hail-hail

Dear Martin,

I hope you'll forgive me writing to you like this as I know you are a very busy man. However, I've been a big fan of yours for years and hope you can spare a few minutes to pass on some tips to an aspiring young manager.
I run a small football club in the West end of a large Scottish town and recently things have began to look a bit bleak. Last
season we did very well winning 2 cups that no-one gives a toss about and also the league when our betters were otherwise engaged in the big boys playground. (We also had a lot of help from friendly referees and our mates in the SPL with timing of fixtures but we'll say no more about that) Last Saturday for example, our local rivals came calling and beat us on our own patch for the 4th year in a row without breaking sweat and in all honestly our
keeper saved us from a hiding. We haven't beaten them at their park for 4 years.

Since you have came to scotland in 13 old firm league games you have only lost twice. The ref also did his best by not sending off one of our players for a blatant elbow offence and another for a body check when already booked, although he did forget to give us our penalty, something I'll bring to mind with the relevant bodies. My first
request is this - how do you organize a defence to stop a team getting a single shot on goal in 90mins on their own park? It seems a mystery to me.

The other thing that worries me is that in a few weeks we're due to play a bunch of bullies from the South and I'm wondering how to play against a top side. We beat some Germans recently but in truth they threw it away and we won't be so lucky twice. My second question is this - how do you score goals and make chances against top class oppostion like Juve, Valencia, Ajax, Liverpool and Lyon. After all, we're supposed to be the skilful attacking side according to our friends in the media but
have only failed european experience against- the mighty zizkov. Against quality we quickly run out of ideas. Theres so
much more I'd like to ask - perhaps I can pop over for tea sometime, but I know how busy you are. Any reply will be greatly appreciated.

Yours Faithfully,

Alex McLeish


PS any chance of an autograph?

PPS any chance of swapping jobs, just until you sort my lot out?

messiah

PMSL

PPPS - please take that job in London - you know you want to...

[Edited by messiah - 10/10/2003 9:31:59 AM]

2QUIK4U

Go on Martin take the England job when Sven leaves!!!!LOL!