New first team coach Gordon Cowans will demand high standards from Aston Villa stars
Sep 21 2010 by Mat Kendrick, Birmingham Mail
Aston Villa's new first-team coach Gordon Cowans is a “throwback to the past” who will set the claret and blue stars impeccably high standards, according to Tony Morley.
Manager Gerard Houllier has doffed his cap to the club’s proud history by promoting former European Cup-winning legend Cowans from the academy to his senior backroom team.
And fellow 1980s hero Morley has warned Villa’s current crop of players that Cowans is a “born winner” who will expect them to live up to his exacting ideals on the training pitches.
“He’s what I call a throwback to the past and your old pros,” said Morley. “There’s no airs or graces about him.
“He’s down to earth – there’s nothing cocky about him.
“This won’t change him one little bit – to him he’s part of Aston Villa’s history so he just loves the football club.
“He’ll be so proud. What a lot of people don’t realise is that he’s a terrible loser.
“When you speak to him off the pitch he’s a mild mannered fella. He can switch off when he’s out socialising, but when it comes to football he’s a born winner.
