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You're the best! Around! Nothing's gonna ever keep you down...

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Windom Earle

Windom Earle

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This thought was inspired by the discussion going on in the Gerrard thread.

Who are the managers currently plying their trade at the top level, who also had stellar - or at least very successful - playing careers?

I've got:
  • Pep
  • Ancelotti
  • Koeman
  • De Boer
  • Conte
  • Blanc
  • Simeone
  • Mancini
  • Zidane (jury is out on managing career to this point, good start though)
Is that it?

I bet we could come up with a list of top level managers who either never played or had unsuccessful careers (we've had Ged, Rafa and Kloppo at Liverpool alone) that would be a lot longer than the first list.

Is there a correlation? Is playing instinctive (as well as athletic, obviously) while managing is more of a brain game? Is it a question of desire to carry on after a career at the top vs taking today's pots of cash for punditry?

Why do so few players take all that experience from a career at the top, playing under numerous managers, and NOT translate it to the training ground? Or worse still, why do some of them try it out for a bit and fail so spectacularly?
 
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Windom Earle said:
This thought was inspired by the discussion going on in the Gerrard thread.

Who are the managers currently plying their trade at the top level, who also had stellar - or at least very successful - playing careers?

I've got:
  • Pep
  • Ancelotti
  • Koeman
  • De Boer
  • Conte
  • Blanc
  • Simeone
  • Mancini
  • Zidane (jury is out on managing career to this point, good start though)
Is that it?

I bet we could come up with a list of top level managers who either never played or had unsuccessful careers (we've had Ged, Rafa and Kloppo at Liverpool alone) that would be a lot longer than the first list.

Is there a correlation? Is playing instinctive (as well as athletic, obviously) while managing is more of a brain game? Is it a question of desire to carry on after a career at the top vs taking today's pots of cash for punditry?

Why do so few managers take all that experience from a career at the top, playing under numerous managers, and NOT translate it to the training ground? Or worse still, why do some of them try it out for a bit and fail so spectacularly?
Click to expand...

The likes of Alan Hansen didn't do Match Of The Day instead of management because of money. Premiership managers earn far more than the BBC or Sky would or could ever pay you. It's just a question of life priorities and a desire for less stress. And still being involved in the game, but not spending 12 hours a day at a football ground - which is far longer than any player ever does.

Different people want different things.

I don't really have an opinion about managers being top ex-players. Doesn't seem to matter that much.

Ferguson played at a high level (well, Scotland). Mourinho didn't. Kenny did. Benitez didn't.

There may be something in the managers who have always been involved in football, but started coaching earlier due to injury or not being quite good enough. Seems to be a few of them around.
 
Possibly Gustavo Poyet in Spain.
There are several in italy:

Paulo Sousa
Inzaghi
Montella
Mihajlović
Oddo
 
manwithnoname said:
The likes of Alan Hansen didn't do Match Of The Day instead of management because of money. Premiership managers earn far more than the BBC or Sky would or could ever pay you. It's just a question of life priorities and a desire for less stress. And still being involved in the game, but not spending 12 hours a day at a football ground - which is far longer than any player ever does.

Different people want different things.

I don't really have an opinion about managers being top ex-players. Doesn't seem to matter that much.

Ferguson played at a high level (well, Scotland). Mourinho didn't. Kenny did. Benitez didn't.

There may be something in the managers who have always been involved in football, but started coaching earlier due to injury or not being quite good enough. Seems to be a few of them around.
Click to expand...

Yes, sorry - the easy money is what I was getting at. If you've had a top career stands to reason that you have earned a fair wedge and keep your retirement ticking over by waffling on the TV.
 
Modo said:
Possibly Gustavo Poyet in Spain.
There are several in italy:

Paulo Sousa
Inzaghi
Montella
Mihajlović
Oddo
Click to expand...

Are these top ex-pros that are managing at the top though, or just top ex-pros managing?
  • Paulo Sousa - Fiorentina
  • Inzaghi - Venezia
  • Montella - Milan
  • Mihajlović - Torino
  • Oddo - Pescara
Not sure Oddo, Mihajlovic and Inzaghi fit the brief of managing at the top level, although they are in one of the top leagues. Also not sure that Montella satisfies having played at the top level (his loan at Fulham not withstanding).
 
Windom Earle said:
Are these top ex-pros that are managing at the top though, or just top ex-pros managing?
  • Paulo Sousa - Fiorentina
  • Inzaghi - Venezia
  • Montella - Milan
  • Mihajlović - Torino
  • Oddo - Pescara
Not sure Oddo, Mihajlovic and Inzaghi fit the brief of managing at the top level, although they are in one of the top leagues. Also not sure that Montella satisfies having played at the top level (his loan at Fulham not withstanding).
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you meant by top level. Thought you meant in the top division.
Also those players are league and CL winning players.

In that case is Koeman managing at top level?
I mean Everton...
 
Modo said:
I'm not sure what you meant by top level. Thought you meant in the top division.
Also those players are league and CL winning players.

In that case is Koeman managing at top level?
I mean Everton...
Click to expand...

Hmm. You are probably right to point out Koeman using my definition of "top level" - but the truth is that my definition is probably too rigid.

Let's say, top division then.
 
Modo said:
I'm not sure what you meant by top level. Thought you meant in the top division.
Also those players are league and CL winning players.

In that case is Koeman managing at top level?
I mean Everton...
Click to expand...

I think you'd have to include Everton as "top level" really. I know it depends on your definition and all that, but still.
 
Windom Earle said:
One should never pass up an opportunity to bash Alan Shearer, Cloggy. Never.
Click to expand...

Talking of Shearer, anyone wondered how they managed to make a statue of him, and actually got the only memorable aspect of him entirely wrong?

The celebration was always - typically- that little hand in the air thing. Which somehow has been changed to a finger in the air.

Given it doesn't actually look much like him, is it actually even supposed to be Shearer? Maybe the sculptor did Mick Quinn instead.
 
cloggypop said:
He should probably be given an international opportunity.
Click to expand...

Yes, open him up to the bashing of millions!

As absurd as it may sound, I wouldn't be too surprised if the FA decided his eight games as a manager qualified him as a candidate for the job.
 
Windom Earle said:
Yes, open him up to the bashing of millions!

As absurd as it may sound, I wouldn't be too surprised if the FA decided his eight games as a manager qualified him as a candidate for the job.
Click to expand...
Foreigners out! English jobs for the English!

It's very fashionable at the moment. Look at The Times this morning.
 
manwithnoname said:
Talking of Shearer, anyone wondered how they managed to make a statue of him, and actually got the only memorable aspect of him entirely wrong?

The celebration was always - typically- that little hand in the air thing. Which somehow has been changed to a finger in the air.

Given it doesn't actually look much like him, is it actually even supposed to be Shearer? Maybe the sculptor did Mick Quinn instead.
Click to expand...

For reference, the statue in question:

Sky_is_bringing_back_Morph.jpg
 
You want succeful English managers? Then ban every English team from hiring foreign managers. An Englishman is bound to win the league then.
 
Modo said:
You want succeful English managers? Then ban every English team from hiring foreign managers. An Englishman is bound to win the league then.
Click to expand...

I know your tongue was in your cheek there, but it is an interesting point.

British managers when PL was created:

1992/93

Arsenal- George Graham
Aston Villa - Ron Atkinson
Blackburn Rovers - Kenny Dalglish
Chelsea - David Webb
Coventry City - Bobby Gould
Crystal Palace - Steve Coppell
Everton - Howard Kendall
Ipswich Town - John Lyall
Leeds United - Howard Wilkinson
Liverpool - Graeme Souness
Manchester City - Peter Reid
Manchester United - Alex Ferguson
Middlesbrough - Lennie Lawrence
Norwich City - Mike Walker
Nottingham Forest - Brian Clough
Oldham Athletic - Joe Royle
Queens Park Rangers - Gerry Francis
Sheffield United - Dave Bassett
Sheffield Wednesday - Trevor Francis
Southampton - Ian Branfoot
Tottenham Hotspur - Doug Livermore/Ray Clemence
Wimbledon - Joe Kinnear

British managers working in the league now:

2016/17

Burnley - Sean Dyche
Bournemouth - Eddie Howe
Hull City - Mike Phelan
Alan Pardew - Crystal Palace
David Moyes - Sunderland

I'd never back the EDL stance, for me it's best man for the job, and the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that that man may not be English - or even British.
 
Out of interesting, I've just had a quick look at La Liga.

13 out of the 20 managers are Spanish (only two of the other seven are from non-Spanish speaking countries). 17 out of the 20 club captains are also Spanish!

I wonder how France, Germany and Italy measure up.
 
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