Hold the bus... I must find out what drives the coach
STEVE MORISON has told the Cardiff City coach driver he may need to be patient today – to enable the Bluebirds boss to mine every nugget he can out of Jurgen Klopp.
Morison is in his first job in management, with a tough enough assignment in the Championship in pulling a bruised Cardiff clear of the relegation zone.
By way of light relief – or at least distraction with the tantalising outside prospect of glory – the 38-year-old former Millwall and Norwich City striker (left) takes his team to Anfield in the fourth round
of the FA Cup. Meticulous in his planning – but certainly no cold fish on the touchline – Morison has mapped out what he would like to gain from the day, including some time with Klopp, the fanboy object of attention for most rookie managers.
“Ultimately, this game is not about me,” said Morison, who struggled initially after taking over from Mick Mccarthy in October.
“It’s about giving the players who have worked incredibly hard the reward they deserve. But I want to get as much as I can out of it. If the coach driver has to wait for me, then so be it because I might want some answers!
“There’s nothing like speaking to the managers at the top.
“Even if I can take just one thing from them, it’ll make me a better person.”
Cardiff went six Championship games without a win from December through to mid-january, but after a busy transfer window, Morison has inspired a mini-revival.
Back-to-back wins over Nottingham Forest and Peterborough suggest he is shaping the squad as he wants it, although that won’t stop him from picking Klopp’s brains when it comes to tough love.
Morison was heavily criticised for describing youngster Isaak Davies as “more of a hindrance than a help” after he substituted the 20-year-old striker in a 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth half-an-hour after sending him on from the bench.
Klopp’s trick, says Morison, is to be tough and still loved. “I like the way everyone seems to want to play or be with him,” added the former Wales striker.