BFS's autobiography - What it tells us about our manager

dimanche 1 janvier 2017

Thought this might merit a thread, having mentioned it elsewhere.

Ok, so I was VERY pro Big Sam being appointed overall having weighed up the good and bad of his past, see: To view the link you have to Register or Login

But, when we appoint a manager I like to read up on them, particularly in their own (/edited) words where possible. To try to get a feeling for them. I know that whatever they write is going to be looking at the most positive light and be completely bias, but I still think it has some real value. Simon Jordan's book shows that when you are the author you can write what you like.

I hope Parish read it before appointing him.

So, I'm over half way through so far and it is interesting but also not particularly detailed given how many years it covers.

These are some of the points that I've taken from it so far:

- I knew this one, but he does a lot more than just keep a team safe from relegation from the Prem. He got Bolton finishing very high at times.
- He will bring in a big team of experts/staff if we don't already have that. He wants to build that wherever he goes and gets the chance to do so.
- Despite people's perception he works the players hard and gets them fit, it is more through his staff and clever methods than old school running methods. He learnt a lot when out in America (which I am sure the new owners liked) but he actually gives players a lot of days off as he thinks this is important too. I have some fears that clubs have caught up on some of his methods which gave him an edge
- He won't be working crazy hours. His experiment on his heart monitor as well as a scare has meant he has a better work/life balance now
- He talks about valuing academies and he has good ideas on this front, but then his record or bringing through youngsters doesn't seem particularly impressive as he took on so many older mercenary types at Bolton.
- He can be very up and down and flippant with players and managers and contradict himself a fair bit in the book.
- People say he has the best team he has ever inherited, but his team at Newcastle were arguably better.
- He is indeed a wheeler and dealer in a Harry/Warnock way. He loves a transfer deal and does expect investment but worked under some real limits at Bolton.
- He seems to max out on wage bills with the experienced players he signs.
- He believes a trick is not worth doing unless it has end product. Zaha take note.
- He is very Warnock-esque with his attacks on refs. He may have a point on many of these in his book etc. But it will lack class at times
- He didn't really manage his money great in his career so he was not flushed when he became a manager. He has plenty of money now and has talked about retirement plenty of times in the past. Fergie thinks he will be one of those who struggles to stop.
- He is a career realist. As in, whilst he has affection for Bolton he still was happy to leave them when he felt it was finally right. He had good reasons to leave. He obviously has no attachment to Palace in the way Pulis didn't, but he is doing it for his own purposes which is probably a combo of (a) Money (although he does not need it, he likes it) (b) Prove a point after England (c)
- His comments about the Panorama and the BBC seem legit until you watch the episode (To view the link you have to Register or Login) and put it all together. Given the England stuff recently too I find it hard to fully believe his version of events, but I'm confident our owners and his past and approach to transfers now will keep him honest.
- I think he might be frustrated in a Pulis way to our transfer approach. I know we have the US money now but even in the summer our spending was about net spend. He likes our team and the challenge on this front but he also constantly wanted more and more ambition from owners in the past. This could be an issue at times as I am sure like Pulis and others he was sold a story that we would be big spending, when I don't think we will be big net spending.
- He's likely to return to Sevenoaks to live which is where he enjoyed living when at Millwall

Has anyone else read it? What did you take from it? Did it change your opinion of him? DId anything surprise you?

I will add more when I read more/as more comes to my mind.


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