Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports, former Coventry City footballer Gordon Strachan he has reflected on there recent win over Stoke City and has some high praise for the work of Frank Lampard, but suggests talk of a role with England in the future is too far for now.
Elsewhere the former manager gives his thoughts on Steven Gerrard's next move in management, but stresses he will have no cash concerns anyway!
The piece concludes with some high praise for Kenny Dalglish suggesting there is nobody like him in "Modern Football".
Coventry City
Reflections: Stoke City 0-1 Coventry City
That's a fantastic result. They'll be coming away thinking that's terrific. To go there, top of the league, against a team that defends so solidly. You're always worried that, coming up against your ex-manager, he might do something to you.
All these things are in the back of your head. Frank's then getting judged against Mark Robins, that's the other story to it. But I think everything's been done, and again, by looking at the way a club's run, it's been run really well in the last couple of years, Coventry, it's a fantastic story. As a matter of fact, I get the story of taking a look. Three of my family have got season tickets there, so we know all about them. I know how good they are.
Frank Lampard
Lampard's Mentality
It wasn't easy when Frank Lampard took the job because that's how management works – three strikes and you're out. Frank already had a couple of strikes against him, so it was a big decision for him to take on. He could have chosen to be a pundit, with no pressure and the freedom to say and do what he wanted. But I think that sums up Frank's entire career; he's always strived to be the best professional he can be. He's mentally strong and good with people, which is crucial in management. When I say he’s good with people, I mean he tells them the truth when necessary.
I think it's a story we're all enjoying because we're all fans of Frank Lampard, given what he's done for the game and how he's conducted himself. You can see the same in his Coventry side; they conduct themselves well, they play to score, they're fearless, and it looks like they're improving, which is great.
Will Lampard Finally Get Coventry Promoted?
Could He Manage England?
That’s too far to look ahead, and it's unfair to have that conversation. I think you should enjoy the moment. I kind of live, and I think it's best to live your career like that. Enjoy the moment, be the best manager you can be, be the best person you can be today, which is Monday, and then just see where you end up.
It's a good way because if you start looking ahead, football has a way of saying, 'No, no, you don't look that far ahead.' The footballing Gods will give you plenty. The other problem is for yourself. I've known people who want to get to this level of being a manager at a top club, who say, 'That's my target,' and don't get there and feel like failures. So you might as well just go along and see where you end up.
Steven Gerrard
No Cash Concerns!
I don't think Steven Gerrard’s got to worry about cash, to be honest. Top players don't; it just comes with being a top player. And again, he's a top player, a top fella. I need to warn him; there's never a perfect time to be a manager. Every job I went for, or was asked to go for, you'd question it: ‘Really, should I do this?' Then you're in there for a week and think, 'Hmm, that might not be a good idea.' So you have to deal with these things.
You'll never get a job and go, 'Oh, this is perfect. Everything's great here.' If it were like that, then you wouldn't have been asked to be there. Is it the perfect time for your family? No, there's never a perfect time for your family because they probably don't want you to be a maniac anymore. So, there's never a perfect time. Is it the perfect time for the kids to go? No, they just have to come with you. So, there's never the perfect time.
Gerrard For Middlesbrough?
When the job comes at Middlesbrough, there'll be a rush to go to Middlesbrough, trust me, because you're dealing with one of the best chairmen in the game, without a doubt. That's the reason I went there. I went there and found a lot of nice people, a lot of good people. Unfortunately, I wasn't very good. So, but at least I know when I went there... I got every opportunity to be a good manager. So that's what you're going to get there.
I think as a manager, look at the clubs and look at the success rates as managers, and what has the manager been given to be the best. Have a look at that first. And I think if you look at Middlesbrough, you think, right, I've got a chance here.
Could Gerrard Suit Middlesbrough?
Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish Movie?
Somebody spoke to me the other day about that, and it wasn't him. I spent two days playing golf with him on Thursday and Friday because he’ll never speak about himself. We had dinner together on Friday with our families. The one thing about Kenny Dalglish is that I don’t think people realise how truly talented he was. Few could do what Kenny could do, going back into midfield and playing there as well. But the most important thing about Kenny is his humility. Because of that humility, he always got better. He never once thought about how good he was; instead, he always thought, ‘How can I get better?’
He shares my kind of thinking: ‘How can I be the best teammate I can be?’ It's funny, and I have to say, there are a lot of people being knighted and things like that, but I truly believe that as a football person, you can debate whether we should get knighthoods because we’re in a football world, and that’s what we do, right? But you’ve got to remember what he and Marina have done outside the game for Liverpool. With the Hillsborough support, the charities they’ve established, and the money they’ve raised, they have personally helped that huge community.
The humility of the man is wonderful. As I said, I spent two days on the golf course with him, moaning and groaning at each other. But the funny thing was, talking about humility, I see pundits on TV and radio, and they talk about how competitive they were, how they were winners. And you think, ‘Really? You won the League Cup in 1982 or something like that? That’s all you’ve won, and you’ve been battered for the rest of your career. You’re a useless professional, and yet you tell everyone how good you were.
Kenny has never mentioned his achievements. Some people have a small tattoo of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy or something like that from way back. If Kenny had to have tattoos for all his medals, he'd be the most tattooed man in the world, but he will never mention it. Again, it’s his humility and the fact that he doesn’t need to tell people how good he was. Everybody knows how good he was. He’s the most unassuming man in the world, yet still very competitive at golf. He walks about smiling as if nothing’s going on, but he really is competitive.
Is There A Modern Day Kenny Daglish?
No, not really. But if you wanted to watch him, go on YouTube and watch Scotland versus Belgium, we got beat 3-2 one night, and he scored two unbelievable goals. You know, it's one of these things. When he scored, I think his second one, I thought, because I wasn't a great celebrator unless it was a winner right in the last minute. I used to go, "Alright, good goal," then back to the halfway line, get my breath.
But when he scored that, I thought to myself: ‘I'm getting right in the celebration because this is going to be shown for years. So my kids will know I was involved in this build-up somewhere. So any advice to kids, go to YouTube, Belgium versus Scotland, two goals he scored.
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