The Sports Psychology Blog
This Sports Psychology blog comes after Premier League chairman, Dave Richards, expresses his surprise at the speed with which Brian Barwick has appointed Fabio Capello.
Football: Brian Barwick - Calling Winston Wolf
So Dave Richards is unhappy with the speed with which FA Chief Executive, Brian Barwick has appointed Fabio Capello. The problem Barwick was facing, was that the majority of the press personally blamed him for the appointment of Steve McClaren. Thus Barwick's reputation, and possibly job was on the line with this next appointment. He was taking no chances. He needed a fixer. A Winston Wolf to solve a messy problem.
In choosing Capello, Brian Barwick cannot go wrong. He has chosen a manager, football people identify as a 'winner'. An impeccable CV etc. Even if Capello fails, blame cannot be laid at Brian Barwick's door. So Barwick has acted quickly, because he has acted to protect himself.
The purpose of international football was that it was meant to be a test. A test of the resources of each nation. A test of players. And a test of coaches. Currently, all the worlds top footballing nations have a home grown national coach. Apart from England. This is how badly English football has become separated from its core values.
Capello's job is to restore those values. When he has done that, he should hand over the reins to an Englishman, who has been groomed to replace him. Then English football can feel whole again.
Note - Winston Wolf is a character in the Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction. Played by Harvey Keitel, he is a professional 'problem-solver'. His no nonsense manner, gets the job done, with the minimum of fuss and the maximum of efficiency. He specialises in removing dead bodies from the garage.
