In reply to Jim Hamilton:
> Even if Brailsford isn't interested in sentiment, why is that a disgrace - isn't it all meant to be about "winning" ?
Yes winning. But winning with style, grace and honour is even better.
Here's a quote from Vincente del Bosque - former manager of Real Madrid ( 2 league titles and 2 Champions Leagues) and Spain ( One European Championship and One world cup and who knows in Brazil….)
Before the last world cup final -
"On the day of the final I spoke to the players. I told them to think of themselves as the romantics of football facing the most important game of their lives. I was appealing to the romanticism that I think a lot of us carry since childhood. However much you professionalise football, however much money is involved, the important thing is to defend the nobility of football. I told them we aren't soldiers. We are not here to pick a fight. We are players, talented young people. We can play good football and achieve something collectively."
The same should apply to Team Sky.
The problem is Braislford comes from a business management background and sees things in B+W.
Hence all the talk of 'the numbers' - he recently referred to Froome as "a value added cyclist" - meaning the team had got more from him than they originally anticipated. But it's all so charmless and indicates someone who would be equally successful working for Heinz selling tins of beans and improving productivity. He's not naturally a man manger. He's an organiser - which is what he did for GB by bringing in other people with expertise.
Before Euro 2012 there was a big bust up between Madrid and Barca players. Real vitriol. But del Bosque took those in the national team to one side and managed to clear the air and bond the team with a common purpose.
If DB was a natural man manger - working with the shades of grey in all our characters he would have been able to sort team harmony out. But he sees the world in black and white.
Post edited at 22:51