Football plans and prospects
Sir: Mr Wilson may know more about football than he does aboutpolitics; one Only hopes that The Spectator knows more about politics than about football. The eulogy accorded to Mr Revie (June 13) iff neither correct nor deserved. First misconception first — the socalled 'Revie Plan' was a straight 'lift' from the great Hungarian team of the early 1950s, a mere copy of the 'withdrawn centre-forward' idea, the prototype of which was the memorable Nandor Hidegkuti. It was no English inovation, and certainly not one of Revie's. The second misconception, however chauvinistically optimistic, is that England can win the World Cup in Argentina in 1978, As we saw in Mexico in 1970, the factors of remorseless heat and (very) hostile crowds would be tremendous handicaps to teams from northern Europe (England among them) which only be overcome by a side with the Most remarkable skills. English football, Which so often eschews true skill in the sacred cause of sweat, which is in a Process of slow • strangulation by defensive -minded coaches, where the strong and the harsh (Leeds and Liverpool) rule is no breeding ground for the subtleties of technique and tactics which the England team needs so much to succeed at the highest level of international competition. The third point is probably the most loll:Portant of all. The post of England manager carries with it a great weight of respect, even awe, among football supporters all over the world; is Mr Revie fit to deserve that respect? Mr Revie, the man who made Leeds United Vle dirtiest First Division team since the
ar, who gave us such aberrations as
It
orrnan Hunter, who (with his Senior Professionals) made gamesmanship and outright cheating on a football pitch an integral part in the English game. For the last twelve years, Mr Revie's policy has been that the end justifies the means, however unsavoury. Is he really the man to be England manager, while such men as Robson, Bloomfield, Milne, Jago and Brian Clough are left floundering in parochial competition? K. M. Connolly Road, Edgware, 171 Deansbrook Middlesex
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