23 Apr 2014

England Manager Graham Taylor – The Impossible Job

In 1990 Graham Taylor became the England Manager. This documentary follows Graham and the England team during the ultimately unsuccessful World Cup Qualifying campaign for the 1994 World Cup Finals in the USA.

The documentary is compulsive and fascinating viewing and at times Taylor and his staff come across as a bit “Mike Bassett” The irony is that Graham Taylor is a hugely respected figure at the highest levels of professional football and but for a diabolical referring decision in the final match against Holland, England would have qualified.

Watch out for the spoof interview between Gazza and Carlton Palmer. Assistant Phil Neal’s inane parroting and agreeing at all times with the “boss “and the testy press conferences and the post training chat with the players, all crammed into a dugout in the rain before the away game against Poland.

Given the current debate on the standard of coaching in England, there is a very interesting part in the video where Charles Hughes, the Director of England’s coaching in 1993, talks to the FA Board of Directors about the need for a restructure in England’s grassroots coaching programme.

Graham Taylor – The Impossible Job

After all the drama of the Impossible Job, an older, calmer and more relaxed Graham Taylor giving a funny and motivational half time team talk to Amateur team “The Greek Philosophers”