The League Paper

He didn’t tr y to be hard – he just was!

by
The LeaguePaper Team
26 November 2017

By Chris Dunlavy

BACK TO THE CHURN: Chris Coleman is tasked with saving Sunderland

ALAN Smith, the former Crystal Palace manager, was once asked to reflect on managing the young Chris Coleman.
“He was 21 when he came to us from Swansea,” said the 70- year-old. “And what struck me straight away was his bearing. A lot of footballers grow up trying to be hard. Chris was hard. He didn’t need to pretend.”
Coleman was no cynical hatchet man, no Vinnie Jones or Ben Thatcher. Though physically imposing, his toughness lay in confidence and charisma.
Nobody bullied hi...

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