Pretty much an impossible question to answer without knowing the person.
Active players who would make good managers
- Thread starter Nani Nana
- Start date
I looked at my list again and realised there's not a single forward there - are there any strikers among top managers who used to be great players? Can't think of one.
Pep, Diego Simeone, Arteta, Conte, Ancelotti, Deschamps, Xabi Alonso - all of them were midfielders and in fact all rather defensively minded. Zidane is the most offensive one I can come up with.
erm... cruyff?
Inzaghi
I wouldn't say he is dumb but his emotional intelligence isn't great.
Matthäus is missing the necessary people management skills to unite a team and get it behind him.
Of course, but I was thinking active managers, last time Cruyff managed was decades ago
Good shout, forgot about him
Brian Clough if you go by goal tally, can't really speak about the level he did it at
EDIT: Activision manahers is a good question actually, Solskjær had a top job recently but not really a top manager and not really active anymore
Kai Rooney, unlike his father
Yep. Nothing about the way a player plays football can indicate whether they'd make a good manager. You need a very wide variety of skills
Thus most people taking the piss
There's a video of Mourinho explaining why he thinks Alonso would make a good manager.
His dad was a player/manager so he grew up around it.
He played intelligently with good understanding.
He played under the best managers in 3 different countries eg Pep, Jose, Rafa, Carlo etc.
There's no guarantees though. Some of the best managers hardly even played football.
The ability to communicate and inspire and lead is very important also. That's hard to learn, maybe impossible.
Everyone used to say Roy Keane would be a great manager. Likewise Tony Adams and Steven Gerrard. Although to be honest I always got the impression Gerrard was not the sharpest. He's been hanging around with low level gangsters in Ireland so my suspicions are correct.
Maybe James Milner could be a good shout as future manager.
His dad was a player/manager so he grew up around it.
He played intelligently with good understanding.
He played under the best managers in 3 different countries eg Pep, Jose, Rafa, Carlo etc.
There's no guarantees though. Some of the best managers hardly even played football.
The ability to communicate and inspire and lead is very important also. That's hard to learn, maybe impossible.
Everyone used to say Roy Keane would be a great manager. Likewise Tony Adams and Steven Gerrard. Although to be honest I always got the impression Gerrard was not the sharpest. He's been hanging around with low level gangsters in Ireland so my suspicions are correct.
Maybe James Milner could be a good shout as future manager.
Last edited:
Speaking of Xabi, Xhaka is already working on his coaching licence. Earlier he said that he is a huge fan of the football Xabi envisions and apparently decided to play under him because of. Since he's already Xabi's extended arm on the pitch, he's one to keep an eye on
Thiago Silva
Roy Keane should have been a great manager, but maybe he just lacked that human empathy needed when things weren't going well. Still disappoints me that he didn't make the grade.
From our current crop of players, none of them look like going into management. Maybe Magure or McT at a push. Looking at the PL, only city and arsenal have managers that played at the very top level, Klopp spent his entire career playing lower league football, likewise Mourinho played in the 3rd tier in Portugal. Ten Hag was largely a journeyman although he won 1 dutch title as a player.
The future managerial greats are probably slogging away in the championship or lower tiers in Europe.
From our current crop of players, none of them look like going into management. Maybe Magure or McT at a push. Looking at the PL, only city and arsenal have managers that played at the very top level, Klopp spent his entire career playing lower league football, likewise Mourinho played in the 3rd tier in Portugal. Ten Hag was largely a journeyman although he won 1 dutch title as a player.
The future managerial greats are probably slogging away in the championship or lower tiers in Europe.
Arteta, Xabi Alonso and Xavi. Maybe even Carrick.
Rooney, Neville, Gerrard, Lampard, Shearer etc etc
spot the patterns. One group smart one group dumb.
Rooney, Neville, Gerrard, Lampard, Shearer etc etc
spot the patterns. One group smart one group dumb.
This is just plain wrong, Lampard had a very good education and is quite obviously an intelligent person, Neville is quite obviously not dumb also
I really hope you were being sarcastic.
Playing and thinking is one thing.
Relaying the message, analyzing potentials, motivating, is another
Pep says Gundogan.
I think Bruno will be a Simeone-lite nutter.
I think we might possibly witness more goalkeepers in the future who ends up elite managers, I'm thinking guys like Maignan, Neuer, Stegen etc.
Toni Kroos. His way of playing football is all brain and little brawn. Smart, multilingual and has played under the likes of Heynckes, Hitzfeld, Van Gaal, Guardiola, Ancelotti and Zidane.
James Milner.
Could also see Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos as future managers.
Thinking about it, considering that most top managers were below average players, it's more likely to be somebody like Swansea City captain Matt Grimes or Burnley veteran Jack Cork!
If you'd asked this question twenty years ago, I doubt anybody had even heard of the likes of Ten Hag, Klopp, Emery or Postecoglou!
Could also see Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos as future managers.
Thinking about it, considering that most top managers were below average players, it's more likely to be somebody like Swansea City captain Matt Grimes or Burnley veteran Jack Cork!
If you'd asked this question twenty years ago, I doubt anybody had even heard of the likes of Ten Hag, Klopp, Emery or Postecoglou!
Last edited:
Harry Kane. He has impressed me with his steady improvement over the years. Still don't think he's ever the biggest talent on any pitch but more often than not he is the best player. I think that's something he can pass on and is a great skill for managers to have.
Did Vidic ever give it a try?
Did Vidic ever give it a try?
Kobbie Mainoo.
Could definitely see Ramos doing management and being decent. Think Busquets could be good too.
Trying to think English, nobody really sticks out but I can just see Foden being a manager (Maybe not very good). Maybe Declan Rice too.
Some random Basque or Catalonian midfielder.
I think he went further and tried to apply for the Serbian FA presidency
Bayern's CEO Rummenigge ralked about Alonso being a potential future Bayern manager while Alonso was a player for them. There has quite clearly been that expectation from top level football people. I don't recall such statements about Scholes or Pirlo, but I could have easily missed those of there were any.
Cesar Azpilicueta could be a good shout if he fancies a career in coaching. Has always come across a well spoken lad and very much a top professional.
He's also played under a wide array of managers like Mourinho, Conte, Tuchel, Simeone, Deschamps and Enrique.
He's also played under a wide array of managers like Mourinho, Conte, Tuchel, Simeone, Deschamps and Enrique.
Maybe you're a bit xenophobic, because i don't see what makes Arteta Xavi or Alonso smarter than Neville and Lampard other than them being Spanish?
Dwight Gayle
Have you heard Neville or Lampard talk?
Seriously though it is pretty clear that a certain type of midfielder tends to better managerial ability. They understand the game on a far deeper level than your Rooneys Lampards Oles and Gerrards. Guardiola of course the best example of all.
Scholes is the one caveat but his managerial ability is hampered by his lack of personality and people skills.
I don’t think it’s just intelligence that’s needed; they need a restlessly enquiring mind.
I always reckoned Carrick was the sort to be kept awake at night reflecting on a poor performance. So I’m not surprised that he’s looking like a good manager.
I always reckoned Carrick was the sort to be kept awake at night reflecting on a poor performance. So I’m not surprised that he’s looking like a good manager.
Yes and not once have i thought they are any less intelligent than the examples you named...
So basically only deep lying playmakers make good managers? Nothing to do with the fact that all but one of your example came through the La Masia education system?
I don't think Scholes understands the game any better than Neville or Lampard by the way, whether as a footballer or as a pundit..
Only deep lying playmakers seem to make good managers out of all the high profile ex-footballers who have tried in the last 10-15 years.
Dont think Xabi went to La Masia either. And Arteta got kicked out.
SAF was a striker and Klopp was a defender so obviously this is only relevant for top footballers not mediocre or rubbish ones.
Now you say it in terms of top footballers i tried to think about any who weren't deep lying playmakers or Dms, who are promising managers in the guise of Arteta or Alonso, and its hard to think of one....
Gundogan
Thiago Silva
Toni Kroos
Azpilicueta
Kevin De Bruyne
Thomas Muller
Modric
Barella
Jude Bellingham (risky as so young)
Veratti
Rogue choice
Eden Hazard - turns the clock back to the roots of football by telling the lads at the final whistle there is no training next week, their diet is up to them and he'll next catch them at the ground at 2pm next Saturday.
Thiago Silva
Toni Kroos
Azpilicueta
Kevin De Bruyne
Thomas Muller
Modric
Barella
Jude Bellingham (risky as so young)
Veratti
Rogue choice
Eden Hazard - turns the clock back to the roots of football by telling the lads at the final whistle there is no training next week, their diet is up to them and he'll next catch them at the ground at 2pm next Saturday.