MURPHY’S LAW SAY LEICESTER
Tigers insist Geordan is their man despite eight-game losing streak
GEORDAN MURPHY is “absolutely” the man to give Leicester Tigers back their roar, chairman Peter Tom claimed last night.
Murphy was upgraded from caretaker to permanent boss on Tuesday despite England’s biggest rugby club losing eight games in a row on his watch.
It is Leicester’s worst run for 43 years and Tom spent much of yesterday replying to letters from angry fans.
“Many of our fans have been fairly critical to say the least,” he said. “That’s understandable, given our predicament, but it is brutal at the moment.
“Some of them make it a bit personal about the players which is not particularly pleasant as nobody goes out of their way to play badly.
“But they care passionately and if we’re not going well it goes with the territory. They have every right to complain.”
Tigers have often been referred to as the Manchester United of rugby and it looks that way at the moment.
Yet Tom insists Murphy is the man to turn fortunes around and he says Leicester must hold their nerve as Saracens did a year ago when losing seven straight games.
“We think Geordan is absolutely the guy, he knows the club inside out,” he said. “We will give him what he needs, be it a coach or whatever.”
Murphy is in the process of interviewing candidates for the role of defence coach. Former England coach Mike Ford (above) has been widely touted but has yet to be contacted. Paul Gustard ticked a lot of boxes, having played 79 times for Tigers before taking charge of the England defence, but Harlequins got in first last summer when making him head coach. On Saturday Quins come to Welford Road in what has the makings of a nightmare before Christmas for toothless Tigers. “We are having a tough time,” Murphy conceded.
“The Premiership is a very tough place. When confidence is low you do not have much time to wallow in it.
“Performances have to improve, we need to build on positives and address some issues, the players need to all pull together.
“But it is exciting to be made head coach with a view to addressing some of these problems.”