You have to have the blend of both - as a coach you have to embrace the modern techniques. By 'laptop' coach do you mean the perception that they hide behind the screens and spend all their time analysing data? If so, that's every successful coach on the planet. Fletcher, Lehman - all 'laptop' coaches...
The days of simply rocking up, giving a Churchillian speech, kissing the badge and sending them out to play will never return. Elite sport is as much about preparation, analysing opponents and using psychological techniques as being motivated and having the ability. Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it isn't happening.
Lehman is a superb man-manager, clearly. Don't assume he's all aussie grit and bluster though - he will have a group behind him doing exactly the same stuff as England's army of backroom staff - they just may not be visible on the balcony or even at the ground.
I do think Alec Stewart has the potential to be a very successful coach, hopefully one day for England. By his own admission he says he's not ready - though I'm certain he'd say yes if asked. I feel Moores needs to be given his chance. I don't think he'd ever be picked again if he hadn't acknowledged his shortfalls first time around and learnt from them. He was very successful at Lancashire and whether you agree with his appointment or not, he has the tools for the job. I think its naive with a new, developing side to expect success on the field straight away. I actually admire The ECB for going back to someone. There's a sense in this country that you have to have someone new, whereas across the world countries will go back to coaches/managers who've gone away, learnt and been successful (football - Brazil, Holland, Italy). We tend to give people one shot and that's it. Why can't you fail, learn/develop and then be successful?
Re; Botham, I think a lot of TV and radio pundits have the issue of their opinions being aired publicly about players and the team. They can quickly alienate players they then may manage/coach. Look at Strauss when he started at Sky. Largely he sat on the fence because he hadn't decided what he was going to do once retired and didn't want to criticise the England players publicly if he wanted to go into coaching. Therefore, I think whereas Botham has the inspirational qualities, I'm not certain he could take a more visible role than as a speaker/consultant to the team. I think Hussain, Atherton, Vaughan have a lot to offer, but maybe once their old team mates have retired...
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Topic: England v Sri Lanka Test matches (Read 33188 times)