How long is long enough?
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 6:32PM Without the multi-million pound redundancy payments and the virtual guarantee of being employed again, who would want to be a football manager?
Only a few short weeks, if that, since Roy Hodgson was given the job of England manager, when almost everyone said “Let’s give him a fair chance” and he names his first squad and the instant reaction on line appeared to be that he has used up his one and only lifeline. Long before his team kick a ball he is set for failure with pundits pointing out how he has got it wrong and who he should have picked. For me the main issue he made was picking John Terry, but that is old ground now – I still retain a “meh” attitude to the England team, and it will take a while for that to change, if it ever does. The Euro 2012 tournament will come and go, and if England fail to get out of the group, the Sun and Sky will ensure he is sacked in time to go back to his old job….
Other managerial news is the sacking of Kenny Dalglish, we can only assume for poor performance, why else would you sack a manager? This comes on the heels of Aston Villa sacking their manager, potentially the start of a managerial merry go round over the summer with many candidates being spoken of moving to bigger clubs, and other managers reaching the end of their allotted time.
For me the odd thing is that Liverpool won a cup, and were in another cup final, so although having a poor league finish to me that is a pretty damn successful season. Contrast this with Harry Redknapp at Spurs, who won nothing (again) but is constantly referred to as the best manager we have had in generations. One fact that is being trotted out all too often is that this is the best 3 league positions Spurs have achieved in a row in 47 years. Now, without recourse to google, can any fan of any club say where they finished in the league 47, 48 and 49 years ago? If you can, and you weren’t champions or relegated that is a bit of a worry really J
I have spoken to many Liverpool & Spurs fans and there is a distinct split in both camps as to if either manager has been successful this year or not. For my view, Dalglish was the most successful, and in 20 years time when someone is revising for Mastermind the facts they will learn will be who won the cups, not who finished 4th. It is a funny old game indeed if winning a trophy is seen as a failure worthy of a sacking and yet throwing away two cups (three if you count Spurs non-performance in the FA Cup semi-final) and finishing 4th in the league is seen as a huge achievement.
Times have changed, modern football, money – I know that, but as a fan would you rather have had a trip to Wembley and won a cup than just played in the Champions League?
I genuinely cannot understand those fans who just want to be in the Champions League, very few ever reference or express a desire to win it, just being in it is now seen as the mark of a successful team. Having seen the UEFA Cup and Carling Cup lifted “in the flesh” I can assure you that just seeing a game against Barcelona doesn’t compare.
Football won’t go back, I know that, but when someone has to use the Rothmans Yearbook to try and find a justification of success of a manager, I would put it to you that is not a great success. If Spurs’ owners are serious about progression, a change is needed, and I think that the sacking of Dalglish will start that process for Spurs and a few other clubs, it is going to be a busy few weeks for football club owners.
Reader Comments (2)
don't sack him. There's enough money in football to have him killed!! I know that seems a little OTT but hear me out. If he gets sacked he'll be all over the press, constantly. Not just in the immediate aftermath but months after it too. He'll either get a job on Sky where he can constantly mention this and that or he'll get another job which will mean he'll be blabbering on further.
Have him killed and we'll never have to listen to him and his kind go on about how this is the best we've ever had it even though we've just finish another trophyless season with him at the helm. Plus we don't have to pay compensation. ;-)
Haha.
I have no idea who made that comment and I am hoping for many legal reasons no one gets killed :-)