Martin Johnson (3)

Rugby as I see it is a game of the mind: for all the strength, all the bashing all the dark dark places you go to (in the scrum for one) you need to have a clear mind to make the move that takes you beyond the try line. As a player Martin Johnson. As a coach not so much. View the 1997 Lions DVDs, going back 14 years and see that Martin Johnson's pep talks are very elementary. He's a brute of a man who could play second row and lead from the trenches. What is required now is a far more cerebral approach with good man management skills. As a Captain both for the Lions and England he was surrounded by good lieutenants and captains. Easy to be a leader then. He did not make the transition to General where he could see the whole landscape and arena of the upcoming battle. Any venture of this nature and it is so, requires the ability to connect up the dots from the microcosm to the macro. This demands, at the most basic level, to know your own strengths and weaknesses, employ staff who compliment you and to hold actions accountable to a clear vision. Johnson failed on all levels. Maybe he would be a good forward's coach, but that's about it. At least he finally stepped down which shows his self esteem isn't at rock bottom, unlike Andrews.

But the book is great...… (mer)