Ban the Clowns From This Touchline Cabaret
Summary
SAM ALLARDYCE wears a short, dark coat. He chomps gum with his mouth wide open, flushes purple when angry and treads the touchline with a heavy-footed waddle, like an alderman on his way to lunch. Arsene Wenger is a peevish, pursed-lip presence who folds his arms and sulks a good deal. Martin O'Neill is a leaping, jerking emotional spasm. Sir Alex Ferguson is prey to a daft little dance, apparently designed to embarrass his grandchildren. Harry Redknapp is a neurotic twitcher while Jose Mourinho's pouting poses always carried the ring of excessive rehearsal.
The images have become visual cliches, the first resort of the lazy television director. Yet we are meant to savour the ritual. The match may be drab and the players inadequate but the touchline cabaret is part of the fixtures and fittings.See the full content of this document
Extract
Ban the Clowns From This Touchline Cabaret
Indeed, we have reached the stage at which certain people are judged by their performance in the so-called 'technical area'.
Manager X may be tactically illiterate and manager Y technically dim while ma...See the full content of this document