Capello

[scottish]

1. Fabio Capello has resigned as England manager on a matter of principle as he would not brook any interference from above.

2. Fabio Capello worked for seven years for Silvio Berlusconi.

Can anyone reconcile these two statements?

[lbb]

He was under pressure to walk after the World Cup. Maybe this is his way of getting his own back - 'I'll take you to the Euros and then you're on your own.'

I was trying to explain to a non-football fan earlier just how good a CV Fabio Capello has. The English media - and some of the players, I think - seem convinced that Capello has somehow stopped them from reaching their potential. Yes, they had a poor World Cup but I'm not convinced Stuart Pearce/Redknapp/Pardew would necessarily have done any better. They hated Eriksson too but his regular quarter-final appearances now look real achievements and, tbh, pretty much their ceiling. I certainly don't see Redknapp or anyone else leading them to glory in the summer.

[scottish]

More a case of him not walking in 2010 when he'd just had the sacking clause removed from his contract before the World Cup but it not hurting as much financially (on either side) when there are just four months remaining. Whether he was looking to engineer a walkout I don't know but I'm fairly sure David Bernstein is easier to work for than Silvio Berlusconi - even if his parties are less fun.

Capello will of course walk into any job he cares to seek. He'll be blamed if England flop and the new man, whether Offshore 'Arry or anybody else will receive the credit if they do well.

Agree re Eriksson doing a reasonable job though his caution was to blame for them not reaching at least the semis at the 2002 World Cup.

[Rob R]

What about Fergie for the job ? or is that treason suggesting this ?

[scottish]

Theoretically there's no reason why not. After all Terry Butcher was George Burley's assistant as Scotland boss and John Gorman fulfilled the same role for England under Glenn Hoddle. OTOH Ferguson s far too wily an old managerial bird to end up trapped in this managerial graveyard. Why risk a reputation built up over decades for the potential disaster of a couple of weeks in an international tournament?

English management is at an all-time low with just three English managers in the Premiership - Redknapp, Pardew and Hodgson. That's why Harry Redknapp stands out. Not because he's got a fantastic track record - an FA Cup, an Intertoto and a couple of promotions don't stand comparison with Capello's credentials let alone Ferguson's - but because he's currently an English manager whose club side is doing well. Roy Hodgson actually has the international tournament experience they are looking for.

What I don't understand is the insistence that the next boss must be English or at least British. In a world where every country exploits the granny rule as far as players are concerned it seems crazy to insist on a birth certificate as the most important qualification for a manager.

Not that Scotland are in a position to scoff. Only around half the managers in the SPL are Scottish - McCoist, Houston, Brown, McIntyre all fit the bill for certain. Stuart McCall has the caps and Danny Lennon the upbringing even though his international B outings were for Northern Ireland. No wonder Craig Levein feels safe in his job. The only current SPL manager with anything like both a playing and a managerial record to be a contender to replace him is McCall. Provided of course the SFA maintain their position that having tried and failed with Berti Vogts that all foreigners are rubbish.

[lbb]

I can understand struggling countries, that have very little in the way of football infrastructure, having to rely on foreign coaches for their national team simply to get them started. Even this should only be a short-term measure. It's wrong that countries like Cameroon, that have been qualifying for World Cups for 30 years, are still employing foreign coaches. It's attempting to gain an unfair advantage, I think. It shouldn't be the norm and for established countries like England and Scotland to seek foreign coaches for their national team is mind-boggling.

International football is already locked in a battle with club football especially at the highest level. It will only kill itself if it refuses to insist on certain guidelines for selection at international level. If anyone can play for almost any international team and anyone can manage almost any international team then the question will be asked - what is international football actually for?

[scottish]

It's wrong that countries like Cameroon, that have been qualifying for World Cups for 30 years, are still employing foreign coaches. It's attempting to gain an unfair advantage, I think. It shouldn't be the norm and for established countries like England and Scotland to seek foreign coaches for their national team is mind-boggling.

Well, by that thinking it would have been okay for the Scot James McCrae to coach Egypt in the 1934 World Cup but would you have had the great inter-war coach Hugo Meisl coach the Czechs as he was Bohemian born or, as he did, Austria where he considered himself more at home? Would it have been all right for the Hungarian Jozef Nagy to manage a 'developing' Sweden inter-war but not for the Englishman George Raynor at the 1958 finals? Should Roy Hodgson have been banned in 1994 and an SOS sent out for Christian Gross for Switzerland? Should the Austrian Karl Rappan have ever been allowed to coach Switzerland at the 1938 finals or should he have been despatched to the Greater Reich as an assistant to Sepp Herberger?. Or at least should Rappan have been dismissed before the 1960s on the grounds of national footballing maturity?

Should Duggie Livingstone have been banned from managing first the ROI and Belgium and forced to give Andy Beattie hauners at the 1954 World Cup?

Those are just a few 'non-national' World Cup managers in the early days of the competition. It is nothing new. And that's before even thinking about Bora Milutinovic and Mexico, Costa Rica, USA, Nigeria, Honduras, China, Jamaica and Iraq. Or Carlos Alberto Perreira and Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and South Africa (though he did have the decency to manage his native Brazil as well).

Finally, what about our very own Danny McLennan and his globetrotting with the Philippines, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Zimbabwe, Bahrain, Malawi, Fiji and Mauritius? Should he have stayed in club management at Berwick Rangers and Stirling Albion? Come to think of it, should he even have been allowed to cross the Tweed?

[LEATHERSTOCKING]

The press is determined to suggest that `arry is the most successful recent English manager and so, I suppose, he is but that`s all relevent. No Englishman has led a Premiership winning club yet(this is it`s 20th season) - Scots 13(Sir Govan 12 & King Kenny 1). Howard Wilkinson was the last Englishman to manage the top division`s champions(Leeds in 1991-92`s Division One). Only Joe Royle(1995 with Everton) & `arry with Pompey 4 years ago have led out English Cup winners in the last 20 years(Fergie 5, Graham & Souness 1 each) and none of the last 15 managers of League Cup winners have been natives. This will actually increase to 16 when ex Spider Malky Mackay & King Kenny lead out next month`s finalists. On that national track record alone, surely David Bernstein should be pleading with any Jock to take on the task. There are, of course, seven Scottish managers in the Premiership all born within a few miles of Glasgow(that little fishing village on the Clyde). One FA Cup win is really a dire indictment of `arry`s "success"

[scottish]

and none of the last 15 managers of League Cup winners have been natives.

Steve McLaren won it in 2004 but somehow I don't think he'll be waiting by the phone.

[LEATHERSTOCKING]

Sorry, that should have been "one" of the last 15 not "none". Just to elaborate on the Scottish manager theme, A.C.Ferguson has won 12 English titles(plus this season`s), 5 English Cups & a League Cup, George Ramsey(born in Glasgow & the most successful manager in England until Sir Govan) won 6 titles with Aston Villa @ the turn of the 19th/20thC plus 6 runners up & 5 Cup wins and twice was runner up, Matt Busby 5 titles and 2 FA Cup wins plus 2 runners up(although Murphy was actually in charge in 1958 while Busby recuperated after Munich) and Frank Watt(Newcastle) & Kenny Dalgish both had 4 title triumphs and both had 2 Cup wins. 66 titles won by English managers and 39 by Scots & 82 to 35 in the FA Cup when, if the respective populations are considered, England should have nine times the number of winning managers. Ferguson & Ramsey are the top 2 title winning managers & Scots have 6 of the top 10 spots and Ramsey, Tom Mitchell(Blackburn Rovers) & Fergie are 1st, 2nd & 3rd most succesful Cup winning bosses. Come on `arry, only half a dozen more trophies to win to get onto the lists!

[scottish]

In my 'GAFFERS' book - AVAILABLE HERE I have an appendix at the end with details of major titles won by Scottish managers in England as follows:

21 Alex Ferguson*+
12 George Ramsey
7 Matt Busby+
6 Kenny Dalglish*, George Graham, Frank Watt
5 Bill Shankly
4 Tom Mitchell
2 John Cochrane*, Tommy Docherty+, Graeme Souness*
1 John Cameron*, Andy Cunningham*, Matt Gillies, Dougie Livingstone, Dave Mackay, Tom Maley, Les McDowell, Alex McLeish*+, Matt McQueen, Peter McWilliam, Peter O'Rourke*, Willie Reid*

*= also managed in Scotland
+= Scotland national team manager

All marked * or+ have entries in the main body of the book

For Scottish managers in European competition it is:
6 Alex Ferguson (inc 2 Super Cup)
1 Matt Busby, George Graham, Bill Shankly, Jock Stein, Willie Waddell

In global competitions there is only one successful manager:
2 Alex Ferguson

[the hibLOG]

Sorry, that should have been "one" of the last 15 not "none". Just to elaborate on the Scottish manager theme, A.C.Ferguson has won 12 English titles(plus this season`s), 5 English Cups & a League Cup, George Ramsey(born in Glasgow & the most successful manager in England until Sir Govan) won 6 titles with Aston Villa @ the turn of the 19th/20thC plus 6 runners up & 5 Cup wins and twice was runner up, Matt Busby 5 titles and 2 FA Cup wins plus 2 runners up(although Murphy was actually in charge in 1958 while Busby recuperated after Munich) and Frank Watt(Newcastle) & Kenny Dalgish both had 4 title triumphs and both had 2 Cup wins. 66 titles won by English managers and 39 by Scots & 82 to 35 in the FA Cup when, if the respective populations are considered, England should have nine times the number of winning managers. Ferguson & Ramsey are the top 2 title winning managers & Scots have 6 of the top 10 spots and Ramsey, Tom Mitchell(Blackburn Rovers) & Fergie are 1st, 2nd & 3rd most succesful Cup winning bosses. Come on `arry, only half a dozen more trophies to win to get onto the lists!

"The noblest prospect which a Scotchman ever sees, is the high road that leads him to England!" James Boswell

[scottish]

Surely the always less than flattering Samuel Johnson, quoted by Boswell in his biography

I've always wondered how anyone from Lichfield felt he had the authority to criticise anywhere.