Players who should've gone into management.

[FootballHQ]

Just thinking about it but which players were you sure would become managers while they were playing and yet it never happened at any time?

Was certain Carragher would do it given how apparently studious he was taking notes of all training sessions and seemingly doing his coaching badges. Now been on Sky nearly a decade and just dosen't seem an option for him anymore. Would obviously be hilarious aswell if he tried it and was no good.

Similar for Man. United, Darren Fletcher. Whenever he does punditry work he's always makes his point well and clearly knows the game so surprised. Can't remember if it's a coaching role or some sort of office job he has at Man. United now.

Going back I can recall when Andy Gray was big on Sky doing his analysis and Everton came in for him in the late 90s. Was about to decide to take the job and then Sky offered him a bumper new contract and that was that.

Likes of Scholes, Neville, Gazza and Shearer all had very brief spells and decided it wasn't for them which was fair enough. Henry probably the same of this generation. Just surprises me likes of Carragher and Fletcher never even dipped their toes at any level.

 

[Trequarista10]

I'm not 100% on Fletcher's role but I'm sure it includes some coaching, on the training pitch elements, plus some other stuff. I agree he seems very bright and I think he'll go into management at some point.

Carragher has landed a great gig at Sky, less money but more fun and less stress than management, he'd be crazy to leave. The vast majority of managers are failures, its not a very appealing career option.

 

[horsechoker]

Phil Jones.

Would be better off getting his coaching badges because he looks closer to being a successful manager than a successful player.

 

[Yagami]

I thought Puyol might have dipped his toes into management. Passionate about the sport, a true leader and winner, was always vocal on the pitch, etc.

 

[FootballHQ]

I thought Puyol might have dipped his toes into management. Passionate about the sport, a true leader and winner, was always vocal on the pitch, etc.

Pique seems of same ilk but looks like he's got Barca president role sewn up post retirement.

 

[Wonder Pigeon]

Ballack is someone I'm surprised doesn't seem to be involved at all in club football at least for now, even in a more technical or directorial role.

 

[yipthatman]

Did Cantona ever have a go?

 

[Lay]

I thought Maldini would have.

 

[Bertie Wooster]

Mostly it's committed defenders / DM's that I expect to go into management rather than the flair players.

The likes of Javier Zanetti and Paolo Maldini not becoming managers has surprised me.

 

[Galactic]

Managers are not needed anymore these days, apparently.

 

[smi11ie]

Ferdinand would be entertaining.

 

[njred]

Thought Gareth Barry was going to be a coach but I guess not. What is certain is Milner 100% being a coach in the future.

 

[Chipper]

Hard to say in more recent times, it's not like the leaders and top players of big teams need the money any more. Maybe it's not even quite that, more that they have so much that they might as well enjoy it. I think it's only Solskjaer, Guardiola and Vieira who ever even played for their country out of the current PL managers.

Looks like it's guys who still might think they have something to prove, who never got to the top as players who are more likely nowadays.

Edit: Hassenhutl got 8 caps for Austria so he's another but he wasn't exactly a superstar.

 

[Gio]

Just surprises me likes of Carragher and Fletcher never even dipped their toes at any level.

I think Fletcher will get there, but rightly is taking his time to learn the craft.

 

[duffer]

I want Diego Costa to be a manager.

Not of Chelsea but I wanna see what would happen somewhere else!

 

[ROFLUTION]

I want Diego Costa to be a manager.

Not of Chelsea but I wanna see what would happen somewhere else!

At a brazilian club who could go bonkers would be entertaining.

Somehow Schweinsteiger also strikes me as one that could at least coach a german club.

 

[do.ob]

At a brazilian club who could go bonkers would be entertaining.

Somehow Schweinsteiger also strikes me as one that could at least coach a german club.

Why? He's a bit dim and has the charisma of a Golden Retriever.

 

[Chief123]

Just thinking about it but which players were you sure would become managers while they were playing and yet it never happened at any time?

Was certain Carragher would do it given how apparently studious he was taking notes of all training sessions and seemingly doing his coaching badges. Now been on Sky nearly a decade and just dosen't seem an option for him anymore. Would obviously be hilarious aswell if he tried it and was no good.

Similar for Man. United, Darren Fletcher. Whenever he does punditry work he's always makes his point well and clearly knows the game so surprised. Can't remember if it's a coaching role or some sort of office job he has at Man. United now.

Going back I can recall when Andy Gray was big on Sky doing his analysis and Everton came in for him in the late 90s. Was about to decide to take the job and then Sky offered him a bumper new contract and that was that.

Likes of Scholes, Neville, Gazza and Shearer all had very brief spells and decided it wasn't for them which was fair enough. Henry probably the same of this generation. Just surprises me likes of Carragher and Fletcher never even dipped their toes at any level.

Carragher seems like an obvious one on the surface of it but I guess Gary Neville is a prime example of how it doesn’t always work. Neville talks a lot of sense and has great analysis but was woeful at management and has admitted himself he would never go back into it. I guess it takes various attributes to be successful at it rather than just good analysis.

 

[roonster09]

I thought Cambiasso will be manager for sure, not sure if he is.

 

[Revaulx]

Somehow Schweinsteiger also strikes me as one that could at least coach a german club.

Why? He's a bit dim and has the charisma of a Golden Retriever.

Not sure about “dim”, but I have doubts also.

I always reckoned that LvG brought him to United as much for his influence in the dressing room as on the pitch. The fact that as soon as he got injured he b*ggered off to watch his girlfriend play tennis doesn’t exactly point to him having a great deal of interest in football, despite being a fantastic professional while he was playing it.

PS Golden Retrievers are gorgeous and even non-dog lovers adore them.

 

[ROFLUTION]

Why? He's a bit dim and has the charisma of a Golden Retriever.

Exactly! Very fitting for a midtable german club!

 

[Bertie Wooster]

Not sure about “dim”, but I have doubts also.

I always reckoned that LvG brought him to United as much for his influence in the dressing room as on the pitch. The fact that as soon as he got injured he b*ggered off to watch his girlfriend play tennis doesn’t exactly point to him having a great deal of interest in football, despite being a fantastic professional while he was playing it.

PS Golden Retrievers are gorgeous and even non-dog lovers adore them.

I don't blame him for that - Ana Ivanovic is gorgeous and even as a non-Tennis lover I adore her.

 

[do.ob]

PS Golden Retrievers are gorgeous and even non-dog lovers adore them.

Schweinsteiger is handsome and full of smiles, too. You wouldn't let a Golden Retriever coach your football team though, would you?

 

[Revaulx]

I don't blame him for that - Ana Ivanovic is gorgeous and even as a non-Tennis lover I adore her.

Really? Gorgeouser than Phil Jones?

Edit: Ok just Googled her. Maybe she is…

 

[FootballHQ]

Carragher seems like an obvious one on the surface of it but I guess Gary Neville is a prime example of how it doesn’t always work. Neville talks a lot of sense and has great analysis but was woeful at management and has admitted himself he would never go back into it. I guess it takes various attributes to be successful at it rather than just good analysis.

Think Neville would've done o.k over time if he'd just gone to lower English club.

Going in as a favour to Valencia owner which was completely alien environment and where he couldn't express himself was just a stupid move and he became a laughing stock which put him off given he's a proud bloke.

Perhaps he'll get so annoyed at Salford continually messing up he'll make himself manager there eventually, who knows.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

Not sure of the ones who should’ve but didn’t, but the ones I think will…

Ander Herrera I believe will actually be a manager.

Van Dijk will become a decent manager I think.

De Bruyne will become an Elite level manager I reckon.

David Silva is another I think will become a manager.

And for a slightly more ‘out there’ pick, I think Vardy will become a manager and also be a good one!

 

[Red Stone]

Did Cantona ever have a go?

Yeah, but only for a sham team in the US. Didn't seem like a serious gig, and I don't think Cantona had ambitions of doing anything big in the realm of management.

 

[yipthatman]

Yeah, but only for a sham team in the US. Didn't seem like a serious gig, and I don't think Cantona had ambitions of doing anything big in the realm of management.

I just had visions of him sitting everyone down for a team talk and baffling them with some poetry. haha

 

[horsechoker]

I just had visions of him sitting everyone down for a team talk and baffling them with some poetry. haha

Such is his charisma that after a 8-0 defeat he'd give a speech saying "when the falcon eats the worm, does the tide not wash ashore?" and everyone applauds him as brilliant

 

[Tom Cato]

All I want is for Peter Crouch to go into management

 

[macheda14]

Schweinsteiger is handsome and full of smiles, too. You wouldn't let a Golden Retriever coach your football team though, would you?

I take it you’ve never watched the cinematic masterpieces that are the Air Bud franchise.

 

[Pretzels81]

The vast majority of former great players have managed, long or short spells, even ultra-short (like Effenberg).

Ronaldo Narazio comes to mind, but he was basically a goal scoring machine and finisher, hardly a tactical genius.

I'm curious if Iniesta will give it a go; footballing genius yet a shy/dull character. Like Scholes.

 

[horsechoker]

The vast majority of former great players have managed, long or short spells, even ultra-short (like Effenberg).

Ronaldo Narazio comes to mind, but he was basically a goal scoring machine and finisher, hardly a tactical genius.

I'm curious if Iniesta will give it a go; footballing genius yet a shy/dull character. Like Scholes.

Doesn't seem that dull as he's lived in Japan for two years. Scholes would never do such a thing.

 

[Pretzels81]

Doesn't seem that dull as he's lived in Japan for two years. Scholes would never do such a thing.

I can't imagine Iniesta blunty telling to a player's face that his performance was abysmal tonight.

 

[Withnail]

I think Fletcher will get there, but rightly is taking his time to learn the craft.

He's gone down a different path to management though, hasn't he? Do many technical directors go on to become managers?

 

[do.ob]

Not sure of the ones who should’ve but didn’t, but the ones I think will…

Ander Herrera I believe will actually be a manager.

Van Dijk will become a decent manager I think.

De Bruyne will become an Elite level manager I reckon.

David Silva is another I think will become a manager.

And for a slightly more ‘out there’ pick, I think Vardy will become a manager and also be a good one!

I'm genuinely amazed how people just assume that vocal player for a top club equals becoming a good coach. Why?
We have absolutely no idea how well they understand the game, how well they would be able to lead from the sidelines or whether they actually still have the passion and hunger to humbly work their way up the ladder as a coach for a fraction of the money they made as players.
I'd be surprised if more than one player on that list becomes a respectable coach, let alone one of the "elite" category.

 

[Chip]

Adriano and Vinnie Jones.

 

[Bertie Wooster]

I'm genuinely amazed how people just assume that vocal player for a top club equals becoming a good coach. Why?
We have absolutely no idea how well they understand the game, how well they would be able to lead from the sidelines or whether they actually still have the passion and hunger to humbly work their way up the ladder as a coach for a fraction of the money they made as players.
I'd be surprised if more than one player on that list becomes a respectable coach, let alone one of the "elite" category.

I agree there's no certainty about which players will become top managers, and certainly skill level as a player doesn't define it.

But there is a decent pattern of being able to work out who is more / less likely to go into management - or at least would have the potential to unless they opt for media work.

Generally, those players who were skilful mavericks but never really developed a disciplined / professional attitude are less likely to go on to become managers.

Similarly, players who continued to rely on physical attributes of pace and power throughout their careers - and never really improved their decision making / end product as attacking players or positioning / reading of the game if defenders - don't often go into management, or succeed if they try.

It's some of those who seem to be team players, and who possess a really professional attitude and who appear to think about the game and to have learnt during their career all about their position and how to get the very best out of their, perhaps even limited, ability that seem to take that knowledge of the game and professional attitude into management.

After that of course there's plenty of other parts of the job that decide which of those do better and achieve the most, so it's never easy to say which will go on to succeed, but it's often possible to predict which players seem to have / lack what it takes to go into management.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

I'm genuinely amazed how people just assume that vocal player for a top club equals becoming a good coach. Why?
We have absolutely no idea how well they understand the game, how well they would be able to lead from the sidelines or whether they actually still have the passion and hunger to humbly work their way up the ladder as a coach for a fraction of the money they made as players.
I'd be surprised if more than one player on that list becomes a respectable coach, let alone one of the "elite" category.

None of my picks fit that description though… if you actually thought about them before replying.

They’re players who’ve shown nuance within their careers in understanding tactical elements that are important (and rare) in coaching. Players who have natural understanding.

They’re also players who’ve played within very good and / or varied coaching models and have excelled under different tactical structures.

For example Maguire is a player who fits your description - VVD isn’t.

But essentially it’s just a bit of fun - who knows what these players will choose to do after their playing careers. Those are just a few of my picks.

 

[Gio]

He's gone down a different path to management though, hasn't he? Do many technical directors go on to become managers?

Fair point. Although I think nowadays it's arguably a more natural pathway to elite club management rather than the on-the-training-pitch coaching route. If the willingness is there of course.