Burley: It's A Tough Job Being A Manager

Jan 20 2008 By Gordon Waddell

GEORGE BURLEY'S secretary Daphne is fretting. Almost wringing her hands.

"You're not down to ask him about the ... the ... Scotland thing are you?" Half question, half accusation.

As if, after taking a cup of tea from her, she has suddenly twigged your actual mission is not to take her first born off to the salt mines.

"Well if you are - just don't, ok? Because I know if he sits round a table with anyone they'll want him. And WE don't need him going anywhere."

It's a touching, yet stout, hands-off. Don't mess, delivered with a splash of milk and half a sugar.

Because while Burley's presence on Gordon Smith's shortlist for the new national manager may have raised eyebrows at home given Southampton's apparent no-man's land slot in the middle of the Championship, a quick scratch below the surface tells you exactly why Daphne is worried.

Saints don't want him going anywhere because he is what's keeping them afloat. In the 25 months since he moved into St Mary's, Burley has endured four different chairmen.

He has had to ship out £25million worth of talent to the Premiership - and been given £3m to replace them.

He's also another £8m down on last season's budget with the Premiership's two-year parachute payment blown away by the gale of third-season reality. And suddenly you realise the man who was England's manager of the year in 2001 has earned his interview.

He kicks off by telling you he doesn't want to be asked about Scotland - he's aparagon of virtue that way when already in a job - but what he does say may as well amount to a CV for a man who wants to be back at the top of his game.

And the timing might just be perfect. "It has been hard," the 51-year-old said.

"Hard as it gets compared to any job I've had. Especially the last six months.

"We got to the play-offs last season then lost on penalties to Derby after winning up there - but unfortunately away goals didn't count double!

"And your third year in the Championship after falling out of the Premiership is always the most difficult because overnight you get the rug pulled from under you financially.

"In the 18 months since Rupert Lowe left we've had three different chairmen and maybe 25 different investors linked - and it has still never happened.

"We've also just lost a chief executive, two more board members and the plc board chairman. It's so hard to maintain stability among that. Especially when we've also had to sell quality like Theo Walcott, Kenwyne Jones, Gareth Bale and Chris Baird to Premiership clubs.

"All young, all doing really well for us and getting better. To replace them is virtually impossible - particularly when we're at the limit of our overdraft.

"We've brought a few in, sure, but you will never get as strong as you were on a budget - especially when I've been told I can't even bring anyone on loan.

"I've had to send back a couple I had before Christmas and wanted to keep - like Christian Dailly from West Ham."

In the canteen at Saints' Staplewood training ground there's a quote from baseball legend Babe Ruth hanging on the wall about 10 feet from Burley: "It's hard to beat a person who never gives up." It never seemed more apt.

Despite the bases being loaded against him Burley is determined to make the most of what he has.

He still talks promotion, still relates where they are to the play-offs, not what's below them.

He's just out of a meeting with his players, going over the pro-zone analysis of their weekend win over Scunthorpe.

"It's a great tool," he admits then laughs, "Especially when I think back to when Bobby Ferguson used to go by bio-rhythms at Ipswich!

"You're supposed to be able to work out your ups and downs from your date of birth? So he'd use that on the opposition and tell you their keeper was going to have an off day, test him early!"

Burley has been tested at every stop in his 16-year management career.

From Colchester to his award-winning eight-year spell at Ipswich through more financial trauma at Derby to the bizarre 12-game fling with Hearts that set Scottish football alight.

He may be the most understated of Smith's targets but he has been through the mill enough to make him as hard-nosed as any of the others.

It's seven years since taking Ipswich to fifth in their first season in the Premiership, and the giddy heights of the San Siro in the UEFA Cup, but don't let Burley's mild-mannered demeanour fool you he's short on ambition.

He said: "You always want to get to the top of your profession.

"I won England's manager of the year in 2001 - the same year Gerard Houllier won three cups with Liverpool. I took Ipswich to Europe, played in Europe as well. I've also brought some of the best young players in Britain through.

"Look at Tottenham, say. Tom Huddlestone, Darren Bent, Gareth Bale, all top players.

From Ipswich we moved on guys like Kieron Dyer, David Johnson, Richard Wright, Titus Bramble, Darren Ambrose.

"Now we have Nathan Dyer and Andrew Surman here who are progressing well That's all satisfying.

"I've been lucky to manage good teams, be successful, be at the pinnacle of the game and it gives you a kick - but you want to keep getting kicks."

Burley's also a realist though. He knows when the average lifespan of a manager is less than 18 months he's just as likely to get kicked out, justified or not.

That's why, whether he says it out loud or not, the prospect of the Scotland job appeals hugely to him.

A proud Ayrshireman, capped 11 times, Burley said: "Eight Premiership managers already gone this season. Even more in the Championship.

"More than fifty per cent lose their job within two years - and only 40 per cent get back into football.

"If we get new investors here tomorrow - which we're crying out for - they may not want me. Who knows?

I've had the support of all the boards so far despite the squabbling.

"But there are no guarantees - and expectations never change. People still see Southampton, ex-Premiership, big stadium, nice facilities, they should be getting promoted.

"But there are about 16 teams in this division you could say that about.

"Five or six of our rivals have all had significant new investors come in - QPR, Leicester, Wolves, Ipswich, Coventry - and it's already a strong league.

"So we're fighting just to stand still. But if we get through this season, promotion or not, we can get more stability.

"The next six months though?

"Same as the last six. They ain't gonna be easy!"