“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change” – Albert Einstein
Stick or twist? In life, we often come across situations in which change is needed – it’s fundamental to our very existence. Yet, more often than not, we are subjugated by our comfort zones and comfortable ways of life, and often, afraid of change. This stems down to football as well.
Gone are the days of stable managers guiding teams to trophies year after year. In fact, the only person in the history of football to consistently achieve such a feat was Sir Alex Ferguson.
Trending
The fiery Scotsman led the Red Devils to unprecedented success as the manager of Manchester United. During his 26 year tenure, he won 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two UEFA Champions Leagues.
It’s safe to say then that such feats will never be repeated in the modern era of football. Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson was a one-off, an outlier. He was incomparable to any other manager the game has ever seen. But maybe the Manchester United board at the time allowed Ferguson to blossom and execute his vision. They were patient, self-sufficient and subsistent unlike a lot of the clubs today who depend on the manager’s results to rake in profits.
Chopping and Changing
Perhaps the most substantial evidence of this new trend of chopping and changing managers in order to deliver success lies right in front of people’s noses. Chelsea, since the Roman Abramovich era began in 2003, have won 16 trophies – five Premier League titles including the 2016/17 trophy under Antonio Conte, four FA Cups, one UEFA Champions League crown, one UEFA Europa League, three League Cups and two Community Shields.
Chelsea have had 10 different managers in that time and have been the most successful team in England over the last 14 years.
Not too far away in the not so distant universe of Spain, arguably the world’s biggest and most successful club, Real Madrid, have adopted a similar philosophy and have achieved great success as well.
Los Blancos have lifted an astounding 14 trophies since 2000 – three UEFA Champions Leagues crowns, six La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey trophies and three European Super Cups. Since 2010, they have had Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benitez and their current boss Zinedine Zidane at the helm and they have all delivered. While many questioned why Mourinho and Ancelotti were unceremoniously sacked despite winning titles, the board knew exactly what they were doing.
These constant changes result in an injection of fresh blood, new ideas, new philosophies, new systems and new ways of doing things. Football has become a results business and a result-driven game. Everything else is secondary and that’s why perhaps the growth and development of younger talent has suffered. The game has become a cut-throat business driven purely by results.
The big six in England, apart from Arsenal and Spurs, to an extent, do not have too many academy graduates in their squads. The biggest clubs only want the best players in order to compete at the highest level consistently. They are not afraid to spend big. They are not afraid to sack managers, they are ruthless and want results on the pitch, come what may.
Bayern Munich and Manchester City have done the same. They’ve chopped and changed managers and won big. This is the evidence that it works. It simply works.
Stability
Stability does have its benefits as managers are given time to execute their vision and that should be the aim for most clubs, but while stability is lauded for its romanticism, in truth it does very little other than give the fans and the club some sense of security. Managers are now often given contracts not more than three years in duration and while they are allowed to execute their ‘projects’, the results are often not there to back it up.
Sir Alex was the anomaly, and United have struggled since his departure, only recently winning the Europa League under Jose Mourinho. For some clubs, like in the case of Manchester United, chopping and changing has resulted in turmoil. The managers coming in at Old Trafford haven’t been anywhere close to the Scotsman’s level until Mourinho. Will Mourinho be given time or will he be booted out after two or three seasons?
Meanwhile, in North London, the pressure has constantly mounted on Arsene Wenger’s shoulders as a result of his inability to deliver success. The Frenchman has only won four FA Cups since 2003-04 when the club last lifted the Premier League. All internet memes aside, it’s safe to say a lot has happened since Arsenal last won a Premier League title. He has yet to lift the Champions League crown as well.
All said and done, Wenger has offered stability but has disappointed in terms of adding trophies to the Gunners’ cabinet. He has won the FA Cup four times but is that good enough for a club aiming to be one of Europe’s best?
Furthermore, is stability just a romantic idea of loyalty in a result-driven world? A string of bad results and the manager is shown the door while a string of good ones and a trophy gets the manager a contract extension.
Maybe the alarming fact is that modern football doesn't provide managers time and has lost patience in the art of building a legacy or a stronghold in a scramble for silverware and money.
It all ultimately boils down to the board’s philosophy. What is their point of view? What is their angle? Is it to trust managers to guide the club for at least a decade or just work on a three-year basis?
They must ask themselves whether their primary aim is it to make money or make history at the end of the day.
Until then the debate will rage on as to whether chopping and changing is the better strategy or whether a single person can be afforded the time to build a legacy.
