is crucial to the future of the club.

Get it right, as Gibbo did with Bryan Robson, the big name manager needed to attract the big name players that kick-started the Riverside Revolution and lauched a dream, and Boro can aim at the stars.

But get it wrong and the entire project could fizzle out and stagnate. Or worse.

And I have to admit I'm worried. With early favourite Martin O'Neill - a manager who is a driven and a winner and crying out to be given the chance to build a dynasty - now "on the backburner" the situation is critical. The rest of the chief names in the frame - Curbishley and Big Fat Sam - are sidewards steps at best while iin the case of the golf resort owner formerly known as Teesside Tel, a backwards one.

I am chiefly worried that in stating so emphatically that the new boss will be English - or British but steeped in the English game - Boro have tied one hand behind their own back in entering what is already a limited market. There are enough obstacles to getting the right man without adding passport control.

The best managers in the game are undoubtedly foreign. The last English boss to win the title was Howard Wilkinson with Leeds back in 1992. The last to win the FA Cup was Joe Royle with Everton in 1995. The last to win the League Cup was, well, we know who that was but he's out of the equation now.

Since those victories the trophies have been hoovered up by Arsene Wenger, Gerrard Houllier, Jose Mourinho, Rafa Benitez, Luca Vialli, Ruud Gullit and a variety of dour Scots plus one Ulsterman.

Of the Scots Sir Alex is unobtainable and too old, Kenny Dalglish and George Graham are out of the game and Graeme Souness may well be owed a debt of gratitude by Boro fans for his sterling work at Newcastle but the thought of him having bust-ups at Hurworth is beyond comprehension.

Just as foreign players have brought the best available technique and athleticism to the Premiership so foreign bosses have brought the best tactical awareness, scientific preparation and psychological skills. The best will soon adapt the Premiership and relish and rise to the challenge. And we want and need the best.

Why can't Boro be out there finding the next Arsene or Jose? Why not aim for the likes of Ottmar Hitzfeld? Marcello Lippi? Didier Deschamps? Not that we should make a fetish out of al thing foreign. But it seems a folly to rule them out completely when the figures stack up so emphatically against sticking with home grown for paraochial reasons.


Comments (7)

John Powls wrote...

Vic

Nothing to add - except that I absolutely agree with every word in your posting. Time to plan for our future - not our past.

Posted by: John Powls  | May 15, 2006 7:22 AM

Ian Gill wrote...

Good points but with a major caveat, if we look at the succesful foreign managers in the premiership it would bode ill for our academy.

Houllier brought in a foreign legion who proved a waste of money, Benites stated before he went to Liverpool that he would clear out the scouse element, Wenger has conducted an almost total wipeout of British players to the point his youth team is foreign.

There are exceptions, after Santini at Spurs Jol recruited largely English youngsters. Jose bought in British players.

But overall if a foreign manager came to the Boro one would fear for the future of all those kids.

Posted by: Ian Gill  | May 15, 2006 9:35 AM

Chris wrote...

The fact that an English manager has not won the title for so long is surely down to the fact that none of the four clubs capable of winning it have appointed an English manager. It doesn't mean there aren't any capable of doing it.

Foreign managers have a track record of bringing over players from their homeland, you really want our young, local players potentially replaced by more often than not very average foreigners.

Why is Venables a backwards step? Because he's been here before? Rather simplistic thinking. Surely an experience highly regarded coach is just the man to develop both our younger players and our coaching team.

You mentioned 'Big Fat Sam' - you think a foreign manager would have Bolton finishing in the top ten three seasons in a row?

Posted by: Chris  | May 15, 2006 12:04 PM

Nigel wrote...

A foreign manager would be seriously bad news. We need someone who is tuned into the benefits of a team built round not English but local talent who are proud to play for the Boro. It has to be a British/English manager.

I also believe there are plenty of options, there is no logical reason why an Englishman can't be as good as a Frenchman or Spaniard. The 'big four' go for foreign managers because they are seduced by the belief that foreign is best. Surely the success of Curbishley at Charlton, Alladyce at Bolton, Mowbray at Hibs etc. is comparable with Benitez at Liverpool?

I'd go for Mowbray, a man who empathises with the town, fans , club etc. That would create real excitment among the fans and a confidence and belief that they can achieve among the players.

I'm heartened by Viduka's statement to the press that there is a strong togetherness in the squad, team spirit, self belief and pride in the club are of paramount importance.

Posted by: Nigel  | May 15, 2006 1:45 PM

Mark wrote...

I believe that Terry Venables, Martin O'Neil and Alan Curbishley would be a backward step for the club. El Tel is too interested in his Golf, O'Neil does want a full time job plus he's on his way to Sunderland. Alan Curbishley would be ankle deep in season Tickets by the end of the first month of boring football.

Big Sam would be my choice, I believe he has taken Bolton as far as he can go, and is looking for a new challenge with a Chairman who will give him the finacial backing to go with it.

But theres always an outsider in any race what about Steve Coppell from Reading. English and has a good track record.

Posted by: Mark  | May 15, 2006 3:49 PM

Neil (Baku) wrote...

One name missing, and don't all jump on me at once, is Erikson. Apart from probably Sir Alf and Sir Bobby, he has taken England as far as anyone, even with some bad results against teams like Northern Ireland, and who's to say we won't do better this time around in Germany.

He has the European experience, he will draw players to the club and he knows the Premiership as well as any other foreign coach. He has been at probably 8 of Boro's last 9 games, was he sizing up the task?, he can't have needed all that time to assess one Boro youngster. Is he one of Gibbo's surprising applicants that cannnot be divulged yet??

Mind you I can't see Nancy living in Ingleby Barwick somehow, but it's a thought.

Posted by: Neil (Baku)  | May 16, 2006 9:27 AM

John Powls wrote...

Sam Allardyce? Nooooooooooooo!! Why does the Gazette keep linking us with the inhabitants of a sort of managerial Jurassic Park, one of whom we've just moved on.

Playing the game the Bolton pre-historic way has really brought the crowds back to Burnden, got them the success we have already had and is recognised as attractive by the rest of the league - not!

Do we really want to spend next season with cricked necks watching the ball emerge with snow on it from a leaden sky and have some hulking old style centre forward trying to batter everyone in sight.

And here's the killer - on the last couple of seasons Mr. McClaren out-thought Mr. Allardyce - enough said.

Posted by: John Powls  | May 16, 2006 4:00 PM

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