Liverpool FC Forum

[drummerphil]

just a general topic here.What are your opinions on whether an ex  player makes the best manager or the present trend,managers who have never kicked a ball in anger.

[drummerphil]

and further more,which player coming to an end of his career currently would make a good manager

[Sean]

There is plenty of evidence to back up either claim.  The most successful managers of the last 50 years in British football never achieved much as players...e.g. Shankley, Paisley (famously dropped for the 1950 F.A. cup final), Stein, Busby, Ferguson (Rangers reject), Revie, Wenger.

Dalglish and Gerorge Graham won titles as players with Liverpool and Arsenal respectively and repeated the feat as managers.  Hoddle brought England to a world cup, David O'Leary seems to be doing o.k. and Gordon Strachan didn't to a bad job at Coventry or Southampton.
However, being a decent player will not guarantee success as a manager.  The majority of Englands world cup winning side had a go and only Jack Charlton was successful.  Bobby Moore and Bobby Charlton both did poorly.  Most recently the odds on Bryan Robson becoming a successful manager were high but he needed to get Tery Venables to bail him out at Middlesbrough...not to mention Bradford.  Alan Shearer did (does) the business as a player, he talks a good game on SKY but personally I don't think he'll make it as a manager.....time will tell

[drummerphil]

totally agree,but their seems to be managers in the game,who have never played at all and having success.Its a bit like the "who is the best ref debate" ex player or not

[Stan Laurel]

Don't forget Brian Clough too, he used to be very good player unfortunately he had to retired at very early age (I think he retired at 27 year old because of injuries problem) he managed Hartlepool at the early age.

[Scottbot]

I don't think being an ex-player is a pre-requisette to being a good/great manager. I'm sure most managers played football for many years in their youth even if they weren't good enough to make it in any big way. Football is still football whether you play in a World-Cup, Conference or the Sunday League.

Of-course being a big-name ex-player turned manager can be useful in todays game where earning the respect of egotistical who make 10 times more money can be difficult. But even then, the great managers earn respect because they are great and not because they used to play the game.

Remember, our incoming manager had a very undistinguished playing career but has a good managerial record.

[drummerphil]

brian clough is a really good example

[Lord Lucan]

Id like too see steve mcmahon return to manage liverpool one day. However i think he needs to complete his appreniship with a lower premiership club first, so come on benitez show us what you got!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Leonmc0708]

totally agree,but their seems to be managers in the game,who have never played at all and having success.Its a bit like the "who is the best ref debate" ex player or not

Who are you refering to here Phil, I cant think of one manager who did not play football at some level, Houllier and Wenger did, and even Sven has played competitive footy.

[drummerphil]

i might be wrong but i,m sure José Mourinho was a school teacher and then an interpreter

[XSD]

I didn't know Houllier and Wenger played football, surely not for a known club though?

[drummerphil]

dont think they were,but mouriniho.?

[drummerphil]

am i right about mouriniho

[blind]

lots of ex players make good managers but only a few will make it to  thetop Mark Wright is doing a fantastic job for us at chester and i think in a year or two he will move on to a bigger club but while we have him he will help us to climb out of the third as we have the conferance.

[Boocity]

I think Alan hansen would make a good manager but lifes too cushy at the BBC