On Sunday Les Parry, the Tranmere manager, celebrated two years in the hotseat at Prenton Park. After five minutes discussing the controversial penalty decision that cost his side victory against Charlton at The Valley his post-match briefing turned to his time in charge, and brought an insight into a fairly unique outlook on footballing life
You're obviously enjoying the job … You know what, I didn't even know until I read the programme that it had been two years that I've been doing it. Because that's not the sort of thing I tend to look at. Somebody told me the other week that I'd gone over 100 games – I didn't even know that. So, yeah, I am enjoying it. It's nice because, erm, I earn more than I do as a physio (that's what it's all about, innit?) and when I get the bullet it'll cost them more to get rid of me.
You don't get stressed then? I honestly don't. I won't die of a heart attack. Well, I might do but it'll be because of what I eat not because of stress. No, I don't get stressed because I never ever worry about things I haven't got control over. So I'm loving doing the job. I was looking to get out of football when I got the job because I'd been in the game 20 years and I'd like to be introduced to me missus, so when I get the bullet, because we all get the bullet, when I get the bullet …
I've never got the bullet … Well, funnily enough neither have I, but I will do, like. When I do I'll shrug my shoulders, walk away and go and do something else. I know that's blase, but that's it. Sorry.
It's very refreshing. Because there are lots of posey managers, let's face it … Yeah, but I could hardly be a posey manager could I? Look at the gob on me. I'm going bald, it's grey, I'm fat, I'm ugly … that's a few boxes ticked. No, I'll just go and teach. That's why I did my PhD, to go and teach at a university. So I'll just go and do that.
