I came across a very good read regarding the factors that make someone a good coach in the professional era. It's written on a cricket site but they relate it to coaching in various sports and disciplines. http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/732387.html Give it a read, but there are some particular points I'll copy here anyway: "And yet in most sporting contexts, the default position of coaches - and pundits who judge coaches in the media - is to assume that the problem afflicting a team or an individual player is usually caused by a lack of effort. If only players cared more, tried harder, felt disappointment more deeply. That sentiment, so widespread in sport, gives rise to the knee-jerk response: give them all a good bollocking; expect there will be plenty of strong words in the dressing room after that shot; wouldn't want to be standing near the manager at half-time." "It is time to re-classify elite sport and stop seeing sportsmen as a rabble of unmotivated wastrels in search of a sergeant-major to whip them into shape." "Over the long term, the best way for a coach to win the support of his players is to convince them that he can help them to play better. Appealing to their rational self-interest is the most reliable way of getting athletes on side." "It requires astute observation, tact, judgement, and a talent for clear exposition and metaphor. Good coaches are able to articulate the same point in many different ways - until, finally, one phrase or description clicks for the athlete. A great coach, then, has more in common with a teacher than a conventional boss or employee. Ultimately, his contribution is expressed through the sum total of the improvements he makes to his players." I like the examples he gives in the beginning of the article. My question is that this is almost the opposite of what we've experienced during the Fergie years in a way, although Fergie did admit that he can't shout at players like he used to... No doubt he has many good qualities, but the motivational aspect was often the most focused upon. I think Fergie's biggest strength was that knew exactly how to get each player to perform for him. There are so many different kinds of managers, some are more old school than others. What do you think are the most important factors that make a good manager? Of the top managers, what are their main strengths that make them stand out as a top, top (top) manager?
My view on some of the top managers: Fergie: Motivating players and man management Mourinho: Man management, motivation and tactics Wenger: Tactics, more in the way he gets his team to play than how he tactically outwits opponents though. Harry Redknapp: Motivating players and the Transfer market Roy Hodgson: Nationality and past managerial experience. Moyes: Man management and (at this stage) Nationality.
Clearly the answer is 'man management' Everything else is secondary. Look at United under Fergie compared with Moyes. Moyes has zero people skills, no motivational skills and no communication skills. fergie had them in abundance. Anyway a better way to put your question is this.... Which is better, money managers or man managers? One buys its way out of trouble, the other manages its way out.
Moyes isnt a top mnager!! We signed moyes because he was the safe option. No need for 100's of millions to be spent because Moyes knows how to work on a budget.... 8 months later and realising how terrible he is we must now give him 200million and sell 17 players just to possibly get 8th next year because of course manchester United are ****.... WRONG! We need to spend far less and replace the manager with a football manager who can handle the pressure and handle the players. A manager who instills belief in his squad. Rodgers did it at Liverpool from day one. Confidence breeds success after all.
I was really posting the others so that we could contrast them with the guys at the top of their game, to see what they are lacking. Can you think of anyone lacking in the man management side of the game but has been really successful? AVB was successful at Porto but nowhere else since...
Brod: motivation, tactics, man management, transfers and nationality. His experience is getting there
Man management Tactics Transfer market Motivating players Past football experience Nationality Cheque book?
Maybe I've been a bit selective choosing from your post TB, but to me those statements are absolutely contradictory. SAF was the master of convincing players that he could help them play better and become the best, if they followed his instructions exactly. He combined the carrot of turning players into the next Scholes, Beckham, Giggs, Ronaldo, Rooney etc with the stick of being absolutely willing to 'hairdryer' a player who isn't meeting expectations. In management it's called transformational leadership - a manager convinces their subordinates that the best way to achieve their goals is to follow the instructions and example of the manager. It's absolutely vital for a modern manager, given the degree of power that modern players have - if you can't convince them you are the one who's best for their career, you'll never get the best out of them. That was the whole point of the hairdryer - just another way of finding the phrase or description which clicks for the athlete - Hughes, Dublin and Rooney have all admitted that it worked for them and got them to improve their attitudes. It's also the biggest problem a manager has when replacing someone successful - I don't think there's any manager in the world that could convince the current Utd players that they could make them better than SAF did. It's also why Rooney and Januzaj have been our best performers this season - they are the ones who didn't have that sort of connection with SAF last season, so it's been easier for Moyes to manage them.
Its becoming quite clear that mentality and confidence are the 2 most important things. tactics will get you so far. rafa, Wenger etc have great tactical ability but lack any people skills. This means that the foundations are solid but theres nobody managing the project so it all collapses eventually. Jose, Fergie, Pep, Rodgers, Klopp etc all make their sides believe they are winners. Build a mentality that only allows success. failure is simply not an option. Any failure is turned into a positive. Moyes isnt tactically aware and has zero man management skills. Were ****ed is what I am saying until the day hes sacked.
Haha, very selective! I did go on to say "I think Fergie's biggest strength was that he knew exactly how to get each player to perform for him" I agree with you though, and I really like the point you make about the carrot and the stick. My point was mainly that the media always enjoyed talking about his hairdryer treatment, much more so than the other aspects of his management style. I think Mourinho is the other manager that stands out that can galvanise his team to play for him and themselves, and loves creating an "It's us against the world" mentality wherever he managed, and Fergie often played that card with the media and referees etc.
