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ALL PLAYERS HAVE THEIR SELL-BY DATE
Time moves on and Frank Lampard found himself on the Chelsea bench on Tuesday
by Graham Taylor
Thursday December 8,2011
WHEN I was a young Âmanager, my idol was Bob Paisley of Liverpool. And he gave me the best bit of advice I ever received in the job.
We were talking after Watford played Liverpool who had won the League and we had finished runners-up to them in 1983.
I had been manager of Watford for six years by then and had got them into the UEFA Cup. But Bob, in that quiet Durham accent he had, said to me: “Always make sure your players’ legs go on another manager’s pitch.”
In other words, move your players on at the right time.
Liverpool and Bob were past masters at that. A player would be sold or moved on and people would wonder why. But very few players left Anfield and moved on to better things.
They left and joined other clubs and were very often disappointing, because Liverpool had spotted the right moment when they should be moved on.
It was a piece of advice that came back to me as I watched Chelsea and Andre Villas-Boas the other night because he too is in the middle of a rebuilding job.
"I’m the manager, I will listen — but this is the way I want to do it" -- Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas
Only a manager who is with the players in training every day knows them well. Only he can judge his players. We, as fans and commentators, only see them in matches.
I’m not talking about specific players here like Frank Lampard or Didier Drogba. It is just something a manager has to do — and only he knows when the time is right.
Villas-Boas may now have that situation at Chelsea. To the fans, a player may be playing well and they cannot understand why you let him go. But you, as the manager, know that his time is up.
So, as Bob said, you move him on before his legs go.
You might get criticised at the time, but a year later, when the player has done next to nothing at his new club, you will know you made the right decision.
It is not easy. Sometimes you get it wrong and they go on to have another few good seasons. That is your judgment.
At Watford, I could move players on relatively quietly. But Bob at Liverpool could not do it quite so simply because, at a massive club, you are under such scrutiny. It is the same for Villas-Boas at Chelsea. Every move he makes is watched.
Look at Drogba. He was magnificent the other night, playing in that lone role he loves. But does Drogba, at 33, need a rest? Can he do it again next week against Manchester City? Only the manager knows that.
Villas-Boas is new to the club. He has only been there five months. He has to find out what his players are like as people as well.
There has been a lot of player power in the past at Stamford Bridge. But AVB has gone in there and said: “I’m the manager, I will listen — but this is the way I want to do it.” Lampard is an exceptional player. You will never hear a word of criticism from me about Frank. His goalscoring record as a midfielder is fantastic and he will play a part in Chelsea’s season. He is the ultimate professional and a great ambassador for football.
But with every great player, time moves on. Can he handle two fierce games a week now? Only the manager knows that. I was delighted for Villas-Boas that he got that win because, at a top clu, you have to keep winning.
That is how you establish your authority as a manager. Defeat on Tuesday would have diminished that authority.
But what concerned me was how he reacted, when he accused people of attacking his club. That showed how important that win was for him, but I don’t think he helped himself.He has only been here five months, he has hardly had any criticism. If he thinks the English press have started on him, he hasn’t seen anything yet!
One other old truism is maybe one he should listen to. ‘You have never played as well as you think you have — and you have never played as badly as your critics say you have’.
He needs to learn that, because he is at a big club an, if results don’t go well, you are going to get criticism.
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Link: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/288635/All-players-have-their-sell-by-date-
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Does this mean QPR last transfer signing were in vain? Maybe a couple of them perhaps?
Secondly, Helguson stirring comebacks despite his age. What about the rest of above 29 years old players? Are they truly "out of date?"
Third is the conclusion. A fine line to be drawn upon based on topic, determining factor? If there's any at all or one must do some sort of mix match to get nearest result?
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The following link will bring us to similar condition:
Link: http://www.footballfancast.com/2011/12/football-blogs/the-ten-premier-league-tra
As a start, are they "Sell By Date" truly? Or maybe a new manager is enough to reignite their potency like what Warnock did with Helguson.
And lastly, there's no mention of Taarabt here (from 15 to 20mil pounds price tag, today around 4 to 3mil only just to let him go). Double standard or simply out of radar by English media?
Cheers.
[Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
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