Coaches and Managers

It is a well known fact that good players don't always make good managers, but there seems to be a strong case developing to extend that phrase to good coaches don't make good managers either. Now obviously there are a few exceptions, JoseMourinho and Guus Hiddink being two of the most obvious. But by and large there are very few good coaches that make the transition to being good managers. This long and infamous list includes some of the biggest names in the game as well as a string of previously respected coaches. Kevin Keagan, Ruud Gullitt, Roy Evans, Glenn Roeder, Brian Kidd and even Carlos Querioz are all a few of the names that have entered management and failed. Some to a greater degree than others. And it appears that this season, like most others, has already delivered a few more examples.

The first is Sammy Lee. The Anfield legend was a respected coach under Souness, Evans and Houllier at Liverpool, before moving on to become Sam Allardyces assistant at Bolton. Their success in turning the unfashionable Lancashire outfit into a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League is well documented and they deserved all the plaudits they got. But since Big Sam's departure, "Little Sam" seems to have struggled to stamp his own style on the team or to come to terms with the added responsibility. The other is Martin Jol. Yes, he has done well in guiding Spurs to fifth in the last two seasons, but that could probably be put down to good coaching rather than good management. His tactical naivety has been continually called into question over his time in charge and now that they are struggling, he really seems like he has absolutely no clue how to rally the team and get the best out of them. His treatment of Jermaine Defoe being a prime example of his inability to manage. It may take both of these men a long time to build up their confidence and reputation if they fail.

I also think that the next example will come sooner rather than later, and that it will be at Stamford Bridge. Avram Grant is apparently a very good coach, but will he have the ability to generate the same kind of loyalty that Mourinho did, or handle a group of players that are far superior to any he has been involved with in the past? I don't think so and don't be surprised if Roman's axe swings again soon.

It is also the reason that I don't think that Carlos Querioz will be the right person to take over from Sir Alex. He failed at Madrid, and he only had to worry about coaching the first team there. How will he handle that as well having to worry about other aspects of the club too?

Or maybe the days of the football manager are coming to an end in Britain? The European structure of allowing the first team coach to only focus on the first team seems to be becoming a lot more prevalent now. This structure would obviously mean that Queiroz could take over at Old Trafford, but I do not think it will catch on too quickly. Young managers like Keane, Southgate, Hughes and even Allardyce will be around for a long time to come, meaning the traditional British structure will continue. Arsene Wenger has also proven that managers from the continent can succeed in this environment.

The value of a good coach can and should never be under estimated, even Sir Alex has always relied on an assistant throughout his career. What the failure of those mentioned above shows is that once clubs have the good managers, they should do all they can to hold onto them.