Bungling Faldo to blame for failing to get the best out of talented team

NICK Faldo's single-minded, accident-prone reign as Europe's Ryder Cup captain turned out to be an object lesson in how not to lead a group of diverse, talented sportsmen at a global event which defers only to the Olympics and the World Cup in terms of media attention.

When he brushed aside requests for comment here yesterday morning on the 16½-11½ defeat against the USA with the briefest of remarks – "Officially, no more," he said – it brought to an end an unhappy week in which gaffes on and off the course left Europe to dwell on a sorry tale of underachievement at Valhalla.

As a driven and meticulous champion who won six majors by putting himself first, second and last – and not caring who he passed along the way – Faldo always seemed likely to bring a sense of self-importance to the role of captain at odds with the requirements of turning a dozen individuals into a coherent and effective team.

What couldn't have been guessed at was the scale of his unsuitability for the post. After the ego landed at Valhalla, it soon became evident that a mixture of embarrassing jokes, emotional reactions and flawed decision making would ensure Europe not only departed Kentucky without Samuel Ryder's trophy but with the captain's reputation as a man of steel falling apart.

The bonfire of Faldo's vanities started to burn long before the match started. Paul McGinley's wish to try and play his way into the side left the Englishmen with just one vice-captain in Jose Maria Olazabal. Though he was reminded by every successful European captain of the past decade that leaders need lieutenants, Faldo was so consumed by the mantra of doing things his own way that he neglected to recruit sufficient seasoned support. While there was a strong case for bringing McGinley back on board as an assistant when he failed to qualify or calling on Colin Montgomerie's huge presence, Faldo did neither and had to recruit caddie Billy Foster and the young German golfer, Martin Kaymer, at the 11th hour to supply information from the foursomes and fourballs.

If the decision to pick Ian Poulter as a wild card deserves commendation – the Milton Keynes golfer won four points and was top scorer – the point can still be made that Faldo should have done more to persuade the Englishman to return to Europe and play his way into the side. In those circumstances, that would have allowed the captain to add Darren Clarke to the mix.

In the absence of the Ulsterman, as well as Monty, who had filled the role at the three previous matches, Europe lacked a leader on the course. Padraig Harrington, half a point, Lee Westwood, one point, and Sergio Garcia, one point, didn't seem particularly at ease with the concept and a return of just two and a half points from the continent's three best players was a significant aspect of the loss.

When Sam Torrance was in charge of Europe at the Belfry in 2002, the Largs man made a point of nurturing media support. He felt a positive atmosphere in the press room was essential to foster harmony at the Belfry. Faldo's disregard for the niceties of media relations first surfaced last Wednesday when he tried to laugh off pictures of pairings for foursomes and fourballs as a sandwich list. Like Peter's denials before the cock crows, Faldo first made a joke, then he claimed it was a set of practice pairings, not the real ones at all. Of course, when the foursomes pairings were officially announced, they matched the list perfectly.

Widely ridiculed for 'sandwichgate', he returned to the media tent on Thursday in an emotional state after a meeting with Muhammad Ali had nearly reduced him to tears. This glimpse of Faldo's vulnerable side, while admirable in itself, was not necessarily what the doctor ordered in terms of providing the team with calm, authoritative leadership.

Worse was to follow at the opening ceremony on Thursday afternoon when the captain's self-serving sense of humour caused all those who heard his comments to cringe. He made a crack about Harrington hitting more balls than they've planted potatoes in Ireland and asked Graeme McDowell if he came from Ireland or Northern Ireland. And Soren Hansen was introduced as Soren Stenson. Most of this drivel seemed to be delivered off the cuff.

When it's recalled how Torrance enlisted the aid of Professor David Purdie, one of Scotland's finest after dinner speakers, and put a lectern in his garage to practice and master the art of public speaking, Faldo's careless speeches were just another example of his self- absorption. He was at it again when the closing ceremony took place on Sunday night.

With the Wales First Minister on hand and attention starting to turn to the 2010 match in early October at Celtic Manor, Faldo told the US audience: "Bring your waterproofs." This hardly sounded like a clarion cry to book early.

As for his tactical decisions, it's understood Garcia asked to be left out of Saturday morning's foursomes. Initially, the word from the team room was that Westwood also wanted to sit it out. The forthright Englishman soon made it clear that wasn't the case. Why Faldo heeded Garcia's wish, just as Hal Sutton accepted Chris Riley's plea not to play at Oakland Hills, is a mystery. A firm captain would have told Garcia to get on with it, play with Westwood and have a rest in the afternoon if the tank was empty.

The singles order, which lacked bite in the middle, was entirely dependent on the match being decided by the last four ties. Again, Faldo acquiesced to Harrington's wish to play in the anchor role. Like the six-time major winner's captaincy, this was a gamble which didn't work.