da fazobetai： So far this season, we have seen another group of unsuspecting managers face the boot because their impatient owners feel that success can be better found elsewhere. It’s caused debate, manager revolt and a complete distaste shown towards the modern day football club owner. Sir Alex Ferguson has been one to take particular offence to the way some his colleagues have been treated claiming owners need to grow some balls instead of showing managers the door as soon as things get tough.
da 888casino： So, does he have a point? Would it be more beneficial to stick with a manager despite poor results? Whatever your opinion, the fact of the matter is, with owners of clubs becoming increasingly rich and greedy for instant success, failure is not an option, even if that does mean just a bit of bad form. Owners plough so much money into clubs that they adopt the attitude of, ‘I’m paying for this, I want rewards.’
Although many don’t agree with much that Ferguson has to say, one of his great characteristics is his loyalty to his friends or former players, so there is no wonder he has come to this conclusion. He took great pleasure in taking a swipe at local rivals Man City after they let Mark Hughes go, and he was more than happy to defend Sam Allardyce and Chris Hughton who were both shown the door at Blackburn and Newcastle respectively.
I think it’s fair to say that Fergie may not have had such a passionate view on the matter had it not involved some of his great friends in football, but even so, you can see his point. Longevity hasn’t harmed Manchester United after all. David Moyes continues to do a fantastic job at Everton on a very small budget and the longer he stays at Goodison, the better they become. Arsenal is another good example of the influence a long-stay manager.
Bigger clubs can afford to chop-and-change their managers. They can afford the pay-off and will always bring in more world-class players. You could even go as far as saying that the job of ‘manager’ is devalued somewhat at the better clubs because the team shouldn’t take much managing.
But what had Hughton done wrong at Newcastle? They were a promoted team whose aim was to stay up. As far as Hughton was concerned, he couldn’t have thought much more was expected of him. Likewise at Blackburn, Sam Allardyce steadied the club when they were looking far from certain to remain in the league. But with new owners, or in Newcastle’s case, owners with a renewed interest, comes different ideas and different expectations, even if they are out of the realms of possibility.
If such crazy ambitions that new owners bring to a club are to be achieved, a manager needs time and backing. Mark Hughes was putting in the foundations at Man City and he would have made them a success, Chris Hughton was finally bringing some normality back to St James’ Park and you could guarantee Allardyce wouldn’t have let Blackburn fall anywhere near the drop zone.
Ferguson’s point was that these managers are men of football and knew what they were trying to do. Owners get so caught up in instant winning and popularity (Mike Ashley) that they forget what it takes for a football club to sustain – foundations, stability and patience.
I take nothing away from the managers who have come in at clubs like Man City or Blackburn but like Ferguson, I thought the men they replaced were doing a fine job and in time would have made a success out of their clubs.
I’m with Fergie – time for the new breed of owners to grow some balls and back their managers.
[divider]
Picklive lets you compete against real people for real money… in real time! Take part in the Reading v QPR match tonight and play Picklive for FREE Go on, give it a go!