Thanks Grace, great as always. Coming at this from the perspective of a Chelsea fan, I think the key point is the overall club set up and culture. Get that wrong and it's an uphill struggle for anyone. Thereafter it, for most managers, is primarily 'not messing it up' - but what that looks like is contextual. Avram Grant let the players get on with it but applying that to the current Chelsea squad would be a disaster. But then I think there are managers who add outsized value: first go Mourinho, Klopp, Pep, Wenger (at least for a decade). The problem with these managers is the ol' monkey paw: when they stop being outliers (as they all do after a while) there's very little scope for them to simply not mess it up and it can become a negative quite quickly. I have to say I think that's where we are with Pep at City now. Huge chance that's wrong but it feels like that paw has curled.
yeah I broadly agree with you Grace, and I particularly appreciate the mention of my nemesis “The Great Man Theory of History” my personal vendetta against which infects my own writing at every turn
I think where Klopp is lightly different is doing that mythical thing that most great managers across all sports do which is “change the culture,” famously turning us “from doubters to believers” … something the stats nerds will never understand!! (I kid)
but yeah, getting the fans off the backs of the players and behind the team in elite club footy is its own magic trick. would any of that have mattered w/o signing Virgil / Alisson / Salah? probably not. but esp given the $$$ opposition, every edge matters
Great article. As a United fan, Gives me more reason why I remain super skeptical of INEOS approach of being so “obsessed” with finding “The Guy” rather than setting up an elite sporting structure and letting all of that trickle down from there.
Thanks Grace, great as always. Coming at this from the perspective of a Chelsea fan, I think the key point is the overall club set up and culture. Get that wrong and it's an uphill struggle for anyone. Thereafter it, for most managers, is primarily 'not messing it up' - but what that looks like is contextual. Avram Grant let the players get on with it but applying that to the current Chelsea squad would be a disaster. But then I think there are managers who add outsized value: first go Mourinho, Klopp, Pep, Wenger (at least for a decade). The problem with these managers is the ol' monkey paw: when they stop being outliers (as they all do after a while) there's very little scope for them to simply not mess it up and it can become a negative quite quickly. I have to say I think that's where we are with Pep at City now. Huge chance that's wrong but it feels like that paw has curled.
yeah I broadly agree with you Grace, and I particularly appreciate the mention of my nemesis “The Great Man Theory of History” my personal vendetta against which infects my own writing at every turn
I think where Klopp is lightly different is doing that mythical thing that most great managers across all sports do which is “change the culture,” famously turning us “from doubters to believers” … something the stats nerds will never understand!! (I kid)
but yeah, getting the fans off the backs of the players and behind the team in elite club footy is its own magic trick. would any of that have mattered w/o signing Virgil / Alisson / Salah? probably not. but esp given the $$$ opposition, every edge matters
Great article. As a United fan, Gives me more reason why I remain super skeptical of INEOS approach of being so “obsessed” with finding “The Guy” rather than setting up an elite sporting structure and letting all of that trickle down from there.
Thrilled that you’ve answered my question from the AMA in even more detail! Great piece!