It’s one of the most confusing terms in football and in employment in general. What is gardening leave? Does it mean that a manager has been sacked, or is there any way back for them? Do they have to spend their time in the doldrums tending to their daisies and petunias? QPR head coach Marti …
Gardening Leave in Football: Is It the End of the Line for a Manager? Read More »
Even if his teams have a habit of playing a trudging, conservative style of football on the pitch, life is never dull off it when José Mourinho is prowling the technical area. The Portuguese is into his third decade as a top-tier head coach, and despite having two Champions League wins – not to mention …
The Most Controversial Moments of José Mourinho’s Managerial Career Read More »
Liverpool’s transition from Jürgen Klopp to Arne Slot could scarcely have felt more seamless. It’s almost a strange state of affairs in the red half of Merseyside, with few able to believe when they make a bet on Premier League matches that their side are top of the tree. Replacing a manager with such a …
Reflecting on Arne Slot’s Fast Start in Charge of Liverpool Read More »
In the cutthroat world of professional football in the modern era, is there any particular month in which a manager can relax… safe in the knowledge that their job is, for 30 or so days at least, more secure than normal? Conversely, is there any specific calendar month in which a head coach should open …
They say in life, but especially in football, never go back. So many legacies have been tarnished by players or managers returning to a club for a second time, only to fall short of the standards they set first time around. Mind you, it doesn’t always pan out like that: in fact, sometimes the second …
Claudio Ranieri Joins Ranks of Managers That Have Led the Same Club Three Times or More Read More »
Here’s a sort of chicken-and-egg question for you: is it success that buys a manager time in football, or is it showing loyalty in your boss that ultimately leads to success on the pitch? It’s a hypothetical question with no concrete answer, but you do wonder sometimes if a club that constantly chops and changes …
Once upon a time, the pervading image of a football manager was a grizzled veteran of the sport. Bedecked in a tracksuit, they would bark instructions at their players – instructions which would range from ‘get stuck in’ to ‘stick it in the mixer’. But football management seems to have undergone an overhaul. Today, managers …
Young Man’s Game: The Average Age of Premier League Managers Falls to Record Low Read More »
There has been a sea-change, for many, in how football fans perceive their team’s head coach or manager. Once upon a time, supporters were blinded by the notion that their manager had to have enjoyed a fine career as a player – somehow that gave them more credence as a decision-maker and tactician. However, the …
In one of the shocks of the summer, Vincent Kompany secured the vacant managerial post at Bayern Munich. Having led Burnley to relegation from the Premier League after recording just 24 points, a move to the Bavarian giants hardly seemed like the natural next step but here we are. The announcement had a lot of …
Gary Lineker said that football was a simple enough game where “22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win.” Well, Germany haven’t been so great in recent years, although they may set that straight at Euro 2024 on home soil, despite indifferent form in the build-up to …
Multiple Winners of the Premier League Manager of the Year Awards Read More »
