The only manager standing now between Alex Neil and the Premier League is Middlesbrough’s Aitor Karanka, whose preparations for next week’s Championship play-off final will probably involve consulting his friend José Mourinho, to whom he used to be assistant manager at Real Madrid.
Neil cannot boast of such illustrious contacts. “I’ll probably just give my mum a phone call,” said the Norwich manager before adding pertinently: “Tactically I’m pretty clear on what I want to do and it seems to be working so far.”
That is indisputable. Neil was 31 when he was appointed player-manager of Hamilton Academical two years ago and now, thanks to victory in what was billed as the biggest East Anglian derby ever, he is on his way to a Wembley final and on the verge of promotion to the Premier League. It is easy to see now why Norwich were so keen to headhunt the man who regularly scalped Scotland’s top sides after guiding Hamilton to the top-flight last season. Since arriving at Carrow Road in January, when Norwich were floundering in 10th spot, Neil has transformed the Norfolk club.
“His preparations are brilliant: there is some real clarity, he leaves no stone unturned so there are no excuses when you get out there,” said the Norwich captain, Russell Martin. “His analysis of teams before the game and statistics and details mean we go into games knowing exactly what we have to do. And if you don’t do it, you soon know on a Monday morning watching the video.”
Of course, even the best-laid plans can be undone by pesky opponents and for a while on Saturday Neil’s team found grappling with Mick McCarthy’s uncompromising Ipswich side as awkward as they had done in the first leg. “The manager told us just to keep the ball down and play, then we would be fine,” said Nathan Redmond, who was instrumental in ensuring Norwich eventually prevailed. It was the winger’s run and shot that led to Christophe Berra handling on the line in the 49th minute. That was the game’s key moment, as the defender was sent off and Wes Hoolahan converted the penalty.
Ipswich, a man down but never short of spirit, fought back and equalised 10 minutes later through Tommy Smith. But Redmond fired the hosts back in front and later sent Cameron Jerome through to make it 3-1.
Neil reckons that the tense, topsy-turvy nature of their semi-final could give them an edge over Middlesbrough, whose victory over Brentford was relatively straight-forward. “The varying emotions – being favourites, take the lead, they score, down to 10 men, there’s no pressure on them, you have to show patience and quality to pick them off – I think if you look at the emotional rollercoaster, it will help us. It gives us a real belief for the game; whatever happens in the match, we are equipped to deal with it.”
Neil, too, has so far shown himself to be equipped to deal with everything he has encountered in his short managerial career. He is certainly not fazed about the prospect of taking part in the play-off final, the so-called most lucrative club match in football. “Why would it faze me? If I did not feel I should be here, then people would sense that and I think you can sense that is certainly not the case.”
“My style of management is always the same. The way we play is relatively the same and it has worked,” added Neil. “The better the players you have at your disposal, the easier it makes your job, but you are also playing against better opposition. It is all relative. [At Hamilton] it was against SPL players but down here, for all I have the better calibre of player, you are working against better teams as well.”
The only team he need worry about now is Middlesbrough. The sides were separated by one point in the regular season – Norwich finishing third, Middlesbrough fourth – while the Teessiders won their most recent duel, 1-0 at Carrow Road in April. Neil acknowledges that Karanka has done impressive work too. “His teams are extremely well organised, he knows what he’s doing, they fight for each other and they are a good side,” he says. “It is a challenge for me but for the players as well.”
