I've been reading bits and pieces tonight about Blackburn V Bolton and listening on and off all day on the radio abut both Managers being under pressure with their jobs on the line. The match is over now and Bolton won. According to the report the Blackburn fans did nothing but jeer and boo their own and did little to actually support their team on the night. This has apparently been a theme. It got me thinking a little about Managers and what they are there for. What do they actually bring to the party when the players get on the pitch. As far as I can see the main part of their job is to recruit and ensure their players are fit for purpose on match day. They pick the players and tell them to go out and do whatever it is they have decided are the tactics for the game. They mostly man manage with massaging egos being the biggest part. But, what happens when the players they have do not perform to the script. Can they really influence a game at all once it has started. On reflection I'm not so sure they can and without the opportunity to sack anyone and not being able to replace the failures then ultimately it is them that falls on a sword if required. The number of Managers to do this so far this season has been massive throughout the leagues. I know they take the plaudits if the team does well but is their head taking fair if it doesn't.
Last night the vitriol and hatred toward Kean was seriously nasty personal stuff, same as with Steve Bruce's last game at Sunderland, and his Wife and small children were there to witness it. Same when Williamson was at your lot. I would rephrase your question Sensible; Who would want to be a Manager??
You may well be right with the re-phrasing. It's a lucrative job but that does not warrant the sort of personal abuse some of them get doesn't matter how much you earn. There is nothing wrong with a chant of "Manager out" or even "Board out" or both but to make it personal is definately OTT in my view. I remember the chants directed at MaCauley when he oned us. People seemed to forget his money saved the club at the time and abuse was definately personal both to him and family. Anywhere else other than a football ground and people would be arrested for threatening behaviour at the least.
Agreed, yet another case of one law for football and another for us peasants! Although Senor Suarez may disagree! - wonder what will happen to Terry?
It sounds like Terry's is going further than Suarez's. He is due at Court in Feb 2012. And in answer to the initial question: "The manager is key to everything".
In any walk of life, the manager's job is essentially the same - to create a climate in which his or her team can be successful. Unfortunately there are far too many managers who forget this, or worse, never knew this and think it is all about them. You must have had good officers and bad officers, sensible, and how much does the captain set the tone and atmosphere for the whole ship's company? OK, I know others are involved but much that is good and bad comes from the top. I always took the view that the manager (or the officer) was there to help, to make the job easier. Yes, in the forces that also needed an amount of discipline but I don't believe I ever made the mistake of thinking I was more important to getting the job done than anyone else in my section/flight/squadron. I don't believe that it's too much different in football or any other walk of life. The apparent difference is in the eye of the beholder (the fan in this case) and we have seen, since Busby and probably before that back to Chapman, a cult of the manager in football. Not everyone can be a Clough or a Shankly and decent blokes are pilloried for being ordinary, decent blokes. Like you said, who would be as football manager?
Wise words indeed Westernmac and I have had Captains who I would probably have walked through fire for and one or two I would have happily thrown to the flames. That was my original comment in a way that they are there to create an atmosphere for success rather than any practical hands on. Incompetence in any other walk of life would lead to the sack for that incompetence but in football like the players who fail they get paid off in full. Still no need for all of the personal abuse handed out to Kean though no matter how poorly they may think he has performed.
