There, but for……..

Who would be a football manager?

It’s a fairly tired old cliché, but, for all that, it rarely gets dusted off before the leaves have started falling from the trees.

However, it’s made an early appearance this year, in the sunshine of an Indian Summer.

Take a look at the Scottish Premiership and its twelve managers.

Of the five managers who achieved the success of qualifying for European competition this season: one has already left his club, and the other four, in various ways, could be seen as being under pressure, not popular with the support, or underachieving in comparison to former holders of the post.  And pressure can come from various circumstances. The pressure to always win the league is balanced with the pressure that comes from the need to fight the annual spectre of  relegation – and the fear that this year we won’t manage it.

After only four games, the knives, if not exactly out for managers, are certainly being quietly sharpened in the back shop.

If you look at supporter “wisdom”, you would conclude that they generally support their manager in two situations: if he is maintaining a mid table position in his first season after promotion, or if the fans recognise the grim financial situation at the club and  admire the manager’s skill in grinding out results against better resourced teams.

Currently, there  are probably only four or five managers in our top league who might feel any security at their club and half of them probably face the dilemma of what to do if another club comes after their services.

Why do they do it?

The easy answer is that they are addicted to the adrenaline rush of top level sport, competition, and the opportunity to display their abilities. In all walks of life, the belief that  “I can make a difference” – whatever the optics of a situation – is a driving force. Indeed, in media interviews they will proclaim a “love” for the pressure, the weight of expectation and the chance to face down major challenges day by day. I suspect for many that is true, and for others it is a coping mechanism, an excuse for the turmoil they bring to themselves and their families.

Whatever the answer, they enjoy a prolonged stay in the roller coaster world of professional sport after playing themselves, and most receive a reasonable wage for working in an industry which might be all they have ever known.

In the end, I suppose, managers are really corks bobbing up and down in the unpredictable currents of elite sport. There are many things they can do to achieve success, but equally, unforeseen events, outwith their control, can dictate the  pattern of their career. I suspect those who handle the job most effectively are those who come to terms with that.

But what of  those whose job it is to appoint a manager?

I recently drew up a three part document examining three relevant questions in this situation: What does a club need in a manager; what does a manager need to bring to a club; and what do the supporters want in a manager?

There are obvious points of agreement which hardly need highlighting – success on the pitch, incremental improvement, generating income by developing players, coaching skills and tactical awareness, sound choice of assistants, clear communication – internally and in the media, a genuine commitment to the club’s aims and ethos.

All of  these aspirations would be common to the three sections of opinion, albeit with differently weighted priorities or expectations.

However, perhaps predictably, there are areas where the needs of the Club owners and executives are at odds with the priorities of the supporters.

Fans, in general, like to see a manager who speaks up for the club and players, radiates enthusiasm, is a favourite with the media, and shows a little (but not too much) humour and quirky behaviour. What they would term “a character”.  Unfortunately,  while all these traits are admired while results on the pitch are acceptable, once the lost games pile up, he is often viewed as a “clown”. They seek an animated figure on the touchline – remaining within the dugout during a game is almost seen as a sackable offence – but if he cuts an excitable figure as his team loses, questions are asked about his example to the players and his temperament.

He is urged to give youth a chance and employ innovative tactics – until this leads to a losing streak and he becomes an ignoramus. One of the  great moments in the stands is to hear the Angry Man screaming “Get a sub on!” closely followed by: “Aw no! Not him!”

However, none of this is to criticise the support, who are generally looking for a manager to reflect and equal their love of the club and desire for success at any price. When a managerial vacancy arises, the fan base are invariably split between wanting a safe but “boring” pair of hands and an innovative appointment, laden with risk but hinting at great possibilities. Such is the fascination and unpredictability of sport – which makes it so engaging and exciting.

So where does this leave the owners and executives charged with making an appointment?

In other industries, the way forward would be clear. A restaurant owner has no need to consult diners on the appointment of a new Head Chef, but he can be fairly confident that his skills in haute cuisine will be transferable from his last place of employment.

Those making a football appointment have to be aware of the supporters’ attitudes – varied though they may be – because, ultimately, whether through season tickets, hospitality or sponsorship, they decide the club’s spending power, and, if they start to stay away, the potential on the commercial side can be hit badly.

So the balancing act becomes the need to appoint a manager whom the Board are convinced can be successful, but whom, to some extent, at least, will be welcomed and given the chance to succeed by the support. Football history is littered with tales of fans’ favourites who failed as managers and also with those who achieved a level of success but were never accepted totally by the support.

Squaring this circle is a conundrum which is exacerbated by the fans’ desire for instant success, and the unpredictability of players’ form, injuries, agents’ demands, and progress made at other clubs, especially local rivals.

Of course, recruitment in any sphere is an art.

As a member of a school Senior Leadership Team, I was involved in interviews for over twenty years, often aware that the headteacher  might turn to me for advice on certain occasions.  It would be fair to say that, overall, I probably preferred being interviewee than being interviewer. Like all “test” situations, an interview ultimately only reveals who is good at interviews, which may not always translate into practical impact when in post. Similarly, there are those who are admirably suited to a post who struggle to come across in the interview situation.

But the world of domestic football is small, and there is a high chance that  coaches, players and club officials will have crossed paths with any likely candidates at some stage, or they will have observed them at close quarters, or heard about them through friends  and connections. Such knowledge, added to the advice of trusted members of the football community, can guide the formation of a short leet perhaps, but, ultimately, the interview panel have to find the right questions and experience their own gut feelings before they make the decision.

Because of the number of imponderables in sport, there can never be a guarantee of choosing the right candidate. Are skills transferable, will the new man settle, will his style, method and personality work with the existing squad and staff at the club, how effective is he at selecting transfer targets, persuading them to sign, and getting the best out of them?

You can combine the information you have gleaned from research, analysis, and contacts, with your feelings on meeting and chatting to the candidate and his interview performance and thus limit the chances of making a major error in your appointment.

But you can never be sure – and that’s what makes it such a difficult task. Experienced versus young and ambitious; hail fellow well met, or deep thinking tactician, familiar to the support or out of left field, native or foreign, adventurous or careful?

It depends on the club, its current position, and its potential.

As with all sport, we can never know – and it is that not knowing which makes it so fascinating.

Football fans, while maintaining their ambitions for the club, would do well to remember appointing a new manager is not simple and it is not an exact science – indeed, it is hardly a science at all.

Which is why those making the choice need something considerably less fragile than crystal balls…………….