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Your Shout: The Mystery Of A Small Town Club Mentality &
Underachievement
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Newcastle-Online.com reader Hugo W, writes in to bemoan the small
town mentality at Newcastle United, within the walls of St. James'
Park, the local media and even fans themselves.
The management vacancy at Newcastle United has demonstrated several
issues that reveal our club to be a very well supported team with
a ‘small town’ club mentality deeply ingrained into it.
At club level this has manifested itself in the appointment of managers
that are far below the standard that would facilitate a top six finish.
With the exception of Sir Bobby Robson, all subsequent managers since
the fabled Keegan/Hall era have been sub standard.
They have all spent millions and delivered relatively little. The
most unpopular signing of all, Souness, was nothing more than a modern
day ‘confidence man’ whose ‘cheque book’ style management could not
hide his inadequacies on the training pitch.
His signings have been very much hit and miss, on one hand there is
Emre, Parker, Owen, Solano on the other there is Boumsong, Babayaro
and Luque.
One of Newcastle’s most unpopular managers should not be judged on
his expensive signings, he must be judged on his poor management skills.
It was a well publicised fact that he was loved by many of the quality
players and those that did not were shipped out - JJ, Robert, Bellamy
and Ambrose for example.
Souness’ failing comes in the fact that his inability to convey the
genius of his own football talent on to the training pitch and into
the players. This is for the simple fact that it came naturally to
him, a gifted player. How can you teach what you have never been taught?
I am sure that the likes of Boumsong and Luque are good quality players
but Souness and his team had no real idea how to get the best out
of these players.
The small town club mentality is apparent also in the local media,
spearheaded by Alan Oliver, we have an almost absurd situation where
many fans have gone to war with a journalist who favours a manager
that, outside the Scottish league, has two league cups to his name
over a manger that has two European cups.
Only by shear force has the local media been forced into reporting
the views of thousands of fans. If reports and rumours are to be believed
the ‘Trainer’ himself (Hitzfeld) has been approached - and the board
received a moderate degree of interest from him. Deterred by this
instead of sell the club to the Bavarian Master, the board favours
a manager who allegedly has more ‘charisma’.
Whilst everyone likes a charismatic leader is this really a prerequisite
for success? Souness, for all his charisma, was completely out of
his depth, a confidence man who fooled those around him into thinking
success was simply around the corner. Charisma will only carry a man
so far, until he is exposed to an event that a bit of luck and charm
cannot get him out of.
In Hitzfeld the fans see a manger of world class standing. A man that
has taken a second rate German club, Dortmund, and turned them into
the Champions of Europe. Yet the local media appear ‘mystified’ that
a manager of this standing and achievement, is campaigned so fervently
for that their email systems have been shut down and there office
flooded with letters.
They are mystified that fans of the club that has a culture of underachievement,
should want a manger that has overachieved at every club he has managed.
There are, allegedly, concerns from the board and Hitzfeld that a
German manager would not be accepted at a club such as Newcastle.
Again this ‘small town’ mentality serves only to hold back a club
that is being left behind by other clubs with French, Dutch, Portuguese,
and Spanish managers. All the fans want is success for their club,
we love Newcastle and we would love them to win.
Would the fans turn their back on a manger with two European cups,
countless league titles, and two managers of the world titles under
his belt – I think not. When our very own ‘confidence man’ fooled
one of Europe’s top strikers, we pulled off a coup that shocked the
football world.
It wasn’t easy, we had to sell him the club, we rolled out the red
carpet, even offered him the hallowed no. 9. Did he want to come,
no not at first, but where is he now I ask? This club is a sleeping
giant, a super tanker drifting aimlessly in a great ocean, 52, 000
fans turn up fortnightly to a club that has not seen silver in 50
years.
The question we have to ask ourselves is do we want our club to be
awoken by a manger with moderate success in the English leagues and
considerable success is the far lesser SPL, or do we want a man that
is proven at a far higher level, and as respected in the game as Sir
Bobby Robson.
It will not happen overnight, it may take seasons, but Hitzfeld has
pedigree far beyond even our great club. Like Owen, lets sell him
a dream, lets shock the football world once more. Bring us Her Trainer.
By Hugo W
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