The Guvnor versus the Special One

14 April 2012

Paul Ince has a message for Jose Mourinho that is chilled, rather than chilling: "Tell him I don't drink red wine, so he needs to get some white in."

Less than two months into his first managerial job, Ince takes his League Two strugglers, Macclesfield Town, to Stamford Bridge to face champions Chelsea for a third-round tie resonant of the very essence of the FA Cup.

"A few quid in the bank and a night out in London,' is how the effervescent Guv'nor Ince expectantly sums up next Saturday's meeting. With the proviso, of course, that you never know'.

For Ince, the priority is keeping Macclesfield in the Football League, a task that looked forlorn when he took over only a few weeks ago with the club adrift on five points from 16 games.

Now, after championship form of 16 points from their past six games, and momentum with him and them, it will almost be a surprise if they are relegated.

It was certainly a surprise when Ince, the latest of Sir Alex Ferguson's midfield motivators to go into management after Roy Keane taking the reins at Sunderland, decided to start literally at the bottom.

"Welcome to the madhouse," came a text from the Manchester United manager.

Ince says: "I was going to take my time but when I met with the owners, Amar and Bashar Alkhadi, and the chairman Rob Bickerton, they assured me I would have the finances to do things the right way. You know me, I've always loved a challenge. Anyway, the wife was getting fed up with me around the house."

Ince duly brought in the canny, knowledgable Ray Mathias, a former Tranmere Rovers manager, and Ian Brightwell as his coaches and was also allowed a masseur and a fitness coach.

"I'm a manager, not a great coach or a tactician like Glenn Hoddle with his attention to detail," admits Ince, "Though I do like to work on team play on the training ground.

"I am more a motivator. I've always found that easy. The admin side of it is a nightmare and I find it hard ringing round, going to watch games. But I enjoy getting up in the morning, the buzz of seeing players, who are on peanuts but doing it out of passion, getting better.

"Too many players in the game these days get too much money too quickly. It's OK for Fergie and Mourinho. They can bring in the finished article. But I enjoy taking C minus or C plus players and making them into B minus or B plus."

For all Macclesfield's investment, and for a man who enjoyed a career with West Ham, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Wolves and England, there are the inevitable frustrations of life at this level, even if Ince calls them all good fun'.

The dressing room leaked, he had to thump the TV in his office to get it going. He did not realise he would have to book coaches for away travel himself.

The players were going to a local sandwich shop or fast food outlet after training. And on his first day — sifting through emails from players and agents offering their services — the kit-man poked his head around the office door and asked him if he would mind locking up the ground when he left.

Ince quickly had it all put right, including the right diet and fluids after training. He has also had old colleagues helping him out. Gianluca Festa, once of Middlesbrough, came to work with the defence, Ian Wright with the attack.

Those who know Ince best, though, say his real effect has been to make some very average players — on £600 a week compared with some of Chelsea's on £120,000 — feel like a million dollars with his watchwords of trust and loyalty.

"They were decent players but their shoulders had dropped, there was no leadership or characters," he says. "The belief had gone."

The low point of his first weeks came at Stockport County. They had a player, Simon Miles, carried off with cruciate ligament damage. In the same game, two more — goalkeeper Johnny Brain and Andrew Teague — suffered broken legs.

"The full-back who witnessed the incident, Jimmy McNulty, was nearly sick," says Ince. "Then he broke his leg two days later in training. I was disappointed with people in football.

"We didn't get one phone call, there were no get well cards. When we drew Chelsea in the Cup, everybody was on the phone. It showed me,and I told the lads, we have to do this for ourselves.'

Ince admits he began to have doubts as that first win eluded them.

"I'd put things in place but it still wasn't happening. I began to wonder if the lads would respond. I was under no pressure from the club but I felt under pressure, nervous. We all needed that first result."

The turning point was a 1-0 win over League Two leaders Walsall in the Cup.

"It gave everyone a massive lift and showed them we could live with the best in this division. I've been surprised we have caught up so quickly but all we've done is given ourselves a chance of staying up.

"In this League, there is a sledgehammer waiting round the corner and we're not getting carried away."

Yet it will be forgiveable if the town did this week.We should watch out at Stamford Bridge, Ince says, for Martin Bullock, who played in the Premiership for Barnsley; Matty McNeill, who was working as a lorry driver a year ago; and John Murphy up front.

Pitting them, and his wits, against Chelsea's superstars and Mourinho, will be glamorous respite from League Two travails.

"Mourinho will do it professionally, he'll have had us watched," says Ince. "That's why he's a great manager. I like him, I like his personality. He speaks from the heart."

So, too, does Ince, where once he played with it on his sleeve.

It should be a fascinating conversation of contrasts, but with some striking similarities, over a glass of vinho verde next Saturday.

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