by Kevin Elder

Created on: August 25, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Yes. I believe that too often top level football (soccer) teams unnecessarily limit themselves by hiring ex players. They seem to have a fear that one of there playing legends will go to another club and become a fantastic manager. So instead they hire their former legend also an unproven manager to take control of their team. A perfect example of this scenario is Middlesbrough in the English Premier League. They hired Gareth Southgate who retired from playing for Middlesbrough to take over as manager. He had no coaching experience, and the team has struggled but have remained in the Premier League. There have been a few coaching changes in recent years at Newcastle also of the English Premier League. Every time the managers post is vacant, the name Alan Shearer gets mentioned. He is a Magpies legend, with no experience in management. I was pleased to see that Shearer ruled himself out, saying he wasn't ready and I believe that he also started taking a coaching course.

Teams at the top level should be aware that there is a lot more to managing then picking the lineup and making substitutions. Especially at a top flight club. To throw in a player that has been at your club into management with no training is very irresponsible. The fact that every once in awhile it works out should not encourage clubs to go down this road. If you are a club in a top league, you won't win without a squad that can compete in a top league, so why are teams choosing to go with a manager that has no experience in any league? That doesn't seem like good business to me.

There is also a belief that players that have played for great managers will become great managers themselves. I would call this the Sir Alex syndrome. Sir Alex Ferguson is the manager of Manchester United in England. He is among the most successful managers in the world. A surprising number of his former players are now managers, Gordon Strachan at Glasgow Celtic (Scotland), Steve Bruce at Wigan Athletic (England), Mark Hughes at Manchester City (England), and most recently Roy Keane at Sunderland (England). There are also many more that I haven't mentioned. As former players gain success as managers the belief that former players make quality managers grows, especially former players that played for Sir Alex. This only makes it more dangerous for clubs that are looking for a new manager, as they are worried that if they don't hire so and so, there fans will complain in the media etc. As more and more clubs hire former

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