"I'm ready for the Leicester job"

Forum to discuss everything that is Tigers related

Moderators: Tigerbeat, Rizzo, Tigers Press Office, Tigers Webmaster

fleabane
Super User
Super User
Posts: 5178
Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2006 4:26 pm
Location: Occitanie

"I'm ready for the Leicester job"

Post by fleabane »

Backy: I'm ready for the Leicester job
Eurosport - Mon, 16 Jun 16:39:00 2008

Eurosport rugby expert Neil Back believes he is ready for the top job at Leicester Tigers following the departure of Marcelo Loffreda.


The first thing I want to say is that I was genuinely sad to see Marcelo leave Welford Road. Marcelo is a great man, I learnt a great deal from him and it has been difficult for us all since the decision was taken to find a new head coach.

Marcelo received the full support of his coaches but every year at Welford Road we have a review of the season, a thorough review that looks into all aspects of the club. Marcelo was a casualty of that review, and the decision was taken in the best interests of the club.

The most important thing now is that the club appoints the right person as the new head coach. It is no secret that I have been interviewed for the position and I believe I am ready to take on the role.

I have been at Leicester for 18 years - as a player and coach - and I think I know the club as well as anyone.

Five of those years have been spent coaching, and as a player I was fortunate to learn from some great head coaches - Dean Richards, John Wells, Pat Howard, to name but a few.

I believe it's important for a club like Leicester to promote from within and I would love to have the opportunity to take on more responsibility and step up to the next level.

Promoting from within is what we have generally done at Leicester and in the past it has helped maintain our winning culture, given us direction and leadership.

I feel I am ready to have more of a say in how the club moves forward and I am 100 per cent confident in my own abilities.

The main body of our squad have a return date of June 30 and I suspect there will be a new head coach in place by then.

But the important thing is that the club appoints the right man. I believe I am ready for the job, but if the board goes for someone else then they can rely on my full support.

I am passionate about the Tigers and all I want is what is best for the club.



----------
Valhalla I am coming!
SabreTooth
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 203
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 11:27 pm
Location: Leicester

Post by SabreTooth »

It makes me sick. What's the point of holding interiews? Back's clearly already got the job.
Tigers are remarkable for their strength and speed. They are named tiger for their speed, because in the language of the Medes and Persians the word for arrow is tigris.
KingKong(2.15)
Tiger Cub
Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:04 pm
Location: Guildford/Oxford

Post by KingKong(2.15) »

Ah man. That knife was slipped beautifully if not very subtly between the ribs.
bwightman
Bronze Member
Bronze Member
Posts: 470
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 5:51 pm
Location: Ellon, Aberdeenshire

Post by bwightman »

Is Leicester really the place for Backy to have his first full managerial job? If ML couldn't do it why will Neil be able to? 18 years or no 18 years it doesn't mean he'll automatically be a great manager.
dailywaffle
Super User
Super User
Posts: 7106
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2005 8:40 pm
Location: NW Leics

Post by dailywaffle »

bwightman wrote:Is Leicester really the place for Backy to have his first full managerial job? If ML couldn't do it why will Neil be able to? 18 years or no 18 years it doesn't mean he'll automatically be a great manager.
Does this mean that you were against the appointments of Richards, Wells and Howard?
ChrisNottm
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue May 11, 2004 8:24 pm

Post by ChrisNottm »

Based on the credentials of an awful defensive display during the past season how on erth can he be chosen..........you get selected on the basis of proven success and our defense has consistently let us down.
GS
Super User
Super User
Posts: 2487
Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2004 3:52 pm
Location: Leicester

Post by GS »

So, Marcello had the full support of the coaches. Not according to Marcello and Moreno. Somebody's telling little porkies methinks.

The last time Back was in charge was after the 2003 WC when he took over the captaincy. It lasted for only a few weeks as the team looked more and more rudderless. If he gets the top job I fear for the future.
Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
SabreTooth
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 203
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 11:27 pm
Location: Leicester

Post by SabreTooth »

I'm convinced that the jobs his. It has nothing to do with ability, and everything to do with having someone in the position that the board can manipulate. The board want a puppet. :smt009 :smt010
Tigers are remarkable for their strength and speed. They are named tiger for their speed, because in the language of the Medes and Persians the word for arrow is tigris.
Iain
Super User
Super User
Posts: 8161
Joined: Tue Mar 02, 2004 6:39 pm
Location: Market Harborough

Post by Iain »

With the right coaches around him I actually think Back would be a decent call.

He's a strong character, has the respect of players and is Tigers through and through.

Maybe he did have a part to play in Loffreda leaving. Who knows? Not for us to comment I feel.

That interview looked pretty reasonable to me. He's thrown his hat in the ring and will be applying. Good for him.
nursy
Top Cat
Top Cat
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 1:09 pm
Location: cosby

Post by nursy »

can't believe that Backy could string more than 2 words together let alone a "I won't hide my light under a bushell" essay!!!!
great player doesn't equal great coach. Tigers were poor during world cup phase without ML. What else has changed apart from employing some has beens from newcstle. may as well go the whole hog and have whinning Rob Andrew........
kornboy130
Super User
Super User
Posts: 4686
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2006 7:48 pm
Location: Behind You

Post by kornboy130 »

SabreTooth wrote:It makes me sick. What's the point of holding interiews? Back's clearly already got the job.
possibl not, i've heard people in positions to know say they'd be "surprised" if Backy got it, though they did admit to not being overly involved.
fleabane
Super User
Super User
Posts: 5178
Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2006 4:26 pm
Location: Occitanie

Post by fleabane »

Iain, being Tigers through and through isn't a qualification for the job - being a world class coach with a proven record is!

And it is for us to comment on whether someone who, according to Moreno and Lofreda appears to have been instrumental in ML's departure, is a suitable candidate to replace him. (Never mind the poor broken play defence we have seen all season, i.e. before ML's arrival, as well as after).

I don't think the board want a puppet, they want a coach with the necessary experience and ability to make Tigers the top team in Europe, and I don't think anyone would claim that Back is the man to do that.
Valhalla I am coming!
1966
Top Cat
Top Cat
Posts: 62
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2008 3:14 pm

Re: "I'm ready for the Leicester job"

Post by 1966 »

fleabane wrote:The first thing I want to say is that I was genuinely sad to see Marcelo leave Welford Road. Marcelo is a great man, I learnt a great deal from him and it has been difficult for us all since the decision was taken to find a new head coach.

Marcelo received the full support of his coaches but every year at Welford Road we have a review of the season, a thorough review that looks into all aspects of the club. Marcelo was a casualty of that review, and the decision was taken in the best interests of the club.
What a joke.

If he wanted to salvage any kind of credibility from this sorry mess he really should have kept his mouth shut about Loffreda.

Not doing so merely adds more question marks to his level of honesty.
Iain
Super User
Super User
Posts: 8161
Joined: Tue Mar 02, 2004 6:39 pm
Location: Market Harborough

Post by Iain »

I do hope if Back gets the job we're not going to have so called fans putting him under pressure from the word go...
Post Reply