da pixbet： It’s no cliché that football owners, particularly the extremely wealthy ones, are playing their own real life version of that popular computer game. For the most part, these aren’t football people; they’re not locals who understand the traditions of their club, instead they’re dropped in and believe that their interfering—because that’s what is it—is a better avenue for success over experienced and well-learned football managers.
da dobrowin： People say football was much more black and white back in the day, while a grey area has been uncovered in the modern game. It’s certainly understandable, the money that’s arrived into the game has morphed it into some kind of monster, with anybody with a fair bit of cash wanting to play God in his own little world. There’s definitely an understandable element in the way owners play a role in team affairs, it’s their money and they need to protect their investment as best as they can. Irony. There’s a good level of irony in all that.
The one that springs to mind first and foremost is Chelsea and Roman Abramovich. I’m sure Abramovich is not too disappointed in what his team has achieved over the best part of the last decade, but what else could have been won if he had just stayed out of the spotlight and in the background, where he apparently likes to be when any opportunity for comment arises.
The point about owners not being locals or familiar with a club’s history has been more than hammered home in recent years. A foreign owner comes in and attempts to transform the history of a club and it’s traditions on the pitch over night. At some stage, even with all the money in the world, people have to understand that sports doesn’t work like that.
What would Barcelona be if there were impersonations (or impostors) of them scattered all over Europe? What would the real home of football be if every second nation tried to emulate the success and history of Brazil? Buying talented technical footballers is no bad thing, in fact the game has been moving in that direction for a number of years now. But why can’t Abramovich attempt to try and establish and build on Chelsea’s own history, instead of forcing something that isn’t there.
Shelling out enormous contracts for Pep Guardiola won’t turn this group of Chelsea players into Barcelona, no matter how talented they are. The current Barcelona team have reached these heights because of the good work put in place by Johan Cruyff decades ago, with all of the players educated in exactly the same manner. In contrast, Chelsea have thrown together a group of talented footballers from all over the world and demanded something exactly the same.
It’s worth pointing out at this stage that it’s not the football managers nor the fans who seem to live in this bizarre world where heritage and particular styles of football can be bought. The owners are buying players that don’t necessarily meet the requirements or needs of the manager, while there are individuals such as Directors of Football who are put in place who constantly clash with the ideas of the coaching staff.
It’s continental, yes, but it’s also very American to have a group of boardroom members who are united in the drive to move their club or franchise forward. Barcelona’s coaching staff and Presidents are former players and Catalans, all of whom understand what’s needed to continue to make the club a success. NFL teams, for example, hand out important roles to key figures from the franchise’s past. It’s not a throwaway role or something just for PR, but former players are in place to help with sporting operations and for their understanding of the team’s history.
Newcastle were relegated because of a desire for this continental way of thinking, among other things. Dennis Wise did little good for the club, but there is a real question as to what merit brought him to the club in the first place. They’re now reaping the success of a good manager who is left to do things as he sees fit. It’s not Alan Pardew’s club, but while he’s manager it should be seen that way.
Daniel Levy wants Tottenham to adopt this continental style, and that’s fine. But who is accountable when the results aren’t always the best? The Tottenham chairman plays a big role in the transfer activity of the club, but we’re seeing the effects of a set of players brought in that don’t fit with the manager’s system. Did Andre Villas-Boas really need or even want Hugo Lloris? Maybe a double-edged sword, because who doesn’t want a player like Lloris in the team? But it’s created a headache for the manager at a time when he has enough on his plate. It wasn’t a bad move, but it smacks of Daniel Levy’s desire for the player rather than the need from the team. How much effort was spent with Lyon? How much could have been shifted onto targets that were needed? Importantly, what are the long-term effects on the pitch? There are other factors weighing in towards Tottenham’s slow start, of course, but how much communication is there between chairman and manager?
Here’s my problem with Liverpool and why I feel for Brendan Rodgers: he didn’t want to have an interview with the Anfield club just in case he didn’t get the job; where would that have left him in the mind’s of Swansea fans? But now that he has the job, after he’s presented his set of ideas for taking the club forward—and the club really need taking forward—and especially after he’s been entrusted by the owners at Liverpool, he now has a “technical committee” overseeing his work. Excuse me, but what exactly is a technical committee? More importantly, why does Rodgers need one? If he was good enough to be hired by the club then why is he not good enough to take full charge of the first-team?
I get it, maybe the American owners needed to have their hand held through all of this. Lets not forget the rumour that John Henry is looking to sell the Boston Red Sox. It’s their investment, fair enough, but it’s another example of non-locals who are doing too much when it’s not necessary. Rodgers is a football man who knows the game well. I wouldn’t be surprised if he decided to walk at some point in the near future following all this. It’s even more worrying considering my previous reference to the running of American sports clubs.
We’ve seen the problems created at Manchester City this summer with Roberto Mancini not fully backed in the transfer market. Are those all his preferred targets that were brought in? I find it difficult to believe. They missed out on Daniele De Rossi and Robin van Persie, but who’s head rolls first when the league title isn’t captured again this season?
Everton’s financial problems are well-known, but you really get the sense that David Moyes is running the show at Goodison Park. Would the club have come this far if the owner insisted on interfering with the day-to-day football operations?
If owners want to carry out business in this way whereby they have a large say in day-to-day football operations that’s fine, but English clubs in particular need to move out of this grey area, and it’s imperative that owners have consistent dialogue with the manager to understand what is needed and, importantly, what is not.
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