Park Life
Donald is stunned by pace of
events
by John Campbell
WHEN DONALD PARK was asked to take charge of the first team
following the departure of Alex McLeish, he was entitled to wear the
look of a startled rabbit as but for that unexpected and stunning turn
of events he'd have been happily working away in the background in
coaching the Under 21's. Instead, he was thrust into the
spotlight and became the centre of much media attention as he guided
Hibs to a fine 1 - 1 draw at Ibrox, ironically watched from the stands
by his former gaffers McLeish and Watson.
As
if all of that was not traumatic enough, Donald, who must have been
filled with trepidation at pitting his wits against Dick Advocaat, was
then asked if he considered himself a contender for the vacant post
and remained consistent in his answer both before and after his team
had turned in a gutsy display which silenced the Ibrox legions for
large parts of the game. He was convinced, when asked, that the
main job was not for him but it would be interesting to know if he was
even just a wee bit more tempted after that Ibrox performance!
Now Park finds himself in the position of Assistant Manager and First
Team Coach having been personally selected for that role by none other
than Franck Sauzee himself. It is a tremendous acknowledgement
of Park's coaching skills and will be a popular move with the players,
many of whom Park has coached since they joined the Club as
youngsters. So how did Donald react to this dramatic turn of
events in his life? "I'm
stunned by the speed of events with today proving to be even more of a
whirlwind than the rest of the week was. I came in this morning
to take training; Franck arrived and I was pleased to see him.
We had a quick chat and he told me he was going to see Rod Petrie so I
headed off to training. Later in the morning I got a phone call
telling me Franck had got the job and that Rod Petrie wanted to see
me."
Happy to be working together
(sns)
What was going through Park's mind as he travelled back to the Stadium
is anybody's guess. He might have imagined that Franck wanted
his own men in place and that he was going to be let go but nothing
could be further from the truth as he learned that Sauzee wanted him
appointed First Team Coach. This must surely have been news that
pleased him?
"I am
absolutely delighted to be working with a man of Franck's stature in
the game. You don't get opportunities like that very often and I
have nothing but the greatest respect for the man. I've seen the
way he handles himself both on and off the park and the way he handles
other players and that's impressive. He himself is one of the
best players I have ever seen and I'm sure he will take all of his
knowledge and skill and set about making this team much better."
Park is often depicted as being quite a dour character and whilst he
may well admit to not being one who seeks to draw attention to himself
there is little doubting his enthusiasm if you witness his performance
on the training ground. Marry that to Sauzee's determination to
make Easter Road a happy place to work and you have a partnership that
will deliver results.
"Franck had a brief word with the players and he has stressed
togetherness as he wants the players to all fight as one and it is a
philosophy I wholeheartedly agree with. The more we work
together the more we will be a team and that will reflect on
performances on the park. I have no doubt he is the man for the
job and that he will put a smile back on the faces of the supporters
who made it clear at Ibrox the other night that he's their main man!
These fans deserve success and we'll be working hard to give them it."
Park is a fully qualified SFA Coach whilst his new gaffer is a bit of
a rookie in that respect but that doesn't phase him in any way
whatsoever. Clearly they have not yet had the opportunity to
discuss the matter in any detail but Park anticipates that Sauzee will
decide upon what tactics etc he wants to play and let the newly
appointed First Team Coach work out appropriate routines for training.
"Franck and I will work as
a team and that's the kind of ethos we want to instil into the Club as
a whole. The stature of the man convinces me he will make a
success of the transition into Management and I'll be
there to offer all the help I
can." Things have happened
so quickly that Park has not even discussed financial terms with Rod
Petrie yet but he's happy to do that after the weekend is out of the
way.
O'Neil - missed training (sns)
Tomorrow's team to face Dunfermline will be selected after discussions
between Sauzee and Park although Donald admitted he'd been sitting at
home last night thinking about a selection.
"John O'Neil missed training yesterday due to a sore throat and cold
but he managed back today whilst Matty Jack showed similar symptoms
this morning. I anticipate both being fit to play but we'll have
to do a late test on Ulrik Laursen who has a calf injury but might be
ready."
Whatever the line up there seems sure
to be a full house at East End Park to witness the managerial debut of
Park and Sauzee who will be hoping to get off to a winning start.
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