- This topic has 3 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 2 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
I was reading a book about him earlier, which has come out and has been put together by his grand-daughter. ‘The Real Bill Shankly’.
Now to be honest, I’ve never really known a lot about either the man, or the manager, apart from the fact that he built Liverpool up into a great club, an institution, from being a ‘second division’ club.
What I read today, really impressed me. He was hard as granite. A disciplinarian. Christ, players wouldn’t mess him about. Really, I realised what a huge character he was, and just what he achieved, and how he did it.
But there was one stand out comment from him, that I took notice of. And really, it made me think about Roberto, and how he has been trying to implement a ‘passing build up’ style.
Shankly said “We learned that you could play football by building from the back, from watching the Latin’s do it”. And that set me really thinking.
Now ok, the difference may be how we are implementing it, and are we really doing it correctly? But then also bear in mind that Shankly struggled in his first couple of years at Liverpool, and came close to quitting, but for the advice of a certain Matt Busby, his friend, who advised him “If you have nowhere to go, stay where you are”. Soon after, it all clicked. And a legend had begun.
I’m not comparing Martinez with Shankly (or am I?) but you can bet anything there were plenty of Scousers who were calling for him to go, “He’ll never do it, this Shankly”, back in those years, before it all clicked.
Made me think, anyway.
Football history is littered with examples of successful managers who were very nearly sacked too soon. The one everybody mentions of course is Ferguson. There was also Howard Kendall at Everton. Allegedly one game away from the sack , they squeak through the cup tie with Oxford and the very next season have won the league , Cup Winners Cup and probably would have gone on to win the European Cup but for the English Heysel ban.
I’m pretty sure when Wenger , Capello or Mourinho had their first big job everything didn’t just click into place immediately. All managers need time , especially when like Bob you’re changing the style of play so drastically.
Of course he’s made some mistakes this season , nobody said he’s perfect , and this is his first season managing in this league. However we haven’t been in the bottom three all season and we currently have a much better squad than we had at the beginning of the season.
We’ll be reet. 8-)
The problem is that the game has changed since the 60’s, players have more power and the finance in the game puts more pressure on managers. Yes most fans want to have a Wigan legend as manager and to be successful.
There are those who want the sucess the media paints of the premiership and there are those who want to try build a legacy….!
The problem is that the game has changed since the 60’s, players have more power and the finance in the game puts more pressure on managers.And it’s not just the ‘prima donna’ players thinking that they have more power. How do you think Roberto de Mateo felt after having been told by the agent of one of his players that he felt he was being played “out of position”?
Who the feck do these people think they are……… :evil:
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
