Player Power always wins-unless the team does…
As Andre Villas Boas would attest its never the players that get sacked-managers are always blamed for results going against a team of when things go wrong.
AVB made the fatal mistake of dropping key older players in the squad and with such powerful figures as Lampard and Terry unhappy and results also going against him the writing was very much on the wall.
It’s something that isn’t totally alien to Irish sports and the issue of "Player Power" reached a height just a few short years ago.
Even here in Clare the county hurling squad flexed their collective muscles when ousting Mike Mc Namara while Justin Mc Carthy has been involved in two player issues.
Dan Shanahan’s missed handshake resulting in Mc Carthy’s departure in Waterford while his axing of several senior players in Limerick resulted in a disastrous league campaign.
Older players will always have to be moved on and no player wnats to be left out of the action but mangers must delicately balance the needs of the team without upsetting the remaining squad members who may look up to such players.
Brian Cody has proved the perfect example at how to do this-whether all the Kilkenny retirments have been of the players own making- there is no doubt that the chance to go out in a blaze of glory or any players rocking the boat when they aren’t getting their gam is avoided by Cody.
Cody has been able to get by without the likes of Charlie Carter or Cha Fitzpatrick is because the wealth of talent at his disposal-but crucially-results have still been good.
Drop older players and lose-head on the block time. But if results go right,then younger players will begin to wonder whats all the fuss over the vetern they have replaced.
It’s a very difficult feat to achieve-and something AVB has ana wful lot of time to ponder over before he takes on his next job.
