Sean O'Driscoll
- Thread starter Jack D Rips
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It's not baloney, but your humble opinion once again appears to have dropped its dress and revealed its naked arrogance. He didn't want to sack anyone, but he's clearly been given the choice of a new number two. That's hardly logical, but take that up with FSG.
At least it sounds like he and Brendan can work together which can only be a good thing. None of the top four have particularly big names as the assistant manager (Ryan Giggs is a big name but not for his management). I guess the disappointment is mainly coming from a dissatisfaction with Brendan.
I don't care about whether he's a big name or not. Surely the point is, what this set-up so badly needed was a winner, an experienced operator who knows what it takes and demands it from the team. The problem with this bloke is he's yet another 'I'd rather lose playing well' dreamer. One of those is enough.
It's still an appointment that is likely to undermine Rodgers. If he has no impact, it'll worsen the situation. But if under-achieving players start blossoming, he'll probably get the credit, which will eat away at Brendan's ego as a self-admiring super coach. That's partly why he was always happy with Pascoe - a mate who'd never be suspected of being responsible for anything other than the upkeep of the cones.
Well this is underwhelming.
Bascombe's article also suggests that we'll still look to bring in an ex-player on the coaching staff, which smacks of tokenism now that an assistant has been appointed. May as well have kept on Mike Marsh.
Bascombe's article also suggests that we'll still look to bring in an ex-player on the coaching staff, which smacks of tokenism now that an assistant has been appointed. May as well have kept on Mike Marsh.
So it seems that the forum thinks the only way to be successful is to have a big name assistant manager. I'm sure everyone could reel off all the assistant managers at chelsea, arsenal, city, barca, madrid, bayern, psg, juve etc. Big names is the only way to go obv.
I know fuck all about this new guy, he could be great or a disaster, but slagging him off off and rating him as shit or meh based on knowing nothing about him seems a bit stupid. The bottom line is that he'll be assisting in implementing Rodgers philosophy, not his own. I presume Rodgers has picked him as he believes how to play a game of football is in line with how Rodgers thinks we should play it. I can't see a problem with that, it would have been madness for FSG or Rodgers to bring in someone who had completely different ideas of how it should be done.
I know fuck all about this new guy, he could be great or a disaster, but slagging him off off and rating him as shit or meh based on knowing nothing about him seems a bit stupid. The bottom line is that he'll be assisting in implementing Rodgers philosophy, not his own. I presume Rodgers has picked him as he believes how to play a game of football is in line with how Rodgers thinks we should play it. I can't see a problem with that, it would have been madness for FSG or Rodgers to bring in someone who had completely different ideas of how it should be done.
[article=http://www.theleaguepaper.com/latest-news/football-league-division-one/566/bristol-citys-quiet-boss-has-the-right-ethics/]AS a player at Fulham, Sean O’Driscoll was given the nickname Noisy. As manager of Bournemouth, it was Mr Happy. As you’ve probably guessed, both were meant in jest.[/article]
Aug 2012:
[article=http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/19294132]Veteran Bournemouth striker Steve Fletcher is nearing the end of a 24-year career and has not played under his fellow Cherries legend O'Driscoll for six years.
But he still has huge respect and admiration for a man he says has shaped his career. And Fletcher is certain Forest's appointment will prove a shrewd one on all levels.
"If there was a period in my 20 years at Bournemouth where I could say say 'that's the time where I become a true professional and looked at things differently', it would be under Sean O'Driscoll," Fletcher said.
"I actually played with him in my first year as a pro in 1992. When I signed, Sean was still playing and I played with him for a season.
"He has had spells as youth-team manager, physio, he was reserve-team manager, assistant manager and then worked his way up to the first team in 2000-2001.
"Every player I speak to praises his methods, his work ethic and his ethos.
"He is a quiet man. Sean is not the type of manager who is on TV and in the public eye. He was a massive, massive influence and I am sure he has been on so many players who have played under him.
"His nickname here was Mr Happy. He comes across quite serious but that's just the way he is. I know the other side of Sean.
"I still phone up now when I want advice. I was assistant manager here for 10 months last season and phoned him up regularly for advice for football and non-football matters. I hold him in that high a regard."
Fletcher, 40, says O'Driscoll combines tremendous desire, with a willingness to learn as well as meticulous preparation.
"He was probably the first manager who looked at things differently in the lower leagues," Fletcher added.
"When players came to us they would always say he did things differently. I would say he was ahead of his time when he took over and he has set the way the club has been run since.
"He was a big believer in making training professional. You trained the way you played. It was more intense. He looked at every aspect of the club.
"We got a good tag in the lower leagues. We were tagged as one of the best footballing teams around. A lot of clubs sent their younger boys here because they knew they would get a good education - especially playing under a manager like Sean.
"Football became more scientific and people would look into it more. Sean said that was not just for the big boys. He took it on board and he did everything he could to make us a better team. He leaves no stone unturned."
But Fletcher says that all O'Driscoll's coaching qualities are underpinned by his great management skills.
"He will explain things to you, why you weren't in the team, why you were doing something in training or why you were playing a certain way," Fletcher added.
"Sean will tell you the truth. He will tell it as it is. You have to respect the man. He won't pussyfoot around. If something needs to be said or addressed he will do it there and then.
"He won't just do things and leave you to second guess. Everything was addressed and addressed in the right way, I cannot really praise him enough.
"Sean gave me the inspiration to go on and play and have responsibility.
"He's not a shouter but he gets his point across. A look from Sean was enough to let you know if you weren't doing it right. He didn't have to throw things around.
"He deserves to be managing at the top level."
Fletcher added: "He has been in and around the Championship for many years now and I am sure he will have had a list of players as long as his arm who he would like to get hold off to take Forest in the right direction.
"Which manager wouldn't want millions to spend? But his most important thing is getting in players who will buy into what he wants to do. He will look at the bigger picture.
"Forest will have an enthusiastic young team that can be built on. That has always been his way.
"He had that at Bournemouth and we sold so many fantastic players to higher clubs and and the majority of them were when Sean was here.
"He's never been at a club and spent millions and even if he did at he will look at it deeply. He will look at every aspect, if it is right for the club and the team.
"His ethos is he will get players in with good ability who will work on things but they have to be right for the club and the team. He nurtures players and builds a team and that's why he has had success. He spends wisely. He thinks things through."
[/article]
Jun 2013
[article]Howe told the Daily Echo: “I would say the biggest impact he had was on my playing career. From when he first used to coach me when I was 16, I always felt he was ahead of his time. He was very good and very educational with players. He taught us a lot.
“I used to drive in with him when he was still a player because we used to live near one another and I have known him a long time. I have the utmost respect for not just how he coaches and manages, but his ethics of the game.
“I think Bristol City will be strong this season because Sean knows what he is doing. He has done it time and time again and he builds good football teams. They always try to play the right way and he always tries to educate his players to get them to play the style of football that all Bournemouth fans will know.
“I really look forward to welcoming him back. He did such a good job for the club in many different roles – managing, playing, with the youth team and as physio. He put his heart and soul into the club for such a long time and I know everyone will recognise that when he returns.”[/article]
Feb 2013
[article=http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/21341272]"He was at Bournemouth for about 20 years in total and I don't think we had any money during that whole time," said former Cherries chairman Peter Phillips.
"Sean doesn't spend money on big name players. He likes to find players who have got talent who he can improve."
O'Driscoll had an enviable budget at Nottingham Forest - thanks to their wealthy Kuwaiti owners - and chose to spend wisely on shrewd signings like Billy Sharp, Simon Cox and Simon Gillett.
He was characteristically frugal during the latest January window, with his only City signing being Brendan Moloney on a free transfer from the Reds.
"He was a joy to work with as a chairman at a club with no money," added Phillips.
"He will find gems in non-league and brings through the kids from the youth team. He won't go out and waste your money."[/article]
[article=http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/21341272]Bristol City's most successful period in recent years came under Gary Johnson - a jovial cockney who was always considered good value for money on and off the pitch.
The no-nonsense O'Driscoll could not be more different. He shies away from the spotlight thrust on the modern game, and appears full of concentration on the touchline.
In an interview with the BBC last year, former team-mate Steve Fletcher revealed O'Driscoll's nickname at Bournemouth was Mr Happy - a sarcastic nod to the quiet man's reluctance to break his hard-faced demeanour.
Richard O'Kelly, now first-team coach at City, has played and worked alongside O'Driscoll for almost 30 years and recognises his head-strong mentality.
"He's very thoughtful and deep at times," he said. "We both want to achieve the same thing, but sometimes we see different ways of getting there.
"Because of that there can occasionally be a bit of conflict. Sometimes conflict is good because you can have a discussion, or to some extremes an argument, but between us hopefully we'll come to the right conclusion."[/article]
Jul 2012
[article=http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/18871943]Nottingham Forest midfielder Andy Reid says Sean O'Driscoll is a fantastic appointment as boss and the club were right not to go for an "iconic" name.
Forest's new owners the Al-Hasawis had promised a high-profile manager but, after talking to several candidates and consulting players and coaches, they opted for the experienced O'Driscoll.
"It's important we got the right man as opposed to someone who is just a name or a reputation," Reid told BBC Sport.
"I believe we have got the right man."
O'Driscoll spent five months as a coach with Forest last season, and was credited with playing a key role in helping them avoid relegation from the Championship after a traumatic campaign on and off the pitch.
"He played a massive part," Reid told BBC East Midlands Today.
"He came in and helped get us organised which was vitally important. We were a little bit all over the place at times and we needed to be more organised and Sean helped with that side of it.
"We knew we had the players in the squad to hurt teams and once we did get organised and we weren't giving away silly goals as a team, we could give anybody a game. And we proved that towards the end of the season."
The 55-year-old left his position as boss at Crawley Town without playing a competitive game and has been handed a three-year contract by Forest's owners, who had originally promised an iconic appointment.
They had talked to former England manager Glenn Hoddle, former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan and also Mick McCarthy, who rejected the chance to succeed Steve Cotterill at the City Ground.
But with a host of other names also being linked with the job - from Roy Keane to Diego Maradona - Reid is glad they chose a man who knows the club, has a proven pedigree in the Championship and wants to play passing football.
Reid added: "It's fantastic appointment, and it's a very brave appointment in a lot of ways.
"What we needed was not a sexy appointment or somebody who was just coming in because of the name.
"We needed an appointment who knew the values and tradition of this club and knows this league because it's a different league to any other league in the world. It takes certain qualities to get promoted, and Sean is fully aware of what those qualities are.
"It was the right appointment to make and fitted in great for what we needed, which is stability and somebody we know.
"It would have been easy to go the other way but they probably listened to advice from certain people."
Republic of Ireland international Reid also said O'Driscoll's stint on the coaching staff last season left him in no doubt that the club have done the correct thing.
"We spoke about it as a group of players and there wasn't one player who said they wouldn't be happy with it which is obviously encouraging," Reid added.
"Since I have come to the club as a kid there is a tradition of getting the ball down and playing football and the new manager is obviously a fan of playing football.
"But at the same time he is not naive. He knows there are times to play football and times not too. The other side of it is a very important part for us; getting organised, getting a steady team, not giving away silly goals and free-kicks away and then letting the football do the talking.
"We have some very talented players in the squad."[/article]
[article]A tireless runner in midfield, O'Driscoll was ever-present in 1986/87 as the Cherries won the old Third Division title with 97 points - a record at the time - to reach the second tier of English football for the only time in their history.
"If ever I have to have a heart transplant, I want Sean's heart," quipped Redknapp.
Given the ironic nickname of "Noisy" by his team-mates, O'Driscoll remained a key figure under Redknapp and went on to make 423 league appearance to break the club record - which he held until recently overtaken by his own club captain, Steve Fletcher.[/article]
From all the articles I've read, he seems well suited to the Academy role. The England U19 job he has at the moment fits him just fine.
Aug 2012:
[article=http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/19294132]Veteran Bournemouth striker Steve Fletcher is nearing the end of a 24-year career and has not played under his fellow Cherries legend O'Driscoll for six years.
But he still has huge respect and admiration for a man he says has shaped his career. And Fletcher is certain Forest's appointment will prove a shrewd one on all levels.
"If there was a period in my 20 years at Bournemouth where I could say say 'that's the time where I become a true professional and looked at things differently', it would be under Sean O'Driscoll," Fletcher said.
"I actually played with him in my first year as a pro in 1992. When I signed, Sean was still playing and I played with him for a season.
"He has had spells as youth-team manager, physio, he was reserve-team manager, assistant manager and then worked his way up to the first team in 2000-2001.
"Every player I speak to praises his methods, his work ethic and his ethos.
"He is a quiet man. Sean is not the type of manager who is on TV and in the public eye. He was a massive, massive influence and I am sure he has been on so many players who have played under him.
"His nickname here was Mr Happy. He comes across quite serious but that's just the way he is. I know the other side of Sean.
"I still phone up now when I want advice. I was assistant manager here for 10 months last season and phoned him up regularly for advice for football and non-football matters. I hold him in that high a regard."
Fletcher, 40, says O'Driscoll combines tremendous desire, with a willingness to learn as well as meticulous preparation.
"He was probably the first manager who looked at things differently in the lower leagues," Fletcher added.
"When players came to us they would always say he did things differently. I would say he was ahead of his time when he took over and he has set the way the club has been run since.
"He was a big believer in making training professional. You trained the way you played. It was more intense. He looked at every aspect of the club.
"We got a good tag in the lower leagues. We were tagged as one of the best footballing teams around. A lot of clubs sent their younger boys here because they knew they would get a good education - especially playing under a manager like Sean.
"Football became more scientific and people would look into it more. Sean said that was not just for the big boys. He took it on board and he did everything he could to make us a better team. He leaves no stone unturned."
But Fletcher says that all O'Driscoll's coaching qualities are underpinned by his great management skills.
"He will explain things to you, why you weren't in the team, why you were doing something in training or why you were playing a certain way," Fletcher added.
"Sean will tell you the truth. He will tell it as it is. You have to respect the man. He won't pussyfoot around. If something needs to be said or addressed he will do it there and then.
"He won't just do things and leave you to second guess. Everything was addressed and addressed in the right way, I cannot really praise him enough.
"Sean gave me the inspiration to go on and play and have responsibility.
"He's not a shouter but he gets his point across. A look from Sean was enough to let you know if you weren't doing it right. He didn't have to throw things around.
"He deserves to be managing at the top level."
Fletcher added: "He has been in and around the Championship for many years now and I am sure he will have had a list of players as long as his arm who he would like to get hold off to take Forest in the right direction.
"Which manager wouldn't want millions to spend? But his most important thing is getting in players who will buy into what he wants to do. He will look at the bigger picture.
"Forest will have an enthusiastic young team that can be built on. That has always been his way.
"He had that at Bournemouth and we sold so many fantastic players to higher clubs and and the majority of them were when Sean was here.
"He's never been at a club and spent millions and even if he did at he will look at it deeply. He will look at every aspect, if it is right for the club and the team.
"His ethos is he will get players in with good ability who will work on things but they have to be right for the club and the team. He nurtures players and builds a team and that's why he has had success. He spends wisely. He thinks things through."
[/article]
Jun 2013
[article]Howe told the Daily Echo: “I would say the biggest impact he had was on my playing career. From when he first used to coach me when I was 16, I always felt he was ahead of his time. He was very good and very educational with players. He taught us a lot.
“I used to drive in with him when he was still a player because we used to live near one another and I have known him a long time. I have the utmost respect for not just how he coaches and manages, but his ethics of the game.
“I think Bristol City will be strong this season because Sean knows what he is doing. He has done it time and time again and he builds good football teams. They always try to play the right way and he always tries to educate his players to get them to play the style of football that all Bournemouth fans will know.
“I really look forward to welcoming him back. He did such a good job for the club in many different roles – managing, playing, with the youth team and as physio. He put his heart and soul into the club for such a long time and I know everyone will recognise that when he returns.”[/article]
Feb 2013
[article=http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/21341272]"He was at Bournemouth for about 20 years in total and I don't think we had any money during that whole time," said former Cherries chairman Peter Phillips.
"Sean doesn't spend money on big name players. He likes to find players who have got talent who he can improve."
O'Driscoll had an enviable budget at Nottingham Forest - thanks to their wealthy Kuwaiti owners - and chose to spend wisely on shrewd signings like Billy Sharp, Simon Cox and Simon Gillett.
He was characteristically frugal during the latest January window, with his only City signing being Brendan Moloney on a free transfer from the Reds.
"He was a joy to work with as a chairman at a club with no money," added Phillips.
"He will find gems in non-league and brings through the kids from the youth team. He won't go out and waste your money."[/article]
[article=http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/21341272]Bristol City's most successful period in recent years came under Gary Johnson - a jovial cockney who was always considered good value for money on and off the pitch.
The no-nonsense O'Driscoll could not be more different. He shies away from the spotlight thrust on the modern game, and appears full of concentration on the touchline.
In an interview with the BBC last year, former team-mate Steve Fletcher revealed O'Driscoll's nickname at Bournemouth was Mr Happy - a sarcastic nod to the quiet man's reluctance to break his hard-faced demeanour.
Richard O'Kelly, now first-team coach at City, has played and worked alongside O'Driscoll for almost 30 years and recognises his head-strong mentality.
"He's very thoughtful and deep at times," he said. "We both want to achieve the same thing, but sometimes we see different ways of getting there.
"Because of that there can occasionally be a bit of conflict. Sometimes conflict is good because you can have a discussion, or to some extremes an argument, but between us hopefully we'll come to the right conclusion."[/article]
Jul 2012
[article=http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/18871943]Nottingham Forest midfielder Andy Reid says Sean O'Driscoll is a fantastic appointment as boss and the club were right not to go for an "iconic" name.
Forest's new owners the Al-Hasawis had promised a high-profile manager but, after talking to several candidates and consulting players and coaches, they opted for the experienced O'Driscoll.
"It's important we got the right man as opposed to someone who is just a name or a reputation," Reid told BBC Sport.
"I believe we have got the right man."
O'Driscoll spent five months as a coach with Forest last season, and was credited with playing a key role in helping them avoid relegation from the Championship after a traumatic campaign on and off the pitch.
"He played a massive part," Reid told BBC East Midlands Today.
"He came in and helped get us organised which was vitally important. We were a little bit all over the place at times and we needed to be more organised and Sean helped with that side of it.
"We knew we had the players in the squad to hurt teams and once we did get organised and we weren't giving away silly goals as a team, we could give anybody a game. And we proved that towards the end of the season."
The 55-year-old left his position as boss at Crawley Town without playing a competitive game and has been handed a three-year contract by Forest's owners, who had originally promised an iconic appointment.
They had talked to former England manager Glenn Hoddle, former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan and also Mick McCarthy, who rejected the chance to succeed Steve Cotterill at the City Ground.
But with a host of other names also being linked with the job - from Roy Keane to Diego Maradona - Reid is glad they chose a man who knows the club, has a proven pedigree in the Championship and wants to play passing football.
Reid added: "It's fantastic appointment, and it's a very brave appointment in a lot of ways.
"What we needed was not a sexy appointment or somebody who was just coming in because of the name.
"We needed an appointment who knew the values and tradition of this club and knows this league because it's a different league to any other league in the world. It takes certain qualities to get promoted, and Sean is fully aware of what those qualities are.
"It was the right appointment to make and fitted in great for what we needed, which is stability and somebody we know.
"It would have been easy to go the other way but they probably listened to advice from certain people."
Republic of Ireland international Reid also said O'Driscoll's stint on the coaching staff last season left him in no doubt that the club have done the correct thing.
"We spoke about it as a group of players and there wasn't one player who said they wouldn't be happy with it which is obviously encouraging," Reid added.
"Since I have come to the club as a kid there is a tradition of getting the ball down and playing football and the new manager is obviously a fan of playing football.
"But at the same time he is not naive. He knows there are times to play football and times not too. The other side of it is a very important part for us; getting organised, getting a steady team, not giving away silly goals and free-kicks away and then letting the football do the talking.
"We have some very talented players in the squad."[/article]
[article]A tireless runner in midfield, O'Driscoll was ever-present in 1986/87 as the Cherries won the old Third Division title with 97 points - a record at the time - to reach the second tier of English football for the only time in their history.
"If ever I have to have a heart transplant, I want Sean's heart," quipped Redknapp.
Given the ironic nickname of "Noisy" by his team-mates, O'Driscoll remained a key figure under Redknapp and went on to make 423 league appearance to break the club record - which he held until recently overtaken by his own club captain, Steve Fletcher.[/article]
From all the articles I've read, he seems well suited to the Academy role. The England U19 job he has at the moment fits him just fine.
If he has been brought in to be in line with how Rodgers thinks we should play football, we are fooked.. 100%.. Rodgers last year got found out on one too many occasions and I don't need to talk about his failings, as it has been done to death on here.. @Ryan probably sums up Brendon Rodgers on here better than anyone..
The problem is, I struggle to see how this fella can be taken seriously at a big club like Liverpool.. He as a track record which lets be honest is best laughed at...
My biggest beef is the lack of experience throughout the coaching staff.. Lack of European experience and top level premiership experience and coaches that have the ethos of a winning mentality that can be passed onto the players... The whole reshuffle was thought to be bringing in experience where we severely lacked..
We are setup like a midtable club.. We are probably set up worse than we where last season..
This season is going to be interesting..
Rodgers has picked him cos he's a yes man. It's as simple as that I'm afraid.
'My biggest mentor is myself because I’ve had to study, so that’s been my biggest influence'
Brendon Rodgers..
*shudders*
The press conference is now set to be about as frank as a session of the Chilcot Inquiry. 'Yes, y'know, I woke up after the Stoke game and suddenly realised that my 'absolutely essential' assistants were a wee bit superfluous, and so I called a meeting with the owners and they were all, "Oh, please leave everything as it is, big man, it's great," but I was adamant. This is Liverpool Football Club, and we need the best, the very best, so I called Sean...'
I don't think it is actually.
He's the perfect type of person for the job in FSG's eyes. Intelligent, inquisitive, not burdened by footballs conventional wisdom like most. Attempts to separate process from results. Not afraid to try something different to consider alternatives never used before. Baseball and basketball regulalry see things done now that when the statistical era began were considered bonkers. Football is at the beginning of its statistical era. We're going to see some different shit tried in the near future that people will think is crazy, until someone succeeds with it. Then it'll be accepted and used by everyone.
Essentially he'll be hated by anyone who thinks they know football. The reality is very few in the game know anything about it, and that figure dwindles even more so for fans.
This is as moneyball an appointment can be. It so happens that he's rated by Rodgers - that just sealed the deal for FSG in my mind.
People seem to have this narrative in their mind that if FSG appoint someone, Rodgers is being undermined. But if Rodgers appoints someone he's calling the shots. FSG are calling the shots and they've identified the type of person needed for the role, Rodgers happens to like him and could work with him. It's a win win situation, not a power struggle.
Excellent appointment; he has a great eye for talent and is a superb coach (who loves to play attractive football)......he was brilliant in his time at Doncaster, got them promoted to the Championship and exceeded expectations by keeping them there on the lowest budget in the division.
With most clubs he's managed he has had almost no money to spend and therefore each injury crisis lead to a drop in form but his teams always fought for him.
The Forest debacle was ALL the fault of the board and he would have proved successful there if he'd been given a chance.
If I had to choose one lower league manager for this position it would have been O'Driscoll.
I doubt very much that he'll simply be a "Yes" man either as he has very strong opinions about the game and the way it's played.
I'm going bawdeep on this one.....................GIVEN TIME (i.e. as long as FSG don't overreact if we lose a couple of our early games) the Rodgers/O'Driscoll pairing will prove successful.
With most clubs he's managed he has had almost no money to spend and therefore each injury crisis lead to a drop in form but his teams always fought for him.
The Forest debacle was ALL the fault of the board and he would have proved successful there if he'd been given a chance.
If I had to choose one lower league manager for this position it would have been O'Driscoll.
I doubt very much that he'll simply be a "Yes" man either as he has very strong opinions about the game and the way it's played.
I'm going bawdeep on this one.....................GIVEN TIME (i.e. as long as FSG don't overreact if we lose a couple of our early games) the Rodgers/O'Driscoll pairing will prove successful.
A few weeks ago we were dreaming of Klopp and pretty derpressing to end up this with this guy.
After been walloped 6-1 by stoke, what we required was a coach who expereince of winning.
What we have instead, is another looser or at best is a respected coach, a bit "unlucky" with past clubs, though with the right club will be sucessful.
Sounds a bit like Rodgers.
After been walloped 6-1 by stoke, what we required was a coach who expereince of winning.
What we have instead, is another looser or at best is a respected coach, a bit "unlucky" with past clubs, though with the right club will be sucessful.
Sounds a bit like Rodgers.
The intriguing thing when a well-regarded coach from the lower leagues moves up is how they fare with technically advanced players. The presumption, understandably, has to be that they'll thrive now that they're working with better, smarter, players, but there's no guarantee of that. Sometimes other factors intrude - big players may be better but they also have bigger egos and can be less pliable as a consequence. Steve Cotterill is an example of when it doesn't work out - his brief spell with top flight players proved hugely frustrating. The main concern I have is that O'Driscoll might be the right man at the wrong time. If you look at last season, what was lacking most was not technique or tactical variation. It was fight and a bit of nous. You can talk the talk on the training ground but unless your players then go out and really fight to compete with and overcome their opponents, you're wasting your time. We had a team of witless wimps. I'm just not sure how someone like O'Driscoll, rather than Pascoe, is going to help prevent a debacle like the home game against the mancs happening again. We started some games last season as if we'd already lost them. That was surely the most alarming thing about our performances. I hope O'Driscoll turns out to be a revelation, but it's only rational to be doubtful.
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