#manager&039

[365footballorg-blog]

Rangers' Euro opponents 'sack manager' - gossip

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FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Rapid Vienna have sacked manager Goran Djuricin days before their Europa League meeting with Rangers in Glasgow. (Daily Express, print edition)

Rapid lost 2-0 to St Polten on Saturday and have just two wins from nine league games. (Daily Record)[1]

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard says “it’s so important for every player to be ready” as the club juggles European and domestic fixtures. (Herald – subscription required)[2]

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers may change his tactics for Thursday’s Europa League trip to Salzburg “to ensure the players aren’t exposed” following heavy defeats in recent European campaigns. (Sunday Mail)[3]

Scott Sinclair unleashed his “anger” by scoring the winner in Celtic’s 1-0 win over Aberdeen, saying: “That meant a lot.” (Sun)[4]

Sinclair says “being on the bench so much” has been “frustrating”. (Daily Mail)[5]

Manager Gary Holt has spoken of his “struggle” to get back into football prior to being appointed by Livingston and feels his family’s patience as been “validated”. (Sunday Mail)[6]

Livingston goalkeeper Liam Kelly says he knew he had to leave Rangers to prove himself. (The National)[7]

Rangers winger Jamie Murphy says players “don’t enjoy playing on these pitches” after sustaining cruciate ligament damage on Kilmarnock’s artificial surface earlier this season. (Sunday Mail)[8]

“Last year was definitely tough,” says Rangers midfielder Graham Dorrans of his injury-plagued first season at Ibrox last term. (Scotland on Sunday)[9]

Sunday’s English gossip[10]

Saturday’s Scottish Gossip[11]

References

^ (Daily Record) (www.dailyrecord.co.uk)

^ (Herald – subscription required) (www.heraldscotland.com)

^ (Sunday Mail) (www.dailyrecord.co.uk)

^ (Sun) (www.thescottishsun.co.uk)

^ (Daily Mail) (www.dailymail.co.uk)

^ (Sunday Mail) (www.dailyrecord.co.uk)

^ (The National) (www.thenational.scot)

^ (Sunday Mail) (www.dailyrecord.co.uk)

^ (Scotland on Sunday) (www.scotsman.com)

^ Sunday’s English gossip (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Saturday’s Scottish Gossip (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Scottish

Rangers' Euro opponents 'sack manager' – gossip was originally published on 365 Football

[365footballorg-blog]

Watford unveil statue of 'greatest manager' Taylor

A statue of former England manager Graham Taylor has been unveiled at Watford FC’s ground.

Taylor, who died aged 72 in January 2017, led Watford FC from the Fourth Division to runners-up in the old First Division in five years.

The statue was commissioned to recognise his “unparalleled achievements as Watford’s greatest ever manager”, the club said.

It stands outside the Hornets Shop at the club’s Vicarage Road ground.

The bronze statue took award-winning sculptor Douglas Jennings a year to create.

Taylor’s family performed the unveiling on Saturday before a friendly match against Italian Serie A side Sampdoria.

Led by his widow Rita, the family has paid regular visits to see the sculpture taking shape – having last year chosen the craftsman to undertake the work.

Taylor’s daughter Joanne was among those to give speeches at the unveiling, which scores of fans turned out for.

Graham Taylor’s managerial career

Taylor led Lincoln City to the old Fourth Division title in 1975-76 before joining Watford

In his first spell as Hornets boss between 1977 and 1987, Taylor took the club from the Fourth Division to the top flight and they finished second to Liverpool in 1983. He also got them to the 1984 FA Cup final

Appointed by Villa in 1987, he led them to promotion into the top tier and took them to second in 1990

He became England boss in 1990 but resigned in 1993 after the team failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup

Taylor returned to club management with a brief stint at Wolves before again taking over at Watford, leading them to two promotions in as many years as he guided them back into English football’s top flight

He returned to manage Villa in 2002 but retired a year later

BBC Sport – Football

Watford unveil statue of 'greatest manager' Taylor was originally published on 365 Football

[365footballorg-blog]

'I should still be manager': Allardyce 'jealous' of Southgate

Managing England: The Impossible Job: BBC Two, Sunday 17 June at 21:00 BST

Former England boss Sam Allardyce says he is “jealous” of Gareth Southgate and believes it should be him leading the national team at the World Cup.

Allardyce left his post as England coach by mutual agreement[1] in September 2016 after only one match in charge.

His exit followed claims by a newspaper that he gave advice on how to “get around” player transfer rules.

In a BBC documentary to air on Sunday, Allardyce said of his departure: “That decision was made very hastily.”

Allardyce, 63, who has since gone on to manage Crystal Palace and Everton, was only at the helm for a World Cup qualifier in Slovakia[2] in September 2016.

Adam Lallana’s injury-time goal gave England a 1-0 win before Allardyce’s reign ended after only 67 days, making him the national side’s shortest-serving full-time manager.

He left after he was filmed by undercover reporters from the Daily Telegraph posing as businessmen for a meeting at which Allardyce reportedly said it was “not a problem” to bypass rules on third-party player ownership, and claimed he knew of agents who were “doing it all the time”.

The Telegraph investigation also claimed that a £400,000 deal was struck for Allardyce to represent the company to Far East investors and to be a keynote speaker at events – although he stressed he would have to “run that by” his employers.

The FA called his conduct inappropriate and Allardyce made a “wholehearted apology” – adding that he recognised some of his comments had “caused embarrassment”.

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Nearly two years on, as the England team head to Russia for the World Cup, Allardyce said: “Jealous is what I feel. Massively disappointed. That should be me there. Unfortunately because of the circumstances that wasn’t the case.

“One night I was playing golf – next day they said you can’t carry on. And I still don’t know why… because in the cold light of day, there was no substance, nothing behind it.

“If a bit more time was taken, a bit more patience, I believe I should still be the England manager.”

Southgate replaced Allardyce and guided England to the top of their World Cup qualifying group unbeaten, with seven wins and two draws from his matches in charge.

The former coach said: “I’ve bounced back now – and while I will be extremely jealous I will be watching Gareth and the lads and hope they do extremely well.”

Asked whether managing the national team was an impossible task, Allardyce added: “It’s not the impossible job because people keep doing it. You’ve got to take the opportunity – it’s the greatest challenge there is.

“I’m really proud to be the man in the spotlight, even though it wasn’t for long enough. It will always be one of the biggest moments in my career.”

References

^ by mutual agreement (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ World Cup qualifier in Slovakia (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Football

'I should still be manager': Allardyce 'jealous' of Southgate was originally published on 365 Football

[365footballorg-blog]

'Retired manager' Sturrock not interested in Utd job

Paul Sturrock insists he is a “retired manager” and has no interest in taking over at Dundee United despite returning to the club as a temporary coach.

The 61-year-old was last week brought in as an advisor to boss Csaba Laszlo, who was forced to deny claims the move undermined his authority.

“I have got my over-60s railcard,” quipped former United hero Sturrock, who managed the club from 1998-2000.

“I’ve put in now for my bus pass, which I’m hoping will come very quickly.”

Sturrock was most recently involved in management with Yeovil Town in 2015, and had recently taken on a scouting role [1]for the Tannadice club.

He has managed nine different clubs including Southampton and Sheffield Wednesday but insists he is enjoying the pleasures of retirement too much to contemplate returning.

‘I’m the captain of my pub pool team’

“I have two pairs now of velcro shoes; I promised myself I would never buy velcro shoes but at my age now I really need them,” he said.

“Meaning… I am a retired manager. I have seen it, done it, got the T-shirt. This is my football club, this is who I support and that’s the reason I have come back, to help as much as possible.

“I am excited about my recruitment job, I’m really looking forward to doing that. And I am excited about getting back on the training ground.

“Myself and my partner have some horses, we’ve got two chihuahuas; we have a cockatiel. I’ve got a nice garden, I’m the captain of the pool team in the pub, I have a metal detector – I’m definitely going to find some pirates’ doubloons on the beaches of Cornwall.

“I have a fishing rod and I’m going to have a right go to see if I can catch some fish; I’m golfing – I am getting worse instead of better but I’m looking to improve my handicap. I have got all that.

“At the same time I am going to charge about the country trying to find the right players for this football club. That’s my job.”

Sturrock quit as United boss in 2000 and always claimed he had unfinished business at a club where he scored 171 goals in 574 games and helped them to a league title, European Cup semi-final and Uefa Cup final.

But his role will be confined to helping them turn round a run of two wins in 11 matches and sorting out a recruitment policy which he claims has been damaged by a “revolving door” of managers.

United are currently fourth in the Scottish Championship, seven points behind second-placed Livingston and 21 behind runaway leaders St Mirren, ahead of Saturday’s game at third-placed Greenock Morton.

References

^ taken on a scouting role (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Scottish

'Retired manager' Sturrock not interested in Utd job was originally published on 365 Football

[365footballorg-blog]

'There are no more managers any more, just coaches - I want to be a real manager'

Ex-Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic wants to avoid being a pundit and instead become a “real manager”.

The 36-year-old former Serbia defender is nearing the end of his Football Association Pro-Licence course.

But he said football has changed in the two years since he retired, and players now have “more power” than managers.

“There are no more managers any more, just coaches now,” said Vidic, who spent eight seasons at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson.

“I would like to be a real manager.”

Vidic has rejected repeated requests to join former United team-mates Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand as television pundits because he wants to prove himself as a boss.

“Alex Ferguson made it look easy,” he added. “You watched him and thought: ‘I would like to do that.’

“But then I went to play in Italy. Then it didn’t look the same.”

‘Players definitely have the power now’

Vidic – who made over 200 appearances for Manchester United, winning five Premier League titles, one Champions League, three League Cups and a Club World Cup – said that as part of his Pro Licence course he is studying how football has changed in the 21st century.

“I think the role of the manager has changed – he is becoming a coach,” he said.

“Players want the money and have more power – more power than the managers. It could frustrate me.

“When I was a player I don’t think I used my power. I didn’t think I was above the manager; I respected the manager. For me, it was coach, manager, CEO, owner.

“I don’t have experience to talk about players from a manager’s view, but the players definitely have the power now.”

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Winning, losing, happy, sad

Vidic was 34 when he retired after failing to recover from a succession of injuries.

After spending eight and a half years at Manchester United and 18 months with Italian giants Inter Milan, Vidic has no financial need to become a manager.

However, while admitting it is an occupation full of stress and one that lasts less than 100 games in the Premier League on average, Vidic is optimistic about the future.

He said: “I understand it is difficult – but I have played football all my life. For 28 years, I had about 15 managers. It’s what I know.

“I am used to the stress. Winning, losing, happy, sad. You want to win again. You want to prove something. You want to make the difficult decisions and test yourself.”

Last Man Utd captain to win the league

Vidic said he thinks United may have a better chance of winning Europe’s elite club competition in the coming years rather than the English top flight.

Jose Mourinho’s side are second in the Premier League table but 16 points behind runaway leaders Manchester City.

They host Sevilla in the second leg of their last-16 tie in the Champions League on Tuesday, having drawn 0-0 in Spain last month.

“I know the Premier League is bigger – but I think the Champions League could happen,” said Vidic.

“When the season started, I thought United had more chance to win the Champions League than the Premier League because the players they signed didn’t have the time to fit in.

“Also, Mourinho is a tactical coach and knows Europe very well. He knows there are going to be scrappy games and how to get through them.

“To win, you need a bit of luck – but there is a chance to get to the semi-finals or final. You never know. And if you win a Champions League, the players start to believe.

“Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, they will look different to now. It is about the perception of the people – you have to win.

“Players then believe more in themselves. They start to perform better.”

BBC Sport – Football

'There are no more managers any more, just coaches – I want to be a real manager' was originally published on 365 Football