Stendel proves he’s no Scrooge
Boss allows players to have Christmas Day off ahead of capital crunch
DANIEL STENDEL will be apart from his nearest and dearest this week but that won’t stop the new Hearts manager from playing Father Christmas.
The principal beneficiaries of his festive generosity will be his players who, in a break from convention, will be given Christmas Day off — even though it falls just 24 hours before the Edinburgh derby.
Come game day Hibs boss Jack Ross will also be treated to a glass of something special but, intriguingly, the invitation for the traditional post-match drink is likely to be left unspoken.
More of that later.
First, Stendel wants to explain why he has decided to forego his final day of preparation ahead of the match he concedes is much bigger than anything else he will encounter during his time in Scottish football.
‘Maybe you are surprised but we won’t train on Christmas Day,’ he said. ‘Superstition. I did the same thing last year and we won, so we won’t train on the 25th, we train on the 24th.
‘I asked for some opinions and the expectation is that we train on Christmas Day. It’s not that I don’t notice how big this game is, it is that we have a lot of games in this period.
‘Training is one thing but the other thing is the mentality to prepare for the game. We all know that in my job, in your job — I think in all jobs — if you are happy with your family, then you can give your best performance.’
The sentiment worked a treat for Stendel’s Barnsley team last season as his relaxed group of players defeated Peterborough on Boxing Day to enhance their promotion bid from League One.
Come the end of the season, those three points were crucial as they represented the margin by which they secured automatic promotion ahead of third-placed Charlton.
A little further behind in the standings sat Sunderland, managed by none other than Jack Ross.
The two locked horns twice in the league season, with Ross coming out on top. On neither occasion, however, did they meet up for the customary post-match drink, a tradition beloved by coaches for its opportunities to de-stress, empathise and perhaps share a little gossip.
For Ross, the campaign was one weighed down by the hopes of an expectant support who had endured consecutive relegations from an uninspiring team.
‘In our league, Sunderland had the best team last year but we got promoted,’ says Stendel. ‘But we lost the first game between us and the second was a draw. Now is a good time to change my side.
‘The drink is a tradition in England like here but no, we didn’t do it. They were emotional games, a little bit.’
At this point the torrent of words slows from the normally loquacious Stendel. The obvious questions cannot be ignored — is there an issue between the two men?
‘I cannot say I don’t like him, I don’t know if he likes me or doesn’t like me,’ he shrugs. ‘In those two games we didn’t do it.’ So does he expect to be entertaining on Thursday?
‘Yeah, it’s normal,’ replied Stendel. ‘The good thing is I can stay in my office and wait!’
Curiously, both men were sacked on the same October day.
Fired by an impatient Sunderland board who crave a sudden, yet still elusive change in fortune, Ross was an obvious fit for Hibs after the departure of Paul Heckingbottom.
Stendel, too, would wash up in Edinburgh but only after a protracted recruitment process that was slowed by Barnsley’s demand for financial recompense.
After last season’s tussles it will be fascinating to see the two men lock horns in one of the country’s most charged domestic fixtures.
‘It’s not only three points, it’s a big game for our club and for Hibs,’ added Stendel. ‘In the short time I’ve been here, the feeling I get is that it’s the most important game ever.’
Stendel inherited a team that had ran out of ideas under predecessor Craig Levein and the appointment of the 45-year-old was designed to introduce a new tempo and energy.
Last Saturday witnessed a false start as St Johnstone nudged the Tynecastle side to within goal difference of the foot of the Premiership table with a 1-0 win.
The six changes made to the lineup for his second game against Celtic brought a better display, even if the 2-0 scoreline suggested otherwise and Stendel himself seemed more involved in the game, constantly encouraging his players.
The 45-year-old wants to inject some of his personality into the team, even if the process can only be accelerated during the forthcoming transfer window.
‘On Wednesday, I had a feeling the players needed to see me like this,’ he said. ‘We’ve not had so much training time since I’ve been here but I can show them how I am as a person. I like my team to show this passion, to work hard and never give up.
‘My English is okay but sometimes I miss some words and it’s easier to see what I do. I was not the best player but I worked from being a youth player to playing in the Bundesliga and it was mentality that took me to this position. We say in Germany that hard work beats talent and that’s a big part of my idea.
‘I didn’t really know much about Scottish football but a lot of people told me that it has passion and emotion and would be a very good fit with my personality and my idea to play football. This is what gets me up every morning. If I had no passion, I wouldn’t do it.’