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Garth Crooks
Re: Tim Sherwood - Head Coach
I didn't get that impression at all. I think Scara was simply stating what the TRUE nature of randomness is. And it's actually very simple. You cannot control randomness. You can control other things closer to you, whether that be in terms of the preparation you engage in, the training you execute, the players you choose, diets and so on. But you cannot control randomness.
I would suggest that perhaps AVB's biggest failing was his desire to control EVERY SINGLE ASPECT of a game as opposed to focussing on what he COULD control. It's a common problem, one that I've seen especially in the likes of Mancini and The Waiter when he was here (although at Chelski he improved rapidly); rather than control what can be controlled, they stubbornly stick to a method which they believe will yield TOTAL control and eliminate any sniff of randomness in a game. Which is silly. I'll offer an example; if your side is performing better as an attacking unit in a match, and if success is coming with that approach, it behooves the manager to make substitutions to MAINTAIN that nature of display and NOT to spend the final 20 mins of a match sitting back 10-15 yards deeper and trying to 'hold' a lead. One such moment I will never forget was away at Kaiserslautern in the UEFA back in the dark days under GGG; he went to Germany with Ginola as a sub! He was so convinced he could hold out for a 0-0 draw that he set up a plan to sit deep and bore the game to death, totally ignoring the fact that Ginola TERRIFIED them in the first leg. A friend was playing at the time and said that during the warm-up, Kaiserslautern players could not believe it! The plan, as it was, worked swimmingly (crowd stifled, we were singing, etc) until Djorkaeff hit the bar from 20 yards in the 70th minute; it was like someone had flicked the electricity on in the stands because the whole atmosphere shift was mental. We came under the cosh, finally GGG threw Ginola on for the last 10 mins but we'd already given up momentum and ended up getting knocked out very late in the game. I would argue that had GGG done everything WITHIN his POWER before kick-off to WIN the game (i.e. played the one player who could terrify the oppo/make that a real possibility) the scenario we suffered would never have played out. Instead, he got too clever and ended up being done by two random acts, the shot crashing off the bar that lit the stadium to life, and Carr's own-goal. He blew it with his arrogance. I am not saying that playing Ginola from the start would've prevented those random acts, because obviously I believe you cannot control randomness in that fashion. But where he failed, for me, was that he did NOT utilize his control properly in areas where he had it. As a manager, you play your best players for the situation. And knowing that the oppo were terrified of Ginola, not starting him was failing to take simple control of a situation IMV.
I think AVB will get over that one with experience, because smart people (and regardless of what people say here, he IS a very smart man) eventually learn that you have to focus on controlling what you can. For me, playing Adebayor was absolutely within his control and something he could've made happen, but he chose not to. There's nothing random about Ade playing well; if he's given support and a little TLC by his manager, he delivers. I always thought Fergie would've made an absolute giant out of him for this reason.
One of the things I have admired about Sherwood's current tenure is precisely the fact that as he looks and learns, he does not move above his station and try to revolutionize world football. he is keeping things within the remit of a Spurs side and within the instinctive capabilities of the squad. There is much more potential, but right now it's about getting results. In that sense, I think he, too, is playing it very smart.
I didn't get that impression at all. I think Scara was simply stating what the TRUE nature of randomness is. And it's actually very simple. You cannot control randomness. You can control other things closer to you, whether that be in terms of the preparation you engage in, the training you execute, the players you choose, diets and so on. But you cannot control randomness.
I would suggest that perhaps AVB's biggest failing was his desire to control EVERY SINGLE ASPECT of a game as opposed to focussing on what he COULD control. It's a common problem, one that I've seen especially in the likes of Mancini and The Waiter when he was here (although at Chelski he improved rapidly); rather than control what can be controlled, they stubbornly stick to a method which they believe will yield TOTAL control and eliminate any sniff of randomness in a game. Which is silly. I'll offer an example; if your side is performing better as an attacking unit in a match, and if success is coming with that approach, it behooves the manager to make substitutions to MAINTAIN that nature of display and NOT to spend the final 20 mins of a match sitting back 10-15 yards deeper and trying to 'hold' a lead. One such moment I will never forget was away at Kaiserslautern in the UEFA back in the dark days under GGG; he went to Germany with Ginola as a sub! He was so convinced he could hold out for a 0-0 draw that he set up a plan to sit deep and bore the game to death, totally ignoring the fact that Ginola TERRIFIED them in the first leg. A friend was playing at the time and said that during the warm-up, Kaiserslautern players could not believe it! The plan, as it was, worked swimmingly (crowd stifled, we were singing, etc) until Djorkaeff hit the bar from 20 yards in the 70th minute; it was like someone had flicked the electricity on in the stands because the whole atmosphere shift was mental. We came under the cosh, finally GGG threw Ginola on for the last 10 mins but we'd already given up momentum and ended up getting knocked out very late in the game. I would argue that had GGG done everything WITHIN his POWER before kick-off to WIN the game (i.e. played the one player who could terrify the oppo/make that a real possibility) the scenario we suffered would never have played out. Instead, he got too clever and ended up being done by two random acts, the shot crashing off the bar that lit the stadium to life, and Carr's own-goal. He blew it with his arrogance. I am not saying that playing Ginola from the start would've prevented those random acts, because obviously I believe you cannot control randomness in that fashion. But where he failed, for me, was that he did NOT utilize his control properly in areas where he had it. As a manager, you play your best players for the situation. And knowing that the oppo were terrified of Ginola, not starting him was failing to take simple control of a situation IMV.
I think AVB will get over that one with experience, because smart people (and regardless of what people say here, he IS a very smart man) eventually learn that you have to focus on controlling what you can. For me, playing Adebayor was absolutely within his control and something he could've made happen, but he chose not to. There's nothing random about Ade playing well; if he's given support and a little TLC by his manager, he delivers. I always thought Fergie would've made an absolute giant out of him for this reason.
One of the things I have admired about Sherwood's current tenure is precisely the fact that as he looks and learns, he does not move above his station and try to revolutionize world football. he is keeping things within the remit of a Spurs side and within the instinctive capabilities of the squad. There is much more potential, but right now it's about getting results. In that sense, I think he, too, is playing it very smart.
