da heads bet： The average shelf life of a football manager has been a matter for great debate in recent seasons and with this new Premier League season well under way, under pressure bosses could suddenly find one foot getting far too close to that over-used managerial trap door. But in a job where results are key, how long should a manager be given to turn it around?
da imperador bet： Nearly all managers in the Premier League face uncertainty about their future if their clubs go through a bad run, the only real exception probably being Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United who is unlikely to ever be shown the door at Old Trafford thanks to his fantastic achievements at the club. As I write this no managers across the leagues have be sacked yet this season, with only Peter Jackson leaving his position at Bradford City after he handed in his resignation.
However, two managers that have been the subject of the most intense speculation in the Premier League have been Arsene Wenger and Steve Kean. Arsenal boss Wenger has been under pressure during the summer and his side’s poor start to the season, summed up by their humiliating 8-2 defeat at Manchester United, has meant the once unanimously loved Wenger suddenly faced calls to be sacked. But Arsenal’s qualification for the Champions League group stages and eventual movement in the transfer window has given the Frenchman more time to turn it around. Ultimately his future will depend on Arsenal’s upcoming Premier League games but the pressure is on Wenger as he has had a lot longer than most (six years to be exact) to turn around Arsenal’s trophy drought.
But Steve Kean, a man on the top of most people’s lists for first in line to be sacked, is under the most pressure at Blackburn Rovers. His side have slumped to three straight defeats in the league and find themselves in the relegation zone. Kean has been under constant pressure from the owners since he was appointed as the shock replacement for Sam Allardyce. But should Kean be sacked if Blackburn don’t pick up points soon? If this bad run continues I doubt whether the owners will keep faith with Kean but he, like many managers before him that have been sacked before Christmas, would deserve better.
[ad_pod id=’qs-1′ align=’center’]
Like I previously mentioned football is very much a results game but how can you properly judge a manager and team’s performances without having at least a couple of months worth of proof? Very few managers deserve to be sacked until the turn of the year, a point at which most teams’ seasons could still be saved. Last year Newcastle United shocked fans across the country by sacking Chris Hughton at the start of December, a departure that seemed horribly premature. The unfortunate case of Hughton at Newcastle is also an example of how long a manager has readily depends on his own boss.
Mike Ashley at Newcastle is not a man often praised for his footballing decisions and likewise the Venky’s takeover at Blackburn was met with less than enthusiastic views when they got rid of Allardyce upon their arrival at Ewood Park. As owners of football clubs and ultimately businesses it often comes down to the temperament of the man in charge as well as the results that will determine the longevity of a manager.
But do managers need to take the ultimate blame if their team has a bad run? For a team like Blackburn a terrible start to the season can be disastrous and mean the issue of relegation is suddenly whispered around Ewood Park a lot earlier than expected. Clubs can also profit from bringing in fresh faces. Whilst the departure of Hughton and Roberto Di Matteo from West Brom looked to be unfair, their replacements in Alan Pardew and Roy Hodgson did well in taking over at the respective clubs. In contrast West Ham waited far too long to sack Avram Grant and paid the price.
[ad_pod id=’unruly’ align=’right’]
Whilst a bad run of results will rightly see their job under consideration, clubs should hold off from sacking their managers too quickly this season. Whilst a change in the helm at a club can work wonders, owners need to find the right balance between turning results around and showing enough respect to hardworking managers.
How long do you think managers deserve to turn it around? If you want to read more of my bite size, 140 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5