University life won’t be easy across The Pond
I’M at the University of Central Arkansas this week helping my son Josh settle in at the start of his golf scholarship.
It’s an exciting time, but three weeks ago he missed the cut in the England Boys Open at Fulford in York on a bitterly disappointing 15 over for the two rounds he played.
Josh is strong mentally and two days later - on his 18th birthday - he signed for a two-under 70 in the first round of the Cheshire Boys Championship at Delemere Forest in Northwich.
Such are his powers of recovery, the round included six putts that lipped out of the cup so his first round after the nightmare at Fulford could easily have been in the mid-60s.
Josh added 74 in the second round to win by one shot, a perfect end to his year as captain of the Cheshire Boys Under-18 Squad.
While the south east of America is a world away from Josh’s club, Prestbury, the level of friendliness and courtesy is as high.
Although from what I gather, courtesy will be the last thing Josh can expect should he be so much as a minute late for thriceweekly gym sessions which start at 6.30am!
We have had a meal out with the golf coach Steve Runge and a member of the university’s board of governors, Robert ‘Bunny’ Adcock.
Robert is a multi-millionaire and among his many interests is the Centennial Bank, which has more than 250 branches and employs more than 2,000 people. Of all the jobs and roles he has held in banking, politics and public service, he says his years as the university men’s and women’s golf coach around the turn of the century were the most rewarding. He was paid $1 per year. Robert simply enjoyed watching young people grow from kids to young adults, to see them marry, to have families, start their careers, and enter the world as productive citizens.
Hearing that makes me confident Josh’s immediate future is in good hands.
In association with Mottram Hall and timmyteepr JOSE Mourinho could not contain himself when Luke Shaw scored to give United that crucial second goal against Leicester on Friday night.
The Portuguese has not shied away from shaming the ‘clowns on the touchline’ since leaving his knee-sliding days behind him, but fans finally got what they had wanted all summer - some positive emotion.
Once the ball rippled into the net, the United boss climbed those iconic steps to the dugout to hug whoever was in sight. His disciples were swallowed up in his arms Ricardo Formosinho, Giovanni Cerra, Emilio Alvarez and Stefano Rapetti, who is one of a number of fresh faces on the bench this season.
Michael Carrick had already taken up his role as first-team coach towards the end of last season, but this represents the first campaign in 19 years where he has not started a season as a professional footballer.
The 37-year-old has been joined by Kieran McKenna, who has been at the heart of the academy’s revival in recent years. Encouragingly, all three coaches have been making an impact behind the scenes. Mourinho never planned to appoint all of them - Rui Faria’s surprise departure forced his hand - but there are signs he is at least lending an ear to their fresh ideas.
That was even evident in his team selection for the Leicester game.
One of the staples of Mourinho’s success has been a balanced midfield. In his favoured 4-3-3 formation, he often has a traditional holder, a box-to-box midfielder and a more creative presence.
Against Leicester he selected an attack-minded midfield in Andreas Pereira, Fred and Paul Pogba – the latter had had no game time since his World Cup heroics yet Mourinho resisted throwing in old favourite Scott McTominay in his place.
On paper, that seemed a no-brainer, but it is easy to forget McTominay started ahead of Pogba against Sevilla just six months ago.
Once Friday night’s team was named, fans got the first glimpse of their new coaches in action at Old Trafford. Eagle eyes out there will have already noticed how United’s pre-match routine has changed a little with Rapetti, McKenna and Carrick taking centre stage and getting stuck in. In Munich, for example, McKenna even tapped into his past as a budding Gaelic footballer to test United’s defence under the high ball in the warmup. With Faria gone, it is the Fermanagh man who has been entrusted with that precious book of tactical diagrams to brief substitutes.
At Carrington, too, he is making his mark. Indeed, in one of his first sessions in men’s football last month McKenna was by Mourinho’s side, directing a pass and move drill in front of a smallsized goal.
While McKenna already has a special connection with Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes, James Garner and the like, he has not shied away from tackling first-team superstars either. Alexis Sanchez has been among those pulled aside for some Ciaran Kelly