Is this a fair point or is Strachan a bit too old school on the issue? Former Scotland boss Gordon Strachan thinks that some modern players are unable to take criticism, and have used the excuse of 'bullying' for their failings on the pitch.
Strachan is currently one of the favourites for the Hibernian job, which was recently vacated by Neil Lennon.
Lennon has left the Edinburgh club by mutual consent, with a recent row with striker Florian Kamberi believed to be at the centre of his departure from Easter Road. Things became heated between Lennon and the Swiss player during a recent team meeting, which saw Kamberi storm out.
The former Northern Ireland international was then put under investigation by the club for his conduct during the argument, before his departure was confirmed earlier today.
While Strachan has distanced himself from reports indicating he would be Lennon's successor, speaking to Paddy Power (h/t Scottish Sun) he expressed the opinion that many players in the game today were unable to handle harsh criticism from their managers.
It seems like someone has got sacked for raising their voice and telling a player straight. For doing something you see in any business. You’ll hear voices raised in offices across the country. It’s nothing.
And I thought footballers want to be told the truth. You’re always hearing them say, I just want my manager to be straight with me.
But it’s like what Jack Nicholson said to Tom Cruise – you can’t handle the truth. You give modern day players the truth and they crumble. What they actually want is a nice truth.
Strachan clearly feels that honesty is the best policy when it comes to speaking with his players, regardless of how that may hurt the ego of those involved. He has seen some of the top managers in the game employ this tactic, and claims the cries of 'bullying' only seem to come from players who are failing to produce on the pitch.
I watched Jurgen Klopp training in Dortmund, and saw him speaking in more than a loud voice to superstars.
You only hear about these incidents when things aren’t going well. You can’t push anyone anymore. It was the same for me in my career with Sir Alex Ferguson – he pushed us to new levels and got the best out of us...
So if they can deal with it, and Klopp’s players, there should be even more justification for Neil Lennon shouted at his players, because these players need pushing. World class players deal with it, so why not players who play for Hibs?
I think it’s only a problem if the players themselves aren’t playing well, or if the team is losing.
