In the history of football very few top class players in Britain have gone on to become great club managers or coaches. Apart from Kenny Dalglish of Liverpool who did win some trophies I cannot think of any great players that have achieved any significant success as managers or coaches after their playing career ended.
Roy Keane was appointed yesterday as the new manager of Sunderland Football Club and all Sunderland fans will be hoping Keano can bring them the success they have craved for so many years.
Roy Keane has been a fantastic player and Captain of Manchester United who are my team for the last 43 years. There is no doubt Keano is one of the greatest players ever to pull on the famous Red shirt for United and he played under Sir Alex Ferguson (pictured above shaking Keano's hand) who has been the most successful Manager in Britain in the last 40 years. Keane will no doubt be picking the brains of Sir Alex as he begins his management career.
I sincerely hope Keano does the business for Sunderland and bucks the trend of great players – failed managers. If anyone has the determination, focus and bloody mindedness to succeed it is Roy Keane
Good luck Keano – and any players who step out of line at Sunderland will surely soon discover the wrath of the great man. He has never been one to hold back in giving his opinion.
7 comments:
It is often difficult for great performers to become great coaches/leaders. It is difficult the gifted ones to understand why others strugge to do what comes naturally to them. i think this is a big reason for their failure in the teaching part.
You are right Rocky. It has been reported in the media here in England that many footballers who were great players, quickly become disillusioned when they become the manager of what they see as 'average' players who just cannot do the same things that the legend player found easy. It must be frustrating but it goes to show that the great majority of players are 'average' :-)
I hope Roy Keane achieves great things as a manager and if he is successful I think he could easily end up as Sir Alex replacement at Manchester United …. That would be terrific.
I guess we are lucky to be able to see Steve Nicol up close here in New England where he is coaching the MLS Revolution team. Paul Mariner is his assistant and they seem to make a good combo. Have not won the "big" one yet so school is still out as to whether they will ultimately be great coaches.
Actually, that reminds me, I did write this up towards the end of last season as the Revs made their run to the title game (lost 1-0).
http://p4tgce.blogspot.com/2005/10/business-lessons-from-revolution.html
Enjoy!
Hi Steve
I remember Paul Mariner very well. He played for Ipswich Town and England. He was a very good goal scorer and very under-estimated. He was unlucky to be around when there were a lot of good strikers playing for England such as Trevor Francis and as a result Mariner did not get as many England ‘caps’ as he should have.
Steve Nicol was a Liverpool player and he was in fact Scottish. I am a lifelong Manchester United fan and we generally do not like to admit it that Liverpool players are any good because as you may know there is great rivalry between Liverpool and Man United. But Steve Nicol was indeed a very good player - very versatile and a loyal team player.
I enjoyed reading your previous posting. I have always believed we can learn a lot about leadership and management in business from sport – particularly successful teams with excellent managers or coaches. I would highly recommend ‘Managing My Life’ by Sir Alex Ferguson as a book to read on simplicity in management. But of course I am wee bit biased :-)
just a wee bit... but that's okay, I think. the use of sports as a wall breaker, to find a common ground across nationalitiies, is valuable if somewhat overhyped by the Olympics.
Bottom line, the football is round and bounces whether your English, Nigerian, Brazilian, Mexican, or whatever. The game is simple if we let it be really just a game. When we try to make it more than a game, a case for justice, for example, then the sporting aspect is squandered.
Give me a ball and a group who want to play and we'll be a team. Maybe not a great team but we'll have some fun playing the game. If the leading players can take that kind of approach, they'll succeed. There is beauty in this simple game of football.
and then extend that simplicity to life and work, and we can make progress. the trouble comes when it has to be for money. and making more than last year, or more than the next guy. what's this money thing? oh yea, we need to pay some bills to eat, etc. then we are forced to make choices, try to balance... life becomes a challenge.
With a round ball and a simple game we can take a break.
Football is a world game indeed Steve - it is played anywhere and everywhere. A universal language!
Post a Comment