- Jul 27, 2006
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Loyalty v Ruthlessness.
An interesting dilemma. It applies everywhere, not just in football. How many guys (girls) have stayed with a girlfriend (boyfriend) too long, out of some misguided sense of ‘being nice’ ? Over time, you finish up being nastier to her than if you ended it when you should have done. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.
On the other hand, get into the habit of (or get a reputation for) ending every relationship before it’s begun, and then the one hot bird you truly like won’t trust you.
All the evidence so far suggests Poch is firmly in the Fergie camp; protective but ruthless. Poch demands total commitment from his players. To be able to do that though, you have to show trustworthiness in return. Selling a player who’s been with the Club since he was a kid, who tries his best whenever he’s given a chance on the pitch, doesn’t only send a message to that player. It speaks loudly to every player remaining at the Club. Sometimes that can be a positive for the dressing room (selling Andros?). Sometimes, not. It’s a delicate balance.
I suspect selling all of Carroll, Mason and Bentaleb in one summer would give out the wrong message to our team, our academy and even our transfer targets.
An interesting dilemma. It applies everywhere, not just in football. How many guys (girls) have stayed with a girlfriend (boyfriend) too long, out of some misguided sense of ‘being nice’ ? Over time, you finish up being nastier to her than if you ended it when you should have done. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.
On the other hand, get into the habit of (or get a reputation for) ending every relationship before it’s begun, and then the one hot bird you truly like won’t trust you.
All the evidence so far suggests Poch is firmly in the Fergie camp; protective but ruthless. Poch demands total commitment from his players. To be able to do that though, you have to show trustworthiness in return. Selling a player who’s been with the Club since he was a kid, who tries his best whenever he’s given a chance on the pitch, doesn’t only send a message to that player. It speaks loudly to every player remaining at the Club. Sometimes that can be a positive for the dressing room (selling Andros?). Sometimes, not. It’s a delicate balance.
I suspect selling all of Carroll, Mason and Bentaleb in one summer would give out the wrong message to our team, our academy and even our transfer targets.
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