His Way Or The Highway For Souness
Interesting quotes from our manager Graeme Souness regarding his job:
"If I last another 12 months in this job I will have done
well.
"I have to be strong and certainly won't turn my back on this challenge.
"There is only one way I will go about it - my way. I have got to
be strong and be my own man.
"There have to be standards of discipline on the training filed and
a code of conduct at the club.
"Listen, I don't even want to mention the names of people who've gone
or want to stir up trouble.
"They're not worth giving the oxygen of publicity.
"I accept that I used to be a confrontational manager and there are
times when I look back and cringe with embarrassment at things I did
and said at Rangers and Liverpool.
"But people who know me would never say I'm confrontational now. I've
never felt the need to slam a door to make an impact and I don't need
to rant and rave to get my point across.
"What I would never do is shy away from a confrontation if I felt
a situation was wrong.
"How are you ever going to achieve a thing in this game if you're
compromised right from the start by saying one thing and doing another?
"In some respects, I liken the Newcastle job to when I got the Liverpool
one because those sort of big clubs don't come around unless there
are problems.
"There were characters in the dressing room here who needed strong
management and my attitude to management is that the only thing that
matters is the group. The depth of discord shocked me. I don't regard
myself as an old man at 52 but I suppose I am old school.
"You can't have people who decide they don't like training and just
walk off the pitch. There's no way I'm going to accept that.
"If somebody had done that at Liverpool when I was a player, it wouldn't
have mattered who they were - you'd be told not to come back.
"That's the way it was at Anfield - Tommy Smith, Emlyn Hughes, Ray
Clemence and John Toshack made it clear what the standards were and
how we were supposed to measure up.
"Then the baton passed to myself, Kenny Dalglish and Alan Hansen and
we tried to carry those standards on.
"As a younger player, if you didn't measure up to those standards
you were ostracised, simple as that.
"There was only one way... you did it our way or you f***** off. No-one
ever resisted, they changed, believe me."
"If somebody is constantly upsetting the group and undermining what
we want to achieve, then there's only one option to take.
"If you read Sir Clive Woodward's book, he puts it into perspective.
"You try to change that individual, but if they're not prepared to
change, they have to go, simple as that.
"There is no way that a fractured dressing room with elements completely
at odds with the majority is ever going to be successful.
"I didn't go into St James' Park with any preconceived ideas about
anybody, but the dressing room now, for the vast majority, is a much
better and happier place.
"Last year was a case of fire-fighting all the time.
"The nature of the Newcastle job means there's a rumour every day
and that meant having to deal with situations I shouldn't have had
to deal with virtually ever hour of the day.
"I knew before I went in there it was a difficult job so I'm not saying
it got me down, but it frustrated me because the job should be about
getting your best team out on the pitch come Saturday.
"Instead, I was fighting potential problems with two or three individuals
and that was totally unnecessary because the only thing that matters
is the common cause."
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InterToto Update: BB Ankaraspor 0-4 FK ZTS Dubnica
Our InterToto Cup opponents look likely to be Slovakian side FK
ZTS Dubinca who beat Turkish side BB Ankaraspor 4-0 last
night in the first-leg of their qualifier match in Turkey. Ankaraspor
were favourites for the match but having used their 'B' team, they
will now be forced tro bring out their 'big hitters' in the return
match - including three Brazilians - as they look to recover from
an emphatic defeat. Noted for their away form and playing a counter
attacking style, they have a mountain to climb now it seems. |
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