I SAY IT AS I SEE IT AND I’M TOTALLY UNBIASED
for a fire with a bucket of kerosene and that took its toll.
From Craig Bellamy to Tommy Smith, he was never one to duck confrontation — another facet of his personality that wouldn’t play well in today’s game.
Managers are bypassed now, he says, by agents who deal directly with chief executives. Even on those days when a return appeals, the feeling soon passes.
‘I’d be a better manager today because I’ve calmed down a bit,’ he says. ‘There are times when I’m loving the atmosphere and thinking about being on the touchline, then I’m going home hearing the results and thinking of all the poor buggers who will be having a miserable week ahead.
‘By the time I stopped, the good times weren’t compensating for the bad times. The way I was with my family, my wife, nothing else in life was important. And in terms of my health, it wasn’t good for me.
‘If I went out socially, the minute there was any lull in the conversation I’d be thinking of the aggro I’d have to deal with on Monday. That’s not good for any relationship. I’m not sure anyone really enjoys managing.’
So, not tempted? Not even by Scotland? ‘No, definitely not,’ he concludes. ‘I haven’t got the personality for it. The exploding head is still in there deep down, and I don’t think I could deal with young footballers today. I get my fix by talking about the game.
‘I never want to go back to football, so I don’t care who I upset. And if people are upset, I won’t apologise. All I can say is that I say it as I see it and I try to be totally unbiased.
‘I’ve never courted popularity. I don’t go looking for managers, I don’t go to functions where the players go. I don’t really socialise in the football world. And I don’t think the modern footballers have any interest in players from my generation. Zero. None.
‘Half the players today will have no idea I even played the game.’
But he did play the game. And he did so quite magnificently. If any bluffers really don’t know who they are dealing with, they could always read the book.