Post by Macmoish on Apr 14, 2011 14:10:12 GMT
Betfair
Betfair Big interview: Keith Curle.The Big Interview / Ralph Ellis / 14 April 2011 / Leave a Comment
Free £25 bet .
Keith squares up to Eric Cantona in a previous Manchester derby
"City have a great squad but, at the moment, I don’t think there is a team ethic there."
FA Cup semi-finals don't come much bigger or better than a Manchester derby. Betfair went to meet former City captain Keith Curle, now Neil Warnock's coach at Championship leaders Queens Park Rangers, to discuss the prospects . . .
Hi Keith. You had five seasons at City in the early 1990s. Tell us your memories...
It was the very best time of my playing career. I went as the most expensive defender, at £2.5m from Wimbledon which would be loose change for City now, managed to handle that pressure and got made captain. We finished fifth in my first year and they've not done better in the league since. We had a very good team spirit that came together very quickly. I think the demise began with changes of ownership, then changes of managers. They were always in search of something that was already there.
It's a different club now?
Yes, but the ambition is still the same. Back then it was all about trying to be better than United, and it still is. Sir Alex Ferguson has set the benchmark for every single football club in the division and the country. There's a uniqueness about United, and a togetherness about their football club.
Is that not at City then?
Well, you tell me. You look at the last couple of months, and there are world class players in the City changing room, but is there that togetherness? There's a great squad but is there a team? That's one of the things managers and coaches have to do, collect a squad of players and try to turn it into a team. It's a great changing room but, at the moment, I don't think there is a team ethic there.
You don't sound optimistic about this Cup game?
After the result against Liverpool, you wonder if everybody had one eye on this game, which is understandable with it being so close. But good teams roll out results prior to big games. United won 2-0 against Fulham ahead of winning against Chelsea in the Champions League and now have this one.
Rooney is suspended
That's a massive bonus for City, except they have Tevez missing. It's like a game of chess, I'll take your piece but you take mine. You never know - one thing City have is that on their day they can beat United. It's a massive game to find out how far they have come.
If they do it, who will hold the key?
I call him the 'crackerjack man', Mario Balotelli. It could just be his stage, a bit of glamour in a Cup semi-final at Wembley. The trouble is you just don't know. He came on and went off against Liverpool, was he injured? There's a similarity that we have at Rangers with Adel Taarabt. He's got Premier League ability, Balotelli at his level has world class ability. They are players who can win games on their own. But, how can I say it, there's a personality behind the scenes that if you don't know him or know how to handle him you don't get the performances. We're lucky because Neil Warnock has been around so long and managed that many players, he's learned about how to understand the ones who are different. He's formed a relationship that Adele knows what standard is expected when he performs on a match day, and luckily nine times out of ten he does.
Is handling players the hardest part of being a manager?
Not at lower levels. The hardest thing is trying to attract good players to smaller clubs before you then try to get the best from them. At Manchester City, attracting them is the easy part. You're selling them a changing room full of world stars, with wages and transfer fees no object. Then the difficulty is to get performance levels week in and week out and two out of four games is not good enough.
Explain
It goes back to the business of spirit and everybody pulling in the same direction. At a club like City when you pick a team you are leaving out world class internationals, so trying to keep them happy isn't easy. But you have to do it. And if somebody isn't pulling in the same direction then they have to go. That's what happens at Old Trafford, and it is the biggest thing Man City have to create. It's like a vineyard. It takes years and lots of careful pruning for the vines to grow and be strong, and then you can rely on good grapes every year. The one hope for City is that every so often when the vine is young you can always get one good bottle! I just hope that will happen this Saturday!
You'll be after some champagne of your own. If results go your way QPR could be promoted by Monday night...
It would be good but you have to earn it before you talk about it. We were just delighted to bounce back from losing at Sc**thorpe last week with a very gritty 1-0 win at Barnsley. It's been a super season but that counts for nothing until you are over the line.
We'll wish you good luck, and to say thanks for your time we've a free £50 bet for your favourite charity.
That can go to St Luke's Hospice in Cheshire. If any of your readers have a winning bet this week ask them to go to www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk and buy one of their little fund raising buses. If you don't mind I'd like to wait for my bet - I've a couple of friends who train horses so I'll ask them for a tip. Don't worry I'll share it with your readers, and if it wins they can definitely buy a bus each!
betting.betfair.com/football/the-big-interview/betfair-big-interview-keith-curle-1-140411.html
Betfair Big interview: Keith Curle.The Big Interview / Ralph Ellis / 14 April 2011 / Leave a Comment
Free £25 bet .
Keith squares up to Eric Cantona in a previous Manchester derby
"City have a great squad but, at the moment, I don’t think there is a team ethic there."
FA Cup semi-finals don't come much bigger or better than a Manchester derby. Betfair went to meet former City captain Keith Curle, now Neil Warnock's coach at Championship leaders Queens Park Rangers, to discuss the prospects . . .
Hi Keith. You had five seasons at City in the early 1990s. Tell us your memories...
It was the very best time of my playing career. I went as the most expensive defender, at £2.5m from Wimbledon which would be loose change for City now, managed to handle that pressure and got made captain. We finished fifth in my first year and they've not done better in the league since. We had a very good team spirit that came together very quickly. I think the demise began with changes of ownership, then changes of managers. They were always in search of something that was already there.
It's a different club now?
Yes, but the ambition is still the same. Back then it was all about trying to be better than United, and it still is. Sir Alex Ferguson has set the benchmark for every single football club in the division and the country. There's a uniqueness about United, and a togetherness about their football club.
Is that not at City then?
Well, you tell me. You look at the last couple of months, and there are world class players in the City changing room, but is there that togetherness? There's a great squad but is there a team? That's one of the things managers and coaches have to do, collect a squad of players and try to turn it into a team. It's a great changing room but, at the moment, I don't think there is a team ethic there.
You don't sound optimistic about this Cup game?
After the result against Liverpool, you wonder if everybody had one eye on this game, which is understandable with it being so close. But good teams roll out results prior to big games. United won 2-0 against Fulham ahead of winning against Chelsea in the Champions League and now have this one.
Rooney is suspended
That's a massive bonus for City, except they have Tevez missing. It's like a game of chess, I'll take your piece but you take mine. You never know - one thing City have is that on their day they can beat United. It's a massive game to find out how far they have come.
If they do it, who will hold the key?
I call him the 'crackerjack man', Mario Balotelli. It could just be his stage, a bit of glamour in a Cup semi-final at Wembley. The trouble is you just don't know. He came on and went off against Liverpool, was he injured? There's a similarity that we have at Rangers with Adel Taarabt. He's got Premier League ability, Balotelli at his level has world class ability. They are players who can win games on their own. But, how can I say it, there's a personality behind the scenes that if you don't know him or know how to handle him you don't get the performances. We're lucky because Neil Warnock has been around so long and managed that many players, he's learned about how to understand the ones who are different. He's formed a relationship that Adele knows what standard is expected when he performs on a match day, and luckily nine times out of ten he does.
Is handling players the hardest part of being a manager?
Not at lower levels. The hardest thing is trying to attract good players to smaller clubs before you then try to get the best from them. At Manchester City, attracting them is the easy part. You're selling them a changing room full of world stars, with wages and transfer fees no object. Then the difficulty is to get performance levels week in and week out and two out of four games is not good enough.
Explain
It goes back to the business of spirit and everybody pulling in the same direction. At a club like City when you pick a team you are leaving out world class internationals, so trying to keep them happy isn't easy. But you have to do it. And if somebody isn't pulling in the same direction then they have to go. That's what happens at Old Trafford, and it is the biggest thing Man City have to create. It's like a vineyard. It takes years and lots of careful pruning for the vines to grow and be strong, and then you can rely on good grapes every year. The one hope for City is that every so often when the vine is young you can always get one good bottle! I just hope that will happen this Saturday!
You'll be after some champagne of your own. If results go your way QPR could be promoted by Monday night...
It would be good but you have to earn it before you talk about it. We were just delighted to bounce back from losing at Sc**thorpe last week with a very gritty 1-0 win at Barnsley. It's been a super season but that counts for nothing until you are over the line.
We'll wish you good luck, and to say thanks for your time we've a free £50 bet for your favourite charity.
That can go to St Luke's Hospice in Cheshire. If any of your readers have a winning bet this week ask them to go to www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk and buy one of their little fund raising buses. If you don't mind I'd like to wait for my bet - I've a couple of friends who train horses so I'll ask them for a tip. Don't worry I'll share it with your readers, and if it wins they can definitely buy a bus each!
betting.betfair.com/football/the-big-interview/betfair-big-interview-keith-curle-1-140411.html