He ran astutely and rarely, if ever, wasted a ball; his tackle count looked to be very high but perhaps his most important contribution was the influence he appeared to exert over Townsend. Their scrummage was never in trouble but they tried to be far too clever early on and wasted their first two attacking positions by over-complicating things in the backs.Such profligacy was particularly strange since the first time they bombed Nick Beal he obligingly dropped the ball. It helped to ratify a decision taken two days earlier: the shedding of Richard Hill. It may be scant consolation now, but at least Wales were beaten by the greatest ever, Pele.. It also serves as a perfect introduction to Mario Risoli's book (Ashley Drake, 01222 522229, pounds 10 paperback ).It recounts the valiant Welsh assault on the 1958 World Cup.
Real talent like Makhosonke File, who ran in the Commonwealth Games, has to go to traditional white clubs for training and facilities.The blame is laid locally as well, though, and in particular at the door of Langa council. I've never said I was a genius, but I'm proud of the jobs I've done I get it right at the back I make them stop losing, and build from there. You only have to think of Tony Adams, who I made Arsenal captain at 21."He adds: "David will do a great job. "I'm so sorry for being five minutes late," she says, cleverly pointing out that it is only five minutes. Maybe I'm a little old- fashioned when it comes to standards - I hate rudeness and arrogance - but I assure you I can lose my temper, I can be critical but I hope it's constructively so There is no need to go for the jugular all the time I've never wanted to earn money by ridiculing others. I've been a player myself and I know how easy it is to score cheap shots."What makes him even more angry is the gradual dissipation of sport in schools "I learned all my skills and discipline at primary level That simply isn't happening any more.
I fear for the future of football because the kids aren't coming through and it will take 10 years to restore those grass roots. Everyone says there are too many foreign players in the game and that English youngsters are not given a chance to develop, but the truth is we have nowhere near the quality of young players to satisfy the demands of League clubs. Our youngsters simply aren't good enough."While Brooking was collecting his gong on Tuesday his erstwhile England room-mate, Kevin Keegan, was becoming the world's best-paid temp. Brooking says Keegan is the right man, but is in the wrong situation and doubts the arrangement will work.Management is something he has never been tempted to try "It was never a conscious decision.
It just didn't happen because of my other interests and I didn't want to uproot my family. I don't know whether I would have been a good or bad manager, I often wondered how I would have handled certain players. It all depends on how capable you are in bringing in the players you need, and I guess Kevin is pretty good at that."Brooking's love of football is such that until 18 months ago he was paying his pounds 2-a-week subs to play for an Essex Sunday League team. Observers say he remained the epitome of elegance until knee trouble forced his reluctant retirement."Give it to Trev," was a familiar cry on the parks, as it was at West Ham and Wembley, whenever some intelligent, inspirational foraging was required. It is advice to which the mandarins at the sports ministry and/or the Football Association might well give serious thought before Brooking becomes another of sport's lost leaders.. NOW, LET'S get this straight; it's Kevin to have visiting rights to his adopted England lads at the end of April, three days in May, and then twice in June and to look in on them on occasional Tuesdays and Wednesdays; to look after his Fulham sons on Tuesdays through to Saturdays, and have time with his wife and daughters on Sundays and Mondays. Also, Uncle Howard will also keep an eye on the England brood - meanwhile a permanent foster father is selected.
It sounds more like a job for the Family Division of the High Court than the responsibility of the international committee of the Football Association, although the FA's technical director Howard Wilkinson probably summed up Kevin Keegan's part-time contribution to the England cause against Poland on 27 March most accurately, when he reflected: "It's almost got to be like a Queen's visit." When the FA's executive director David Davies contacted Mohamed Al Fayed last Friday night, and met him at Harrods two hours later, he and the acting chairman Geoff Thompson, together with members of the international committee, knew that it was essential to have a coach installed quickly, with only four weeks before that visit of Poland for the first of five Euro 2000 qualifiers this year. But just as crucially, it had to be one who would register highly on the great public electro- cardiograph, one whose mere presence would raise the heartbeat of supporters and players.Fulham's chief operating officer - once Liverpool's Mighty Mouse, but who now should perhaps be referred to as Midas Mouse, given what is expected of him - was that man.For all the prevarication of their predecessors, the alacrity of the new, dynamic FA in disposing of Glenn Hoddle has been like Parliament rushing though a piece of ill-considered legislation rather than reacting after calm reflection Such hasty acts have a nasty habit of becoming botched jobs. It meant, as Wilkinson said: "We have had to buy time".In making running repairs to a problem, principally of their own making, there were few options open to the FA, once they had made up their minds that there would be no "going backwards", and no question of allowing Terry Venables' business profile to become a distraction. Alex Ferguson has always remained the ultimate prize, but is out of reach, while Wilkinson was clearly not the inspirational figure required in the circumstances, and anyway has a far more crucial role in planning a restructuring of the England set-up which is designed to avoid this situation ever happening again.Signing up Keegan on a limited time-share deal will satisfy public demand for an all flag-waving, anthem-singing, source of motivation for the players, though he would not, you suspect, necessarily be the first choice of every club manager.
