Results remain only true judgment of a manager’s success
One of the things I love about the All Star Tours is that they provide an opportunity to have marathon arguments with opinionated maniacs like myself. I am referring of course to the other journalists.
This year’s trip to Boston produced a particularly savoury debate.
New Down manager Jim McCorry was the unwitting catalyst of it all. When McCorry refused to provide Benny Coulter with the same leeway that the star player had enjoyed under James McCartan, the 2010 All Star decided to call it a day. McCorry wanted every player to make the same commitment. For those who couldn’t sign up to the pre-season programme, it was just too bad.
The discussion sparked into life when Dublin boss Jim Gavin was asked if he believed certain players should be accommodated. Uncharacteristically, the normally reticent Dublin manager provided a very direct and comprehensive response. Gavin stated in no uncertain terms that it was almost incumbent on managers to make concessions. Pointing to his own Dublin squad, he said there were numerous occasions when players for various reasons were allowed time off from training.
So, who is right, the unyielding Jim McCorry or the flexible Jim Gavin?
In these circumstances, there is a tendency to take sides with the most successful manager. The formula goes likes this: Jim Gavin has an All-Ireland title on his CV and Jim McCorry does not, ergo the Dublin manager is right.
However, if you take that rationale to its natural conclusion, it starts to get slightly more complicated.
Let’s consider Brian Cody, the Kilkenny manager who has guided Kilkenny to 10 All-Ireland titles. By the aforementioned logic, Cody outranks Gavin. And how would Cody respond if any of his players asked for special dispensation from training? Henry Shefflin, a father-of-two, turns 36 on Sunday. Relegated to the role of impact sub in last year’s Championship, Shefflin was expected to do the same training as everyone else.
Now Jim McCorry is singing the same tune as Brian Cody, a man who is revered for his tough, autocratic management style.
For one of the very few times in my life, I didn’t immediately have a fixed opinion on this issue. As a huge admirer of Benny Coulter, I was disappointed to learn that one of my all-time favourite players had retired. And having watched Benny in last year’s Championship, I am convinced he would be a huge asset in the Down squad.
However, I also sympathise with Jim McCorry. The harsh reality of sport is that the most successful managers tend to place the highest demands.
Has anyone ever heard the post-match interview in which the player says: “As the new manager John kept things free and easy. He was quite lax about it all, and I’ve no doubt that’s why we’ve won this Championship?”
Ultra successful managers tend to have a whiff of the despot about them. The story about Alex Ferguson following Ryan Giggs and Lee Sharpe to a house party in Manchester is part of the man’s legend.
So too is the anecdote about how he came to Old Trafford and got rid of Manchester United’s party people, players like Paul McGrath and Norman Whiteside.
During his latter days as the United manager, journalists couldn’t write two sentences about Ferguson without referring to his infamous “hair-dryer treatment”. We were led to believe that Ferguson ruled through fear.
But the picture the media painted of Ferguson was a caricature. Look behind the public persona, and there was plenty of evidence to show that Ferguson was extremely pragmatic.
Commonsense dictates that it’s impossible to intimidate a multi-millionaire footballer. If Ferguson was really such a tyrant why did players like Giggs and Paul Scholes spent their entire careers with him? Ferguson’s decisions were always well calculated. When he came to Old Trafford, the party crew also included Bryan Robson, the England captain. If Ferguson was such a zealous disciplinarian, why didn’t he get rid of Robson? A fellow journalist Enda McEvoy nailed this debate. Earlier this week while discussing with Enda whether managers should rule with an iron fist or search for compromise, he said: “The best managers know when to recognise the exception.”
That’s an incredibly accurate observation. Think about Eric Cantona’s notorious karate kick in Selhurst Park. If Cantona wasn’t one of the best players in the Premier League, Fergie would have sacked him that night. The argument that Ferguson sacked Roy Keane because of the interview he gave to MUTV is nonsense. It was only when players became expendable that Ferguson showed them the door.
What is the more serious offence, jumping into the crowd and kicking a spectator or criticising a few under-performing team-mates? Ferguson knew when to make exceptions.
Once a manager earns the name of being a dictator, he can cut all the deals he wants.
Vince Lombardi is one of the most celebrated figures in American football. Lombardi was a ruthless enforcer of discipline, yet he bent over backwards for Paul Hornung, his star player. Often called in the early hours of the morning to pick up Hornung from a police cell, Lombardi never countenanced the idea of sacking his gifted running back.
Years later, Hornung revealed that Lombardi’s man management skills were much more sophisticated than what people imagined. Hornung said: “There was a famous statement that Lombardi treated everyone the same — like dogs. That wasn’t true. I don’t think he ever corrected Forrest Gregg. Vince treated me special. He said, “I’m going to be on your ass because you need it.” It didn’t bother me. There are a lot of players he couldn’t have treated that way.
The trick lies in correctly identifying the individuals who warrant special treatment. Joe McMahon is currently studying at the University of Coleraine. McMahon told Mickey Harte that he wanted to continue playing for Tyrone but the study and travel demands meant it would be impossible for him to be at every collective session.
For Joe McMahon, the Tyrone manager is willing to make an exception. For Benny Coulter, Jim McCorry took a different stance.
It needs to be stressed that there is no right and no wrong. In management there is no set rules.
There is only victory and defeat. And when the summer comes, that’s how these decisions will be judged.
