Sure, managing a Premiership football team is difficult in terms of tactics, man management and bailing players out of jail. But the psychological aspect should be quite simple. Start with the premise that modern footballers are egotistical yet have extremely thin skins and are usually quite dense, and you end up with a situation where managers simply need to handle expectations.
Play down your successes when you win, keep the team focused on the next game when you are struggling, and never, ever make predictions about where you will finish in the table. Sure, managers can and regularly do stray from this script, but a good manager will only do so selectively. The important thing is to keep your team focused on the next task ahead while letting you, the manager, worry about the big picture. And whatever you do, don’t give the opposition any needless additional motivation. If you can do all of this, well then you’ve become Sir Alex Ferguson, god bless his red-checked punim.
With this in mind, after the jump I present this past week’s Manager Dos and Don’ts…
DO criticize the fixture schedule to deflect attention from your team's struggles
DON'T guarantee your team will finish in the top four
DO keep your mouth shut and try to tamp down expectations of a Champions League spot
DON'T say that Liverpool and Arsenal are there for the taking
DO put out a reserve team for a meaningless Europa League match
DON'T put out a reserve team for an EPL match
DO criticize your team after they have won against Pompey
DON'T be Sam Allardyce… Just don't.
You should have included a picture of Mark Hughes along with Redknapp.
Jose Mourinho — DON’T punch journalists.
How did “DON’T manage Bolton” not make the list?
@TFA: Well, that would’ve required more than the three minutes I spent on this post.
@knocsucow00: This would be true except that Bolton have somehow scored six goals in their last two league matches and look slightly less Stupid F**king of late… There’s still time for them, though!
That only means the real life is imitating video games once again. SFB are somehow always in the running for a Champions League spot on my copy of FIFA 10.
Why is Arsene being a baby a positive again?