February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Joe Behan
Gianluca Vialli summed up his motivation to take on First Division Watford next season on a radio broadcast show when he spoke about his departure from Chelsea.
"Sometimes you show how good you can be when you overcome disappointments and when you are devastated, you keep going and use that as something that drives you to do the next thing," he said last week.
Vialli could be the spokesman for managers who now seem to be on the same wavelength of proving the soccer hierarchies wrong to almost the point of revenge.
Coaches-cum-managers such as Steve McClaren, Terry Venables, Glenn Hoddle and Kevin Keegan fit — or, should we say, misfit — this story of proving oneself in the demands of the today’s modern game.
Luca Vialli broadcasted that he was "betrayed" at Chelsea. The Italian intellect was most hurt by his friends at Stamford Bridge, not by the fact that he was let go after his success for the Blues. His poor start to the last season didn’t help his situation, but Vialli still believes his side would have bounced back.
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The biggest disappointment for Vialli at the Bridge was when people who he thought were his friends betrayed him. That loss of friendship, Vialli believes, is more disappointing than to lose a trophy.
"You know that you’ll always get another chance at a trophy," the new Watford manager said. "I think you’ve got to forget first and then, if you can, you’ve got to forgive, but it’s not easy sometimes to turn the other cheek."
Man. Utd. snub McClaren
New Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren is ready to prove at Boro that Alex Ferguson was right in recommending him to be his successor at Old Trafford. For Ferguson to think that McClaren was good enough to take over United, "there can be no higher praise," McClaren said.
After helping Manchester United to five major trophies in less than three years, the Old Trafford administration snubbed McClaren in their search for a new manager. Now McClaren’s incentive is to show how wrong the United board is and he has wasted no time to put that in motion. United fringe players Jonathan Greening and Mark Wilson are top of McClaren’s shopping list. McClaren is buying players that have worked with him before and it looks like he’s building a youth policy. His shopping spree, with £30m in hand, includes a revisit to Derby County for Rory Delap and Malcolm Christie.
McClaren continued to show his disappointment at being snubbed when he reminded United that Ferguson’s loss would be incalculable. Nonetheless, Stevie Boy will overcome the lack of faith by the United board. He has a nice £5 million contract at Boro plus performance bonuses to look forward to.
Gianluca Vialli’s words of wisdom to "forget and then forgive" may take less time for McClaren than it did for Vialli. Boro is now looking like an United outfit, with Bryan Robson and Paul Ince pacing up and down the the Boro corridors.
Boro finished last season with some fantastic results going from bottom of the table to putting six teams under them. While Bryan Robson’s drive was the engine for Boro, it was the magic of Terry Venables who steered Middlesbrough back to premier safety.
El Tel for Greece?
Even if it’s a rumor, the El Tel boycott story may well not be over. Terry Venables’ snub from the FA and its soccer chiefs is still in the air. The soccer nomad, hailed as the Messiah on Teesside, was reportedly approached to coach Greece for their final World Cup qualifiers in Group 9, with England at home being the last game.
El Tel may not get out of Old Trafford alive on this one. But if anyone is going to take on this ironic plot, well, Tel Boy is your man. Not only has Venables proven himself at international and club levels, he can also do it with down-to-the-wire games at all levels. Hard-luck stories such as his Euro semifinal loss and his just missing out on taking Australia to the World Cup are behind him.
If Venables takes on Greece, things could get very slippery in Sven Ericsson’s camp. What an appetizing opportunity for Venables’ revenge; strictly for the betterment of the game of course, as there are no friends in football.
Keegan and Hoddle
Two more former English managers who cannot help but prove their critics wrong are Kevin Keegan and Glen Hoddle. Keegan takes the helm at Manchester City, while Hoddle has had time to think about whom he buys for Spurs.
Keegan went into the English job too soon. He was up against some of the best international teams we’ve seen for some time. Nonethless, the motivator is in his element with Manchester City.
Hoddle, on the other hand, is considered more of a tactician and he has Spurs as his platform for Europe and Champions League.
So, it’s back to entertaining football through the eyes of Kevin Keegan. The jovial and passionate new City manager is near enough to signing the brilliant David Ginola for £1 million from Aston Villa. Just to make things more interesting, Keegan is said to be interested in Paul Gascoigne.
Keegan may have a soft spot for great players on their way out. Some of us remember when Keegan and Trevor Brooking were left on the bench for their country when both of them were near retirement. We thought they were good enough to start, and so did Keegan. Now Kev gives two players the chance of a lifetime to prove to themselves and to soccer fans they still have it, even if it’s not premier.
Reuniting with Ginola would bring back memories of Newcastle United in the ’90s. It already looks like an all-out attacking game at Maine Road in typical Keegan style. It is a gamble on Gazza and Ginola, but Keegan doesn’t mind an odd risk here and there. The question is, who else is Keegan bringing to Maine Road?
While Steve MaClaren and Middlesbrough swipe Man. Utd.’s youth, Glen Hoddle and Spurs rejuvenate the vets at Old Trafford. Teddy Sheringham looks set to join Totteham and is just waiting on a medical clearance to join White Heart Lane. Ronnie Johnsen is also another United target for Hoddle. Experienced Uruguayan international Gustavo Poyet is waiting in the lane for the two old Devils.
Hoddle beat Liverpool, who also had their eye on signing Poyet. It is obvious that Hoddle is bringing in experienced players, with Liverpool’s Christian Ziege on the verge of signing for Spurs.