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seannn
Is there a relationship between how successful a manager is and what position he played?
Having thought about the most successful managers I can think of are either defenders or more defensive midfielders. Alex Ferguson, Jock Stein, Fabio Capello, Louis Van Gaal, Bob Paisley, Walter Smith, even David Moyes (pre-Utd fall guy). They all had one thing in common, none of them ever score more than 50 career goals.
On the other side of this we have the likes of Ole Gunnar Solsskjaer, Ally McCoist, John Barnes. All prolific goal scorers. Obviously there are some exceptions (or I may be wrong completely).
Could it be that more defensive players see more of the match and therefor learn more about the game?
chokosc
Obviously not all successful managers were captains but as you said, most played in the more defensive positions.
Franck
Crane
Clough was a prolific striker.
Might be better to do some actual research into it, rather than just listing a few strikers who became bad managers, and forgetting about the good ones.
seannn
My mistake, I had always thought that he was a CB for some reason.
seannn
I never claimed to be an encyclopaedia, as the opening post said "(or I may be wrong completely)". I wasn't stating it to be correct anyway, nor writing an essay on it, just looking for others opinion on it.
The managers that I mentioned were just ones that stuck in my head.
bmg033
Slashman X
Jonas
For instance, former Norway coach Egil Olsen got his nickname "Drillo" because he loved to dribble and was quite ego on the ball in his playing days. As a coach however he would become known for playing a defensive minded football with long balls, coming up with sayings such as "best uten ball"(best without the ball) and where dribbling would be seen upon as a death sin nearly. On the other hand you had Nils Arne Eggen, a defender, conquering Europe with Rosenborg in the 90's playing attractive, attacking 4-3-3 football. Eggen would even have a right hand man to take control of the defensive aspect of his tactics - despite being a defender himself.
Managers such as Rinus Michels, Johan Cruijff, Valeri Lobanovskiy and Ottmar Hittzfeld were all forwards during their playing careers too.
Franck
Jonas
Splash The Cash On Matt Le Tiss
Taking only managers who won the European Cup and its successor, the UEFA Champions League:
Goalkeepers have won 1 trophy as managers (Raymond Goethals in 1992-93)
Defenders have won 10, most recently Rafael Benítez in 2004-05.
Midfielders have won 30, most recently Carlo Ancelotti in 2013-14
Forwards have won 14, most recently Jupp Heynckes in 2012-13
Non-players have won 4 (Dettmar Cramer, who was a journalist, in 1974-75 and 1975-76 and Pep Villalonga in 1955-56 and 1956-57
Obviously there's some dodgy methodology: Cramer and Villalonga played football informally, but I can't find what position they preferred. Some players like Cruyff defy definition - forward or midfielder? But the overall impression is that midfielders make the best managers, with little to separate defenders and forwards.
Ninja
It's impossible to quantify this subjectively, but the only player I can immediately think of to disprove the theory is Cruyff and perhaps Guardiola, but I'm not sure Guardiola really fits in playing an inherently cerebral role at the base of Cruyff's midfield.
bluemoon.
Am I the only person who doesn't like Miles Jacobson?
Ninja
Franck
He has an incredibly punchable face.
Jonas
ianbaker
Hahaha, you fancy Miles! Gay boy! Gay boy! Gay boy!
Jonas
Miles? Is that you?
Shola
I thought everyone hated Miles.
Keegan is a good example of an exceptional player who can seemingly motivate/communicate to inferior players. Dalglish another?
bluemoon.
Good stuff. We're on the same page.
See, that's what I thought - I remember him being widely derided for SI's pathetic efforts of engaging with the scene years back - but I've been doubting it recently. Good to know it's not just me though. He seems like a right smarmy cunt.