As soon as Garry Cook's mouth wound its way open in the run-up to the return derby fixture you just knew that if any final motivational tool was needed by Ferguson it was right there. Not that the stakes weren't obvious anyway, they'd just had their noses rubbed in it by an ex-player and were on the verge of seeing their local neighbours end their trophy drought, but on hearing those naive words i'm sure Roberto's opposite number was rubbing his hands.The fact that United players have admitted Cook's little speech was discussed before the game proves that it was against our best interests, and only backs up their claims that we're getting a bit too big for our boots. I'm not dead against any sort of tomfoolery. I thought the poster campaign was bob-on, and sly digs at those across the road are more than welcome, but when the stakes are so high, and there's little to be achieved further than a few slaps on the back from pissed-up ex-pats, why bother?
I've been a very vocal supporter of Garry in the past, and will carry on being so long as he doesn't continue to put his foot in it any time he's placed in front of a microphone. People are right when they say he's not a football man, i'm not sure he necessarily needs to be. I happen to think he's a great asset to the club, but each gaffe makes me wonder, and paints him to be a character well at odds with the quiet, dignified nature of the owners and chairman.
Whilst 'seen and not heard' might not be completely true for someone in Garry's role, i feel it should be so far as on-the-pitch matters are concerned. How often do you hear David Gill rabbiting on about United's performances? Truth is, you rarely do. As a club we're growing immensely in all sorts of areas, and so far as i understand Cook has been vital to that, but need we keep tripping ourselves up by having him as the club's spokesman?
In Garry's defence, he has had to learn 'on the job'. Those who have held similar roles at other big clubs have been around for years before being moved up into the role. David Gill was at United for four seasons, firstly as a Finance Director then Assistant Chief Exec before earning promotion, David Dein around Arsenal since 1983, and Rick Parry was central to the formation of the Premier League before joining Liverpool in 1998, staying for eleven years. Cook was hired by a crook and has been given a crack of the whip by our current owners, it's testament to him that he's still here.
I sincerely hope he stays at the football club, but it needn't be as black and white as him being here or being shooed aside. If we're making strides under him - pushing on in a business sense, 'building the brand', then let that carry on, but the face-palm moments have been too frequent for him to continue as the official face of Manchester City. I'm not completely sure why he has to fulfill those duties, or why he's not capable of engaging brain beforehand.
The Milan jibe could have easily been avoided. The Rosler introduction was, in my opinion, a case of him trying too hard, and should have been carried out by a more suitable candidate. You can't tell me a roomful of hundreds of Blues wouldn't have preferred an ex-player taking on those duties, and the same goes for this latest 'Mad Hatter' rant.
Without wanting to get all Newcastle, if people must speak football, then make them football people, and not only football people, like Brian f*cking Marwood, but City people. Mike Summerbee or Colin Bell could be making a better job of these sort of occasions. Let Cook get on with what he's proved good at - building the reputation of the club outside of what goes on on the pitch. He is after all a businessman, as people repeatedly seem keen to point out.
Posts
took the words right outta my mouth!
ReplyDelete"Learn on the job" for £1.5m a year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'LL DO IT BETTER FOR A BIT LESS
ReplyDeleteThe question is has the negative image of Cook in the press made his position at City irretrievable? For an individual who promotes himself as a business executive of the highest calibre he certainly has an appalling lack of PR saavy. It has long become clear that that he is a walking PR liability and the man only has himself to blame.
ReplyDeleteEven if he does stay with City in some capacity I personally think he is past his sell date. The man should never be allowed near a microphone again and the negative publicity he attracts through his constant foot-in-mouth disease will only make it more difficult to enhance the reputation of the club outside of football. He's made too many mistakes for my liking and again someone of his alleged business pedigree should at least have the most basic understanding of media relations.
Suffice to say I think it's high time Mr. Cook tenders his resignation.
I`ve gone from feeling a real sense of potential with Cook to a completely disturbing nervous embarrassment. His record in business may be excellent, and he may be known as a shrewd and tough exponent of the way the marketing machine works, but his total lack of affinity to City, to football, and even this country is making life quite unbearable for many City supporters in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI don`t know exactly how we are doing in faraway lands, although I would be suprised to find our profile hasn`t increased greatly with due credit needing to go to Cook, but I would agree fully with any move to replace him asap as the face of City because he quite simply isn`t.
I think Cook has gotten rather carried away with the spotlight, and seems to want to head straight for it instead of allowing it to fall upon the club and its achievements, and frankly that`s alarming. His blatant self promotion must be stopped and stopped now, and in all honesty I don`t understand if he is in fact pulling the salary reported, why he isn`t satisfied by doing a good job for the club whilst melting into the background. That in itself raises interesting questions for me, but i like none of the possible answers.
I actually understand Cook doing the American trip because that is where he is best known, and also where he built his reputation. His brash bluster is very distinctly a yank thing, so although acutely embarrassed personally, I do certainly see the sense for maximum exposure stateside, but is this the real City.
I submit that Cook in reality knows nothing of us and our history. Sure he`s read whatever when he`s deemed the soundbites useful to pretending he`s one of us, but City were always loved by all because of our class and sportsmanship. Sadly Cook knows nothing of either.
In all honesty if he stayed in his office and got on with what he`s good at I wouldn`t object. If he was fired up the road tomorrow I would be relieved. There are other excellent people that could what Cook does without turning a great club into a media circus of embarrassing bloopers.
It definately needs addressing and soon for my liking.
He certainly likes to come out with statements that make us fans cringe, but he has obviously been brought in to do a particular job. Like you said, why he needs to be the 'spokesman' in certain situations god knows. But at times he has been put in the firing line unfairly by the hierarchy. He was made to look a fool answering questions about the Hughes/Mancini situation when these decisions were clearly made way over his head.
ReplyDeleteAgreed though hes only saying what we are wishing.
ReplyDeleteHe deserves to keep his job but the club need to edit his notes for the greater good before he goes public.
Either that or he does not speak to the media at all ever.