So it is official then. He’s off. The 2nd break-up has begun. For those that have been unaware of recent events, I am of course referring to the news this week that our esteemed Fly-Half George Ford is leaving Leicester Tigers at the end of the season, in order to head back up North and reconnect with Sale Sharks. In doing so, the announcement of his departure has set off a range of different emotions. I stated on Twitter just after the announcement, that that space was not the ideal forum to really address how I felt about the whole thing. Whilst I did go through some of my thoughts on this week’s The Rolling Maul, I thought I would write it all down and explain how I feel about it all – call it self-medication. You never know some of you may agree with me and are on a similar wavelength.
Whilst this is not the most important thing in the world, and I certainly will not be referring to the “7 Stages of Grief” in this article, we, as sports fans, do go through a rollercoaster of emotion as we live out all the highs and the lows. This of course refers not just to the results on the pitch, but the players who pull on the jersey and live out our dreams. Noel Gallagher sang “please don’t put your life in the hands, of a rock and roll band”, but we do put our weekend happiness in the hands of 23 blokes who run out in the Tigers jersey. It is therefore expected that departures like this will stir up emotions.
My immediate feeling was one of disappointment, across many different aspects around Ford’s departure. Mainly due to the fact he is a fantastic player, and in recent weeks, playing some of his best rugby. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is probably one of the best Fly-Half’s in the country right now, and indeed across the global game, he’s possibly in the top 5 in the world – his form really has been that good. So of course, when a player of his quality leaves the side, it is of course disappointing.
It is also disappointing because it is not just Ford himself who is on fire, but the whole team and the whole club itself, are also smashing it out the park. We currently sit top of the league after winning the first 8 games in a row, the best ever start in the professional era. We have also started well in the Premiership Cup, ironically putting away Sale Sharks last weekend. No more are we the comedy club at the bottom, where anything and everything could and indeed did, go wrong. Ford has already stuck it out through the worst times the club has gone through, yet he is now checking out just when the going is good, and the club is seemingly on the right track again. It is disappointing for the club, and almost for Ford, that he is leaving just when things could not be any more perfect for him, given the strong platform that our excellent pack are providing him with each week.
Of course it is made all the more disappointing that it is another club in England that he is leaving for. A move to France or Japan would have still been not great for us fans to hear, but we probably could have understood it more, given Eddie Jones leaving him out of recent England squads, and the much higher wages both countries could provide him with. No one would begrudge Ford a big payday somewhere, his performances deserve it, and it is a short career after all. All players are only one game away from their career ending. But leaving for a club in your own league, who are also rivals to a small extent, given similar ambitions of being at the top end; it does leave a sour taste in the mouth, no matter how much you try to ignore it.
That sour taste is made worse when you take into account the behaviour of a certain Alex Sanderson over the last 7 days, who decided to air revealing confidential discussions in public, about players not contracted to Sale, was the best form of action. Classless and bang out of order behaviour in my book, and certainly not the sort of thing I’d be happy with my DOR for doing. Thankfully we have Steve, who conducts himself a lot better, as we have seen in the 18 months he has been with the club.
Unlike some fans, I am not angry at Ford for leaving, nor the club for him going. Quite clearly this is not for rugby reasons. How can it be? As stated, we’re currently top of the league, and a club that is going places. I stated this week that we’re the club to be at, and I still stand by that. One look at the coaching staff we have here, and the improvements they have produced so far should put every player’s attention on us, especially those in their early 20’s with International ambitions. In addition for my money, we’re looking like we’re up there with Sarries for being top dogs in the league.
So this move is clearly not for rugby reasons, and most certainly for personal and family ones. We all know he’s from the area, as are his family, whom we know he’s very close to. We do know that he’s got a coffee shop in the north-west, with rumours abounding that he is no longer with his partner. Therefore there are few concrete ties with Leicester, so it is understandable for him to head back that way. I am also not angry for him leaving for the second time, though it is mightily annoying. Like I say, it is short career and personal or family reasons do make sense. I find it baffling on his part, but anger there is none.
As for the club, I am not angry at the for him going. From what we can understand, we put together an improved offer to him, which he declined. That’s professional sport and these things happen. It does not mean that we have just let him go, or been negligent in our behaviour. In any case, I do not want the club to go down the route that we did from 2013 onwards, where we entered into a beauty parade for players, trying to sign them for financial reasons first and foremost. This of course did lead to players who were not 100% committed to the club nor what we were trying to achieve, and it showed on the pitch. It was one of many reasons we got ourselves in the mess we did. I’d much rather have a squad full of players who join and play for Tigers because they believe wholeheartedly in the project and our ambitions.
This of course does lead to concern too. Mainly around the very near future – how does the club, Borthwick, Ford and the wider squad react to the news? Does it derail the season? Does it prove too much of a distraction? Does Ford lose his authority on the pitch amongst the squad? Well thankfully I am not troubled too much by all of this – for numerous reasons. Firstly, I think we have known about this for a while, and that lies behind some of the signings we have made recently – Burns, Hegarty, Lancaster & Socino. Certainly Chris Egerton did hint as much back in July. I therefore think we have known, and will have had plans drawn up accordingly. Certainly Borthwick has shown that he is a sort of man that makes detailed plans for making a cup of tea, so I’m sure he will have been working on all possibilities. It also means that if that is the case, then we have seen in Ford’s performances this season that he is not dropping his standards, despite him probably knowing for a while he is off.
Ford also strikes me as the consummate professional, and I do not for a second, buy the rather outlandish thought process that he is leaving because he did not get the captaincy. As stated this is probably for family and personal reasons only. I therefore expect him to be on the top of his game for the rest of the season, though I do suspect we will see a bit more of Freddie Burns or Bryce Hegarty in the 10 shirt moving forward. There is also England to think about – he currently does not have a spot in the squad, though one may have opened up with the news of Owen Farrell’s injury. It is therefore in Ford’s best interests to keep his form at high levels to make sure there can be no reason for Eddie to not pick him.
In terms of the wider squad and his relationship with Steve, I personally do not see there being too much trouble, though of course I could be wrong. Both men are professionals and will be able to maintain a professional working relationship. Indeed doing so is still vital for both parties and the wider club. Everyone is still working towards a successful season, and I am sure that Ford would like to sign off with honours of some sort in June. As for the squad, if, as I suspect, we have known about this for a while, then surely the players must have done so too. They again are professionals and will be able to go with. Certainly, as long as Ford’s performances are maintained at current high levels, I do not see there being any issues.
As always, as one door closes, another opens. And Ford’s departure does provide the club and Steve with a very golden opportunity to build the squad in their image. Ford going frees up quite considerable amounts of cash, lets say circa £450k, as well as a marquee slot. That does provide Tigers with options, as to whether replace Ford with an equally quality 10 – like Pollard lets say. Or use that money to bring in a top drawer lock – Kruis for arguments sake.
It does also provide Tigers with the option to replace Ford with a likely cheaper option, say Lozowski, who would be a more than adequate replacement given how well he has been playing. It would also then allow Tigers to give pay increases to our numerous, top quality young players we have in the squad. Losing Ford but retaining the wider squad for the next few seasons is a smart bit of business and one that would be better in the longer term health of the club. Look at how we dealt with Manu and May leaving. Both players freed up considerable amounts of cash that has been reinvested very smartly and astutely.
Overall Ford leaving is a blow, it would be churlish to state otherwise, however this is a professional sport and life moves on. His reasons for going are his, but they are understandable, even if it is us that loses out. However, he is not the first player to leave, and he certainly will not be the last. With Steve at the helm, I have total faith that we will know how to move forward, and in future years, we may look back and say it is a good thing, though it is hard to do so now!
Sanderson is still a shithouse mind.