Max_Junglie
Well-Known Member
- Jan 14, 2008
- 2,281
- 207
Ossie's done Small Talk in the Guardian today
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/feb/13/1
Plus a documentary on him and Ricky is on ESPN Classic next Monday at 7pm (see bottom of the article.
Hello Ossie, is this a good time? No problem, yes.
Grand. So what are you up to nowadays? Mostly looking to find a new job in management - whether that is in England, or outside England. While I'm waiting I just do a lot of media work, presentations, different things.
You've been linked over the past month or so to vacancies at Leyton Orient and Inverness. Were you a serious candidate for either? Yes, I think I was. Basically, they contacted me and asked if I was going to be interested and I said 'yes, very much'. Somehow the press got hold of this story and everyone was following me, asking me if I was interested and I was saying 'yes'. In the end it didn't happen, but it was a serious proposition.
If you were to get another job in England, would you go back to the sort of attacking tactics you used at Tottenham? I always use the players I have at my disposal. I am not the kind of manager that has a book and plays one certain way – be it 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, or the diamond system. There are certain managers who are like that and everybody has to adapt to what they think the game should be, to their tactics, but not me. If I have two very good wingers I will play with wingers, and if I don't have wingers I will not play with wingers until I can get one.
Do you ever regret going with five up front at Spurs? No, not at all. That was not the problem - it was the way that the press thought about the situation, but it was not [the reality]. I was desperate at the time, and I would always prefer to have a balanced team. You cannot have a good team if you are not balanced. But I certainly believe you have to use your best players. And the players you are talking about, the attacking five of Darren Anderton, Nicky Barmby, Teddy [Sheringham], [Jürgen] Klinsmann and Iliie Dumitrescu, they were wonderful players, that was why I played them.
[At this point, for reasons that are beyond Small Talk, the recording device capturing the conversation stops working for a few minutes. During the blank segment of the recording, Ossie explains to Small Talk that - despite the subsequent Apprentice branding - he never found Alan Sugar to be all that belligerent and that, disappointingly, Surallan does not sack all employees in the "you're fired" manner portrayed on the telly]
So would you have any advice to the contestants in the upcoming series for how they can win him round? Maybe show up with a bottle of wine or some Milk Tray? No, no, nothing like that.
Fair enough. Of course, the second-most famous celebrities you got to meet while at Tottenham were Chas and Dave. How did that famous FA Cup final song in 1981 come to be? Well all the boys on the team knew them [Chas and Dave]. They came to the games and if we were invited to any sort of event, they would be there. They were no strangers.
And why were you the only one to get a solo? Well, I guess because, in a sense, the song was about me. But it was embarrassing!
What was your favourite Chas and Dave song, other than that one? No, no, I don't know. I don't have one.
Us neither, but Small Talk is sad so few teams record FA Cup songs any more. Why do you think that is? Well, it's because the FA Cup has lost … you know, when we played in 1981, it was much bigger. You compare 1981 with our Uefa Cup final in 1984 and there's no comparison, the FA Cup was a much bigger event. But little by little, it's not as big as it used to be now, because of the preponderance of European football. If you had asked a British player at the time if they wanted to win the FA Cup or the league, the majority of of people would have wanted to win the FA Cup at Wembley. That's not true any more.
Sticking with the important stuff, Escape to Victory is shown every year on Christmas here … I know [chuckling] I know.
How proud does it make you to see yourself in such a genre-defining oeuvre? I didn't like it at the time, I was a little bit embarrassed to see me acting in such talented company – with, maybe not such a great actor in [Sylvester] Stallone, but certainly people like Max von Sydow, Michael Caine and so on. But now, as time has passed, the more I see it, the more I like it. But of course I don't see it every day. I wait for Christmas Day.
Do you get royalties every time it's on? I wish I did! But no.
Gordon Banks supposedly helped Sly before the film, teaching him how to be a goalkeeper. Did he sidle over a little later on and try to give you and the rest of the footballers a lesson in acting? No, no, not at all. We were with the football guys, with Bobby Moore, Pele and all the guys from Ipswich. Our acting was absolutely minimal, our acting was done on the football field.
So you never considered a career in cinema afterwards? No, no, no.
You also started doing a law degree when you were younger, have you ever thought about a late career switch? My father was a lawyer, and I promised him, so I cannot say I will never go back to law. It looked difficult and I need about one year and a half more, nearly two years, to become one depending on how I can study. It is a possibility but at the moment I cannot say yes or no.
Do you ever get down to watch your son Pablo at Hertford Town? Yes, he enjoys himself, he's player-manager now. He's enjoying himself. That is the main thing.
Have you considered forming a father and son managerial dream team? [Scoffing] He doesn't take a lot of notice from me ...
What's your favourite film, other than Escape to Victory of course? Probably One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest.
And what was the last book you read? [Genuine confusion] The last book?! [Chuckles to himself before deliberating for some time]. I prefer to pass. The names are rather, controversial, say. I do read a lot of books. Everything that comes into my hands, I read. I am especially interested in politics, religion, things like that.
[After failing to persuade Ossie to divulge any more details about the "controversial" aspects of his reading list] Fine, cheese or chocolate? Both.
At the same time? [Sternly] No, no, not at the same time. But I like both very much, yes.
What did you have for breakfast? Coffee and boiled eggs.
Is anything you'd like to put in Room 101? [Wearily] I don't know.
[Small Talk is pretty sure that Ossie wants this finished, so it goes for a zinger] If you had to come back in the next life as an animal, which would it be? [Even more wearily] No idea.
[Small Talk crosses the animal question off its 'zingers' list] Hmm, we get the impression you want to go now Ossie, so we better let you. Thanks for speaking to us. OK, thank you, bye.
'From The Pampas To The Lane', a brand new documentary about Ossie Ardiles, Ricky Villa and Spurs, will air exclusively on ESPN Classic (Sky Channel 442) on Monday 16th February at 7pm. For details visit: www.espnclassic.com
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/feb/13/1
Plus a documentary on him and Ricky is on ESPN Classic next Monday at 7pm (see bottom of the article.
Hello Ossie, is this a good time? No problem, yes.
Grand. So what are you up to nowadays? Mostly looking to find a new job in management - whether that is in England, or outside England. While I'm waiting I just do a lot of media work, presentations, different things.
You've been linked over the past month or so to vacancies at Leyton Orient and Inverness. Were you a serious candidate for either? Yes, I think I was. Basically, they contacted me and asked if I was going to be interested and I said 'yes, very much'. Somehow the press got hold of this story and everyone was following me, asking me if I was interested and I was saying 'yes'. In the end it didn't happen, but it was a serious proposition.
If you were to get another job in England, would you go back to the sort of attacking tactics you used at Tottenham? I always use the players I have at my disposal. I am not the kind of manager that has a book and plays one certain way – be it 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, or the diamond system. There are certain managers who are like that and everybody has to adapt to what they think the game should be, to their tactics, but not me. If I have two very good wingers I will play with wingers, and if I don't have wingers I will not play with wingers until I can get one.
Do you ever regret going with five up front at Spurs? No, not at all. That was not the problem - it was the way that the press thought about the situation, but it was not [the reality]. I was desperate at the time, and I would always prefer to have a balanced team. You cannot have a good team if you are not balanced. But I certainly believe you have to use your best players. And the players you are talking about, the attacking five of Darren Anderton, Nicky Barmby, Teddy [Sheringham], [Jürgen] Klinsmann and Iliie Dumitrescu, they were wonderful players, that was why I played them.
[At this point, for reasons that are beyond Small Talk, the recording device capturing the conversation stops working for a few minutes. During the blank segment of the recording, Ossie explains to Small Talk that - despite the subsequent Apprentice branding - he never found Alan Sugar to be all that belligerent and that, disappointingly, Surallan does not sack all employees in the "you're fired" manner portrayed on the telly]
So would you have any advice to the contestants in the upcoming series for how they can win him round? Maybe show up with a bottle of wine or some Milk Tray? No, no, nothing like that.
Fair enough. Of course, the second-most famous celebrities you got to meet while at Tottenham were Chas and Dave. How did that famous FA Cup final song in 1981 come to be? Well all the boys on the team knew them [Chas and Dave]. They came to the games and if we were invited to any sort of event, they would be there. They were no strangers.
And why were you the only one to get a solo? Well, I guess because, in a sense, the song was about me. But it was embarrassing!
What was your favourite Chas and Dave song, other than that one? No, no, I don't know. I don't have one.
Us neither, but Small Talk is sad so few teams record FA Cup songs any more. Why do you think that is? Well, it's because the FA Cup has lost … you know, when we played in 1981, it was much bigger. You compare 1981 with our Uefa Cup final in 1984 and there's no comparison, the FA Cup was a much bigger event. But little by little, it's not as big as it used to be now, because of the preponderance of European football. If you had asked a British player at the time if they wanted to win the FA Cup or the league, the majority of of people would have wanted to win the FA Cup at Wembley. That's not true any more.
Sticking with the important stuff, Escape to Victory is shown every year on Christmas here … I know [chuckling] I know.
How proud does it make you to see yourself in such a genre-defining oeuvre? I didn't like it at the time, I was a little bit embarrassed to see me acting in such talented company – with, maybe not such a great actor in [Sylvester] Stallone, but certainly people like Max von Sydow, Michael Caine and so on. But now, as time has passed, the more I see it, the more I like it. But of course I don't see it every day. I wait for Christmas Day.
Do you get royalties every time it's on? I wish I did! But no.
Gordon Banks supposedly helped Sly before the film, teaching him how to be a goalkeeper. Did he sidle over a little later on and try to give you and the rest of the footballers a lesson in acting? No, no, not at all. We were with the football guys, with Bobby Moore, Pele and all the guys from Ipswich. Our acting was absolutely minimal, our acting was done on the football field.
So you never considered a career in cinema afterwards? No, no, no.
You also started doing a law degree when you were younger, have you ever thought about a late career switch? My father was a lawyer, and I promised him, so I cannot say I will never go back to law. It looked difficult and I need about one year and a half more, nearly two years, to become one depending on how I can study. It is a possibility but at the moment I cannot say yes or no.
Do you ever get down to watch your son Pablo at Hertford Town? Yes, he enjoys himself, he's player-manager now. He's enjoying himself. That is the main thing.
Have you considered forming a father and son managerial dream team? [Scoffing] He doesn't take a lot of notice from me ...
What's your favourite film, other than Escape to Victory of course? Probably One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest.
And what was the last book you read? [Genuine confusion] The last book?! [Chuckles to himself before deliberating for some time]. I prefer to pass. The names are rather, controversial, say. I do read a lot of books. Everything that comes into my hands, I read. I am especially interested in politics, religion, things like that.
[After failing to persuade Ossie to divulge any more details about the "controversial" aspects of his reading list] Fine, cheese or chocolate? Both.
At the same time? [Sternly] No, no, not at the same time. But I like both very much, yes.
What did you have for breakfast? Coffee and boiled eggs.
Is anything you'd like to put in Room 101? [Wearily] I don't know.
[Small Talk is pretty sure that Ossie wants this finished, so it goes for a zinger] If you had to come back in the next life as an animal, which would it be? [Even more wearily] No idea.
[Small Talk crosses the animal question off its 'zingers' list] Hmm, we get the impression you want to go now Ossie, so we better let you. Thanks for speaking to us. OK, thank you, bye.
'From The Pampas To The Lane', a brand new documentary about Ossie Ardiles, Ricky Villa and Spurs, will air exclusively on ESPN Classic (Sky Channel 442) on Monday 16th February at 7pm. For details visit: www.espnclassic.com
