STEVE BORTHWICK'S England tenure has begun with a dismantling operation as diplomatic as it is devastating.
The new England head coach has torn down predecessor Eddie Jones's set-up, from personnel to tactical planning.
In less than seven weeks, he has studied, critiqued, then rewritten England's playbook, repatriated a host of players summarily exiled under Jones and cast out a few contrived ruses, too.
Jones revelled in renaming England's replacements "finishers". Borthwick ditched the description yesterday, in announcing his first match squad. Replacements are back, along with common sense: round pegs for round holes and an impressive equation of straight shooting, minus any withering undertone.
Spoken by anyone else, Borthwick's dismissal of the term "finishers" would have been immediately described as a coldly-delivered barb.
"I don't get too obsessed with things that I don't think add value," said Borthwick, when pressed on why he had reverted to replacements.
Had master manipulator Jones proffered such a pronouncement, the wily Australian would absolutely have done so in order to generate a reaction.
Borthwick cuts such a matter-of-fact figure, though, that his assessment is at once a total rejection of Jones's philosophy, but also in no way offensive.
This is precisely the kind of managerial mastery that could mark out Borthwick's England tenure for success.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 03, 2023-Ausgabe von Evening Standard.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 03, 2023-Ausgabe von Evening Standard.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Mass Arrests As US Gaza Riots Spread
Campus clashes with police as US House speaker is caught in protests
Sancho steals the show as Dortmund shock PSG
JADON SANCHO insisted he is not thinking about his future after last night eclipsing Kylian Mbappe to help Borussia Dortmund seize the advantage in their Champions League semi-final.
Title bid is done, says Hayes after Liverpool loss
EMMA HAYES last night conceded Chelsea's WSL title bid \"is done\" after the Blues suffered a dramatic 4-3 defeat at Liverpool.
ANGE: PM STILL FIGHTING TO WIN OVER PLAYERS
SPURS BOSS SAYS MAJORITY’ NEED CONVINCING THAT HIS ATTACKING PHILOSOPHY IS RIGHT WAY FORWARD
Ferrari ready to stake £30m on guru Newey
Link-up with Hamilton is Maranello outfit’s bid to recover glory days
Standard Chartered boosted by 'risk on' clients, says CEO
STANDARD Chartered showed off the benefit of its focus on Asian markets today with a jump in trading income as clients took a more \"risk on\" approach to investing.
Down with the chains and long live independent cafes
PROPER Food, they call it on the noticeboard outside. That is to distinguish the menu from the fake food outlets that have sprung up across the City like Indian balsam or Japanese knotweed on a riverbank.
On Oxford Street I was referred to as the Jew’ since when is this okay?
GIVEN this job evokes a hefty dose of stress, steals too much sleep and facilitates a rather irregular diet - my weekly butter intake must be, what, three blocks? And let's not get into the booze lately, I've been skittish about my health. I'm 34, but my biological age? It must be vampiric.
Whisper it, but Rwanda could work for Sunak
WHEN the government in Dublin admitted this week that migrants are moving to Ireland from Britain because they are fearful of being sent to Rwanda, Rishi Sunak must have been delighted at such an electoral gift.
What it's really like down on Clarkson's farm
Vicky Jessop spent the day talking to Jeremy Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper about chaos, controversy... and why the Diddly Squat farm shop almost landed Clarkson’s girlfriend Lisa Hogan in jail