Premier League - Great players, rubbish managers

Eurosport - Thu, 04 Dec 19:26:00 2008

Cheer up Roy Keane, you are in good company - scores of world-class players have failed to make the grade in management and your departure from Sunderland puts you in good company.

1999 Manchester United Roy Keane - 0

Bryan Robson - The first of Fergie's Manchester United 'disciples' to establish himself in management, Captain Marvel set an unhappy precedent for the likes of Keane and Paul Ince. Lasted seven mediocre years at Middlesbrough, the most notable of which saw Boro reach two cup finals and go down. Subsequently failed at Bradford, West Brom and Sheffield United.

Ruud Gullit - Skippered the Dutch to their only major tournament success in 1988 but proved too intelligent to be much good at management. Became the first foreign boss to win the FA Cup while at Chelsea but then fell out with the board. Fell out with Alan Shearer at Newcastle, and recently fell out with the whole LA Galaxy squad during a nine-month stint.

Glenn Hoddle - Why it is a bad idea for national teams to take a flier on unproven managers. Hoddle's player-manager spells at Swindon and Chelsea offered little indication of the faith-healing madness he would bring to the England job. Insisted not only on taking part in training but showboating throughout and repeatedly nutmegging a bemused Martin Keown.

Ossie Ardiles - At least he had the guts to impose his own tactical blueprint at Tottenham. Pioneered the novel 5-0-5 formation at the start of the 1994/95 season, employing an attacking quintet of Juergen Klinsmann, Teddy Sheringham, Ilie Dumitrescu, Darren Anderton and Nicky Barmby. Tragically, it failed and Ardiles was out of a job by October.

Alan Ball - If a flat cap and disarming honesty were enough to be a top manager, 1966 World Cup-winner Ball would have been a dugout legend - but Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho prove that being a lovely man is not a pre-requisite for success. Was nice enough to gain employment at Blackpool, Portsmouth, Stoke City, Exeter City, Southampton, Manchester City and Portsmouth.

Bobby Charlton - Another England hero from 1966, Charlton's maturity, leadership and track record seemed tailor-made for management. Took Nobby Stiles with him to Preston North End where he became player-manager. It did not go well, and he was off at the end of the season.

John Barnes - 'Super Caley Go Ballistic Celtic Are Atrocious' is pretty much all that needs to be said about Barnes's disastrous tenure at Parkhead.

And two greats who succeeded:

Franz Beckenbauer - Der Kaiser won the 1990 World Cup with West Germany, then proceeded to manage in brief, successful bursts. Won the French title during a single season at Marseille, then snaffled a Bundesliga and a UEFA Cup in spells of six and two months at Bayern Munich in 1994 and 1996.

Johan Cruyff - Introduced a 3-1-2-3-1 tactical system (seriously) at Ajax, which the club used to win the Champions League some years after Cruyff's departure. Then created Barcelona's Dream Team, winning the 1992 European Cup and signing legendary players such as Romario, Hristo Stoichkov, Michael Laudrup and Ronald Koeman.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

Comment 28 - 47 of 87

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  1. roy caen is good

    From desmond, on Thu 4 Dec 6:11PM

  2. Eurosport, get real, this is pathetic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ How in the world can you put CRUYFF in this­ category??????????? Did this journalist just quit doing­ economic analysis in CNN and go into sports????? Cruyff­ is one of the most successful managers in history for­ christs' sake!!!!!! Just for Barca 1 champions­ leage plus two other finals of the same, and FIVE­ CONSECUTIVE liga titles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Alex­ Chick, get a life you pathetic moron excuse for a­ journalist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go work for­ Hello! magazine or something you ignorant­ idiot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    From andres4790, on Thu 4 Dec 6:09PM

  3. rob L. do not disrespect a man who has achieved more in­ one day than you prob have in your sad little life you­ c*u*n*t. and for the record he didnt walk out on­ ireland. he was sent home for letting his opinion known­ about the lack of facilities. so get your facts right­ before you start ranting on about keane...

    From nheavey, on Thu 4 Dec 6:04PM

  4. Never mind, he'll have more time to"get to­ know" his dog!

    From Doug, on Thu 4 Dec 5:57PM

  5. I agree with 'hondasales', but this was­ Keane's third year at Sunderland, so his first job­ was a Championship one. A heck of a lot of cash and­ arguments later, and they're a bottom third Prem­ club.
    Well done to Keano for winning the champ in­ 2006/07. It's definitely time to go, mind. No­ disrespect to Sunderland because they are a prem team­ and Quinn gave him lots of time, but maybe a more­ stable club in prem or champ would be a good idea. Then­ again, there's not many 'stable' clubs­ these days cept Villa!

    From Simon, on Thu 4 Dec 5:52PM

  6. I think Keane's failure as a manger is not that­ surprising. As a player he would come out with­ ridiculous comments some times yet paradoxically seemed­ to lack the fire as a manager. Ultimately he proved­ that he couldn't take it when the going got tough­ (similar to when he walked out on the Ireland squad at­ the world cup). To be a successful manager you have to­ have a really thick skin and be able to ride the rough­ patches - all great managers have had them (SAF,­ Wenger, Benitez, Clough). I think being a successful­ manager requires super human mental toughness,­ interpersonal skills and tactical acumen and few­ professional footballers are equipped to make the step­ up in this respect.

    From Winston Bunn, on Thu 4 Dec 5:51PM

  7. Tony H & Quinnbros = obviouse support a @#$% team­ so have to talk about other peoples teams. grow a set­ of balls boys.

    From Brewer, on Thu 4 Dec 5:43PM

  8. he will manage man united one day and we'll see­ just how rubbish he is which in my opinion is that he­ isn't he just did all he could for sunderland

    From robday991, on Thu 4 Dec 5:40PM

  9. sunderland good team man u even better!!!

    From mchll_kearney, on Thu 4 Dec 5:39PM

  10. advice to pomoey fans to get that big fruit adams out­ he will sink what is in my opionion a very good team in­ pompey and a fantastic club get rid fast

    From quinnbrosltd, on Thu 4 Dec 5:19PM

  11. advice to pomoey fans to get that big fruit adams out­ he will sink what is in my opionion a very good team in­ pompey and a fantastic club get rid fast

    From quinnbrosltd, on Thu 4 Dec 5:19PM

  12. I dont think Keane was a rubbish manager in the­ slightest!! I think he jumped the gun a bit leaving so­ soon. He'll be fine maybe at a club without the­ spotlight of the premiership. Its a tough league to­ start in your first managerial job!!

    From hondasales, on Thu 4 Dec 5:13PM

  13. That's bit out of order re: Alan "Bally"­ - he got Pompey up to the "old" top flight in­ 1986/7 Season - and by the way they beat Scummers­ (Southampton) 2-0 on their own ground (The Dell Cattle­ pen then), in January '86......... I said hello to­ him close up once, at Fratton Park - he was only 5ft­ 6in, but was a great , much respected guy with great­ enthusiasm, and apparently a very "down to­ earth", straight talking northerner - and about­ the only man respected by both Pompey and Scummers­ fans!
    Pompey Tone

    From Tony H, on Thu 4 Dec 5:08PM

  14. Nice one Quinnbros - who (outside Tottenom) cares about­ Judas Redknapp or Joe "Turncoat" Jordan now­ anyway...........may they still do down.....
    Pompey­ 4ever.......

    From Tony H, on Thu 4 Dec 4:59PM

  15. anyone who takes the spurs job a$$holes

    From quinnbrosltd, on Thu 4 Dec 4:49PM

  16. Why is it, the press cry out for a English manager then­ slate them none stop before they get a chance to prove­ themselves?

    I for one dont want the Enlgand team­ managed by a Italian, Swed, or any other.
    There heart­ is never going to be in it the same way.

    I dont really­ like Keane but this is more about the title,
    Premier­ League - Great players, rubbish managers!

    Its not­ going to be long before the same writer of this starts­ on Ince, Peter Taylor when he gets up a league,­ etc...

    Get behind them not F*ck them off before the­ get there chance.

    H town lad

    From D, on Thu 4 Dec 4:49PM

  17. whos the rubbish managers or the .... anyway to be in­ chage diffrent than to talk . talking is the easies way­ but to responsible about clubs is most difficult think­ in life because you want to let the millions cheer­ about what are you doing and will not cheer them even­ if win for many resons ...............anyway ruddish is­ rubbish but Roy Keane is Roy Keane.

    cheers

    From me, on Thu 4 Dec 4:34PM

  18. Stuart mccall!

    From jonny_icepak, on Thu 4 Dec 4:29PM

  19. Perhaps everyone should take a serious look at the­ difference at Managing players versus Bullying­ players?? in the case of Mr Keane? I will leave that to­ your own decision.
    He, along with many before him have­ now realised there is a vast difference between playing­ football and managing players.
    In this instance,(and­ others that could be named in the football business­ today) I am of the belief Roy Keane is well out of is­ depth and many in the business know this, but the­ accolades will no doubt be pleasant as in this­ competative world and sport it remains 'Dog Eat­ Dog' !!!

    From Roger, on Thu 4 Dec 4:24PM

  20. Kenny Dalglish.... what an utter @#$%!

    From Markus, on Thu 4 Dec 4:21PM
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