JamieD 19,071 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Jock Wallace's battle fever management would not survive the sneersIt is difficult to imagine a manager with such tough methods lasting the distance in the cynical modern gameIt is an immutable law of pub talk that, if you introduce the topic of Brian Clough, you will hear at least one of the following cliches within 60 seconds: he was the best manager England never had, he was the best manager of all time, and he could not have thrived in the modern game. What you are less likely to hear is an exploration of the uncomfortable paradox, that Clough was exceptional then but would be unsuitable now, and to what extent that reflects poorly on modern football.Fans regularly lament the extinction of the hard man, yet just as striking is the disappearance of the hard manager. If Clough's instinctive idiosyncrasy was his major strength, then his regular demonstrations of the toughest love were also integral to his unparalleled success. He would regularly get his players to run through nettles, and once slugged Roy Keane to the floor as punishment for playing a backpass.Clough's mentor was Harry Storer, a man who boasted proudly that "I have a team of bastards, and I am the biggest bastard of them all." This was an era when masculinity was an extreme sport, when household items like tea cups, plates and hairdryers found an alternative use or an alternative meaning. It was not just a British trait. The legendary Internazionale coach Helenio Herrera once ordered two players to walk six miles back to the team base because they were 20 seconds late for the coach.Nobody encapsulated that school of management better than the late Jock Wallace, one of Rangers' greatest managers. Wallace was a chillingly hard man with a granite face, an even stronger will, and a voice that rarely softened from its default growl. His army background shaped so much of his management. Wallace was stationed in Northern Ireland and Malaya in the 1950s, engaged in jungle warfare and survived by eating what he called "monkey steaks".Wallace's militarism was such that his dressing room might have been a scene from the film Full Metal Jacket. Gary Lineker recalls a reserve game at Leicester when, at half time, Wallace threw him against the wall. Leicester were 2-0 up. Lineker had scored them both.His most famous act at Leicester was to introduce a gloriously sadistic form of pre-season training. During his time at Rangers, while having a picnic with his wife, Wallace stumbled across the sand dunes of Gullane, jauntily entitled 'Murder Hill'. He made his players run up and down the hill until they could run no more – and then he made them do it again.When he got to Leicester, Wallace scouted a similar incline. There is a wonderful clip of the Leicester players panting their way through a session with Wallace barking "Hands off that bloody sand!" every two seconds. Pre-season training should have been called Wallace and Vomit: players were frequently sick as their bodies surrendered.Some will comfortably dismiss Wallace as an antiquated barbarian, yet it is difficult to reconcile that with the fact most of his players adored him. Ted McMinn, who Wallace took to Sevilla when he managed them in the 1980s, described him as "everything to me, a dad really". Wallace could inspire most players to run to the ends of the earth – or, worse still, up Murder Hill. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Jock Wallace," said Manolo Jiménez, who played under Wallace at Sevilla and later managed them. "He was a great, great manager who instilled in me my belief and fighting spirit."He also instilled a winning mentality. At Rangers, Wallace ended Celtic's run of nine consecutive titles, and then won two trebles in three seasons. In a TV interview before the 1984 Scottish League Cup final against Celtic, Wallace announced: "I fancy us very strongly. We've got the battle fever on today." They won 3-2 and the phrase stuck, a mantra for Rangers fans.Wallace's focus on fitness made him something of a visionary, even if his methodology was emphatically of its time. He was the Arsène Wenger of his day, only armed with sand rather than pasta. John Greig, perhaps Rangers' greatest ever player, says Wallace's regime was the reason he was able to play until he was 35. Others felt the value of the training was as much psychological as physical. Wallace may have made some of his players vomit, but then there could be no battle fever without sickness.He also knew that hardship begot hardness. Wallace was obsessed with character-building, having built a deceptively complex character of his own. In many respects, Wallace was a gentle beast. On the day Rangers won their first title for 11 years, he sent on a palpably unfit Greig for the last two minutes so that he could drink in the moment and collect the trophy. Wallace also forged a friendship with Johan Cruyff and nearly persuaded him to join Leicester in 1981."They don't come with giant character and personality like 'Big Man' Jock Wallace anymore," wrote Sir Alex Ferguson – and that was in 1994, before the game really started to change. Wallace would have no chance with the whirligig of snidery that is modern football, particularly with player power rampant. But he is a perfect reminder of an age when football well and truly had the battle fever on.http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/aug/23/jock-wallace-hard-football-manager?CMP=twt_gu Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarcheVinny 1,003 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Wonderful read. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devlin 222 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Fantastic read. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyjones 3,009 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Despite what the article says, managers like Wallace and Clough would still have a leading role to play in the modern game. The players would be the ones to change or they would be out. Thanks for posting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misteral 2,932 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 I just read it in The Guardian and came on here to post it but was beaten to it, *sigh*. Great read though I'm not sure about the premise of it. Jock Wallace would be able to handle any player these days. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Manticore* 1,893 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Great stuff, thanks for posting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adoniram 1,919 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Despite what the article says, managers like Wallace and Clough would still have a leading role to play in the modern game. The players would be the ones to change or they would be out. Thanks for posting.The two most successful managers in the modern game today are not noted for their "liberal" attitudes...Ferguson and Mourinho.Guardiola i am still reserving judgement on as he has inherited a team that comes along once in every lifetime.Until he wins leagues and CL with other teams he will be another potential Paul Le Guen for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the goal machine 7,810 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 There's more ego's in the game now to be fair but a great manager will either adapt or make his players adapt. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieD 19,071 Posted August 23, 2011 Author Share Posted August 23, 2011 Guardiola i am still reserving judgement on as he has inherited a team that comes along once in every lifetime.It's perhaps a debate for another thread but I can't not take issue with this wherever I encounter it.Guardiola inherited a team with Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto'o, Deco, Yaya Toure etc etc.What makes him a MANAGER is the fact that these are all gone. And in many of these positions he has replaced them with homegrown youths. Who he has moulded into champions at domestic, european and in many cases international level.His enduring greatness in the wider scheme of football is not yet assured, no, but it has nothing to do with needing to achieve success at other clubs. If he sustains success at Barcelona that will be the measure of him. He has already all but built his second Barcelona team of his tenure already. If he has immediate and enduring success beyond what he has already, as no manager in the last 25 years has, that will be the measure of his ability. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeautifulSeas 10 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 A great read, thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyjones 3,009 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 The two most successful managers in the modern game today are not noted for their "liberal" attitudes...Ferguson and Mourinho.Guardiola i am still reserving judgement on as he has inherited a team that comes along once in every lifetime.Until he wins leagues and CL with other teams he will be another potential Paul Le Guen for me.If Guardiola continues to have Barcelona at the pinnacle, evolving new teams as he goes, why would he need, or indeed want, to go elsewhere? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adoniram 1,919 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 If Guardiola continues to have Barcelona at the pinnacle, evolving new teams as he goes, why would he need, or indeed want, to go elsewhere?One word..pressure.The only way for Guardiola now is down and after achieving so much in his first three seasons he has already admitted that this is likely to be his last season. I think that is a very very smart move providing he finishes on a high.I can see him taking a year or two out and then going on to another "project" just like Mourinho. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasper 2 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 What a wonderful read. A very eloquently written article that truly capitulates Wallace's impact on Rangers Football Club even 40 years on.One of the greats. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JograBear 1,074 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 You got to love big Jock. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdasyn 431 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 He was before my time sadly, but I simply love reading about Jock Wallace. I wish I could've witnessed one of his Rangers teams. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVB 2,560 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Jock Wallace encapsulated everything about The Rangers for me. When he was sacked I was genuinely gutted, and when he died, a little bit of me died too. Treated shamefully by the club, RIP the real Big Jock, it was an honour and a privelidge to meet you sir. What could he have done with the millions that Souness was given? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterC 12,361 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Was going to post this but was beaten to it! Good article and its so true how todays sanitised football culture would not have been a place for the likes of Jock Wallace Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zappa6995 3,684 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 God Bless Jock Wallace Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumFace 2 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 "Monkey steaks" Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
delamonty 992 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Thanks for posting. Great read. Big Jock would have done very well today imho. I believe Big Jock falls under the category for "Firm but fair."Players will run that extra mile for managers like him. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adoniram 1,919 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 He was before my time sadly, but I simply love reading about Jock Wallace. I wish I could've witnessed one of his Rangers teams.You would have seen a team of men of real winners who fought,snarled and played for each other as if their very lives depended on it. Oh and he moulded together some team that won the treble twice in 3 seasons. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosesMcNeil 1,664 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Jock Wallace encapsulated everything about The Rangers for me. When he was sacked I was genuinely gutted, and when he died, a little bit of me died too. Treated shamefully by the club, RIP the real Big Jock, it was an honour and a privelidge to meet you sir. What could he have done with the millions that Souness was given?I loved Jock Wallace. I loved his teams, the fitba they played and those years on the terraces following his side.God bless the man. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
minstral 5,375 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 A good Protestant Rangers man who knew what the club was all about. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albluenose1990 29 Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Cracking piece of sports journalism. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escobar 13,676 Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Fantastic read.Thanks for posting, great find Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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