Daggers Posted 26 July 2007 Posted 26 July 2007 A Chat With Alistair Smith 'It may sound obvious', Smith says 'but all great teams communicate well. It's not just about the players being heard on the pitch, it's also about them being able to have their say off it.' 'When you strip away the coaching, tactics, technique work, conditioning and the mental preparation you are left with one big thing and that's trust, says Smith. 'As you cross that white line you need to know that you can trust your team mate. You build that trust by facing adversity together and by being open and honest and saying your piece when you have to.' Article continues Advertisement 'We are asking our players to talk up and take responsibility. We have worked in sessions with the goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and attackers. Each presented what they can offer their team mates and said what they needed to help them do their job. Manager Martin Allen will use the outcomes throughout the season. Posters around the training ground will remind players and staff of the commitments we have made to each other. They will become a talking point.' 'The manager took the view that if we wanted real responsibility, talking and decision-making on the pitch - we had to give over some of the responsibility for players to manage themselves off it. The manager prefers the word 'guidelines' to 'rules' so on Wednesday the players got together to agree these guidelines. The players will manage this themselves. Any fines will benefit local charities. 'When a group of players come together for the first time they need to be given opportunities to break down any barriers quickly. They won't talk unless there's trust. Yesterday we took player and staff clay pigeon shooting. We mixed the groups. We all had twenty-five rounds to show what we could do.' 'Despite being one of the smallest, the winner by a streak was Johnny Hayes. Surprises came from Les the bus driver, named 'Elvis' by the staff, who shot a high score and from Clem who missed everything until he found out he had to shut his left eye and then blasted the next six!' 'Our long day then ended with the great Leicester City quiz including an international round where teams guessed the ten different national flags in the squad. Bonus points were awarded for anyone who could sing the first line of their national anthem. Credit to Kishi who sang in Bulgarian first up and to all the others who made their singing debuts.' After a busy week, Smith leaves the tour today to take a ten day holiday but he's flying back for the day next Monday for the team photograph. As he says, 'if you're not in the photograph you don't exist!' Let's hear it for the Foxes! I'm not a fan of management consultants, in fact I hate them. Personally, I see no difference between this magic potion seller and the one Hoddle forced on the England team...but...if the squad are happy and motivated and go on to win many games then I guess it is a case of no harm done.
Kent Fox Posted 26 July 2007 Posted 26 July 2007 I am LOVING the way this management team is working! It's not so much management consultancy, but it is a different mangerial style to which most of the squad would be unaccustomed. Quite possibly, most football clubs would not experience what MA and his team are trying to achieve. If it works MA and his staff will become LCFC legends. If they fail, they will join the ranks of Taylor, McGhee et al.
davieG Posted 26 July 2007 Posted 26 July 2007 We used to do all this when we set up new project teams at work.
brookfox Posted 26 July 2007 Posted 26 July 2007 Wasn't this the guy who inputted into the blueprint for the UEFA Pro coaching badge? A lot of this kind of stuff is pretty common in business and I personally don't see whay it can't play a part in football. I don't know why, but I'm suprised Allen appears to be so forward thinking as a coach. I imagined him being more old school but he doesn't seem afraid to try new things, for which I applaud him!!
Jon the Hat Posted 26 July 2007 Posted 26 July 2007 Wasn't this the guy who inputted into the blueprint for the UEFA Pro coaching badge? A lot of this kind of stuff is pretty common in business and I personally don't see whay it can't play a part in football. I don't know why, but I'm suprised Allen appears to be so forward thinking as a coach. I imagined him being more old school but he doesn't seem afraid to try new things, for which I applaud him!! Allen has a pro badge which makes him on of the few in the UK who would consider all this stuff to be a requirement.
The Reverend Posted 26 July 2007 Posted 26 July 2007 I'm not a fan of management consultants, in fact I hate them. Personally, I see no difference between this magic potion seller and the one Hoddle forced on the England team...but...if the squad are happy and motivated and go on to win many games then I guess it is a case of no harm done. Very innovative. Wont be if it fails though Very interesting indeed.
Thracian Posted 26 July 2007 Posted 26 July 2007 I'm not a fan of management consultants, in fact I hate them. Personally, I see no difference between this magic potion seller and the one Hoddle forced on the England team...but...if the squad are happy and motivated and go on to win many games then I guess it is a case of no harm done. Martin Allen can manage a football club but he cannot handle all the detail of what he wants, or is prepared to try, all by himself...hence the value of people like Alistair Smith. Allen realises he is up against quality managerial opposition - people who've had money to spend, who have bought good players and who seem to know how to put them together. But he seems prepared to do anything necessary to explore little things which might make a difference at the end of what most think will be a tight race. He might fail but I'm right behind him for trying. Cos trying things is important. Kelly and Levein never really tried anything. They laboured on repeating the same old mistakes with the same old players. And look where it got them. Make no mistake MA is autocratic. No-one doubts he is the boss and no-one tells tells him what to do. But that doesn't mean he doesn't listen - in fact he seems to have made it one of his strengths. And the combination of having the charisma, strength and dynanism to be a natural leader as well as the humility to listen and experiment/introduce with other people's ideas as well as his own, makes him a very formidable personality indeed, a man single-mindedly determined to find the right answers. Mind you Mandaric and Leicester City will have a big problem with MA and it won't be winning football matches or putting bums on seats. If will be holding on to him. I've been privileged to meet lots of extraordinary achievers in my life and fewer than 10 could be described as truly charismatic. Martin Allen may well be another. He just needs succcess now to turn his eccentric individuality and the almost magnetic force of his personality into managerial excellence and just possibly greatness.
Simi Posted 26 July 2007 Posted 26 July 2007 So our bus driver is nicknamed Elivs. I'm sure there's a gag in their somewhere.
Thracian Posted 26 July 2007 Posted 26 July 2007 So our bus driver is nicknamed Elivs. I'm sure there's a gag in their somewhere. He hits the throttle but never has any idea where he's going ...?
Daggers Posted 26 July 2007 Author Posted 26 July 2007 Cos trying things is important. Kelly and Levein never really tried anything. Levein tried crippling the club through the use of high salaries and long contracts, Kelly tried Josh Low, he tried signing has-beens, he tried Hughes out on the right wing, he tried geeing them up, he tried letting them get pissed all the time...didn't try thing? Pah! And as for meeting charismatic people - you have already met me.
Kent Fox Posted 26 July 2007 Posted 26 July 2007 His fashion sense is neither here nor there..I mean, His gear is neutral.
The Reverend Posted 26 July 2007 Posted 26 July 2007 He doesnt have any problems getting up to top speed, but once he does, he often loses control
Thracian Posted 26 July 2007 Posted 26 July 2007 Levein tried crippling the club through the use of high salaries and long contracts, Kelly tried Josh Low, he tried signing has-beens, he tried Hughes out on the right wing, he tried geeing them up, he tried letting them get pissed all the time...didn't try thing? Pah!And as for meeting charismatic people - you have already met me. Included in the "fewer than 10" or course!
Geo V Posted 26 July 2007 Posted 26 July 2007 Football management has become so complex these days that they need dudes like this and Chef Execs and the rest of the backroom staff to help the team prepare or in the case of the money men, to get the team in place! Lets hope all this stuff works for MA as managers like Big Sam Allardyce has had relative success with the use of sports science related employees with Bolton.
Daggers Posted 26 July 2007 Author Posted 26 July 2007 ...but... What the hell can a management consultant have spotted that was so important to point at on the training ground? One of the tops not put back on a flipchart pen? The sheets about to blow off the OHP? Someone treading on the flowers? We need to know
AoWW Posted 27 July 2007 Posted 27 July 2007 ...but...What the hell can a management consultant have spotted that was so important to point at on the training ground? ...trailing shoelaces, without a doubt. The bane of my life . Kids these days, tsk!
Daggers Posted 27 July 2007 Author Posted 27 July 2007 ...trailing shoelaces, without a doubt. The bane of my life . Kids these days, tsk! But surely that requires adding a Health & Safety officer to the management team as well. Maybe that could be a job for Hughes? He was always keen to avoid danger on the pitch.
Thracian Posted 27 July 2007 Posted 27 July 2007 ...but... What the hell can a management consultant have spotted that was so important to point at on the training ground? One of the tops not put back on a flipchart pen? The sheets about to blow off the OHP? Someone treading on the flowers? We need to know Lildave3 and Ched.
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.