You’d think so wouldn’t you? Within the last 24 hours Tony Adams and Luis Felipe Scolari have been handed their P45’s by Portsmouth and Chelsea respectively.
But why? Both were in their post less than a season – in Adams’ case, less than half a season. But are the chairmen/owners being too rash in their decision making?
I know they want instant success, but it doesn’t always work that way. New managers take time to get the players round to their way of thinking, coaching, managing, training methods. And that doesn’t happen straight away. It takes time to adjust from the old to the new.
For the best example of this, we only have to look at Chelsea over the last few years. They say success breeds contempt. Claudio Ranieri was let go after spending Abramovich’s millions and the success demanded wasn’t acheived. Jose Mourinho came in and bought the title two years on the trot, but even The Special One wasn’t immune.
Last season, within a month Mourinho was being booted out the door because his results didn’t match that of previous seasons. Avram Grant came in, but he was let go because he wasn’t able to emulate Jose by winning the title. Now Phil Scolari’s Chelsea are in danger of losing their ‘Big 4’ status, he was let go before any further damage could happen. Even though they still appear to be in the title race.
Portsmouth have had a bad spell under Adams admittedly. Two wins in sixteen games. But if his last match against Liverpool proved anything, it was that they were turning things around. Adams was finally getting his mark on the team. Finally getting rid of the Harry Redknapp effect that existed within. Now they have to start all over again. Three managers in a season can not be good for team spirit or stability.
Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur and now Portsmouth too. Chelsea are not alone this season in dismissing their manager without a second thought.
Compare that to clubs such as Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa and even Everton. All clubs that are relatively successful.
The difference? The latter are clubs that stick by their managers. Clubs that give their managers time and breathing space. Time to build a team. Time to cultivate a squad. Patient owners and chairmen that wont pull the trigger at the drop of a hat. And that’s what seems to be eluding the former list of clubs I’ve mentioned above.
Although with the amount of money floating around the game today, it seems less and less clubs are willing to give their managers the length of time needed to build a successful empire. The length of time that others such as Ferguson, Benitez, Moyes, Wenger, Southgate and O’Neill have been afforded, in the quest for instant success.
What they seem to be forgetting, is that success takes time.
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