Lennie Lawrence has stepped back as Hartlepool United coach and taken the No.2 role: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ce3lgy17q0ko
However, before this became known Four Four Two published a two page tribute to the Charlton legend in their March issue. The survival of the club owes much to him.
Lawrence notes that Hartepool asked him to do the job for a month, just like Charlton did 40 years ago.
The 77-year old says that 'Man management remains the most important thing and there are aspects of it that are the same as they were 30 years ago. Others are different (he cites social media)and you need to embrace that.'
Lawrence says that he was not particularly abrasive or confrontational back in the day and 'these approaches now wouldn't hold you in good stead. To use a modern buzzword, you have to show empathy towards players as well as being demanding and having standards - you've got to understand them and help them.'
'Sometimes it's not what you say but how you say it - that's the key, there has to be mutual respect. The first thing I said to the players when I took Charlton over 40 years ago was "I promise I'll be honest with you and I'll try to be fair - I can't always be fair, but I'll try to be honest -that's the starting point.'
