Well then, perhaps we’ve figured out one thing from yesterday’s behind-closed-doors meet : Terry Burton is back as assistant manager, this time to Drillo. Now, I have to admit to be surprised by this move, but if it’s the shot in the arm the squad so desperately needs then I will welcome it with open arms. For those of you with goldfish memories, JK enjoyed his best results/performances when Terry Burton was at his side.
TB was widely admired and respected by the squad at that time (and who still make up over 50% of the current squad), and it is widely known that if anything, the players played for him more than JK. We all know what happened – TB was getting much of the credit, JK didn’t like it, the two had a row, TB was “promoted” to looking around the world at training methods (ie JK got shot of him) and we suffered on the field. The timing is the biggest surprise – is it too late for him to have an impact? Time will tell, but after the excuse for a performance last Saturday, I’m prepared to gamble on anything.
Various ponderables will now arise : is it the end for Drillo? Probably not, I don’t think that TB is much of a manager, nor I think he wants to be either, and Drillo has much more experience in that line. My guess is that TB is there to “bridge that gap” between Drillo himself and those players who maybe don’t exactly support our manager.
I think that the two are more than likely to pool ideas together rather than have confrontations with each other, after all Drillo seems much less bolshie than JK (somebody suggested to me that the partnership is there to “anglicise” Drillo’s ideas, in other words TB makes them easier for the UK players to understand). Why did it take so long for TB to return? Well, our tax cheating camel shagging ex-owner was quoted recently to a WFC fan that TB was where he was because he wasn’t “a leader of men”, or maybe he didn’t want him back anywhere near the first team because JK would get the hump, so maybe now that BRG is the man calling the shots it was bound to happen.
Remember, it took one game in charge for him to return…… Perhaps most importantly, the mpre established players seem to respond to him most, and at this moment in time, that’s the biggest thing we need. One thing is does show is that the players now have no excuse not to perform on Sunday : they know they have to win to stay up, they’re playing a team who they should really beat, and now they’ve got a man who it’s more or less proven that they respect more than probably any other person in the club. I’m starting to approach Bradford with a lot more confidence now. Still bricking it though.
Speaking of Bradford, and beyond, looks like we’ll have to do without Maggie again. He’s picked up a re-occurance of his ankle so could miss the rest of the season. Hopefully JH will decide he’s fit enough and make a Frank Sinatraeque comeback on Sunday. Well, you can’t rely on Cort can you?