It is often said in football that English managers and coaches are not given the same opportunities as those from other countries. You will read in the tabloids (and often in the more respected papers as well) that these foreigners are taking jobs that our own are more than capable of filling with the same level of style, panache and experience. However, given a lot of what we’ve seen going on in football – and to a greater extent the press (let’s not underestimate how much they affect opinions) – I would argue that it is the foreign managers that are under more pressure and scrutiny and handed less time to prove themselves.
At the heart of this attitude, there is a desire to see the best that English football has to offer at the ‘top table’; in the top jobs. But this comes very close to xenophobia in some situations and leaves a very sour taste in the mouth. The simple fact of the matter is: foreign coaches are preferred simply because they are better. People may point to the likes of Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, and Martin O’Neill but let’s not kid ourselves; these men are ‘foreign’. Sure, they may live on the same island and speak (for the most part) the same language but they originate from completely separate nations; they are not English so by definition, they are foreigners. Sadly for Englishmen, they too are better than anything we can offer.
The press (and, I’m sure, more than a few people that read this article) will argue til they are blue in the face that English managers are as good as any other. That they are just not given the opportunities their foreign counterparts are but this is nonsense. Top jobs are awarded on merit, not nationality. Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal – three of the group known traditionally as the ‘Big Four’, have employed all of their recent managers (Avram Grant aside) on their track record and reputations, not based on their vicinity to the club’s ground. Any top English managers around at the time will have been considered, not overlooked. Take our own club as an example: we had a track record of employing exclusively from the British Isles. Before Gerard Houllier, we had Roy Evans, before him Graeme Souness and Kenny Dalglish. After Dalglish, Souness and Evans performed poorly, at best. Houllier, once given the opportunity to manage alone, performed near miracles in his first few years, repaying the faith of the club’s owners in its first coach from the continent. Benitez later went on to build on Houllier’s successes and performed actual miracles. Likewise, the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal had always stayed loyal to British coaches but once they turned to the continent they both experienced the best periods in each club’s history.
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This week it is Liverpool WAG Alex Curran!
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I totally agree with you dj.
English managers are …….CRAP!
I’ve just read a study that suggests most English participants on message boards tend to have lower levels of insight, vocabularly and wit compared to their foreign counterparts. I suggest that the quality of this site could be improved considerably by having a few more French, Spanish and Italian contributors.
Bravo mon ami tu et un homme qui parle avec tres sensebilite
English managers are like Range Rover ; expensive,old fashion and unreliable!!
Excellent article David – yet again!
Winning the Italian Super Cup is not an achievement, it is the equivalent of a preseason friendly like the Charity Shield. Inter beat the champions of the Congo to win the World Club Championship-wow what an achievement. The tactically brilliant Rafa in the 86 point season could not even beat Hull at Anfield or Stoke home and away. But we must give Rafa credit for bringing in tactically brilliant foreign players like Skyrtel, Insua, Josemi, Kuyt, Babel, Lucas, Ngog, El Zhar, Plessis, Pellegrino.
The genius Rafa failed at Liverpool, FACT. The genius Rafa failed at Inter Milan, FACT. Put Dalglish and Thompson in charge until the end of the season. Unlike Rafa, they genuinely love the club and do not see the club as an ego trip.
Simon dear boy,you are a ‘dimwit’ BENITEZ DID NOT FAIL AT LFC! the big failures were the ‘yanks’ and unfortunately for LFC the club is in the same trouble having the ‘new yanks’ because they won’t be any better! They will continue taking out profits as the others did !
one of the best LFC articles I have ever read
Rafa bought Liverpool down from 2nd to 7th. He failed to get out of a straightforward group in the Champions League last season. He insulted Alonso which made him leave. He installed Insua and Johnson as fullbacks which resulted in 19 defeats last season. Hodgson should never have been appointed, it should have been Dalglish and Phil Thompson. Devotees of Rafa forget that in the 86 point season he could not mastermind a win over Hull at Anfield or home and away against Stoke.
And what nationality was Bob Paisley our most successful manager ever??