Canny interview with Julio...

[Dangly Ham]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...-managers.html

He came to the North East from Buenos Aires 12 years ago with an Italian passport, a bulging suitcase, a pair of football boots, and not a single word of English.
Such is the love that Middlesbrough and Sunderland fans have for Julio Arca, both sets of supporters will sing his name before Wednesday’s FA Cup replay at the Riverside.
Arca was suspended from the 1-1 draw on Wearside and watched from the comfy seats when Fraizer Campbell cancelled out Barry Robson’s fine opener. He can’t wait for the replay.

Raring to go: Julio Arca hopes to help Middlesbrough beat Sunderland
Arca first came to Sunderland as a 19-year-old Argentinos Juniors player.
He had a four-day stay on Roker seafront and trained with Peter Reid’s team.
‘It was not that much different from Buenos Aires,’ he claims. ‘The city had a beach, the people were very nice. Language was the only problem. I didn’t understand anything.’
Arca played more than 150 games in six years at Sunderland, suffering two relegations and winning one promotion. He joined Boro for £1.75million in 2006. In more than a decade at both clubs he has played under Reid, Howard Wilkinson, Mick McCarthy, Niall Quinn, Gareth Southgate, Gordon Strachan and Tony Mowbray. Here’s his insight into all his managers.
Peter Reid (Sunderland: July 2002 — October 2002)
I didn’t understand anything that was being said in the dressing room but that didn’t matter. We had tactics boards and they could point.
Emerson Thome translated anything Peter Reid wanted to say to me and he basically let me play. I knew I had to go up and down that wing all day but he never said ‘do this, do that’, he just said ‘play’. Having that freedom really helped my confidence. He was brilliant for me.

Just play! Peter Reid gave Arca the freedom to express himself at Sunderland
I could tell when he was getting angry. When you learn a new language of course you learn the bad words first. So I understood the F-word and he said that word all the time. He had a temper but he knew how good the team was. We should have built on that team.
Howard Wilkinson (Sunderland: October 2002 — March 2003)
I never got on with him. I don’t think I ever spoke with him. I don’t know why he never really liked me. When the players found out he was coming there were some long faces. I heard he was an old-fashioned coach who’d make you run and do this and that. And he did.
We had a psychologist for a week doing crazy things like building clay models, writing things down, walking round the pitch, watching videos of birds flying. The experienced players were not happy. Can you imagine sitting with a psychologist for a week with Gav McCann and Kevin Phillips?
If he had stayed, I would have left.
Mick McCarthy (Sunderland: March 2003 — March 2006)
We were relegated and 15 players then left and abandoned us. I have never seen anything like it. I wanted to stay. People lost their jobs because of the team. I felt I owed it to them.
Mick McCarthy asked me to stay. I knew he was Ireland manager, a few of the lads knew him, liked him. He was a big person, honest and refreshing, so I thought I’d see what happened.

Tough times: Mick McCarthy operated under difficult conditions
He put me back at left back and gave me a real push in my career. He was great for me and Sunderland. He built a very good team to get to the FA Cup semi-final and win promotion but he never had a chance in the Premier League. He should never have been sacked.
Niall Quinn (Sunderland: July 2006 — August 2006)
A great guy but would it be unfair to say that he is not a manager? He would admit it, I think. After a second relegation we didn’t have a manager or chairman. Niall was trying his best to keep the club alive and came to my house to ask me to stay.
I told him it was probably best to leave. I don’t know if he was angry. But he knew it was a challenge for me to go to Middlesbrough and, as a footballer, I think he understood. Sunderland would be nowhere near where they are now without Niall Quinn.
Gareth Southgate (Middlesbrough: June 2006 — October 2009)
They had just reached the final of the UEFA Cup, but were relegated and I really still don’t know how that happened. The situation deteriorated slowly. We were a good team but when you go to the bottom of the table it is hard to get out.

Double act: Arca with former Middlesbrough manger Gareth Southgate
Confidence just went. I always felt Gareth would make a good manager. He understood players, but the pressure was new to him and it is hard to manage players you’ve played alongside. I was still surprised by his sacking. After all, we were second in the league and just behind Newcastle and doing well.
Gordon Strachan (Middlesbrough: October 2009 — October 2010)
He knew what he was talking about, he knew about football, but it just didn’t come across to the players.
Sometimes he would be grumpy and shouting, and some of the players didn’t know what to make of it. We all liked him because he had been a good footballer and he had great ideas. We just couldn’t do it for him on a match day. It is a shame because he spent a lot of money and brought a lot of players in and we all wanted him to succeed.
Tony Mowbray (Middlesbrough: October 2010 — Present)
I knew the football he likes because I remember him at West Brom. I thought it would suit me and give me a fresh opportunity. I was right. I loved playing last season.
When my contract ended I wanted to stay. We had discussions, other clubs were interested, I could have gone back to Argentina, but we got an agreement and I have two years. And we want Premier League football back at Middlesbrough. We want to be playing teams like Sunderland again every week.

Best quote of the lot, talking about when we were relegated under mic mac in 2003.

We were relegated and 15 players then left and abandoned us. I have never seen anything like it. I wanted to stay. People lost their jobs because of the team. I felt I owed it to them.

[woodlebert]

i think i love him

"it is like buenos aires"

[TartanMackem]

It was not that much different from Buenos Aires,

Aye, right then Julio.

[viccarlton]

Julio was a canny lad and a decent player for us, it would appear that we have eaten into his emotions over the years.

[Guinness Guzzler]

I love Julio- the only thing I dont like (not blaming him like) is that Quinny went and asked him to stay and he said no to him. I doubt I could say no to Quinny if he was asking me to pierce me bollocks with rusty nails and run through a field of second hand needles but there we go.

[lokm]

Such a legend

[woodlebert]

Originally Posted by Guinness Guzzler

I love Julio- the only thing I dont like (not blaming him like) is that Quinny went and asked him to stay and he said no to him. I doubt I could say no to Quinny if he was asking me to pierce me bollocks with rusty nails and run through a field of second hand needles but there we go.

he'd stayed once after a relegation..i can't blame him at all. he's a footballer and wants to be playing in the top division.

[robin hood]

Howard Wilkinson (Sunderland: October 2002 — March 2003)
I never got on with him. I don’t think I ever spoke with him. I don’t know why he never really liked me. When the players found out he was coming there were some long faces. I heard he was an old-fashioned coach who’d make you run and do this and that. And he did.
We had a psychologist for a week doing crazy things like building clay models, writing things down, walking round the pitch, watching videos of birds flying. The experienced players were not happy. Can you imagine sitting with a psychologist for a week with Gav McCann and Kevin Phillips?

[TartanMackem]

Originally Posted by Guinness Guzzler

I love Julio- the only thing I dont like (not blaming him like) is that Quinny went and asked him to stay and he said no to him. I doubt I could say no to Quinny if he was asking me to pierce me bollocks with rusty nails and run through a field of second hand needles but there we go.

He stayed with us already for one relegation, and he stayed with us again after a failed attempt to get promoted. I don't blame him for wanting to move on after that.

[Twisted]

Originally Posted by lokm

Such a legend

agreed. i recently read teh sunderland cult heroes book and i cant believe i had never heard teh story about him buying a sunderland football shirt when he was bairn and never knowing till after he'd signed for us