2 Mar 2012

LFC Legend warns: Avoid this 'dreadful' manager at all costs. Harsh or fair?

With less than a hundred days before the start of Euro 2012, England still do not have a permanent manager in place. Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is the clear peoples' choice, but the FA seems to be dragging its feet on officially offering him the job. This has allowed Stuart Pearce to throw his hat into the ring, and 'Psycho' has made it clear that he wants to lead England in the Euros. Liverpool legend John Aldridge thinks this would be a very bad idea.

In his column for the Liverpool Echo, Aldridge launched a scathing, arguably personal attack on Pearce, and urged the FA not to consider him for the England job. He argued:

"THE FA, for once, deserve credit. Wembley is a great stadium, a great base for the home of English football. Their good work, however, will be undone if they allow Stuart Pearce’s ‘reign’ as England manager to be anything other than brief.

"Mark my words, if England give him the job for Euro 2012, they will be a laughing stock. He has done nothing as a manager. His work with the Under-21s last summer was dreadful, and I genuinely don’t know how he has the nerve to put himself in the frame for the job.

"He might call himself ‘Psycho’ – what a joke that is – but the FA should be advised to steer well clear".


Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but in my view, Aldridge is out of order with his comments, which clearly have a personal undertone. Aldo probably still harbours resentment against Pearce for some of the 'reducer' tackles he experienced during the late '80s (!)

Liverpool-Nottingham Forest games were always memorable during Aldridge's time at Anfield, none more so that the 5-0 Anfield drubbing in 1988, and the FA Cup Semi-Final in the same year.

Whether England would be a 'laughing stock' if Pearce took the job is open to debate; for me, they're already a laughing stock, so it wouldn't really make that much difference.

Jaimie Kanwar


13 comments:

  1. he's true in saying that pearce has done nothing as a manager,the under age side were dreadful under him too.i'd like pearce as a player and he seems a good decent bloke but he's not cut out for taking that job.even the way he was talking during the week about his 'ongoing education' etc wouldn't fill me with great anticipation.

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  2. How can people say the U21's have been dreadful? He's led them to cup finals. Also another issue to point out is a lot of the players coming through have played under him for the U21's and have enormous respect for him. People like Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge, Frazier Campbell, Chamberlain, Wilshire, Jones and Walker have all progressed under Pearce at international level. To say he has done nothing as a manager is very harsh. He didn't have the best time at City but working under someone like Capello will have obviously benefitted him somewhat. I say give him a crack at it, the preparation for the Euro's is already farcical.

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  3. I think FA wants to indulge too much in manager's job. Seems there are too many control freaks in FA. I doubt if they will choose Harry. Harry won't take their instructions like Pearce does.

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  4. I don't agree to often with Aldo but isn't he spot on. He will the crappiest mngr at euro2012.YNWA

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  5. Down with Stuart Pearce and the FA.

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  6. If he's crap just let him be. This summer I will be watching the Euros with some interest and hopefully my wish will come true i.e. be dumped out of the group stages. They want to give the world the impression that they are fair and to to me the only thing that's fair is to see them being humiliated. The word fair to me goes hand in hand with equality I think in the UK these words are the complete opposite! Long may they (FA) burn in hell

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  7. I hope the FA appoint Mourinho that way at least he can be ruled out of the Liverpool Job (not that he has ever in anybodys wildest dreams been ruled in)

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  8. theycallmemrburt2:09 am, March 03, 2012

    Pearce is inept.  I hope England give him the job.  An inept manager to go with an inept, over hyped bunch of players.  Capello and sven proved during their reigns that they were the minds behind any limited success England have recently experienced. 

    If the FA don't give it to Pearce I hope they give it to Hodgson so I can laugh in the face of all of those who are happy Capello has gone.  If one of the best managers of his generation can't get the best out of England's players then maybe, just maybe the players as a unit under pressure are crap.

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  9. England are muck, I wish it was still Lineker and the boys

    At least they seemed special or maybe it was because I was a kid

    When's the last time an England manager made a big decision? Alf Ramsey in 1966 when he left Jimmy Greaves out of the world cup squad

    English football now excels in producing mundane, over coached, predictable mid fielders. Pure shite

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  10. yes it is fair - they might as well take a risk with an unknown young manager rather than going with Pearce!

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  11. Septimus_severus1:39 pm, March 03, 2012

    They FA should give the job to Roy Hodgson as a curse !

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  12. he wouldn't want to join your little club anyway.

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  13. John Aldridge is a joke! This is just a personal attack on Pearce nothing more.

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