Monday 9 February 2009

Sack the manager!

You're in the Premiership, the top flight, and your team fails to live up to expectations. What’s the obvious next step? Sack the manager.

Tony Adams and Luiz Felipe Scolari were sacked today from Portsmouth and Chelsea respectively, and the truth is, there was no great surprise. One may argue that Scolari’s exit was not foreseen, but news of a Chelsea manager losing his job really isn’t a shock.

Since arriving at Stamford Bridge, Roman Abramovich has seen four managers depart. Have all of those men been given a good shot at really building a solid team to stay at the top I ask. Perhaps Mr. Abramovich needs to be informed that throwing together a load of big names isn’t always the answer to a successful team.

Blaming managers with superb track records is another questionable Chelsea tactic. Many fans are still furious with the manner in which Jose Mourinhio left the club, and are even calling for his return.

Sir Alex Ferguson described Scolari’s sacking as “A sign of the times” saying there is no patience in the world now. This is all too true. Goodness knows who will be brave enough to take on Sir Alex’s job when he eventually finishes at Manchester United.

There is also a trend appearing of past Premiership stars taking on Premiership managerial roles soon after retirement from playing. These men seem to be having considerable difficulty in keeping their jobs too. Take the cases of Paul Ince, Roy Keane and today with Tony Adams.

The frequency of football managers getting the boot, if you forgive the pun, is becoming so ludicrous that the bookmakers are probably receiving more bets on who the next manager to be axed is, rather than bets on the games.

This brings me to the next question. Who is next? Redknapp from Tottenham? Benitez from Liverpool? Wenger from Arsenal? Spurs are still struggling, even after the seemingly remarkable start from Harry Redknapp after ditching Portsmouth. Benitez is being accused of poor team selections causing Liverpool to lose their top spot, and Arsenal are clearly underperforming and could struggle to end their season within the top four.

Who would want to be a Premiership manager nowadays?

7 comments:

  1. Who wants to be a Premiership manager nowadays?

    Mad question! Everyone - 6 months in the job, get paid a measly £3m whilst 'flogging yourself to death' - doesn't much matter what results you get and your reward is a £5m payoff.

    Yup, put me down.

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  2. This season,
    Curbishley West Ham
    Keegan Newcastle
    Ramos Spurs
    Redknapp Portsmouth
    Keane Sunderland
    Ince Blackburn
    Adams Portsmouth
    Scolari Chelsea

    Not a bad turnover for a 20 team league.

    Who is next? Southgate must be worried, terrible run and have you seen who Middlesbrough have to play - doomed as Private Frazer would say.

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  3. Very true John, Southgate must be worried.

    RBS, good point! They may be rolling in money, but it really can't be much fun to be looked upon by the public as a complete failed manager!

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  4. It is one thing to drop the manager when the team have dropped a few points, but they were still well set in the Champions League, in the FA Cup and still in top 4 in league. You would have thought that the debacle at Real Madrid would demonstrate how not to succeed in getting return on your investment. The manager comes first, the team second - not the other way around.

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  5. Kinnear at Newcastle, who is manager because nobody wants the job, is to have heart surgery. Who is going to stand-in for the stand-in?

    Is this a record turnover for the most stupidly overpaid bunch of brain dead plonkers in the world?

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  6. Gibson, Middlesbrough Chairman has been heard to utter the dreaded vote of confidence speech in Southgate.

    Can't be long now!

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  7. All but over for him then! We may see him put that paper bag over his head again like he did on the pizza hut ads after Euro 96'

    ReplyDelete

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