|
|
'We need to bury the ghost of 1966 to give next England manager a chance' - media experts on 'the impossible job'
With Fabio Capello the latest in a long line of Three Lions managers to leave his post in a media storm, Goal.com has looked into the pressure from the press in the England camp
10 Feb 2012 10:38:00
getty images
EXCLUSIVE
By Rob Stewart
From Graham Taylor mocked up as turnip on the back of the Sun, to Sven Goran-Eriksson coming unstuck after a dalliance with an undercover reporter posing as a fake sheikh on a Dubai yacht, England managers have often found the level of scrutiny placed on them by the English press to be insufferable.
Although he managed to keep his private life out of the tabloids unlike some of his predecessors, Fabio Capello found his every move, decision and quote analysed and reanalysed by a series of journalists and commentators happy to feed our insatiable obsession with the England team.
But did Fabio Capello, who pocketed £6 million a year in his role as England manager making him international football’s highest paid boss, deserve the robust criticism and attention he received? Or is time that we as a nation looked at whether we have created a poisoned chalice.
With this in mind we asked three leading figures in the spheres of sport and media to give their view on whether the media and public expectations have made the English manager role, the impossible job.
"The expectation is the problem. As we get close to the Euros the feeding frenzy grows to such a level that the pressure affects the team. Think about that Ireland team that went to the 1990 World Cup – there was no expectation or pressure on them and they thrived. With England it has got to the point where we expect too much. Fabio Capello was completely ill-equipped to deal with this expectation both in terms of language and attitude.
"Harry Redknapp is one person who can potentially deal with the media scrutiny as he has a good rapport with the press. He has found a way of communicating well and taking the heat off his players. Moving forward though we must find a way of lowering the expectations around the England team as a communication exercise. You have to bury that 1966 ghost. I would advise that all talk of ‘66 is banned. It’s the same over burdening that affects Andy Murray and before him Tim Henman and it’s totally detrimental.
"The standard of the Premier League is so good – but this is more down to the foreign stars than English players so therefore we are not creating a group of players good enough to beat the best teams in the world. Expectations must be redefined."
"England continues to think it has a divine right to beat everyone in football. The mentality needs to change as this feeds into a media and fan frenzy which places relentless pressure on the England manager and team. We have built up these players to be beyond a status that
can be sustained. The so-called 'golden generation' was never as good as the hype suggested, and the hype never slows, driven by the red top agenda which means that football is always on the back pages.
"Capello has faced some very strong criticism from the press for the very reasons why they hired him. When the FA hired him four years ago he was rapturously received as the man to bring discipline in and remove the ‘mateyness’ that Steve McClaren had instilled in the camp. And then we are criticising Capello for not integrating with the team or being too detached? He was also unfairly criticised over the language issue. They appointed an Italian who has lived all his life on the continent so he was never going to speak English. He was not hired to speak English – the idea was to bring Italian know how and convert an English side into winners.
"Ultimately Capello will not be remembered fondly – it didn’t help that he didn’t build up a great rapport with the press. He didn’t deliver in South Africa and that will come to define his tenure but we need to look at how much pressure we put on these managers. The worst thing that could happen to Harry Redknapp would be building him up as this saviour – when we do not even know whether he is suited to the unique demands of international football."
"Aside from certain members of the royal family, leading politicians and the biggest names from the world of entertainment it’s impossible to think of any individual who can expect greater scrutiny from the English media than the manager of the national football team.
"It is a journalist’s job to investigate everything about the individual holding such an important, revered and high-profile position. A failure to do so would be a failure to serve the nation’s millions of avid and passionate football fans.
"In 2012 it would be naïve in the extreme for the England manager to imagine he would be beyond such scrutiny and, whether it is right or wrong, there should be an expectation that this scrutiny will extend way beyond the football pitch.
"As long as there is no obvious blurring of the lines between those journalists covering England football, and those covering the news involving England’s football manager, then I cannot support the argument that there is too much pressure from the media in this case."
Follow Rob Stewart on
By Rob Stewart
From Graham Taylor mocked up as turnip on the back of the Sun, to Sven Goran-Eriksson coming unstuck after a dalliance with an undercover reporter posing as a fake sheikh on a Dubai yacht, England managers have often found the level of scrutiny placed on them by the English press to be insufferable.
|
Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
Although he managed to keep his private life out of the tabloids unlike some of his predecessors, Fabio Capello found his every move, decision and quote analysed and reanalysed by a series of journalists and commentators happy to feed our insatiable obsession with the England team.
But did Fabio Capello, who pocketed £6 million a year in his role as England manager making him international football’s highest paid boss, deserve the robust criticism and attention he received? Or is time that we as a nation looked at whether we have created a poisoned chalice.
With this in mind we asked three leading figures in the spheres of sport and media to give their view on whether the media and public expectations have made the English manager role, the impossible job.
| Mark Borkowski, PR and publicity expert |
"The expectation is the problem. As we get close to the Euros the feeding frenzy grows to such a level that the pressure affects the team. Think about that Ireland team that went to the 1990 World Cup – there was no expectation or pressure on them and they thrived. With England it has got to the point where we expect too much. Fabio Capello was completely ill-equipped to deal with this expectation both in terms of language and attitude.
"Harry Redknapp is one person who can potentially deal with the media scrutiny as he has a good rapport with the press. He has found a way of communicating well and taking the heat off his players. Moving forward though we must find a way of lowering the expectations around the England team as a communication exercise. You have to bury that 1966 ghost. I would advise that all talk of ‘66 is banned. It’s the same over burdening that affects Andy Murray and before him Tim Henman and it’s totally detrimental.
"The standard of the Premier League is so good – but this is more down to the foreign stars than English players so therefore we are not creating a group of players good enough to beat the best teams in the world. Expectations must be redefined."
| Mihir Bose, Sports Journalist |
"England continues to think it has a divine right to beat everyone in football. The mentality needs to change as this feeds into a media and fan frenzy which places relentless pressure on the England manager and team. We have built up these players to be beyond a status that
 "Ultimately Capello will not be remembered fondly – it didn’t help that he didn’t build up a great rapport with the press"
|
"Capello has faced some very strong criticism from the press for the very reasons why they hired him. When the FA hired him four years ago he was rapturously received as the man to bring discipline in and remove the ‘mateyness’ that Steve McClaren had instilled in the camp. And then we are criticising Capello for not integrating with the team or being too detached? He was also unfairly criticised over the language issue. They appointed an Italian who has lived all his life on the continent so he was never going to speak English. He was not hired to speak English – the idea was to bring Italian know how and convert an English side into winners.
"Ultimately Capello will not be remembered fondly – it didn’t help that he didn’t build up a great rapport with the press. He didn’t deliver in South Africa and that will come to define his tenure but we need to look at how much pressure we put on these managers. The worst thing that could happen to Harry Redknapp would be building him up as this saviour – when we do not even know whether he is suited to the unique demands of international football."
| Simon Rushworth, Lecturer in Practical Sports Journalism |
"Aside from certain members of the royal family, leading politicians and the biggest names from the world of entertainment it’s impossible to think of any individual who can expect greater scrutiny from the English media than the manager of the national football team.
"It is a journalist’s job to investigate everything about the individual holding such an important, revered and high-profile position. A failure to do so would be a failure to serve the nation’s millions of avid and passionate football fans.
"In 2012 it would be naïve in the extreme for the England manager to imagine he would be beyond such scrutiny and, whether it is right or wrong, there should be an expectation that this scrutiny will extend way beyond the football pitch.
"As long as there is no obvious blurring of the lines between those journalists covering England football, and those covering the news involving England’s football manager, then I cannot support the argument that there is too much pressure from the media in this case."
Follow Rob Stewart on
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
|
14:16 BST -
Germany are on the move, heading to Gdansk. Don't believe me? Here's proof:
Inside Goal.Com
-
Omission of Ferdinand & Richards bites back at Hodgson
The Manchester United man's absence from the Three Lions squad continues to dominate debate after the Chelsea defender is ruled out and Liverpool youngster called up in his place
-
Mock the Weekend: Euro 2012 a push too far for Cahill
The Three Lions can count themselves fortunate not to be clouded by Italy's off-the-field problems, while Eden Hazard fails to live up to his own billing at Wembley
-
Why England are injury-ravaged before a tournament
The absence of Gareth Barry, Frank Lampard and shows just how much club commitments take their toll on the national team as Euro 2012 looms
-
Hodgson’s headaches: How to utilise Oxlade-Chamberlain
The Arsenal starlet has proved himself capable on the big stage and effective in a number of positions for his club, but how much will he be trusted at the Euros?
-
The Premier League targets in Euro 2012 Group A
With the transfer rumour mill set to kick into a frenzy throughout this month's European Championships, Goal.com looks at which players could be heading for England this summer
