文章基本信息

标题：Football: ANDY GRAY COLUMN: It's tough for Wilko
作者：Interview: STEVE McKENLAY
期刊名称：Sunday Mirror
印刷版ISSN：0956-8077
出版年度：2002
卷号：Oct 13, 2002
出版社：Mirror Group Newspapers Ltd.

Football: ANDY GRAY COLUMN: It's tough for Wilko

Interview: STEVE McKENLAY

IF YOU had asked me who would replace Peter Reid at Sunderland the names of Howard Wilkinson and Steve Cotterill wouldn't even have been in the frame.

To be honest, when their names started to leak out I assumed they had appointed Steve Cotterill as manager and he had asked for Howard to come with him to steady the ship as his No.2.

I may be proved wrong in time but on the face of it, if Bob Murray wanted to lift the spirits of 40,000 disillusioned fans by giving them an injection of hope and encouragement, he has missed the mark by some distance.

Howard has been out of the day-to-day business of running a football club for a while now and it's not easy to step straight back in and pick up the reins.

Steve Cotterill is being talked about as one of the brightest young managers in the country but he still has a lot to learn.

As for my pal Reidy (right) I still say he should have been given more time to turn things around. To fire him after losing to Arsenal at Highbury was a bit harsh. Not too many teams are going to get anything there this season.

I don't think this was a decision Bob Murray took on his own - I am convinced he was leaned on by the plc because he thought too much of Reidy to kick him out without giving him every possible opportunity to get the club out of the mire.

I spoke to Peter 15 minutes after he was fired and although he was a bit stunned he was very philosophical about the whole thing. He understands the nature of the industry he works in and typically he just said: "That's football." He returned after he was fired at Manchester City and he is determined to bounce back again.

He can walk away from the Stadium of Light with his head held high because he did an awful lot for that club and it's not as if Sunderland are detached at the bottom of the Premiership.

If they win their next three games, against the three bottom clubs the pressure will be off and everyone will give all the credit to Howard and Steve. That's football!