The Natives Are Getting Restless

Mancini at Villareal was not the first manager to slam his head on the dugout ceiling. During a game Harry would jump up and down in the dugout so often he frequently went home with a lump on his head. He was fined more than once for berating referees and at Reims, furious, in the European Cup he even did the unforgivable and ran on the pitch to put the ball in the correct place for a Reims free kick when the French guy stole about 20 yards. The French eh, never did trust ’em.
 
     Ralph Coates when he sat beside him in the dugout said that Harry would start a game calmly; then as his irritation grew there would be little grunting noises. These would get louder and louder; then he would shout at all and sundry, get redder and redder and for the coup de grace bump his head when he leaped up.

     I never saw Jimmy Mullen close up but they say he too was a touchline ball of fire.  Clive Holt told the story in a programme that he was so steamed up at halftime after one poor display that he stormed into the dressing room and started to dish out a real tongue-lashing. Trouble was; it was the wrong dressing room. Stan T was vocal and would stand right at the edge of the box glowering if things were going badly. When Stan was on the touchline and a player was having a ‘mare there was no place to hide. Steve Cotterill: didn’t anyone within hearing distance of him complain that his language was appalling? And he was a whistler, two fingers in the mouth and let fly. Not many women can do this but Mrs T can when she wants me back in the house.
 
     All that contrasts so much with current boss Eddie Howe. He’s one of the quiet ones. I can’t think I’ve once seen him at the touchline snarling fury, Warnock style, at a referee. Constant shouting at the players is certainly not his style. He doesn’t stand there clapping his hands for 90 minutes like Coyle used to do whilst simultaneously shouting, “Watch the runner; watch the runner.” He doesn’t incessantly instruct players where to run and who to cover and what to do like Stevie C used to do – and woe betide them if they didn’t, said Clarke Carlisle. I can’t imagine Eddie “sacking” three players at half-time like Stan allegedly once did.

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The Natives Are Getting Restless