A popular choice eh Freddy?
Posted by JamesB in Freddy Shepherd, Newcastle, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Sam Aladyce | 7 February 2006
James B - RLN
Despite the media continuing to circulate news about the friendly face of Martin O'Neill, and the potential England candidate Allardyce, they are continuing to overlook who is by far the manager with the most credentials and has the best chance to bring some silverware to St James'; Ottmar Hitzfeld.
When people talk about bringing in a successful manager, it is this type of man that they should be referring to. Still the only man to have won the Champions League, Europe's elite competition with two clubs. The same man that has won pretty much everything available wherever he has been. The man who has expressed his desire to manage in the Premier League.
Alarm bells should be ringing!
The German tactician has one of the most impressive CV's in world football. Although most football followers are aware of his success with Bundesliga outfit Bayern Munich, people know less about his previous successes most notably with Borrussia Dortmund.
He took the unfashionable club from the middle regions of the league to winning two league titles in two years, along with a Champions League victory and a World Club Cup victory (two trophies he later won again with Munich.) He was successful even before then in the Swiss league where he took the last club he managed there, Grasshoppers, to two league titles.
He certainly has the right characteristics as well. Highly respected by all the players he has worked with, his motivation and man management skills are second to none (something a lot of fans didn't feel about Souness.) Like the Scot, he is seen as an authoritarian manager, but there is no evidence in his history of him ever falling out with players.
This is certainly no discredit to managers like O'Neill or Allardyce, who have both done well in their previous and current jobs respectively, and they could probably do a decent job if they were appointed. However if Freddy Shepherd is serious about appointing a "popular choice", then he should look no further than Hitzfeld; a born winner with all the credentials to suggest he could take the club somewhere. We have a good set of players at the club, one thing people can not fault Souness for was the quality of players he bought in. It will now take someone tactically aware who has the discipline, management skills and support of the fans to get us back on the map. Ottmar Hitzfeld is the man Freddy.
http://www.hitzfeldforthetoon.comMore can be found about Hitzfeld on this fan website, who along with various others, have given their public backing to the appointment of the German.
