Managers who haven’t played

[Ajmblade]

Would you ever be able to place trust in a manager who hasn’t played football professionally or at a decent semi-professional level? Are there any such managers in the game?

 

[super_pig]

Would you ever be able to place trust in a manager who hasn’t played football professionally or at a decent semi-professional level? Are there any such managers in the game?

jose?? arsene was pretty low level too

 

[Bartleby]

Lawrie McMenemy

 

[1973Blade]

David Robertson is probably the closest I can think of. He managed Peterborough United in 2015 but never played professional football and had an army background. He only lasted a year, so can't be considered a great success. Mark Warburton, who managed Brentford and Rangers played for Enfield. I think he was a stockbroker before getting involved in football management.

 

[Ajmblade]

Jose and wenger both played professionally I believe even if not at a great level, Warburton a good shout I hadn’t even considered his background

 

[KoppedOff]

Watch Sunday Supplement on Sky. The self important/righteous/appointed intellectual, heavyweight (literally in one obvious case) journalists on there seem to think they are already more qualified, despite probably not kicking a ball since they got picked last in the playground when they were 15 and told to go in goal.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

There's loads.

Roy Hodgson
Paul Clement
Brendan Rodgers
Avram Grant
Andre Villas-Boas
Carlos Alberto P.

 

[Eric Cartman]

Villas Boas’ story is superb.

Was living in the same apartment block as Bobby Robson at the age of 16 - ended up getting in a debate with him then Robson appointed him to Porto’s observation team! He then paid for his UEFA C license and it went from there.

No football background at even semi pro level.

 

[niktheblade]

Didn't Woodward (I think was his name) play rugby then manage Southampton for a short while? Or did I dream that?

 

[JJ Sefton]

Didn't Woodward (I think was his name) play rugby then manage Southampton for a short while? Or did I dream that?

He played for England and coached them when they won the World Cup in 2003. Was later comanager or summat at Southampton.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Wasn’t Kevin Blackwell only semi professional?

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

He played for England and coached them when they won the World Cup in 2003. Was later comanager or summat at Southampton.

He became performance director. Whether this can be classed as ‘management’ is arguable.

 

[S64 Blade]

Maurizio Sarri only played semi-pro.

 

[blade.i.am]

Russell Slade started as a PE teacher before getting into coaching and management

 

[RMBlade]

Russell Slade started as a PE teacher before getting into coaching and management

Jose used to be a PE teacher too... poor kids.

Maurizio Sarri only played semi-pro.

Sarri only played amature football before a sequence of injuries forced him to retire.

His management story is quote interesting. Take a look at this video

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Would you ever be able to place trust in a manager who hasn’t played football professionally or at a decent semi-professional level? Are there any such managers in the game?

I think there are several examples of that, some already mentioned on here.

What I think is an even bigger gamble than that is putting trust in a manager who has never been a manager before, when the situation calls out for an experienced manager. This is something we've done loads of times and it's never worked out well.

Martin Peters
Billy McEwan
Nigel Spackman
Steve Bruce
Gary Speed
David Weir

And in between times we've given the job in an acting capacity to others without management experience, like:

Coldwell
Slade
Thompson
Carver
Morgan

All managers have to start somewhere. But trying to resurrect a sleeping giant like Sheffield United, on a shoestring, isn't the ideal apprenticeship. Yet time and again, various Chairmen of our club have failed to recognise this and we've paid the price for it.

Thankfully we got it right this time with Wilder. A bloke with loads of management experience from grass roots up.

 

[FTPE]

jose?? arsene was pretty low level too

I don't think Jose played at all did he? I thought he was basically a translator for Bobby at Barca.

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

Weren’t the Cowley brothers teachers and non league players?

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Similarly, why is there an assumption that being an ex-player is a big advantage ?

and whilst we're at it, why is there a requirement for ex-players to take a coaching badge ? Do they need the details explaining properly before they can take their careers further after finishing playing ?

 

[SwitchBLADE Smiles]

To be fair, Wilder has hardly played top level football has he? He's doing alright!

 

[dazzlingblade]

Bill Struth 30 trophies in 34 years with Hearts and Rangers, never kicked a ball in his life

 

[Fulwood Blade]

The best managers are journey men footballers (ie knowledge of the Pro playing side) and who can become a man manager.

The worst managers are very good footballers who have the arrogance to think they can just walk straight into a mangers roll ,aided and abetted by daft chairmen.

Of course there are very occasionally exceptions to the rule.

As to United:

This is where some of us take our hat off to CW - and probably more so to Alan Knill, who tried being a manager and realised coaching was more suitable. It's also not hard to see/hear this from the interviews we have had from them both.

Doubt anyone will match Clough/Taylor as a team considering what they did and won - but our two will do for me.

As an answer to the OP - no, knowledge is a major factor/key to success.

UTB

 

[Revolution]

I think there are several examples of that, some already mentioned on here.

What I think is an even bigger gamble than that is putting trust in a manager who has never been a manager before, when the situation calls out for an experienced manager. This is something we've done loads of times and it's never worked out well.

Martin Peters
Billy McEwan
Nigel Spackman
Steve Bruce
Gary Speed
David Weir

And in between times we've given the job in an acting capacity to others without management experience, like:

Coldwell
Slade
Thompson
Carver
Morgan

All managers have to start somewhere. But trying to resurrect a sleeping giant like Sheffield United, on a shoestring, isn't the ideal apprenticeship. Yet time and again, various Chairmen of our club have failed to recognise this and we've paid the price for it.

Thankfully we got it right this time with Wilder. A bloke with loads of management experience from grass roots up.

Joe Mercer was another rookie manager we hired who did not do a good job. He got us relegated in his first season (1955-6). He did become a good manager but that was years later.

I would never appoint a first timer. Let someone else break them in.

I think a manager can definitely succeed without professional playing experience but it's harder to do. There is some value to knowing how things work in a professional dressing room.

 

[Eric Cartman]

Russell Slade started as a PE teacher before getting into coaching and management

Still looks like one now

 

[broomhillblade]

Joe Mercer was another rookie manager we hired who did not do a good job. He got us relegated in his first season (1955-6). He did become a good manager but that was years later.

I would never appoint a first timer. Let someone else break them in.

I think a manager can definitely succeed without professional playing experience but it's harder to do. There is some value to knowing how things work in a professional dressing room.

Joe Mercer played for Everton, and won five England caps between 1938 and 1939. He played in 26 wartime internationals for England - many of them as captain.
Not a bad pedigree.

 

[Sheene7]

Wasn’t Kevin Blackwell only semi professional?

You could argue that's a description of his performance as a manager too.

 

[Revolution]

Joe Mercer played for Everton, and won five England caps between 1938 and 1939. He played in 26 wartime internationals for England - many of them as captain.
Not a bad pedigree.

That's right. He got United relegated in his first season, and failed to get us promoted in 2 years in the second division, whereupon he resigned and went to Villa, who he also relegated.

One of his less sensible decisions was to dump Joe Shaw for Malcolm Barrass. Barrass was finished and a disaster. Shaw once restored played for another 8 seasons.

 

[Pinchy]

Wasn’t Kevin Blackwell only semi professional?

Former semi-professional, non-league, reserve goalkeeper.

 

[Pinchy]

That's right. He got United relegated in his first season, and failed to get us promoted in 2 years in the second division, whereupon he resigned and went to Villa, who he also relegated.

...and that was all she wrote. Never achieved anything.

 

[DifferentClass]

View attachment 44160

Former semi-professional, non-league, reserve goalkeeper.

That's a pretty restrained keeper kit from the era!