Stop the moralising over angry managers – we need more of their passion
A coach with Klopp’s personality is part of Premier League theatre
Gerard Houllier once claimed the most important moment of a manager’s week was his post-match interview. My former Liverpool manager believed his demeanour could set the news agenda for the next few days, so carefully considered the message.
It was a view mocked at the time. Surely, there are greater concerns than this? Now we can see how perceptive he was. The past week has underlined how, more than ever, top Premier League managers are defined by how they act in front of the cameras, in addition to how their team perform.
The cult of personality is such we now remember managers’ interviews as vividly as games.
Think of Kevin Keegan’s “I’d love it if we beat them” comments in 1996.
Does anyone know the score between Leeds and Newcastle that night without checking?
Rafa Benitez and his “facts” press conference before Liverpool played … who exactly?
Sir Alex Ferguson’s regular lambasting of journalists was such that he stopped doing any press conferences!
Jose Mourinho’s “I am a Special One” introduction is part of Premier League folklore.
Nowadays, Jurgen Klopp, Mourinho, Antonio Conte and Pep Guardiola are judged on their manner when they are at their most expressive and susceptible.
I find much of the reaction to their interviews borders on hysterical – in terms of its ridiculousness and entertainment value.
We should give managers a break, understand the context in which they speak, and stop rushing to judgment when emotions surface.
Whether it is Klopp and Mourinho complaining about refereeing after their respective derbies, or Conte declaring it ‘bulls---” when asked about Chelsea’s title hopes, press conferences are part of Premier League theatre.
These characters make English football compelling. Rather than sniping when managers get annoyed, we should be reassured by the passion. I have sympathy for managers. I know they all get paid well, particularly due to rewarding broadcasting deals, but global coverage means they speak to six broadcast-rights holders within 20 minutes of the final whistle.
That is before you get to radio interviews and written press.
There has never been more opportunity to trip up when in a foul mood.
Should we chastise managers if they express themselves? Do they not often feel the same as supporters? Go into a pub around Anfield after the Merseyside derby and what were fans saying? I am sure many accused Dominic Calvert-lewin of diving or slaughtered the referee.
An increasing number of fan sites now post their own postmatch reactions. If you watch them, you can see how overemotional we can all get when the game is over.
The following morning, we have mellowed. The blinkers are off.
As someone who moved from football into media, I see both sides of this relationship. I understand the need for professionalism but also understand what makes great television and back pages. Let’s ditch the moral-high-ground nonsense if a manager makes provocative remarks. This is what we love!
Yes, there is a line. If a manager is rude and personally insulting, that crosses it. But that is rarely the case. Usually they are standing their ground.
I know Sky Sports’ Pat Davison – who interviewed Klopp after the Merseyside derby – well enough that he can handle himself.
The expressions of sympathy he received on social media last weekend were embarrassing. He was doing his job and doing it well.
Post match, it is the job of the interviewer to ask questions supporters want, particularly if penalty decisions or team selections are controversial. Managers hate it when tactics are questioned, but that is what they will be asked to explain if they lose.
How do we expect them to behave? Politely nod and agree they messed up?
I found myself in enough situations where I could see the angle behind a question, or knew what was coming. You are in a different mindset when you have just left the pitch.
Since becoming a pundit, one of my gripes is the use of comments by those of us sitting in the studio to provoke managers.
I noticed it happening when Gary Neville and I started working together on Monday Night Football, journalists telling managers about critical remarks Gary or I made. That is a bit mischievous, a ploy to use our views rather than interviewers having the courage of their own convictions.
“I didn’t say that … Carra or Gary did,” is a convenient get-out clause.
It happened last week when Sam Allardyce was told about my observation Everton defended so deep at Anfield they could have been in Stanley Park.
It is right that Sam bit back. Not only do I respect that, it is the least I expect. If I tell the country a manager got it wrong tactically, and then he gets a 1-1 draw at Anfield, I am offering an open goal. It goes with the territory. The amount of stick we dish out, we have no cause to be oversensitive to counter-criticism.
Managers will protect their players, regardless of how they played or mistakes they made. That is why Mourinho defended Ander Herrera last weekend, and Klopp refused to hold Dejan Lovren accountable for the shove on Calvert-lewin. Behind closed doors, there will be occasions a manager will have a quiet word with a player he has publicly supported.
I do not want to see managers calm after poor results. I do not want to hear bland answers disguising fury. It is right and fair a manager disagrees when their ability or judgment is questioned.
Give me more of Klopp, Mourinho, Guardiola and Conte’s passion. These personalities make this a golden era for managerial talent in the Premier League. It is those who wish to pacify them who should think carefully about what they are saying.