Andy to split with Brad?

Count Zero · Tennis legend

Andy to split with Brad?

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Count Zero wrote:

it would eb great if brad could coahc boggo, he ahs in the past said he thinks boggo should be a top 50 player would be good if he could relaise that. he also like jamie baker hard work philospohy, but would that be enough to keep him at the lta, esp at such a high salary!

I'd be very, very surprised, Count. There'll be too many other top-flight players queueing up to pay top dollar for his services! From an article in today's Times:

The LTA is realistic about the likelihood of Gilbert being reluctant to continue his work with British players, largely because, with the exception of Alex Bogdanovic, they are all ranked outside the top 200 in the world. "He is not going to want to sit behind a desk and worry about court bookings," an LTA source said. Gilbert's contract was unique in that it meant a national association spending a remarkable amount of money on the coach of an individual player, even though his remit was to "play a vital role in supporting wider LTA performance programmes". Last night, the LTA could not pinpoint the number of hours that Gilbert had spent working for it that did not involve Murray, but it was many more than expected because of the wrist injury suffered by the Scot in May. With Murray restricted to working in the gym for much of May, June and July, Gilbert spent his days on court with top national juniors at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, southwest London, where he lived during the summer. The American also welcomed David Rice, who has since had his funding withdrawn after inappropriate pictures of him were posted on a social networking website, and Lee Childs to his home in Florida.

The full article, by Katie Scott this time, rather than Neil Harman, is here for anyone who's interested in the rest of it.

There's also this:

Scot happiest in familiar surroundings

Katie Scott: Analysis

Andy Murray revealed this month his intention to travel with an entourage next year, which may have been the key factor in the breakdown of his relationship with Brad Gilbert. "I'm the sort of guy who likes a lot of people around me," he said. "Sometimes, when it's just one-on-one with the coach, it can get quite stressful and stale." As a result, his court-side support team has been bulging of late and he will attack the 2008 season en masse. Patricio Apey, Murray's agent, is an ever-present in the Scot's corner, but it is Carlos Mier, a friend of Murray's from the Sánchez-Casal academy in Barcelona, who spends the most time with him behind the scenes. An unofficial hitting partner, Mier is there to ensure that Murray spends time with someone his own age in the players' lounge. He has travelled with Murray for the past six months and has a blog on the British No 1's website.

Judy Murray, Andy's mother, coached him as a child and as the former national coach in Scotland, carries a certain amount of kudos into the clan. She is now the talent performance manager at the LTA, but the role is flexible, so we can expect to see more of her next year. The emergence of Jamie as a leading doubles player has enabled the brothers to spend more time together on the tour. Jamie, ranked No 32, is now getting into top events and has played with Andy at four tournaments this year. Leon Smith, a compatriot who coached Andy in his formative years, probably knows his game better than anyone and is a provider of much positive energy, as is Kim Sears, Andy's girlfriend of two years, who travels with him when her university drama course allows.

Who needs Brad?

johnnylad · Tennis legend

interesting. Wonder if Andy is aware that I am interested and available for the position...

RobC · All-time great

Me too- I'd even do it for half what Brad was chrging. can't say fairer than that!

goldfish · Futures qualifying

Roger Draper was being interviewed on 5Live this morning. He said that Brad will now be working with Alex for 20 weeks of the year, starting the 1st week in December with the aim of getting him into the top 100. Brad's contract has been reduced by 1 year leaving him with 8 months still to run and his commitment to the LTA from 40 weeks to 20. He will not be receiving any payout but will benefit by his reduced hours. I couldn't quite work out whether that meant he receives the same pay for the 20 hours as he was for 40 hours or whether he gets pro rata pay. Hope Alex can cope with Brad better than Andy.

goldfish · Futures qualifying

Oops, Brad's contract is to run for a further year - 8 months knocked off not the other way round.

helki · Futures qualifying

Here's the report from the Beeb site.

LTA retains services of Gilbert

American Brad Gilbert and the LTA will retain close links
American coach Brad Gilbert is to continue working for the Lawn Tennis Association despite his split from British number one Andy Murray.
The LTA, which had been paying Gilbert about £750,000 to coach Murray, has renegotiated the 46-year-old's deal.

He will now coach for 20 weeks in the next 12 months, starting with a December training camp in Florida.

He will also help British number two Alex Bogdanovic, currently 161 in the world, to reach the top 100.

Roger Draper, chief executive of the LTA, said: "It is great news for British tennis that Brad is going to continue working with us.

"He will focus heavily on supporting Alex over the next period, as well as continuing to work across our performance programmes.

"Whilst the last year or so has seen Brad working mostly with Andy, he has also spent a good amount of time with other players and coaches and had a hugely positive impact.

"I am really pleased that this will continue."

steven · Tennis legend

Alex is either the luckiest player outside the top 100 in the world or is going to have his life made hell for the next few months. Hopefully he sees it as the former!

To be honest, getting Boggo into the top 100 from where he's going to be at the end of next week could be seen (if it happens) as a greater coaching achievement that anything he's done with Agassi/Duckboy/Andy.

-- Edited by steven at 11:53, 2007-11-18

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

I have been unable to post since I started the thread - technical glitch of some kind.

I posted on other boards my thoughts of the time - that I was surprised the Andy/Brad relationship lasted as long as it did. I suspect it would have been shorter but for the LTA involvement. I remember posting, when it was first mooted as a possibility, that I could not see it working as two such very strong personalities were likely to clash. I think what Andy most needs now is some technical help - he has said that Brad did not attempt that sort of thing, but concentrated on tactics - particularly in the first serve percent department. Andy has a pretty good tennis brain himself, and having picked Brad's brains in a few areas should be able to fend for himself in that particular scene.

Brad did a really good job of getting Andy toughened up, and I hope he will do the same with Alex. Alex has talent, but seems "femmer" in Geordie parlance - very likely to injure himself and lose all the ground he has gained. Mentally too he could do with some strengthening, which hopefully Brad will provide.

I look forward to a 2008 where Andy shows he can go it alone with the help of his own team, and Alex joins him in the top 100.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Madeline wrote:

I have been unable to post since I started the thread - technical glitch of some kind.

I posted on other boards my thoughts of the time - that I was surprised the Andy/Brad relationship lasted as long as it did. I suspect it would have been shorter but for the LTA involvement. I remember posting, when it was first mooted as a possibility, that I could not see it working as two such very strong personalities were likely to clash. I think what Andy most needs now is some technical help - he has said that Brad did not attempt that sort of thing, but concentrated on tactics - particularly in the first serve percent department. Andy has a pretty good tennis brain himself, and having picked Brad's brains in a few areas should be able to fend for himself in that particular scene.

Brad did a really good job of getting Andy toughened up, and I hope he will do the same with Alex. Alex has talent, but seems "femmer" in Geordie parlance - very likely to injure himself and lose all the ground he has gained. Mentally too he could do with some strengthening, which hopefully Brad will provide.

I look forward to a 2008 where Andy shows he can go it alone with the help of his own team, and Alex joins him in the top 100.

And Pat Cash can generally be relied on to have his twopenn'orth & lift the lid a bit, as, predictably, he's done in his column in today's Sunday Times - headline: "Murray can't go it alone"... wink

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

I agree he can't go it alone; a lot depends on who he gets into his team, and if he is prepared to listen if they say something he doesn't like. . .

But I also agree that if things had really broken down between Brad and Andy, regardless of who was at fault, (usually it is a bit of both), then it couldn't carry on.

Apart from that my opinion of Pat Cash is that he has a habit of talking out of an area not usually situated on the face.

mjd · Challenger qualifying

I know I am three weeks late but have been out of touch and only just spotted this from the Evening Standard and dont see it listed elsewhere.

It suggests "After dumping his coach, is ruthless Murray ready to turn his back on his country? " and it has other comments such as "...Murray had tired of the abrasive Gilbert. "

Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash said: "Gilbert was on the most exaggerated salary in the history of tennis. The LTA have to look at themselves and think: 'Boy, we blew this one'."

and most notably -
".....Yet the fall-out from Murray's hard-line position could have grave consequences for British tennis.

The 20-year-old from Dunblane, Scotland is committed to playing in the Davis Cup tie with Argentina in February, marking Britain's return to the World Group of the competition for the first time in four years.

But after that tie Murray's presence cannot be guaranteed....."

-- Edited by mjd at 22:43, 2007-12-06

Count Zero · Tennis legend

if boggo or baker can improve to give us a decent 2nd singles option along with jamie in the dubs and other good dubs player coming along we could have a respectable team. we are very unlikey to be world beaters as we just dont have the depth to be, but look at switzerland, fed doenst play all ties but he plays most so i guess andy could do the same. Turning his back on DC full stop wouldnt be very wise imo.