Mann: In the firing line.
Fans and football pundits were last night demanding the sacking of Jindy Mann as Roger Soper launched a high level inquiry into Albion’s dismal Buenner Cup showing. The club chairman announced the investigation after Albion crashed out of the tournament finishing bottom of their group.
Mann is unlikely to be the only casualty of the “root and branch” inquiry. The tournament could well spell the end for members of Albion’s so-called “golden generation” after they once again failed to recapture the cup.
As well as squad selection it is likely that Mann’s tactics at the tournament will come under scrutiny. Albion had been set to open the tournament with a game against FC Boskopp. Gambling on Albion’s superior “stamina” Mann encouraged Boskopp into a late night drinking session on the eve of the tournament.
The scheme looked to have worked when Boskopp arrived at the ground “in bits”. However, when their full team failed to show tournament organisers allowed their game to be pushed back. Deprived of this crucial edge, Albion went down to a narrow 2-1 defeat.
Albion’s group also included tournament debutants New Kids. A niggly encounter ended with a controversial winner scored with a late free kick after New Kids forward conned the referee into a giving with a Klinsmann-esque dive. However, further controversy awaited New Kids when their quarter-final clash descended into an encounter resembling the Holland Portugal “Battle of Nuremberg” clash from the 2006 World Cup. The resulting fracas ended with both teams being disqualified from the competition.