Harmony at Hibs for Paatelainen as love of Scotland, family and club converge

Published on Friday 29 February 2008 22:29

Manager reveals why Easter Road post was the perfect job and how communication will avoid any repeat of player revolt.

ON a day when the new Hibernian training centre is in danger of being ripped from its moorings Mixu Paatelainen feels as rooted as he has ever done. The new Hibs manager is explaining his family's deep ties to Scotland, and why returning to take charge at Hibs represented the best of all possible worlds for him.

Although his wife and two daughers remained in Fife, Paatelainen was not prepared to jump at the first offer of a job back in Scotland, where his professional football career began with Dundee United in 1987. He had been lured back to Finland by TPS Turku, and relished the chance to revitalise one of the traditional power-houses in Finnish football. Attendances averaged 5,300, and Paatelainen led the team into European competition for the first time since the Seventies.

Asked what his answer might have been had St Johnstone or St Mirren, two other former clubs, offered him the manager's position, he replied: "That's a difficult question." Hibs, though, were a different matter, and allowed him to reconnect not just with old feelings for a club he adored but also the wife and two daughters left behind in Fife when Mixu and son Joel headed to Finland from Cowdenbeath in 2006.

Paatelainen had already been warned by wife Kati that she was done with moving after a season-long sojourn in France. He had just completed a year with Strasbourg. Although another French club had offered him another deal a cross-roads had been reached, after seven clubs and four countries. "We contemplated whether to stay in France, or whether we should go back to Finland, or maybe England," recalled Paatelainen. "But then we both said at the same time 'let's go back to Edinburgh.' And that's what we did. We came here to Scotland having had no talks with anybody. And when we came back my wife told me: 'that's me. I am staying in Scotland. If you want go somewhere else, cheerio'. That's what happened! When TPS came in for me and I went back to Finland, to our home – she's from Finland too – but she kept her word and stayed here. I tried to lure her but she wasn't having it, with the main reason being our daughters' schooling."

On his original return to Edinburgh fate intervened. A well-chronicled decision to take a run around Arthur's Seat meant Kati got her wish to say in the city, with Paatelainen re-hired by Hibs after bumping into Bobby Williamson and his squad while out training. Fate has played a central part in the Paatelainen story. Had it not been for his father bringing up the subject of his son after a business meeting in Scotland over 20 years ago then Mixu might now be here now. Neither is it likely that he would be the proud father of a son born – take note, George Burley – in Aberdeen. Joel, 15, could become the latest in the Paatelainen dynasty to make it as a footballer, and is currently training with Dunfermline.

"He likes to play up front, so no pressure," said Paatelainen, with a smile. "Just so long as he enjoys it. If he doesn't fancy it then he doesn't fancy it. But he's a mad Hibs fan and mad about football. He wants to have a career in the game. Time will tell whether he will make it, but he's training hard."

Paatelainen points out that should Joel prove good enough for the international stage Finland rather than Scotland will benefit. "I have already brainwashed him," he said. It would keep the Paatelainen production line in operation, with both Mixu and father, Matti, having won over 50 caps for Finland. The Hibs manager's younger brothers, Markus and Mikko, are also very much in the trade. Markus has just broken into the Inverness Caledonian Thistle team, and came on against Hibs as substitute last week. Mikko played under his brother at TPS Turku, and is still there now. The chances Joel might be the latest talent in the family seem good, particularly with Mixu hoping to do for his son what his father did for him all those years ago.

"He was a very big influence," said Paatelainen. "He made me training programmes when I was younger, and came to matches and analysed them with me. He helped me through any dark times and came over to Dundee for matches. When I came to Dundee United I was dropped from the national team. One of the Finnish newspapers said that I had quit football and gone to Scotland to study, because at the same time I went to Dundee University to study economics. I was like: 'what's going on? I had a dream move abroad to be a professional footballer for a club who had just been in the UEFA Cup final and I am dropped from the Finland team, yet I was playing and scoring (for United].

"A couple of months later the national team manager came to watch me, and I asked him: 'why did you drop me?' And he said it was because he thought that I had quit. But I got back into the team."

How one responds to adversity marks a man's worth, and Paatelainen has learned how to adapt in different settings. He is sitting in a state-of-the-art training centre but there was a time not too long ago when Central Park, Cowdenbeath was his base. He made it work there as he is making it work at Hibs, where he has led the team to four consecutive victories. A sign on the wall in the dressing room at Central Park reminded players to be professional at all times, even though most were part-time. Paatelainen felt this was no excuse for shoddiness, which means at Hibs, where players are well-paid full-timers, he has even less time for shirkers. There are not, though, any signs on the wall. "Everywhere is too white and clean," he said.

But the players have got the message. Paatelainen likes discipline. He extols the virtues of Scottish footballers when compared to Finnish ones. "They are harder, and respond to set-backs better," he said. He is not one to rule with a rod of steel, however, and can recall the days he himself led a dressing-room full of fiery, strong and often mischievous characters at Easter Road. He appreciates leeway is required, and feedback, indeed, is encouraged. This might have been something which saw Hibs chairman Rod Petrie's ears prick up as he conducted the interview which saw Paatelainen land the job as John Collins' successor six weeks ago. The players' revolt of last season applied a smear across a campaign that should be recalled for the side's League Cup winning exploits.

"It's very disappointing if something like that happens," said Paatelainen. "It means there has not been talks, there has not been communication between the management and players. It's difficult for me to talk about it – I don't know what happened exactly. I read about it. Everyone has to be positive, and feel they want to achieve the same goals and work towards it together. If something like that happens then that means maybe that's not the case. You want to solve the problems before they become a problem. By talking openly, when everyone understands and respects each other, you can sort the problem out. I feel it's important to listen to the players. I know 20, 30 or 40 years ago they were often too scared to open their mouths. I encourage the players to talk to me. If they are not comfortable then I want to know."

He credits Jim McLean with having had a major influence on his career. Indeed, he has recently located his former Dundee United manager's phone number and intends to call him soon. But he is not abut to start fining his players even when they win games, as McLean famously did.

"I think you have to be positive and give encouragement," he said. "I think that gets you better results than being negative. When I was a player I respected being told why I was not playing, so I knew where I was. That's how I treat my players. I tell them the reasons why. There has to be a reason always. I don't just get the dice out when I pick a team. There's always a reason why a certain player is playing. After matches we analyse matches as a group and I go through individual players, and how well they have done or how badly. I say it very openly and straight so all the other guys can hear. I think it's important everybody knows what is required, and why one player is not playing and why another is."

Midfielder Guillaume Beuzelin is someone who benefited from being told why he was dropped from the starting XI for the midweek victory at Falkirk. A And Andrew McNeil, who may replace Yves Makalambay in goal against Celtic today, has been talked-up by Paatelainen, who is aware of his troubles at the end of last season.

"My job as a manager is to give players confidence, not drain them of confidence," he said. "I understand every player can make a mistake. You must allow that in order for them to stay confident. If a goalkeeper makes a mistake it usually means a goal, and you get pelters after that. I missed a penalty against Hearts in the last minute once, when it was 0-0. We would have won if I had scored. I got pelters too."

The Hibs fans have long since forgiven him, and should Paatelainen lead the team to an Old Firm double in the next eight days – Rangers are faced in the Scottish Cup next weekend – then the love-affair between him and the club will have been forever sealed.