November 10, 2007 12:26 AM
Whoever first came up with the notion that "you don't have to be mad to work here but it helps" possibly had football managers in mind. Not that managers are certifiable. It is just that in extreme moments they can give the impression of being short of a few studs.
Gordon Strachan is normally worth listening to for his knowledge of the game allied to a nice line in dry wit. But last week the Celtic manager rounded on reporters who had interpreted favourable comments about David Weir as a sign that he was interested in the Rangers player and said they reminded him of serial killers in films who sent out messages like "I'm going to get you" or "your wife is next". Even by Old Firm standards of heady rhetoric this was surely stretching things a bit.
Away from the final whistle Sir Alex Ferguson is an absorbing football raconteur and the epitome of rational thought, but after Manchester United had been denied a significant victory at the Emirates last Sunday by Arsenal's late equaliser Fergie erupted as predictably as Mount Etna. He could hardly blame the referee, Howard Webb, for making the correct decision - on a linesman's signal - that William Gallas's shot had crossed the goalline before Edwin van der Sar intervened. Nevertheless Ferguson still had a go at Webb for not spotting a foul on Louis Saha beforehand, said that at times the referee had favoured Arsenal, and just for good measure complained about the abuse he alleged the United bench received from some home fans.
Impugning a match official's integrity is cheap if not downright slanderous. As for being called rude names by the crowd, well, here it needs to be understood that Ferguson had a sheltered upbringing having been born in Govan, an area of Glasgow renowned for its gentility and moderation of language, where being described as a "soppy date" would be grounds for counselling.
Had Manchester United won on Saturday it is doubtful whether the volcano would have exploded. Fergie is just a bad loser (or drawer) and for that United should be grateful. Old Trafford would not have seen nine Premier League titles, a Champions League triumph and a clutter of cups if its manager of the last 21 years had greeted disappointing results with a shrug and a smile. Bad losers often make good winners.
On a manager's reaction to a defeat, and how his players react to that reaction, can depend the success or failure of a season. Another winner, Arsène Wenger, is usually coolness itself after a game whatever the outcome, but after Arsenal had lost to Chelsea two seasons ago he associated the referee and an assistant "in the same team - the Chelsea team". The linesman concerned, Darren Cann, had wrongly disallowed a goal by Robin van Persie and then in last season's Carling Cup final against Chelsea was partly responsible for Emmanuel Adebayor being sent off, whereupon Wenger said he was "a liar". On Sunday, however, the Arsenal manager congratulated Cann for getting Gallas's goal right.
Jose Mourinho, late of Chelsea, went further than Ferguson or Wenger when in the wake of a Champions League defeat by Barcelona that saw Didier Drogba sent off he implied there had been a half-time conversation between Frank Rijkaard, the Barça coach, and the Swedish referee, Anders Frisk. Frisk said they had not discussed the match but he still received death threats and retired from refereeing. On that occasion Mourinho's behaviour appeared reprehensible but Roman Abramovich's millions alone would not have brought Chelsea two Premier League championships if their manager had suffered defeats gladly.
Bill Shankly was one of the worst losers in the game's history. His Liverpool teams never lost, they just scored fewer goals. Maybe the Kop would like to see a bit of Shanks in the present manager. Compare the reaction of Rafael Benítez to Arsenal's late equaliser the previous weekend to Fergie's rant last Sunday. "If you analyse the whole game," said a sweetly reasonable Benítez, "then you have to say they deserved to score." Shankly would have called Arsenal "a bunch of fancy men".
Perhaps the trick is to present a benign countenance to the cameras while keeping the inner rage stoked up for the privacy of the training ground. After Sunderland had lost recently an interviewer asked Roy Keane why he seemed so relaxed about it all. "Never judge a book by its cover," Keane responded with just the hint of a glint.
An aide to General George S Patton once told him that his men never knew when old blood-and-guts was being serious or just acting. Patton replied that he hoped they never found out. He would have done well in the Premier League.