Saturday, August 23, 2008

The Telegraph interview with Garry Cook

"Is he a nice guy? Yes. Is he a great guy to play golf with? Yes. Has he got the finances to run a club? Yes. I really care about those three things. I need a left-back who can win tackles, get the crosses in and Jo can bang them in. Whether he’s guilty of something over there, I can’t worry too much about."
>>telegraph.co.uk

Quite a revealing interview with Henry Winter in The Telegraph which covers a range of topics - from what Thaksin is really like, long term plans for the club (and its financing), the pursuit of Ronaldinho and some very, very interesting thoughts on the future of the Premier League.

(Unsurprisingly) it provides a defence of Thaksin and gives a glimpse into his relationship with Mark Hughes - something which will hardly dampen the rumours with regards to transfer disharmony over the past couple of weeks:
"I’m not treating them like a commodity but in the two transfer windows everybody is for sale,”We told Mark not to come if he thought we didn’t need a superstar. Mark wants to challenge himself to manage the best footballers in the world.

But Mark is from the old school. He would rather overpay for the player he knows than for the player where he’s relying on scouting reports. That’s an endearing piece of what Mark is all about."
Well worth a read indeed.

vote it up!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I read the interview in the early hours and the lap top nearly went out of the window.

The interview smacked of a man desperate for the limelight who is not a 'football man' in the slightest, despite claims to the contrary.

To summarise:

- He blabbed that Hughes doesn't rate Hughes and Ireland (despite Hughes saying he wanted them to stay);
- Says he wants a left back that can "tackle and cross the ball for Jo" (cringe);
- He makes it clear that Hughes doesn't have the final say on transfers (without actually saying the words);
- STILL wants a "box office name" despite Hughes not being convinced;
- He was furious that the Masters side used the City name and badge without his permission (I think this wound me up more than anything else);
- He wants promotion and relegation scrapped from the Premiership (a truly awful idea);

I could go on.....

If I was Hughes I would tell Cook to stick his job where the sun doesn't shine.

I didn't think anyone could be more odious than Peter Kenyon but it seems we have found him.

Typical City.

Anonymous said...

Apologies. I obviously meant he doesn't rate CORLUKA and Ireland.

Anonymous said...

That interview fills me with dread.

I weep for the future, and history, of our club when I see the man at the top use the phrase 'football content'.

If this is the world football now exists in I would prefer to get my old boots out and play myself every weekend.

Craig
- a very disheartened Blue

Anonymous said...

I completely agree with the first respondant. The blokes an arrogant git, his only interest is business and he will interfere with the playing side of things to progress the business element of the club.

I personally couldn't work for him. I think he is forgetting that there is no "I" in team.