[18 JAN 02] THE STUART LINNELL COLUMN

Words of Comfort

One is a former Sky Blues’ manager – Gordon Milne. Now Director of Football at Newcastle United, Gordon enthused greatly over the appointment of Jim Smith as City’s assistant manager.

The other is a former Spurs and England striker who has now a familiar face on the media scene, Garth Crooks. He is of the opinion that there is not much wrong with the Sky Blues team that a big injection of confidence won’t put right.

I fell into conversation with Garth and Gordon after the FA Cup 3rd Round home defeat by Tottenham, a match which saw a host of celebrities among the 20,000-plus Highfield Road attendance. The Hero’s of ’87 were there, of course, and I was delighted, indeed privileged, to be in their company once again and to introduce them to the guests in four of the club’s hospitality suites and, just before the kick-off, to the fans in the stands, as the Cup Winning squad took to the pitch one more time.

For the record, the reunited line-up was Brian Kilcline, Steve Orgrizovic, Brian Borrows, David Phillips, Trevor Peake, Greg Downs, Dave Bennett, Michael Gynn, Lloyd McGrath, Nick Pickering, Cyrille Regis, Keith Houchen and Steve Sedgley.

Two members of the board from ’87 – John Reason, who is still a Director of course, and Micky French, joined the guys for a drink after watching the 2002 City squad succumb to a 2-nil defeat. John was wearing the blazer, trousers, shirt and tie that he wore on that great day at Wembley 15 years ago.

Also there was England manager Sven Goran Eriksson and FA Director David Davies, two former Warwickshire and England cricketers, father and son MJK and Neil Smith, and the much-travelled, and I guess you could say, notorious, Stan Collymore.

Add to that the usual round of managers and scouts from other clubs, including Archie Gemmell, who had parted company with Derby County earlier in the day, and the Match of the Day team, led by commentator John Motson, and it was a night of star-spotting and autograph-hunting without any doubt.

So it was that I found myself talking to Garth Crooks. As someone who has tried to make a living out of being a professional observer of many aspects of life, but particularly sport, I am not a huge fan of the player-turned-journalist brigade. The expert view of the likes of Rodney Marsh, Chris Kamara and Alan Hanson as pundits commenting on the game is fine and some, particularly the three I have just mentioned, are excellent in their analysis and their ability to express their views.

One or two – and it is only one or two – have become good commentators but rarely have former professional sports men or women turned into good presenters. There are some who have, but you can count them on the fingers of one hand, with fingers to spare. Most are unmitigated disasters that remain high on the hopeless stakes even after hours of coaching and guidance.

Just because you can score goals or hit balls with a bat or racquet, you are not necessarily a good radio or TV presenter.

That, as Rodney Marsh would say, is my opinion anyway.

Garth Crooks is a notable example of someone who has moved successfully from one arena to another. Garth is a sensible man. He knows his limitations and he knows his strengths. As a post-match interviewer, facing either the jubilant or the dejected, Garth knows just what question to ask and how to put it, without becoming either patronising or aggressive.

Not having seen Coventry City play too often recently, he quickly picked up on the home fans’ reaction to Magnus Hedman. During the Cup-tie, whenever Magnus caught a high ball the Sky Blues supporters offered a loud but ironic cheer.

“What he lacks right now is confidence in his own ability,” said Garth. “He hasn’t become a bad goalkeeper over night. Whether or not he is the best ‘keeper in the world, as one tabloid newspaper reported that he had claimed, I questionable, but he is certainly one of the best.

“All players have their weaknesses,” Garth added, “and high balls may well be Hedman’s, but he is a fine ‘keeper and the fans’ reaction won’t help him.”

He went on to say that you could see a similar problem throughout the side, but that a few goals and a couple of solid wins would soon have City back on song.

For his part, Gordon Milne, was keen to eulogise about the wisdom that comes with experience and how football is all too quick to discard old timers and place them in an archive labelled “nostalgia”, rather than tap into their knowledge and take advantage of it.

At Newcastle, Gordon sits alongside Bobby Robson as shining examples of the benefits that can follow by a club having an enlightened view about employing those who have been there, done it and got several T-shirts.

That is why he is so pleased to see Jim Smith being brought in to the Coventry camp to underpin the developing managerial skills of Roland Nilsson.

There can be little doubt that Jim’s talents have never been needed quite like they are right now. After a performance at Wolves that was little short of embarrassing, the individual performances of Carsley and Thomson apart, the Cup-tie at least saw a considerable improvement in determination and effort.

A run of good results is urgently needed now if a season that promised so much is to be salvaged, and if experience and confidence are the keys, then we all have a part to play – coaches, players and fans alike.

THE GAME WAS PLAYED ON WEDNESDAY16 JANUARY 2002