Francks,
but no Francks!
Sauzee is not the man for the
moment - SIMON TIERNAN
THE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL GRAVEYARD
is littered with the corpses of former players, heroes to thousands, whose
once-proud careers have foundered in the choppy waters of football
management. Take Roy Aitken and Willie Miller at Aberdeen, John Greig at
Rangers, Kenny Dalglish at Celtic, Paul Sturrock at Dundee United or, dare
I say it, Pat Stanton at Hibernian. And we even see it slowly happening (I
hope) in the west end of Edinburgh too with Craig Levein!
It is all the more remarkable then, that if Hibs fans
had their way, Franck Sauzee would already have his illustrious name on
the door of the manager's office at Easter Road. And maybe at some point
in the future that will prove to be a sensible option. But now is
emphatically NOT the time.
Now don't misunderstand me. Franck Sauzee will command
my respect for as long as I live. The very fact that he chose Easter Road
to finish his playing career at fills me with pride. I was delighted to
speak to him in the Main Stand before the CIS Cup tie with Dundee United.
But it is because I respect him so much, that I don't wish those happy
memories of him as a player (and boy, there have been plenty!) to be
tarnished by an ill-advised foray into management.
Magnificent Sauzee gets down to work - but as manager? Not yet (sns)
The Kaiser's reading of the game is superb, of that
there is little dispute. But is it rational to assume that his undoubtedly
fantastic footballing brain will make him a coach to be reckoned with? He
can still take a fabulous free-kick, but who's to say that he can show
John O'Neil or Ulises De La Cruz to do the same? And don't forget that for
every Zitelli which his name has helped lure to the club, there has been a
Fabrice Henri or a Hakim Sar.
By definition, top-class footballers make very good
footballers, but it's a big leap of the imagination to say that they will
automatically rise to the top in management. Alex McLeish hadn't yet done
so - the jury is still very much out on his abilities. He had one good
season at Fir Park, went on to have another decent season in the SPL with
Hibs and then left us languishing in eighth place, having signed at least
eight players to the payroll (Brewster, Luna, De La Cruz, Hurtado, Orman,
Caig, Townsley, Doumbe) since July. Anyway, back to the top priority
- the future for Hibernian Football Club. Appointing Sauzee as manager of
Hibs would certainly be the easy option for the club's board. And
incidentally, I believe the board to be largely blameless in the current
situation - keeping McLeish at Easter Road against his will was never a
realistic option.
McLeish - keeping him against his will was never an option (sns)
The board will be anxious to retain the support of the
fans in the difficult weeks (and probably months) ahead. If the poll on
Hibs.Net and the messages on the message board are anything to go by, he
would be an extremely popular choice. However, what is popular is not
always right. What is easy is not always right. I sincerely hope
that Franck Sauzee does have a future role to play at Hibs. He, along with
Donald Park, will be crucial in steadying the good ship Hibernian in the
coming months. Asking Franck to take charge of the running of the club is
a different matter entirely. As far as I'm aware, he does not hold even
the most basic of coaching qualifications.
I know that a sheaf of certificates from the SFA do not
necessarily make a good coach (Paw Broon anyone?) but they are, at the
very least, a useful indication of the level of competence which a person
has attained. I'd happily back Sauzee for assistant manager or assistant
coach, where he could learn the very specialised coaching trade as he
worked. I'm sure the search for a new tenant for the vacant
manager's chair in Albion Place has already begun - Rod Petrie is nothing
if not efficient. So who should he and the rest of board be looking at? No
doubt the tabloids will tout Craig Brown for the job, and will also link
Stuart Baxter with his 14th managerial position of the season. But I think
there is wisdom in going for a less 'glamorous' name. They can turn out to
be every bit as good (Fergie to Man Utd anyone?) but have the advantage in
these cost-conscious times that we could probably get them on the cheap!
Bobby Williamson has quietly worked away at Kilmarnock,
repeatedly securing European football and impressive league finishes for a
provincial club with little money to spend. If earlier reaction to my
suggestion is anything to go by, then Williamson would not be a popular
choice with fans. He is seen by some as being 'Rangers-minded' to put it
politely. And some people also have problems with his brand of football.
Nevertheless, as the most successful SPL manager of recent years outside
the OF, he should be considered.
A more continental approach would come from Jimmy
Calderwood. Yes, recent results have not gone Dunfermline's way, but you
have to admire the way in which he has transformed the Fife club from
First Division long-ball merchants to an SPL side playing with continental
flair. And Calderwood has achieved that on a very limited budget - as the
presence of Stevie Crawford and Justin Skinner in the first team
testifies!
Davie Hay is another possibility, as I suppose are the
managerial teams at every non-Old Firm side in Scotland. Outside of Celtic
and Rangers, there is probably no bigger job in Scottish club football.
But let's not kid ourselves, Terry Venables and people of his stature are
not going to be beating a path to Rod Petrie's door.
Whoever takes the hotseat, I hope they will find
substantial roles for Franck Sauzee and Donald Park, a man who has never
fully got the praise from Hibs fans which he deserves for his excellent
work behind the scenes. But this isn't some console simulator game where a
wrong decision can be erased by the off button, it's the future of
Hibernian Football Club we are talking about. That is surely too important
to be gambled on an unqualified, untested 36 year-old with no managerial
experience? |
