[Football] Best Manager?

[lawros left foot]

The Rooney/ Birmingham City debacle has posed a question to me this morning.

Who was the best English player to have been a great manager?

Going back to the 66 boys, none, really achieved great managerial heights.
Ball, and Jack Charlton were about the best of a bad lot, but, were they truly great players,?Moore, Charlton and Hurst all failed miserably at managing.

The 70s, I can only think of Keegan who made any real impression on a managerial role, and he could never be described as a great.
Our very own Howard Wilkinson was the last English manager to win the English top division, but he was never a great player,

Of the more modern’greats’ none have made a success of management, we all know who they are.

I can’t think of another top country where so many great players don’t go on to be very successful in management.

 

[Flounce]

Venables

 

[stewart12]

yeh I'm not sure anyone really ticks both boxes. There's good players who became great managers and great players who became good managers but none of englands greats have gone on to have great managerial careers.

 

[studio150]

Southgate?

OK average England player, but made it to manage England

To add to the long list of managerial failures, Gary Neville, Alan Shearer

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

He’s not my favourite but Southgate’s record as a player and manager has not been matched in modern times by any other Englishman.

 

[Brian Fantana]

Bobby Robson potentially?

 

[scooter1]

Southgate?

OK average England player, but made it to manage England

To add to the long list of managerial failures, Gary Neville, Alan Shearer

Southgate was my first thought, kind of average at both(baring in mind it is elite level).
Otherwise, I think the answer is: none

 

[stewart12]

I think if he'd got the England job when he was a bit more experienced then Glenn Hoddle would be one but ultimately he got it too soon and it did him in I think.

He got the England job in 1996, at that point he'd only been managing since 1991 but he'd been a player-manager until 1995, playing 12 premier league games in the 1994/95 season so he'd basically had one season as a full time manager. He wasn't anywhere near experienced enough which showed with his lack of man management and media skills. He needed way more years under his belt at club level before getting that job.

 

[Midget]

Brian Clough

And Frank Lampard, obvs

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Hoddle was undeniably a great player, and was not a bad manager (of Swindon, Chelsea or England)

 

[Dun Lurkin]

Does Alan Mullery qualify?

 

[The Grockle]

Not sure there's too many examples. Maybe Redknapp, had a pretty decent playing career and done fairly well in management. Southgate probably the most successful but his domestic managerial record isn't particularly great.

Maybe....Alan Ball and Scott Parker? Basically scraping the barrel.

 

[Midget]

In all seriousness I don't think anyone's really set the world alight on both fronts at least in post-war times. Most of the 'greats' were just great in one camp, at most 'good' in the other.

A question that might throw up more answers, who would you count as the true greats as both player and manager from other countries?

 

[Brian Fantana]

In all seriousness I don't think anyone's really set the world alight on both fronts at least in post-war times. Most of the 'greats' were just great in one camp, at most 'good' in the other.

A question that might throw up more answers, who would you count as the true greats as both player and manager from other countries?

In terms of achievements, Zidane has to be up there I think.

 

[Charles 'Charley' Charles]

In all seriousness I don't think anyone's really set the world alight on both fronts at least in post-war times. Most of the 'greats' were just great in one camp, at most 'good' in the other.

A question that might throw up more answers, who would you count as the true greats as both player and manager from other countries?

Beckenbauer. Won world cups, as palyer and manager.

 

[scooter1]

Hoddle was undeniably a great player, and was not a bad manager (of Swindon, Chelsea or England)

That's a good shout.
If he'd managed to keep a lid on some of his personal views, he would probably have had a longer career as England manager. And who knows, maybe even won something

 

[stewart12]

Beckenbauer. Won world cups, as palyer and manager.

Didier Deschamps as well

 

[Bakero]

In all seriousness I don't think anyone's really set the world alight on both fronts at least in post-war times. Most of the 'greats' were just great in one camp, at most 'good' in the other.

A question that might throw up more answers, who would you count as the true greats as both player and manager from other countries?

Pep, Ancelloti, Beckenbauer

 

[American Seagle]

In terms of achievements, Zidane has to be up there I think.

Not exactly a managerial great though. Just won trophies with ready made teams.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

But a clear pattern developing. There are very few who excel at both.

Totally different skillsets required? What confuses me about this is that I can't think that there is any quality of a top level player which would make it less likely you would success as a manager. Surely the opposite is true? Football brain should help out in both disciplines and just on the sheer number of chances top players get to try out as a manager, you would have thought more would make it.