Why Do Assistant Managers Fail?

[Ronaldo07]

Why do alot of assistant managers fail when they get a chance? surely it's easier to continue the good work the previous manager done as you know his tactics ect.

Discuss.

[Perry Digweed]

Assitant managers often have to close, too friendly relationship with players. They may also get caught halfway between being their own man, and trying to copy previous bosss.

[Grinners89]

The only way to change the trend of the team is to appoint a new manager. If that new manager is then able to instil his own system, tactics etc then it should usually work. The problem with appointing assistant managers is that they prepare the team the same way when the manager was in. Therefore nothing has changed and the team continues its tactics and systems and continues losing. Example...if Tottenham want safely avoid the relegation zone then they shouldve gotten rid of all of Martin Jols assistants. As Ramos brought one of his assistants over with him then that may help. The problem doesnt lie just in the manager...the whole club managerial staff must change. I know from personal experience from football (aussie rules) where our seniors (1 win), reserves (0 wins) and under 19s (3 wins) won 4 games for the whole year out of 54 games and our president, board and coaches (apart from u19 coach) changed and we then moved up a division by finishing runner-up in the Seniors, Reserves finished 3rd and the U19s won our division.

[Wingtips1]

think of the situation kind of like this: the manager is the CEO of company, let's call it TRUE. he has ideas, strategies, vision. the asst manager is a salesman for TRUE. he gets out with customers, mentors other younger salesman, does all the grunt work. the salesman is good at what he does. Does it mean he can take over when the CEO leaves at year end?

a manager has to choose tactics & formations, pick players to fit into those.
it is the job of asst managers to run the training sessions, be the ones ruling the training grounds, shouting on the sidelines during matches. they are simply following directives from above. it is a big leap from being 'on the ground' to being 'in charge'.

[saabrian]

I think assistant managers tend to do better when they become managers of OTHER clubs. If they get promoted within the same club, they are inevitably compared to their predecessor, especially if he was successful.

It could be anyone but let's take Sammy Lee at Bolton for example. For years, the players' experience with him was of him being an assistant manager. Of him running training sessions. Of maybe him being the intermediary between the players and the manager, Sam Allardyce. Players often talk to assistants as a way of indirectly getting a message to the gaffer. Assistants make suggestions but it's the boss who has to make the tough decisions. When Lee gets promoted, suddenly he's no longer the good cop to Allardyce's bad cop. HE has to make the tough decisions. Even if Lee himself adjusts, players aren't used to him filling that role.

Plus, Lee tried to change Bolton from a team that kicked people to a team that played possession football. Players could see that as a repudiation of the previous regime that he was a part of and that might have lessened his credibility in the eyes of some players. Plus, it surely caused some players to wonder why Lee was changing something that had worked so well for what is essentially a provincial club.

I think if Lee had gotten the top job at another club, he might have had a better chance to be successful. It's not a guarantee (think Brian Kidd or Steve McLaren) but I think it gives them a better chance.

[Prenn]

Plus, Lee tried to change Bolton from a team that kicked people to a team that played possession football. Players could see that as a repudiation of the previous regime that he was a part of and that might have lessened his credibility in the eyes of some players. Plus, it surely caused some players to wonder why Lee was changing something that had worked so well for what is essentially a provincial club.


:rolleyes:

Lee tried to change us from a defensive, counter attacking side utilising 4-5-1 to an offensive 4-4-2.

It failed because he fell out with all the players.

[saabrian]

I was trying to explain some of the reasons WHY he may have fallen out with the players.

It wasn't really about the Bolton situation per se. I just figured it would be easier to follow and less clumsy using names (Lee and Allardyce) than writing titles (manager, assistant manager, assistant-manager-promoted-to-manager).


"Not Megson. Not now, not ever"

As a Leicester fan, I certainly understand this sentiment.

[leg_breaker]

Probably because they start their careers at too high a level. Sam Allardyce started in the Irish league, then the English third division, and learnt his trade. Sammy Lee started in the Premiership.

[Prenn]

Probably because they start their careers at too high a level. Sam Allardyce started in the Irish league, then the English third division, and learnt his trade. Sammy Lee started in the Premiership.

And Lee started at 48. That's like a 27 year old suddenly finding himself playing professional football.