THERE’S NO MANAGERIAL baptism of fire quite like a trip to face Manchester United in the cauldron that is Old Trafford. First days in a job are never easy, but when Brian Laws took over as Burnley manager in January 2010, he got a raw deal.
In comparison, Saturday’s EA Sports Cup final against Drogheda United and the chance to win some badly-needed silverware in his first game must feel like an autumn breeze for the man appointed this week as Shamrock Rovers’ new director of football.
On this side of the Irish Sea, Laws’s managerial credentials are probably best remembered for his five-month Premier League stint with Burnley, a period which started with a 3-0 defeat in Manchester and ended with just three wins from 17 league games and relegation back to the Championship.
Laws stayed on to spearhead the Clarets’ attempts to bounce straight back but a run of defeats cost him and, days before the turn of the year, he was sacked. It was a chance for him to stand back and take stock; he did just that and the result was a self-imposed hiatus from football.
That came to an end last week when his friend Simon Elliott, managing director of Volkswagen Group Ireland, phoned. Rovers had sacked Stephen Kenny after less than nine dismal months in the job and were looking for a man to steady the ship and salvage what was left of the season. Elliott, linked to the Hoops through club sponsors SEAT, was calling with a proposition.
It was, as Laws describes it, “a great opportunity to get back on the horse.” Though the time between Kenny’s departure and his appointment may seem quite short, it was an offer which he gave due consideration to before saying yes.
“Sometimes you jump in straight away. I didn’t,” Laws, 50, told TheScore.ie in Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. ”I think there was a lot of deliberation.
We spoke on quite a few occasions, to-ing and fro-ing with conversations. I don’t think it was quick. Sometimes you can make a decision within 10 minutes but that wasn’t the case at all.
Once he decided that the challenge and the timing was right, he bit. A Geordie by birth, Laws is upping sticks and relocating to Ireland to work at Rovers, a domestic disruption which won’t bother his young family at all, he jokes.
“I think they want to get rid of me anyway so they’re quite happy with the fact that I’m away for a little while,” he laughs, adding that “they’ll come over as well so hopefully we’ll enjoy it here.”
A true journeyman of England’s lower leagues during his playing days, Laws boasts no fewer than seven clubs on his career CV, notching up over a century of league appearances for three: Burnley, Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest.
Trips to Old Trafford aside, his managerial record shows similar experience of football’s less glamorous side with terms at Grimsby Town, Scunthorpe United and Sheffield Wednesday as well as Turf Moor.
To those who know him only from his Premier League days with Burnley or see his quick recruitment into Irish football as something of a leftfield move — both for him and for Rovers — he’s quick to counter any reservations.
“I know that some of the grounds aren’t quite Manchester United. Of course I understand that but don’t forget, I’ve been there myself.
People might wonder, I’ve had the luxuries of being in the Premiership and to come to this would be a shock to the system. How can it be a shock to the system when I’ve been there and I know what it’s about?That doesn’t worry me at all. At the end of the day, football is football and it doesn’t matter what arena you play it in.
Announcing Laws’s appointment on Monday, Rovers chairman Jonathan Roche said that he hoped the move would give the club “breathing space” in their search for a permanent successor for Kenny. Laws appealed, he said, because he is a man in touch with the game in Ireland.
Frequent trips to Airtricity League grounds to scout potential talent will help him to settle quickly, Laws says, as will his experience of working with Irish players who have made the move cross-channel.
“The one thing you get from Irish players is honesty and endeavour. They’re great in the dressing rooms, they give their all in every aspect and that’s something that attracts managers. I’ve been doing that for years, coming over and watching games. You certainly don’t forget.”
With the only remaining silverware of the season on the line on Saturday and every league point precious in the race for European spots, Laws knows that he won’t have the opportunity to reinvent Rovers in seven games.
“Hopefully I can help them get the spark back. Maybe they’ve lost that of late and if I reignite the spark for them and get some consistency, hey, you never know. The one thing we have at this moment in time is something to play for.
He adds: “To implement huge changes in a footballing aspect is impossible. In fact, it would probably hinder rather than help.”
I want them to play football but I also want them to be organised and be prepared for what sort of task they have ahead of them. I’m always very strong on organisation and making sure they exactly know their jobs and roles and responsibilities. Other than that, I won’t be changing a hell of a lot because we don’t have that timescale.They’ve got good players, they can play good football. I’ve seen that. I just want to get that consistency in there somehow.
2 tries from Coombes in the second row in 15 odd minutes. Start him v France. He’s clearly good enough and if Ireland aren’t going to back youth now when will they..
@Jim Demps: any online commentators who disagree are holding back Irish rugby
@Jim Demps: if you think that is going to happen you are fully delusional. A decent player, can’t be near international standards yet.
@Timmy O’Toole: 100%
@Jim Demps: see now lads ye’ve upset some people with all that talk of that Leinster lad. Ye need to be more considerate of other people’s feelings.
@Paddy: you talking to me?
@Jim Demps: God no, how could you be “lads”?
@Jim Demps: Make him Captain of Ireland now!!!
@Jim Demps: A wee bit soon for both Coombes and Baird. However if both continue to develop at their present rate it is only a matter of time till they get full caps. Coombes, Doris and Leavey would make a tasty Irish back row.
@Jim Demps: stick him the irish side, it’s not like munster will give him too much game time.
@Jim Demps: well said Jim, reading the comments about Baird this morning, a lot of poster had him better than james Ryan. Coombes is a good player , constantly gets over the gain line and a good line out operator. Throw in Casey, who was superb, JOS and Nash. The Munster academy are producing finally
@Jim Demps: Yes but Munster are not Leinster are they?
@Patrick O Connell: Fineen has been better for a while but not crossing the whitewash so didn’t get the big headlines. Fair play to Coombes, been on the fringe for a while. Big unit, as useful in the back row
@Tom Reilly: that’s a nasty looking back row
@Christiaan Theron: I see you’ve been studying your map
@Tim Magner: There is great talent coming through in Irish rugby but we need big talented lads in the back row to compete with the likes of England and S.A..
@Jim Demps: jimbo, he only scored 2. Bench v France
@Tom Reilly: exactly, Coombes to me plays like a saffer, he’s a brute of a carrier. Some people like flash but as you say v the physically bigger teams, sometimes power v power is the way to go
@Eoghan O’Leary: Has the penny dropped yet?
@Isa: Occasionally there is sense, then it goes too far.
@Eoghan O’Leary: Eoghan this isn’t actually about Gavan, it’s about 2 silly billys called Harry and Noel
@Christiaan Theron: you are correct, one are the champions and win week in week out the other hasn’t won a thing in 10 years
@Chris Mc: Given that’s the case and Leinster are clearly a superior team to Munster at the moment, don’t you think that it’s sad that many Leinster supporters are so jealous of Munster and can’t be happy with their lot?
@Timmy O’Toole: nail on head
@Jim Demps: Coombes good enough but not Baird ?
@Anton Phelan: ah jaysus Anton, theyre already after sagging off eoghan
@Timmy O’Toole:I give you an analogy Timmy All the young kids are into Liverpool ,their older brothers are into Man City but none are into Man Utd,for all their past glories its not relevant they haven’t been a competitive team in years ,believe me nobody is talking about Munster
@rugbyanbeer: You are.
@rugbyanbeer: the thing is though that they are, if you look at the likes of Noel, Harry and Chris they are either commenting on Munster articles or else negatively comparing Munster to Leinster on Leinster articles
@Timmy O’Toole: well I cannot understand the mentality of getting greater glee from someone’s team struggling as opposed to just getting joy outta your own teams success
@rugbyanbeer: agree with you fully, 3 saddos
@rugbyanbeer: my father,me, my brothers and sister, my son are support Liverpool. It started in the late 60’s and continues today. It’s called tradition. We all support Munster first
@Chris Mc: just like Ireland did with Ryan so ???
@Jim Demps: I love Coombes as a player. Never said anything wrong about him. He’s young and strong….get him in there. I used to play for the same club as him.
@Timmy O’Toole: silly billy
@Timmy O’Toole: would you stop leinster jealous of munster?
@Jim Lynch: Ryan is probably the best player to play for munster since Paulie
@Timmy O’Toole: I was answering rubbish aimed at leinster. instead of praising how well a very good young secondrow played jimbo has a pop at baird. Personally I’d fast track the 2 young munster secondrows and baird into the irish setup. Move Toner, kleyn and Dilane aside and see if one of those 3 step up. (Dilane might step up) but he needs to do so soon as the others will pass him very soon otherwise.
Terrible cheap cowardly punch from Lousi. Hope he gets a long ban. Well done Munster in terrible conditions. Coombes was a revelation when he came on. O’Byrne and Hanrahan were hugely influential.
@Tom Reilly: Casey was class as well.
@Paddy: Solid game from the kid. Bit indecisive at times, maybe lacked runners. Probably not challenging Murray yet but the clear no. 2
@Mark Dooley: He’s barely had a minute to play but even still I’d say he’s more than just challenging, won’t be long before he’s 1 .
Munster’s future back row – Coombes, Hodnett and O’Sullivan – has a nice balance to it
I see Noel has rented out a lovely spot in Munster fans heads. Seriously though, Baird should be considered for the French game as a travelling reserve even but he will be on the Summer tour to Australia at least.
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: baird was one of the 4 development players so he’s very much in farrells thinking. I’d say he’s a shoo in for the Australia tour. For the rest of the year it’ll be interesting to see how leinster use him though, if he’s not in the 23 v saracens then it’s very hard to be hammering the Irish management if they don’t select him
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: I think you’re right to row back from your comment yesterday Noel but ya he is a serious prospect
@Timmy O’Toole: And if he doesn’t start (and actually Captain) all 3 Lions matches there’s no justice in the World, he’s literally that good.
What’s the deal with Ryle doing literally every single Munster and Leinster game lately??
@Jamie Bent: I’d hate him as a tmo in a munster game!
@Tim Magner: Him or Reggie Corrigan
@Jamie Bent: He’s the main reason I watched it on TG4.
@Mark Dooley: the poor man will be in depression after the BP try. He was in the commentators box waving the red card for haley ‘taking out’ shingler until toland tried to talk some sense into him. And he was worse last week v zebre, a forearm to the face according to old ryle was something and nothing
@Tim Magner: Munster vs the world Tim. Chips on both shoulders.
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: has always been the way, bitter is better
@Tim Magner: it was pretty satisfying when Munster got that Bonus point. Ryle had the game written off as a poor effort against 13 players.. he is the worst actually no that Ger Gilroy followed closely by vyle
@PScald: I got a bit of satisfaction out of his obvious disappointment anyway
The sending off had a major effect on that game. We badly need Kleyn back to ad power to the second row. At 17-3 Coombes is still a bit light for international or indeed top club lock. Excellent prospect as is young Ahearne with the U20s
We’ll take the 5 points and move on.
@TL55: I think he’s a 6 all day. Trying to fit in pom, jod, beirne and Coombes is going to be an issue. They might be tempted to play beirne and snyman but I’d go kleyn/snyman all day for the big games. We’re going to have a bloody big pack anyway
@Tim Magner: An interesting dilemma over the next couple of seasons for Munster to manage. Similar to Leinster in the back row and probably at 10 over the coming seasons. Doubt either side will be complaining too much. Exciting times ahead.
@JJ’s Wattage: exactly, theyre great problems to have. Ulster are going to run into issues keeping all the outside backs they are producing happy with game time as well. A very wise man said to me earlier that ireland are going to have to bring back the wolfhound to get a lot of these guys some decent international experience
@Tim Magner: Yeah it’s a drawback to having just the 4 professional teams, log jams are almost inevitable at one time or another. Having said that the positives of having just the 4 teams far outweigh the negatives. The wolfhounds is an interesting shout. Are the rest of the six Nations teams still playing “A” international fixtures? I always thought it was good to have that stepping stone from club level to international. For it to be truly affective it would need to be taken seriously by all the nations though. Can’t see the IRB wanting to fit more fixtures into the calender with their attempts to streamline the global season.
@JJ’s Wattage: I think on non world cup or lions tour years, playing v Georgia, Romania or Spain etc would be a win win for everybody. Say if it was an u25 team touring Europe every second year. Just look at will Connors as an example, the lad is near enough international standard but to make that leinster back row for the really big games is crazy competitive
@Tim Magner: yeah I like the sound of that. As good as these young guys are, and they are very good, it’s extremely difficult to break in to a senior starting 15. Connors, Penney, JOD, Wycherley, Baird, Balacoune, Keenan, Harry Byrne, Frawley and so many more are right on the edge of making a serious breakthrough. Opportunity is everything. Haven’t thought of playing tier 2 nations before. Could also be a good pathway for emerging homegrown coaches to hone their skills at international level.
Wycherley suffers a serious injury from a cowardly punch. And yet many posters ignore this. The great Munster righteous indignant poster Jim Demps is more concerned about petty issues concerning Baird than he is worrying about the state of the garden while the house is burning down.
@Tom Reilly: Hi Tom, I don’t think it was that serious, Wycherley took it well, like most West Cork men would.
You might have missed this but Jim is a Baird fan, he was just highlighting how clueless Noel and Harry are
@Tom Reilly: I’m a Leinster fan and I totally agree with what Jim said. Baird is good, but capping in this Six Nations ain’t gonna happen.
@Tom Reilly: it was hardly a serious injury, wycherley came back after the cut was cleaned up. What was worthy of uproar was the big 2nd row barely caused jj to flinch, I think he walked off in embarrassment
@Aidan Prior: Well Aidan I’M Leinster supporter too and I would expect more from Demps who is one of the more erudite posters here.
@Tom Reilly: what are you talking about? “I would expect more of Demps” what are you? His teacher or something? Ridiculous carry on.
@Timmy O’Toole: Timmy this whole scenario has made Coombes who I always rated. But I hate this us versus them carry on here at times.
@Tom Reilly: I couldn’t agree more with you Tom. It really turns me off the 42 but to be fair I do think think it’s only a few knuckle draggers
@Dave O Keeffe: Jesus Dave you’re some craic. I am not his teacher but I am a retired teacher. Now you have to admit Jim Demps is more than your normal poster.
@Tom Reilly: the question still has to be asked, what right do you have to expect anything of another poster? Jim was poking fun at J4N for his comments on the Leinster game yesterday about how a 20 year old should be started against France because of his performance in a Pro14 game during the 6 nations. He was poking fun in an inoffensive and clever way, I’m sure he’s devastated to have disappointed you though.
@Timmy O’Toole: Yet Baird was literally just picked in the Irish squad. Yikes….
Ease past???????