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A football manager is like a general in war, like a grandmaster in chess or like Benjamin Linus on Lost. Although they do not actually step on to the field, much is made of their strategy, methodical preparation and ability to effectively communicate with players from all corners of the world.Management provides some interesting stories. Hundreds of tales can be told of the manager proving to be the difference in a close contest, or of inspiring underdogs to fantastic victories, be it through their motivational skills, tactical inspiration or pre-prepared game plans.But at the other end of the spectrum are those whose managerial talents are overplayed by partisan supporters and an ever willing media.These managers did possess a superb of players at their disposal, after all. It is eventually these players, and these players alone, who have to do the talking on the pitch.Here are five managers whose role in successful sides was probably overhyped.
#1 Joe Fagan
Turning the pages of history, one comes across a rather overlooked managerial tenure in English football. The Liverpool sides of the 1980s were among the best in Europe, and although the Heysel disaster put a damper on any European hopes in the latter half of the decade for Kenny Dalglish, Bob Paisley before him had established a domination of the game that had scarcely been seen before in England.
Between these two colossal individuals came the two years under the stewardship of Joe Fagan (1983-1985). It remains rather surprisingly forgotten.
Surprising, because Liverpool completed a treble in the first season, something even the superlative Paisley had been unable to accomplish. However, that was hardly due to any brilliance on the part of Fagan.
One would suspect that the momentum accrued through the Paisley years kept Liverpool going through most of 1983-84 because the Merseysiders lacked inspiration on many occasions and seemed to win games more through sheer bloody-mindedness than the quality of their play.
This was probably best illustrated by their extraordinary grind in the League Cup. Liverpool went through multiple replays (including one in the final) in what was eventually a successful campaign, often making heavy weather of opponents they would have crushed in years past.
These were punctuated by astonishing lapses in concentration (such as a 4-0 defeat at Highfield Road), and what constantly got Liverpool out of jail were the performances of their almost superhuman quartet.
Ian Rush (47 goals in all competitions) and Graeme Souness put on some unbelievable performances to drag Liverpool through, while Phil Neal (who scored in the European Cup final) and Kenny Dalglish displayed an admirable, though more stable, brand of consistency to see Liverpool home in close games.
Liverpool finished the season with three trophies, but it was by dint of a string of sublime individual performances that covered up any deficiencies of inspiration.
#2 Luiz Felipe Scolari
One would consider it surprising to see on this list the man responsible for the fifth star on the Brazil football team’s crest. Indeed, World Cup winning managers are rarely questioned, although in this case he should be.
Luiz Felipe Scolari has held various jobs, often for brief periods, in a number of (football wise) decidedly unglamorous locales such as Japan, the Middle East, Uzbekistan and, currently, China.
Scolari’s most high profile club assignment didn’t see him last out the whole season, sacked as he was after a poor run of form in early 2009 while at Chelsea.
He has enjoyed rather more success in his native Brazil, although even that does not suggest proactive football; Scolari’s Gremio team of the mid 1990s developed a bit of a rep as collection of grinders reliant on one or two individuals to convert in front of goal on a regular basis.
This philosophy was transferred to his Brazil side of the new decade, with Neymar replacing Paulo Nunes.
A 3-0 win over a jaded and listless Spain in the 2013 Confederations Cup final was a smokescreen. The 2014 World Cup saw Brazil reach the semi finals, resorting to mechanical, plodding tactics and wins in penalty shootouts along the way, before Germany brutally exposed their shortcomings in a humiliating 1-7 defeat.
He took charge of Portugal in the mid 2000s, reaching the final of Euro 2004, although shockingly losing to a resilient Greece side (who had also beat them in the group stages), despite possessing attacking talents of the order of Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Scolari’s triumphant Brazil side of 2002 is slightly misleading of his managerial acumen.
Ronaldo had won a long and difficult battle to get fit in time for the World Cup, coming back just in time to join a Brazil squad at its peak, with Rivaldo and a less-well-known Ronaldinho completing an attacking trio that managed to find form at the same time to take Brazil to the trophy.
Despite the very real threat of a knee that might go snap at any moment, Ronaldo topped the scoring charts with eight goals, the quality in side bringing the best out of him for one last monumental triumph with his country.
There is little Scolari can claim as a strategic victory here. In fact, it might not be a stretch to say that his greatest achievement was determined by the decision of Ronaldo’s knee to behave itself in the summer of 2002.
#3 Andre Villas-Boas
Andre Villas-Boas arrived in England with a full beard and gorgeous suits. A sense of invention fuelled by the arrogance of youth characterised the heir apparent to Jose Mourinho, so billed in no small part due to his continuation of the hugely successful Porto bloodline.
Porto had gone a whole league season undefeated for the first time in their history in 2011, and Villas-Boas had become the youngest manager to win a European trophy at the age of 33. Great things were expected of the man as he formally took charge at Chelsea.
The Blues flailed and floundered like a fish out of water in 2011-12, and Villas-Boas was sacked due to poor form and for the apparent disquiet he had caused among the senior players at Chelsea.
No matter, as he was given another chance at Tottenham for the 2012-13 season. After all, he had been pushed out by politics at Chelsea, right? He needed to go to a club where his authority was respected, correct?
His time at Porto was likely due to the position of the club in Portuguese football’s aristocracy, giving him a head start over the greatest percentage of teams in the league.
Porto’s attacking strength that season was significant, with both Radamel Falcao (16 league goals) and Hulk (23 league goals) in superb form (neither of whom was signed by Villas-Boas), as were their defensive capabilities, and there is little a brainstorming session by the manager can add to such a dominant side.
Spurs finished 5th in 2012-13, one point behind Arsenal in fourth, with Champions League football within touching distance. This time, however, it wasn’t so much the team as one man.
Gareth Bale managed 26 goals in all, scoring the decisive goal in a one goal victory on eight occasions (including the Europa League), and added gloss to a frankly mid range side that punched above its weight all season long. He may very well have dragged Tottenham to the Champions League all by himself, but it wasn’t to be.
#4 Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini embodies the visual concept of the ideal football manager. A club themed scarf is only matched by a winning smile as he instructs his soldiers to execute plans mapped out with military precision, every last detail taken care of, including the colour of their shoelaces.
Perhaps that’s overplaying it a bit. Mancini is hardly the master strategist that some make him out to be.
Mancini has, generally, responded poorly under pressures, compounded by long suspected poverty in player relations, no better demonstrated than in 2012-13 while at Manchester City, when the Citizens failed to show consistency worthy of champions all season, and succumbed to Wigan in the FA Cup final, following which Mancini was dismissed.
In Italy, Mancini’s record looks more impressive. Three consecutive leagues were claimed for the first time by the Nerazzurri – 2006, 2007 and 2008 – but that achievement could use a little re-examination.
Juventus were relegated to Serie B for their role in the match fixing scandal, along with being stripped of the 2005 and 2006 title wins. Milan, who had finished 2nd in 2006 were pushed to third, and Inter, who had actually finished third, were awarded the title.
With Juventus gone, and Serie A gradually deteriorating in prestige and quality, Mancini rose to the top. However, he performed very poorly in Europe despite doing well domestically (a trend he continued at Manchester City), suggesting that he was really a big fish in a small pond, and lacked the tools to compete against the very best in Europe (where often tactics and strategy decide the winner, rather than the strength or attacking flair of the sides), a fact that wasn’t exposed enough by declining Italian opposition.
Even at Manchester City, he came very close to blowing the title, only stealing it away from Manchester United at the very last second, going full pelt at QPR on the final day in decidedly unsophisticated fashion. They thought less and attacked more, which is what brought home the league after 44 years.
The genius of Sergio Aguero and co. often inflated score lines a little unfairly in favour of Mancini. Even his most iconic result in his four years in Manchester, a scarcely believable 1-6 defeat of their cross town rivals at Old Trafford, came with Man United already a man and three goals down, the score given a huge jump by three almost inconsequential quick fire goals when the game was already won.
#5 Vicente Del Bosque
An even more surprising choice, perhaps? Del Bosque is best remembered for his spectacular success at Real Madrid in the early 2000s, as well as for turning Spain from a team that might be successful into a team that was successful.
Del Bosque is an ice cool character, a man who is not particularly concerned with magnitude of the occasion and players like Steve McManaman have noted how he simply allows his players to get on with the job, with little other than a curt, “Right, off you go”.
Del Bosque was able to win two league titles at Real Madrid (2001, 2003) and two Champions League titles (2000, 2002). Florentino Perez had become the president in 2000 and it was ambition, and more pertinently his well thumbed cheque book, that attracted the likes of Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane to the club.
Perez brought elite talents to the Spanish capital, and it was through their excellent performances over three years, as well as the underperformance of Barcelona that Del Bosque’s success at Real Madrid should be viewed.
Spain had, over the past several years, struggled at least partly due to not consistently producing top quality players in every area of the pitch. There were several good ones, but when the crunch came, they were always found wanting.
Del Bosque, by contrast, took charge of Spain with a generation of supremely talented footballers peaking at the right time. Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Fernando Torres, David Villa and others were, quality wise, certainly in a higher bracket than your average Spanish player in the 1990s and finally, Spain had a side that could compete with the best.
Even the style of play wasn’t strictly Del Bosque’s. Given Barcelona’s success at the time, it was the logical choice to incorporate as many players as possible from the Catalans in the national side. This they did (seven out of the eleven that played in the 2010 World Cup final were contracted to Barcelona on the day), with Del Bosque simply extending Barcelona’s mantra of control to precedence in the national setup as well.
His shortcomings were probably covered up by the sheer domination of Spain around the turn of the decade. Del Bosque’s stubbornness eventually cost him, as he did not adapt sufficiently to account for age and wear and tear in the squad, and paid the price with an unceremonious exit from Brazil 2014.
