BILLY DAVIES: I STILL KEEP AN EYE ON PRESTON AND DERBY

Posted on August 22nd, 2008 by mysportsthoughts

I still keep an eye on Preston and Derby, irrespective of what people say, what people write and what people think.

I had without doubt a wonderful wonderful time at Preston North End. I made some great friends and I had a very enjoyable time there. Sadly at the end there was a lot of innuendo and mischief making, things being written and a lot of things being said but in a nutshell I couldn’t thank the fans and the people at the club who supported me enough for what they gave me, it was a wonderful time.

Then I went to Derby County, in much more difficult circumstances. he club had just been taken over, had only 17 players and one recognised striker. The infrastructure there was a shambles, which needed to be changed. There were six members of the new board, six co owners and trying to build that club up from the very bottom to the very top was extremely difficult. The biggest problem for me, as you know, was that we had a three year plan.

The plan was to try and secure a top six finish, in the third year, and try and get promotion but sadly it was done in 11 months and everything changed but that’s football.

Arsene Wenger said to me, at the Emirates last season, that I had created a rod for my own back and I was a victim of my own success and after I thanked him for the stuffing at the end of the game, I also thanked him for his programme notes because he said after what I had achieved over the last number of years that ‘this boy has something special’, so that was a great bit of encouragement for me.

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[FIRST POST] BILLY DAVIES: I HAVE UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Posted on August 15th, 2008 by mysportsthoughts

When I left Derby County I promised my family that between the months of December and June I would devote my time to them and we have spent a lot of time travelling. It has also been great to watch my two boys training with their football teams, here in Scotland, and watching them playing in their games on Saturday’s and Sunday’s as well as meeting up with family and friends. I have also spent time on myself and getting myself fitter, losing a bit of weight and just generally getting myself in a much healthier condition.

The last four years, have been without doubt 24/7 and during that period I certainly did forget about Billy Davies. I was so focussed on games, training, video analysing and everything else that goes with managing football clubs and with getting to play-off semi finals, finals and then promotion that basically spoils your summer and reduces the time you are able to take a rest. That certainly did take its toll so that is why it was important this time around to go and get a real good break.

It was a disappointment in the end, what took place at Derby, but the most intriguing thing about it all was that the day I was told I would be parting company with Derby County, that evening I was heading to Birmingham for the BBC East Midlands awards to pick up the Coach of the Year award, which is quite unbelievable but that is the nature of the game.
I found out pretty early on that apparently Paul Jewell had been approached for my job. I got on very well with Peter Gadsby, the last Chairman but there was effectively a takeover and Adam Pearson came in and his very first words raised alarm bells. When he said that ‘under no circumstances would Billy Davies be leaving this club and also if we do go down then there is not a better man in place to take us straight back up again’ I was worried because we all know the nature of football.
I am very proud of what I achieved at Preston and Derby, very proud of the last four years and my track record. My biggest disappointment is that I still feel that although I managed in the Premier League I never had the chance to compete in the Premier League.

My burning desire now is to get back to the Premier League because I have unfinished business.

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CURTIS DAVIES: I ALWAYS WANT TO TEST MYSELF AGAINST THE BEST

Posted on July 2nd, 2008 by mysportsthoughts

I’ve been away for a couple of weeks so I haven’t seen much of the final stages of the Euros. I missed the final but I’ve seen the goals from the game. It was a big shock for me that Holland didn’t go further in the tournament given the way that they started and Russia had looked good but Spain destroyed them twice and walked teams off the park so they were worthy winners.

You can observe some of the little things that players do in tournaments like this on television but it doesn’t compare to how much you can learn when you are playing against them. Sometimes you can see things from opposition defenders or from strikers you’re up against that you can add to your game. I try to enjoy the games but don’t take too much from them. It’s nice to watch the games for what they are.

The target for me is to be involved in the next European Championships and the World Cup in 2010 that has always been a target for me in my head since I started playing. I am ambitious and if I didn’t have that ambition I wouldn’t see much point in playing, I always want to test myself against the best.

Before I can look to far ahead though I need to get fit, force my way back into the Villa side and see where that takes me.

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[FIRST POST] CURTIS DAVIES: THINGS ARE GOING WELL AND I AM PROGRESSING

Posted on June 15th, 2008 by mysportsthoughts

I felt that I was making good progress at the time of the injury having just got the England call-up and everyone was telling me it was the wrong time for me to pick it up but I am not sure. It’s one of those things, you never want to get a long-term injury but if it’s going to happen you can’t do a lot about it and getting it at a time when I had the whole summer to get over it is probably the best time, if there can be a good time, because you don’t actually miss many matches.

It is annoying but I am just targeting getting fit again and looking forward to a long season. I know the standards that I want to achieve and what is required of me and if I can get myself fit and get back in the Villa side; I have to believe there will still be opportunities for me.

I have been in the gym pretty much on my own over the summer, there are four physios at Villa, two first-team and two academy and they have taken it in turns to come in and supervise me. It’s probably been as frustrating for them as anyone as there isn’t much interaction, they just watch me – especially early on when I was still in the boot as I couldn’t do much at all.

Things are going well and I am progressing, the running is going well and I am looking forward to getting outside with the ball. I haven’t set any targets; I’ll take it as it comes. September 1st has been talked about because that will be six months since I did it however I’d hope that if I can continue to progress, I could be back before then.

Everything has gone well so far and touch wood that continues however there will be a time when I hit a brick wall, it happens to everyone and that’s when I’ll be susceptible to little niggles. I’ll just keep going and hope by then I am strong enough to get through any minor problems quickly.

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