Lennie, Lennie Lawrence with Kevin Brennan, Green Umbrella Publishing, £14.99 (From York Press)

Lennie, Lennie Lawrence with Kevin Brennan, Green Umbrella Publishing, £14.99

1:01pm Saturday 21st November 2009 in

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AS A foreword from Sir Alex Ferguson suggests, well-respected is an adjective that could be permanently etched in front of Lennie Lawrence’s name.

Guarded, though, would serve just as well and, for that reason, this autobiography rarely excites.

Despite working with the likes of Jimmy Hill and Malcolm Allison, his life story is short on entertaining anecdotes, probably due to a reluctance on Lawrence’s part for bean-spilling. There is more insight into the workings of former Cardiff City supremo Sam Hammam but, then, Lawrence is not overly self-reflective either.

The former Charlton manager is obviously entitled to his privacy but offers very little information about his life outside of the game, which gives the book a cold feel.

Nevertheless, the admission that he helped convince Bryan Robson to succeed him after being sacked as Middlesbrough manager is a clear measure of his integrity.

Other than that, Lawrence’s impressive transfer market acumen is probably of greatest interest.

Anybody who can flog Dean Richards for £1.85million and Alan Kernaghan for £1.6million, as well as raising £5million in fees as a League One manager with Luton, deserves respect.