Manager

[Edward]

The manager is just a manager. In most businesses, there will be somebody sitting above any manager directing matters according to whatever plan has been laid. I don’t really see how that should be any different at a football club so the manager should be performing/behaving in a way that is consistent with delivering the club’s mission. Of course, the directors can’t dictate style of play, or selection, to a manager, but to encourage the required outcomes, I believe the ECFC manager should have a pay packet which is dependent upon performance in three key areas:

League position
Home attendances
Transfer income

Quite how you weight these three variables is critical, and probably not especially easy, but the role of management is to deliver the required outcomes using the available resources. I suspect more entertaining football (leading to higher crowds), or increased faith in potentially marketable players (leading to transfer income), would be a likely outcome if pay was dependent upon it although, clearly, league position is also critical so the manager has decisions to make, weighing up the need to satisfy the directors in all three key areas.

 

[Bridgy 81]

Would love to see Caldwell going more Klopp than Pep.

I have to say I do prefer heavy metal football to the tiki-taka variety.

 

[Pete Martin (CTID)]

Make your own judgements.......
(this is from the website 'managerskills.com')





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[JGrecian23]

I have to say I do prefer heavy metal football to the tiki-taka variety.

Me too. As I said before, I can't stand watching Man City, I find it slow and dull. I'd watch Luton over them anytime.

Our issue is Caldwell wants to be Pep. Unfortunately Tom Carroll is not Bernardo Silva and Aitchison isn't De Bruyne!

 

[STURTZ]

Good thread, good question. Think we should get league 1 survival sorted first. You know all unite to get us over the line.

After that yeah, have a full on bust up!

 

[sign of the chimes]

The alarm bells go off in my head when I hear that a manager has a philosophy.

I like a manager to play a brand of football that suits the players that he has available. Someone who doesn't over complicate things and someone who has the flexibility in his approach to adapt to different opposition, conditions and the players he has available.

I also think it's important, especially when you are one of the smaller teams in a division to create an environment where the players and fans are together. This includes the personality of the players that you sign.

They all purport to have philosophies these days; though I think it's a terrible term and makes them seem like a bunch of Kants.

The environment/identity thing is, imo, spot on regardless of where you are. While Cowley failed at Pompey, he did a really good job in building that connection between the club and the fans back up - completely bought in to the imporance of it - it wasn't even all about the players, just a sense that the management knew what the ethos of the club and the city was.

On the 'philosophy' thing - while I've an issue with the aggrandisement the term brings - I have no issue with any manager/head coach knowing how they want their teams to play. However, it relies on the management/recruitment etc. being aligned enough to recruit the right players to implement that style. Typically now, it needs a genuine director of football/sporting director/head of football operations who is recruiting managers/head coaches that fit in with how the club does player recruitment and can work with the manager to ensure that all comes together.

 

[elginCity]

The manager is just a manager. In most businesses, there will be somebody sitting above any manager directing matters according to whatever plan has been laid. I don’t really see how that should be any different at a football club so the manager should be performing/behaving in a way that is consistent with delivering the club’s mission. Of course, the directors can’t dictate style of play, or selection, to a manager, but to encourage the required outcomes, I believe the ECFC manager should have a pay packet which is dependent upon performance in three key areas:

League position
Home attendances
Transfer income

Quite how you weight these three variables is critical, and probably not especially easy, but the role of management is to deliver the required outcomes using the available resources. I suspect more entertaining football (leading to higher crowds), or increased faith in potentially marketable players (leading to transfer income), would be a likely outcome if pay was dependent upon it although, clearly, league position is also critical so the manager has decisions to make, weighing up the need to satisfy the directors in all three key areas.

Interesting to contrast what might well be the expectations of the manager from City fans on the Board(s) with the terraces.

All things considered, home attendances have been remarkable.

 

[tonykellowfan]

I expect the manager to pick the best side available, motivate the players to play as best as possible and select the best tactics at the start of the match and during the match to get the best possible result.

I also expect the manager to sign decent players and bring though our own talent.

 

[Snoop Fog]

Me too. As I said before, I can't stand watching Man City, I find it slow and dull. I'd watch Luton over them anytime.

Our issue is Caldwell wants to be Pep. Unfortunately Tom Carroll is not Bernardo Silva and Aitchison isn't De Bruyne!

But Kev Nicholson is Pep.

 

[haka]

This is summed up very well by Nick Hornby in Fever Pitch, the chapter titled "Clowns". Worth a read, because so much in football has changed since, but not this.

Manager gets results, almost everything else is forgiven. And that's about it.

There should be a minimum standard of behaviour (don't embarrass the club, don't be a jerk on social media or on the sideline, etc), but apart from that, only results matter. Fans will of course like some managers more, some less, depending on personality types. Subjectively, I was never fond (at the time) of Brian Godfrey, but objectively he was a successful manager at ECFC. Much better than Noel Blake, who I liked. Post-match interviews earn zero points.