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Well, the football season may be over but if you are wondering how to feed your addiction, look no further than a new series of ITV's indepth look "Inside Football". In the first programme we look at the rollercoaster life of a football manager, as Chelsea's newly appointed manager, Richard Benson talks candidly to Matt Fraser about the highs and lows, triumphs and disasters of his 12 years in football management. Tune in for your football fix.
Transcript of the ITV programme "Inside Football" First aired May 27 2015
Matt Fraser - to camera
Welcome to the first in a new series of "Inside Football" Our aim is to get behind the gloss and hype and show you the beautiful game as it really is for those people who make it all happen, as players or coaches.
Now most football interviews can come across as a parade of cliches and pat answers. It's rare to get a candid view of life in the game, especially from someone who is still involved on a day to day basis.
Richard Benson, newly installed in the Stamford Bridge hotseat, bucks the trend. I met him earlier this week to talk about his life in management. Benson's absolute candour about the highs and lows of his 12 seasons in management give a real insight into the pressure cooker world of the modern football manager.
good to see you back benny, i was only a noob when benny ruled fotball with an iron fist. i still chuckle about that half-time dust up in Germany :thup:
Hello Richard, and let me start by congratulating you on taking over at Chelsea. How did that come about?
Richard Benson (RB)
Thanks Matt. It was a little bit of a bolt from the blue, if you can pardon the pun. I wasn't looking to leave Portsmouth, in fact I was already beginning to plan for next season, but when a team the size of Chelsea comes to you, it's hard to resist. When I started out in management, I always hoped to have the challenge of managing in the Champions League. I've not had that challenge in my career to date, but next season I'll get to experience it. You know I was at Leeds when they had those fantastic runs in the Champions League, jst at the end of my playing career. I was in the squad for a couple of those games. Only a bit part player of course, but it really gave me a taste for those big games.
MFOK well lets go back to the end of your playing career and your first steps in management. You were quite a useful midfielder and quite a rare thing in the modern game - a one club player. You retired from playing at 35 - was there a temptation to go on for one more season?
RB(Laughing) No not at all. I was never the quickest of players but at 35 i had lost even the bit of pace I did have. I suppose I could have dropped down a league or two but I just didn't fancy it. I'd been at Leeds since I was 15 and although I had never been what you might call a star, more of a useful squad player really, I just loved the club anbd I didnt want to play for anyone else. I'd done my coaching badges and I was hoping I might get offered a job on the coaching side at Leeds.
MFBut in fact you didn't get offered a coaching job, you were asked to take over as manager. What did you think when the Chairman asked you?
RBI thought it was a practical joke at first. You know here I was, 35 years old, just retired from playing. Done my UEFA badge but no coaching experience and all of a sudden I'm being asked to manage a Premiership club.
MFBut obviously you said yes. Tell me about how you came to the decision to accept the job
RBWell it was a very difficult decision. As you know, the club was not in the best of states. The financial problems were massive, a lot of the best players had been sold and it looked like the next season would be a real grinding campaign with a strong possibility of being relegated. I had the advantage of knowing the players, and I thought I could get the best out of them, but it was a real baptism of fire. And then of course there were the fans. If I hadn't been a Leeds player I am sure they would never have accepted my appointment.
The Board told me that I was the right man for the job, they'd back me all the way, all the usual stuff but I knoew the reality was that the financial position was so dire that they probably couldnt afford a top level manager. I was a cheap option for them. I knew that at the time but it was kind of an unspoken thing
I was worried about it of course. It was a fantastic opportunity to get straight into management at the top level but the odds were that I was going to fail, and that could be the end for me. Look how many managers disappear after one shot at it. But in the end I just thought I had to take the risk. I did believe that I could improve the prospects for the club and I felt I owed them something, so I said I would do it.
MF OK so you're in the job. Was it as big a challenge as you'd expected?
RB Oh no Matt, it was way bigger than that. The position financially was horrendous. The club were... well I never knew the real figure but it was at least £80million in debt. There was no money to strengthen the squad and in fact the Board were keen to offload a few more players. They were looking to generate about £10million in transfer income before the close of the transfer window and I was really worried that I was in danger of losing three or four players.
MF But you didn't did you. In fact what happened next was probably as big a shock to the Leeds fans as your appointment was. Tell me how the Sith transfer came obout. There's always been speculation but Alan Smith has never wanted to comment on it.
RB No thats true. I think it still is a sore point for him. It's no discredit to him. The decision was totally mine and it was a hard one but that was the firsdt lesson I learned - you can't be sentimental. Smitty was a bit like me - Leeds through and through and I know he wanted to stay. But the situation I had, well I had the real risk of having to sell 3 or 4 players to keep us out of administration and I thought that would be suicide in terms of our Premiership status. Smitty was really the only player in the squad who we could get big money for and I just thought I had to do it, for the good of the club. Dortmund had a £10million offer on the table and I had to call Smitty in and tell him that for the good of the club he had to go. He didnt take it well at all, but to his credit he agreed that he would go. I still feel bad for the lad, especially when I look at his career after that...
MF What do you mean by that?
RB Well no disrespect to Dortmund but they weren't really a big force in European football. Alan agreed to go but I'm sure he thought he'd get a bigger move before long. In the event it never happened for him. I am sure he'd have played more for England if he'd been at a bigger club and I suppose it's one of my regrets that I had a hand in that. I did...well nobody really knows this but about 4 seasons later....when the financial position was better I did try to bring him back to Leeds. His feeling was that he would like to come back but not while I was managing. I suppose I dont blame him for that, but I do feel bad about it.
Inside Football 
:eek: etc etc !!!
:thup:
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