Frank Lampard and Fabio Cannavaro have recently been in the news. One headline announced that Fabio Cannavaro is back as manager of the Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande after attending a “corporate culture class“! The other screamed “Lampard named as October Manager of the Month!” Frank Lampard and Fabio Cannavaro are both well-decorated ex-football players. Lampard is English and was an attacking midfielder while Cannavaro is Italian and a legendary defender. Cannavaro is a World Cup and Ballon d’Or winner. Dear Lamps is not. Their fortunes as coaches have been similarly different.
Cannavaro was temporarily relieved of his duties after criticism of his “weak ability to rectify mistakes and insufficiently strict handling of players”. Hence, the need for the “culture class”. Results under him had been poor in the run up to the ‘forced’ training. Presumably, the training was the managerial equivalent of a yellow card; a send-off would follow if results don’t improve.
The varying fortunes of the two managers highlight a thought-provoking issue in the modern game. Do successful ex-footballers make successful managers? Evidence seems to show the opposite. One of the most successful mangers in the modern era is Sir Alex Ferguson who led Manchester United to many trophies. He was a mediocre player. Arsѐne Wenger and Jose Mourinho also did not shine as players. Only a handful of star ex-players have gone on to shine brightly on the managerial stage.
The brightest ex-star player in the coaching firmament right now is Pep Guardiola, who only slightly dims Zinedine Zidane’s managerial lustre. Both high-achieving players, they have gone on to win multiple trophies at Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively breaking several records on the way. (Many believe that either of these men, given the chance, would have arrested the decline at Manchester United). If we went further back, the likes of Johan Cruyff, Mario Zagallo, Kenny Dalgliesh, Franz Beckenbauer and Brian Clough are men who led their countries to glory both as players and as coaches. It is no mean feat. Why are there so few Cruyffs or Zidanes in football? Why do things seem to be going so spectacularly wrong for Solksjaer? Why is Cannavaro struggling in the Chinese league?
There are numerous theories: Guardiola inherited a balanced and talented team including Andrés Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Xavi in the midfield and Lionel Messi at his most dangerous attacking peak. As a former player, he understood the DNA and the lifeblood of his Barcelona side. He was able to relate well with the players and this all contributed to his success. To explain how he won the treble in his first season at Barcelona and six trophies in his second season would need further research. If success comes with understanding the ethos at the club, many other former players would have passed the manager test.
A personal conclusion is that the specific skill sets needed to be a successful manager do not always reside in the most successful players. Common traits such as grit, professionalism and leadership skills clearly do. Roy Keane had all of these and was an influential captain for Manchester United, but it did not translate to success for him as a manger. Fans of Sunderland and Ipswich football clubs can attest to this. Keano is now resigned to exercising his acerbic tongue as a pundit. Alan Shearer, England and Newcastle legend had a disastrous foray into management at his boyhood club and has since stayed safely on BBC’s Match of the Day sofa. Paul Scholes, midfield maestro for Manchester United spent 31 Days at Oldham Athletic, winning one game out of seven before throwing in the towel. His Class of 92 colleague, Gary Neville led a disastrous campaign at Valencia including an infamous 7-0 drubbing by Barcelona before being let go just shy of four months into the role. Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry scored 4/20 wins during his unsuccessful spell at Monaco.
A more-than-honorable mention must go to Argentine footballing heavyweight, Diego Maradona. World Cup winner and colossus of the footballing stage who took the reins for Argentina’s national side. He presided over a record-equalling loss to Bolivia, nerve-wracking World Cup qualifiers and a quarterfinal exit at South Africa 2010. Needless to say, the joy that he brought to his country during Mexico ’86 World Cup was not repeated during his managerial career. The list could go on and on.
A football manager must think of tactics, team selection and management among other things, while also keeping an eye on stakeholder relationships and in the modern game, managing a voracious media. Many a manager has found the job near impossible after antagonising the media. It is possible that the most successful players focus entirely on improvements to their game while thriving under the right leadership and cannot, therefore, transition easily into directing affairs. It might be a factor that many of the former footballers chosen to become managers lack the coaching experience but are chosen for their passion for the sport and inside knowledge of a club. There seems to be no special science to those that have done well as managers.
Which path will Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard follow? From his first few games, Lampard at Chelsea was almost written off but seems to be enjoying a resurgence. Whether they will both join the minority of elite ex-players to become successful managers remains to be seen. It’s early days but if the theory stands given the dismal statistics, there might not be much to look forward to. Many wish them luck in the hope that this will encourage more players to earn their coaching badges and go on to manage clubs or national sides without the present gloom and doom that seems that attend ex-star players forays into coaching.
