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Who would be a manager?


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From the Guardian last week – an insight into what it takes to be a coach. While it’s a generic article and not about any particular team, I think it’s got relevance to our present situation so I hope it’s OK to post here.

 

It’s written by Liam Rosenior who plays for Brighton and was in response to the abuse that Bilic got when West Ham played Brighton last week.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/oct/26/bilic-abuse-fans-questioning-desire-football-manager-liam-rosenior

Many people has asked what the course [uefa Pro Licence course] entails, its structure and basically does it teach you how to be a manager? The answer will surprise many people because at least 90% of the course has absolutely nothing to do with football whatsoever.

 

The pro licence course I and many aspiring coaches take is based on personal stress management, handling the media, psychology, team-building and cultivating relationships with players and staff at every level of a club – all of the skills and tools which are necessary to cope in a very pressured job at the highest level. But the lectures and coursework we have to complete are as far removed from football as you can get; it’s about developing the understanding of what makes your players (employees) tick, managing in a fickle, high-stress, results-driven business, how to maximise potential in a team environment and the art of teaching itself – all skills needed for management in every industry, not just football.

 

Ironically, these are abilities which aren’t analysed, quantified or debated by fans or the experts and pundits in the media. Since the introduction of the famous Football Manager computer simulation game, the amount of statistical and tactical analysis available to people has led millions to believe coaching is simply a matter of examining the numbers and then selecting a team and formation and away you go. Everyone is an expert now and has an opinion of their club’s best team and formation.

 

But can everyone walk into a dressing room full of big characters, who analyse and mock any weakness, stand in front of them and lead them to success? Can everyone deal with the outspoken players who are unhappy and think they should be starting instead of the useless donkey you’ve picked in front of them? Can everyone be the face of a club, in some cases multimillion‑pound companies and therefore face the immense financial pressures that come with every result, every week in the job?

Obviously knowing football systems, football philosophies and tactics is of paramount importance in the job. But in doing my coaching licences I have realised and learned that my character and example as a person, handling high-stress environments while having the ability to inspire and relate to players from different countries of different faiths and culture, is just as important.

 

When we are talking about the merits of our next Manager and debating previous managers we have had, it usually dwells on formations, style of play and results. While in the end success is determined by results, the means to that end depends on many things and we tend not to talk about interpersonal skills, largely because it’s one side we don’t really see. Maybe that was Pedro’s downfall that he was unable to deal with the entrenched established players and introduce the new, largely foreign, players into a united squad. Of course, it’s not just the manager who has a responsibily here, the players also need to adjust to new personnel and ideas and I think some may find this very difficult.

 

So what of our new manager? He will face a group of new foreign players, some of who do not speak much English; a group of established players who may think they know best and a group of newish British players who were signed by Pedro. Not only does he need to play “a style of football the fans expect” he needs to be a good man-manager, a superb tactician, adept with the media and deal with stress that comes with the job. Not much to ask!

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