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With so much pressure on managers and players to perform to the, often unrealistic, standards set for them by fans we should ask ourselves: are there other characters in the football pantomime who are often failed to be held to account? The people I’m talking about are of course the back room staff; the coaches, the assistant managers, the sporting directors and so on. How much influence do they really exert and should we be calling for a change in club staff as much as we do for managers?
Assistant Managers
The fact that Ray Wilkins’ departure last season coincided with a huge dip in form for Chelsea could be coincidental, but clearly it is too important a coincidence to overlook. Whilst nearly all eyes were focused on Carlo Ancelotti it was the absence of his number two that seemingly sparked the demise of Chelsea. They eventually recovered towards the end of the season but in the two months following the sacking of Ray Wilkins Chelsea took just seven league points from a possible twenty-seven including just one win in their nine Premier League games over that period.
Clearly this instance on its own is not enough to state the extent of the role that assistant coaches play in a club’s success, however when you look at the attitude of the most successful manager in British history then their importance is visible. Like any company, to enjoy consistent success football clubs need to reinvent themselves on a regular basis in order to keep up with the changing times of the industry. Whilst Alex Ferguson has been at United for over two decades he has had the foresight to change his assistant managers on a reasonably regular basis. During his time at the club he has worked alongside Archie Knox, Brian Kidd, Steve McClaren, Jimmy Ryan, Carlos Quieroz, Walter Smith and Mike Phelan.
I’m not saying that the continued success of Manchester United is down to the high turnover of staff, clearly Ferguson is the key factor; however, the assistants have invariably helped to add a freshness of ideas that is clearly lacking at other top clubs. Take Arsenal for example. Arsène Wenger, undoubtedly an exceptional manager, seems to have lost his way in recent years. Often it seems that the club are stuck in a rut and, whilst clearly this can’t be blamed purely on Wenger’s assistant Pat Rice, it is undeniable that the Northern Irish, former Arsenal defender has had a role to play. Rice has been assistant manager to Wenger ever since the Frenchman took over and whilst he enjoyed success early on he is indicative of the stagnation at the club, particularly if you consider Arsenal’s defensive frailties over the last few years (Rice is the defensive coach). It doesn’t mean that Rice is a bad coach or assistant, perhaps just that without fresh faces behind the scenes clubs like Arsenal, after a while, lack originality.
You could also look at England under Fabio Capello. Capello’s number two was Franco Baldini who, it was said, conducted most of the team talks and ‘hands on’ elements to the national squad. If this is true then perhaps he too should be taking some of the blame for performances such as England’s during the World Cup in South Africa.
Bureaucracy
It’s not just the assistants that impact either. The bureaucratisation of football clubs has also had an impact on the teams’ performances. For example the ever-increasing numbers of ‘Directors of Football’ are hugely influential in a clubs success. Take Liverpool’s underwhelming league form this year. Arguably that is down to money poorly spent on expensive, average signings. Who was responsible for the signings of Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson? Damien Comolli – Liverpool’s Director of Football. Or you could look at Chelsea where the hierarchy have signed players such as Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku who, whilst excellent players, were not chosen by the manager and therefore hinder his performance in the role. Lukaku’s recent statement that he was unhappy about his lack of playing time is testament to the influence these individuals have behind the scenes and the negative effects they can have.
I know a lot of this may seem obvious but the point I’m trying to make is that in a culture in which we are so quick to criticise players, to call for a change in the management of the club and express dissent at the earliest opportunity perhaps we should be looking at the other factors involved. Yes, Arsène Wenger seems to have lost his way a bit but is he actually a worse manager than he was in 2004 or does he just need to refresh his coaching staff? Yes, Villas-Boas has been poor this year but isn’t it understandable when the club keep buying players that he doesn’t want as he attempts to rebuild Chelsea’s squad; and yes, Dalglish is hardly the same manager he was but can you blame him when £35m of his transfer money is spent on the likes of Andy Carroll? Ultimately the managers are accountable for the success or failure of a club but next time you find yourself calling for a manager’s head, or declaring your disgust at your manager’s choice of signings, take a minute to consider who else had a role to play.
