LaPaglia slams under-fire coach Butcher - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

LaPaglia slams under-fire coach Butcher

By Sebastian Hassett 24/10/2006 07:17:16 PM Comments (0)

Under-fire Sydney FC coach Terry Butcher believes he deserves more time to prove himself despite a vote of no confidence from club stakeholder and actor Anthony LaPaglia.

While Butcher claims to have the conditional support of the board ahead of Sunday's match with Perth, LaPaglia went public with his concerns over Butcher's coaching methods.

"This is less about the results and more about the overall morale and well-being of the players and the stability of the club," LaPaglia said in a statement sent to Channel Seven.

"As with any situation, there is far more to this than meets the eye."

"The notion that I am the only person connected with Sydney FC who has grave concerns is erroneous."

At a club training session earlier in the day, Butcher said he was upset with the timing of LaPaglia's push to oust him, which originated on the eve of last week's crucial match against Melbourne.

"I was disappointed, the timing is never great when someone says that, but particularly the night before the Melbourne game," Butcher said.

"I've been in regular contact with him, I would have thought he could request a meeting when he's over here or pick up the phone and talk to me."

"But that's shareholders and they're people who feel passionate about the game, and they're entitled to their opinion.

"Not that I'll ever watch Without A Trace again."

Butcher said the only way to silence the critics on the terraces and in the boardroom was to begin winning games.

"I've spoken to the board, they've said `let's carry on', and I think if we were to win the next couple of games then things would quieten down," he said.

"I've had votes of confidence before and nothing has materialised, (but) at Sunderland I got a vote of confidence on Monday and on the Friday I was sacked."

Sydney FC currently sits in fourth position on the A-League table but has suffered from indifferent form of late, prompting talk of a split between the coach and the playing group.

While LaPaglia's public attack on the coach may signal the beginning of the end for Butcher, the former England captain said he hoped to be given the same breathing space afforded to other coaches in their first year.

"I've come in and inherited a team, a coaching staff and everybody else, and it's been difficult," Butcher said.

"Ernie Merrick had his team last year, Miron Bleiberg had his team last year and look at them, and John Kosmina, they've been able to work with their team and mould their team in the way they want them to play."

"My circumstances have been a bit different to that, it's been frustrating because it takes time to get the players to play the way you want them to, and obviously move players on and get your own team out there."

Butcher said finding consistency was the key to turning things round.

"We've done well in spells but football matches last ninety-odd minutes, and you have to produce enough in those ninety minutes to win games and we haven't done that," he said.

"It's our own fault for not being higher up (on the ladder), but it is a good platform to get higher."

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