Brief recap: England football manager/playboy Sven (pictured) is "exposed" by the News of the World having suggested that he *might* quit if he wins the World Cup. Other revelations follow, in which Sven "reveals" that Rio Ferdinand is lazy, Wayne Rooney had a rough upbringing, and Michael Owen only went to Newcastle for the £££. So far, so uncontroversial.
He went on to suggest that *if* the Arab consortium he was lounging with were to buy Aston Villa (a club he suggested), then he'd be willing to take over as manager, and would be able to sign David Beckham. Both issues are clear breaches of FIFA rules, but since the conversation was hypothetical, Sven won't be charged.
This isn't the first time Sven's hypotheticals have caused a problem. Back when Wayne Rooney was still an Everton player, David Moyes (our manager) said the following:
We’ve been disappointed by one or two comments, especially one that the England manager made when he said ‘If I was a club manager I’d pick up the phone and call his agent. First of all, I would expect the manager of England to know it is illegal to do that, because the player is under contract. Secondly, it’s the last thing we’d want.”
“I don’t think if he were manager of Everton he’d want to be sitting in this position and hearing an international manager saying that about one of his players.”
via Kenny Fogarty
I think hypotheticals matter - especially if the person exposed believes that the scenario may well occur. It reveals what Sven's all about, and is valid information.
I'm not a big fan of Sven, and the FA made a blunder by giving him such a lucrative contract. This affair provides an excuse to break it, and they should.
I don't really care what he does off the pitch, my problem with him is that he is such a completely useless international football manager.
The results we have got in his care, such as they are, the players we have should have got anyway.
Whenever the chips have been really down he has been the proverbial rabbit in the headlights - absolutely no idea what to do.
Get him out now! Anybody else would do as well as the best we can expect from him.
If he takes us to Germany we will be lucky to get past the semis.
Posted by: Tom Livingston | January 31, 2006 at 08:29 PM
Fair point - I should make clear that Sven should go because he's a bad manager, and these events are a convenient excuse to get rid.
As soon as i can decide who should replace him, i'll make that point clearer!
Posted by: AJE | January 31, 2006 at 09:15 PM
is this the first time terry venables hasn't been 'in the frame'? and does anyone use the term 'in the frame' for anything other than the england managers job? Reminds me a bit of the akimbo phenomenon...
http://www.gruts.com/misc/akimbos/index.htm
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Posted by: Cheap Jordan 1 | October 01, 2011 at 04:33 AM