Silent in Newcastle, Know-nothing Managers, Spending Trends and a Nifty New Game

1. This Keegan business has left me (almost) speechless. But I do wonder one thing. Why don't the protagonists of this sorry tale communicate like normal people? Why don't they simply get in front of a microphone and tell us what's going on, rather than communicating via statements on the website or via "friends of friends"? Surely that's the least that Newcastle fans deserve.

2. Directors of football are viewed with suspicion by many in this country. They are supposedly evil influences who undermine and interefere with managers. But why is that the case? Think about it. For a start, managers, except for those at the very top, are liable to pack up and move, leaving a club in the lurch (certainly there is much more mobility among managers than there is among directors of football). Why would you hand your long-term planning over to guys who may jump ship as soon as a bigger job comes along?

Second, as one Premier League scout reminded me recently, except for the guys on their own team, managers really don't know all that much about other players. They hardly ever get to see them in the flesh (and, as any scout will tell you, you learn virtually nothing from videos or TV), except when they face them as opponents. In those circumstances, they are usually more focused on their own team and, even if they do pay attention to the opposition, they do so from a terrible vantage point: you really can't see much from pitchside. Throw in the fact that any serious Premier League manager will spend at least sixty odd hours a week (many more if you're a workaholic like Rafa Benitez) on their own team and you wonder how in the hell they're supposed to see any other players, especially those who are abroad.
The fact of the matter is that leaving all the decision-making to managers simply doesn't make sense. They are not the best qualified people to evaluate players. Of course, a manager and a director of football need to be able to work together, to trust each other, they need to share the same philosophy. And they need trusted scouts who can be their eyes and ears. But, frankly, to put all the power in the hands of a manager seems rather foolhardy these days.

3. The Premier League was, once again, the biggest spending league this summer, with more than half a billion pounds changing hands. What's curious is that Serie A spent the second most, some £411 million, which was considerably more than La Liga, whose spending plummeted from £440m to £232m. I don't want to reignite a futile "which league is the best?" debate, but I did find it interesting. (And maybe a bit worrying: while Serie A is on the rebound, I don't see the finances being healthy enough to allow that level of spending...)

PLAY MY GAME: Here's a little game I plan on playing all season long. And I invite you to join me. Each week I'll look at a Premier League club and ask: how many of them would get into England's 23-man World Cup squad? I'm going to do this in alphabetical order, which means we start with Arsenal. Here goes:

Manuel Almunia (given the state of English goalkeepers right now, he'd make a good number 2 or 3)

Bacary Sagna (he can battle it out with Wes Brown for a starting job)

William Gallas (cover across the back four ... might challenge Terry for a staring spot)

Kolo Toure (see above)

Gael Clichy (if you're going to bring a back-up left-back, I might take him over Wayne Bridge)

Cesc Fabregas (a no-brainer: straight into the starting XI)

Emanuel Adebayor (an ideal partner for Rooney, he gets into the starting XI)

Robin Van Persie (might not start, but useful off the bench)

Comments

[Ohmy]

Sagna battling it out with Wes Brown? Go check the stats, Brown was actually behind Corluka and Lescott according to many of the stats last season. Assists, Tackles, Tackles success, Crosses. He wasn't distinguished and that's why a new Frenchman got voted best right-back in the league by his peers.

Almunia is as good as any English goalkeeper still in the trade.

Clichy is better than Cole.

Fabregas any day of the week.

Rosicky, makes it for fun.

Adebayor makes it of course.

In the squad I'll throw in : Nasri, Van Persie, Walcott, Toure, Gallas; Eduardo,

[Gabriele Marcotti]

1. Louise - Some people's skills lie in motivating, coaching and match-day management. Other people's skills lie in talent-spotitng and negotiation. But when it comes to football, we expect one guy to have ALL the skills. Let's see what happens at West Ham, before we pass judgment, shall we? You can cite DoF's who've made mistakes, fine. There are bad ones as well as good ones. All I'm saying is that when the system is set up and the partnership works, it's far more effective.
2. McCree - Bendtner is probably better than Rooney? Let's agree to disagree..
3. Bill - I don't think Newcastle is a good example either way. The fact of the matter is that we just don't know and it comes down to who you choose to believe, Ashley's camp or Keegan's camp. Unless you know for certain who is telling the truth about what (and, right now, I don't think anyone can) I don't see how we can pass judgment.
4. Technical Player - Some ex-footballers have a lot of financial acumen. In fact, a a lot of managers do. It's a question of specialization. Whether Wise is or isn't a good DoF doesn't really determine whether DoFs are positive or not, does it? I think a manager should have three main duties: motivating players and building the right atmosphere in the squad, coaching and giving the squad a tactical identity and making the right decisions on matchdays. A DoF should work with the club's budgets to oversee players' contracts, negotiate to buy and sell palyers and oversee the medium-term development of the squad (which means overseeing the scouts and having his pulse on the transfer market). Actual buying and selling decisions ought to be a collective exercise involving the manager and the DoF.
5. Jimmy - You're right, I probably shouldn't have started this game with Arsenal. It will be interesitng to see what happens when we do Stoke or Hull.
6. Marc - You're starting to win me over on Rosicky and Nasri. Keep going...

[Marc]

Gaby, your my favourite journalist in this country, and found your comments on the DOF role interesting. But am going to have to take issue with your views. In suggesting Nasri and Rosicky in particular shouldnt be in the 23 man squad, are you actually thinking about the alternatives your faced with. Joe Cole I'd take as better than the pair but after that who keeps them out?.........SWP? Downing? Lennon? Beckham? Rosicky cuts the starting 11, along with Sagna, Clichy, Fabregas and Adebayor.

Whoever said Fabregas wouldnt make Englands CM is having a laugh.

[Nicky]

@MARTIN:

The difference between Ronaldo and Fabregas is that the latter plays in CM i.e. he attacks and defends. You see him on the ball all the time whereas Ronaldo is in and out. It's clear who does the most running and the statistics will bear out that Cesc and Flamini were close to the top in terms of ground covered; given the amount of effort required in addition to the way that Arsenal play it's inevitable that his form will drop off to a degree later in the season without any real rest period.

[Jimmy]

I wish i'd have read all the comments.

William, club loyalites aside, but do you really believe Flamini is a better player than Gerrard?

But Arsene Wenger would be the first person i'd poach. Agree completely with tinash. He could get a bunch of scotsman playing attractive football. so its easy with kids and would win cups with Englanf

[Jimmy]

Great game. But i wish you hadn't started with Arsenal!!

Arsenal fans are known to have the most inflated opinion of their own teams worth. Lets see, how many European Cups have the mighty Arsenal won?

Yes you play lovely football, no its not winning you much these days, Yes you have young players but no your not skint, money is available Arsene is just afraid of spending it.

Van Persie even if 1 million per cent fit is not better than Rooney. There is no debating that.

I think i know who Song is but the times I've watched Arsenal he hasn't been playing so i guess he's about 12 . Does he even get on the bench?

Nasri is not going to win you the league. He isnt really as good as you guys are saying. Bendtner, if he was so good he's be starting for Arsenal.

Toure is just your Carragher, he wouldn't make the squad. There are many ahead of him for best defender in the league.

I'll give you Sagna, Fabregas and Adebayour.

[Amito]

Heard you comment a few times lately about why Rafa has decided to go to a 4-4-2 with RK and FT up front and Gerrard in midfield and change from his successful 4-2-3-1 with Gerrard behind FT..and i agree! But looks like it's on Gerrard's say so...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article4691512.ece

[technical_player]

The definition of a DoF is not precise, probably due to the fact that the role is required to perform different tasks depending on a wide range of factors. It seems self-evident that managers do not have barely enough time to prepare their own team let alone watch other players. Therefore, there is a clear requirement to delegate many roles. Furthermore, given that many managers have little formal education other than a footballing apprenticeship, it seems that any club handing complete responsibility of massive (and complicated) financial transactions would be taking a massive risk. It seems that a good model to follow would be for the manager and a DoF would work closely together. The manager should be allowed to determine who remains in the squad and who is sold on. The manager should be allowed to determine who comes into the club, but guided by the DoF. For example, the manager might become aware that the current left-back is not performing at the required level. So he would instruct the DoF to find a left-back, at which point the DoF would work with the scouts to create a short list of players with the desired characteristics, who might be available. Then the DoF negotiates to find the best player available at the right money. I don't think anyone can justify players being sold behind the managers back, regardless of the model being used by Newcastle. If the reports of tension are true, it is unclear what advantages someone like Dennis Wise brings to such a role? If the DoF is supposed to have 'some' financial accumen then at what point did Dennis develop this?!? In my opinion, having an ex-footballer as a manager and an ex-footballer as a DoF is basically a case of arming a time-bomb and sitting back and waiting for it to go off. It can only result in a culture of politics and division that might be avoided by employing someone more corporate in the DoF role. Using a DoF with a different skillset who will bring something different to the table and who is prepared to follow the managers advice on football related matters would in my opinion be the ideal.

[bill]

I don't know the exact statistics on managers leaving clubs but I suspect that they are more often sacked or put into positions where they have little option but to resign. I don't think many managers walk away from a job where they are handsomely paid without very good reason. Can you name many managers who have walked away from a job within 3-4 years who haven't actually been pushed?
I agree that a system where someone talent spots for the manager is okay, but they should work as a partnership and they should be able to trust one another. The situation imposed on KK was completely wrong.
The other point is particular to Newcastle; is that the guys in the position to buy and sell players should actually know something about football, and they should have discussed it with the manager and not made false promises about replacements that never materialised. I don't think Dennis Wise was a bad footballer but I don't think that he is experienced in football and life to be given such a role. I don't think any of the other board members are even football people at all.

[mccree]

United without Ronaldo are half the team . Rooney is far to overrated , Ferguson knows this so has had to buy berbatov , who I belive is only worth half of what was paid for him .
Sagna and Clichy were in the premiership team of last year so they would be your full backs . Almunia is better than any one we have at the moment as he makes less mistakes than James and very rarely makes a mistake for Arsenal . I think gallas and Toure would make the 23 but dont think they would start . Rosickiy when fit would make the first 11 and obviously Fabrigas . Walcott would be in in the 23 as he is . And Adebayour Vanpersie would start over Rooney , Defoe and Owen . Even bendtner and Vela are probably better than our strikers . If an fully fit Arsenal 11 played an England 11 . They would get demolished . Any one who cant see that is nuts

[Louise]

You mock that chairmen gladly leave financial decisions to guys who left school at 15, but a lot of these chairmen left school at 15.

For example, who is Nani to decide who should be the new manager of a formerly proud club like west ham; he's only been in the country five minutes. And oh what a surprise, he's manoeuvered Curbishley out to put an Italian in.

Peter Kenyon, Commoli, Rick Parry, Dennis Wise, respected and qualified, I don't think so! It would be informative if you could write more about how the management structure works abroad.

[clayton]

Can't really argue with the selections Gab, but 2nd on the list (behind Fabregas) should be Eduardo. Adebayor may well be a better player in many people's eyes, but since England's only only proven goal poacher is MOwen, who is becoming more pedestrian with every injury, Eduardo would be a no-brainer.

[Gabriele Marcotti]

1. Ron - Please don't be perturbed if we happen to disagree. I think Wayne Rooney could get into this Arsenal side. You don't. It's a game of opinions.
2. Sav - I don't get your leftback joke. Sorry. Call the position whatever you like. But the point is that the manager and DoF have to work together. As for selling Milner for 10m, there is just soo much we don't know. Did Newcastle need to sell for financial reasons? If so, Keegan would have had the same problem. Did they feel that they needed to raise 10m and the choice came down to either selling Milner or selling some combination of other players? Well then, in a perfect world, the decision should have been made together. You can't simply blame Wise for selling Milner without knowing the facts.
3. Simon - You're spot on. Yet in football sometimes chairmen gladly leave financial decisions to guys who left school at 15.

[Tinashe]

Arsenal players don't function like Arsenal players anywhere outside of Arsenal! They're fish out of water - they would be made to look abjectly ordinary in the England team. It therefore stands to reason that the ideal Arsenal-England fantasy team would be:

Starting XI: AS-IS
Squad: AS-IS
Coach: Arsene Wenger

[Simon]

All other sports around the world seperate the Managing (DoF / General Manager) who hire and fire the Coach (equivilent to PL's Managers). There are very few exceptions to the rule. Coaches come and go, they SHOULD be consulted but NOT control the purse strings. All sport is a business and as such only persons who understand business should control the money.

[Sav]

You've just given a job description for 'Head of Scouting. Keegan may not have Jeff Vetere's supposed encyclopedic knowledge of emerging footballers, but he knows a left-back when he sees one. Remind me, whom of 'Nacho' and Xisco is the left-back?
You who must be well aware of Newcastle's threadbare squad, take another look at it and tell us whether you think the club could afford to sell a fit and versatile James Milner when self-evidently there was no intention to reinvest the funds raised?

[Kyle]

As an outsider with no axe to grind per se (American, indifferent to Arsenal), it's interesting the wide divergence of opinion, eh? But doesn't it come down to style? I mean, in theory, wouldn't you rather be able to play three across the back and load up with midfield players if you're picking just English players for the England national side -- you have a glut of talent in the midfield and not nearly as much up top. Of course, it's conventional wisdom these days that three across the back is bad tactics, but if those three were Rio, Toure and Gallas . . .

And Ashley Cole over Clichy? Hmm.

[Ron]

Gabriele, you are by far the most knowledgeable journalist in this country but i was very perturbed after reading your Arsenal/England views.
With the exception of Gerrard & J Cole (plus Terry just for the premiership so he can head all the long hoofs away) none of the others would have a hope in hells chance of geting in the Arsenal team - how on earth A Cole is better than Clichy is nonsense.
Maybe you need a holiday

[Gabriele Marcotti]

Wow-- wasn't expecting this level of response to my little game...

1. It's all about opinions. I think Rooney is a better player than Van Persie and a more natural parnter for Adebayor. Obviously, RVP is very high in everyone's estimation here.
2. Clichy - I like him a lot and, upon reflection, maybe he would make my 23, especially if the alternative to Cole is Bridge, who rarely gets a game.
3. Walcott - I wouldn't have in my squad. Not yet anyway.
4. Rosicky - Another tough one. I'd have to see what condition he's in when he returns to action for an extended period.
5. Nasri - I don't think he's shown enough just yet to merit a place in the 23. Let's see how he settles. Right now he's a guy who cost roughly the same as Milner.
6. To Vic - It's funny that you should mention those managers. Because Ramos, as you probably know, does have a director of football who signs the players for him. Benitez has Parry, who handles the negotiations on his behalf. Mourinho, more than most, trusts his advisors and has little or no involvement in negotiations, wages, etc. Kenyon played a huge role in that. Wenger, admittedly, is the exception.
It's not that the 'continental' way is always the best. It's that many Premiership clubs are already moving in this direction and with good reason, regardless of whether they call it a director of football or not.
7. To Arun - Do you really think that Premiership managers have the time to go and check out potential signings "a couple of times"? They don't. They rely on scouts and mates.
8. To Harry - That's why the ideal solution is when you have a DoF working hand-in-hand with the manager. Ideally, the DoF would have picked the manager as well. And the manager would know what he was getting into. The problem with the negative perception of the role is that in the case of Keegan and Curbishley, perhaps they weren't clearly told what the responsibiities were and that the goalposts had changed.
Also, as far as "total control" is concerned, I think you find that if you actually talk to managers you'll find that the only ones who really have "total control" are Sir Alex (who, I think, has earned it but still delegates a hell of a lot to others), Wenger (largely because David Dein is gone), Keane and O'Neill.
And, in Wenger's case, Dein was a de facto DoF when he was around. It's just that he had a great relationship with Wenger.

[martin]

for this Arsenal thing, are we judging by club form or international form? if its club form and if were playing a game tomorrow, then
Clichy -is uncapped for France, and can't seem to cross a ball.
Gallas -wouldn't get past Rio
Toure -wouldnt get past Woodgate never mind Terry.
Sagna- had a good half of a season due to injury, while brown tore up the pl and champs lg, if were being honest its wes all day long [ if were judging form instead of reputation]
Walcott-please
Rosicky-maybe
Fabregas-ill be controversial........no. [i know hes only 20] but Fab has never had a great season from beginning to end. Remember last season when he complained about playing too many games? Since christmas he became noticably lazy in his play. On the arsenal forums there was actually a backlash with people saying look at Ronaldo, hes overplayed but its no an excuse to underperform. Im surprised people dont remember this.
Eboue- get away from me
Nasri-how are people saying hell walk in the team? this man was a sub in euro 08, came on and got subbed off again. and he would replace Joe Cole.......not a chance.
Van Persie-nope, again its people making assumptions on what he can do if hes not injured, instead of judging what he has done. Hell i can say he'd be better than pele if he's not injured, theres no way to prove me wrong.
Adabayour-only because there'sno-one else in England.

[Harry Boulton]

The problem with directors of football, is that not many managers are willing to live and die based on someone elses decisions / mistakes. If a director of football brings in a player who turns out to be a turkey and affects team performances, it's the managers head that rolls, while this director of football sits in his plush office regretting another mistake, but never paying for it. Keegans should not have to tolerate having players like Michael Owen sold under his nose while Wise and Ashley lumber him with players he's never met, and is unfamiliar with. A manager needs to know what he is working with, what a players strengths are, and how best to use them. For this he needs total control over who comes in, and who goes out.

[joka]

Of course Van Persie would not start in the England starting X1. He's arguably the best dutch player in their national team, but of course, they have a very poor national team and hardly any quality players around.

[Nathan]

Gab you are my favourite sports writer, my main reason to read the Times is to read your column.
I plan to buy your book on Capello (unless I win in the competition!) and bought the Italian Job (great read BTW).

However, I am shocked that you think so few Arsenal players would get into and England squad.

Frankly Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd and Chelsea (probably Man City from next season after they make some big signings) would beat England on most days and most of their players would get in if they were English.

My Arsenal/England Squad (In Order of positions from the left)

GK - James, Almunia, Green (I'm not even an Almunia fan but he is better than most of the keepers we have and if this was a year or so down the line Fabianski would be in there, but so would Man City's Hart)

Full Backs -
Sagna, Richards
Clichy, A.Cole (I agree with the Arsenal fan's about Clichy is better yards better than Cole and so is Evra)

Centre Backs -
Ferdinand, Toure, Gallas, Terry

Central Midfield -
Fabregas, Gerrard, Hargreaves, Barry (The last two would go if Flamini was still at Arsenal and if they sign Appiah which they are rumoured to)

Att/Wide Midfield/Wingers (Neither team really has natural wingers) -
Nasri, Rosicky, J.Cole, V.Persie (usually plays out wide for Holland)

Centre Forwards -
Adebayor, Rooney, Eduardo, Owen (If the last two can get fit/stay fit respectively, Bendtner and Vela are still better then the rest of the England strikers and their international records prove that even if they young and not regular starters).

I think you'll find that when you do this for Big Four, the definate starters will be Ferdinand, Gerrard and Rooney (If Chelsea had got Robinho then even Rooney wouldn't be a starter).

The squad would have J & A Cole, Terry, Hargreaves, and depending on the team Green, James (Chelsea would have two keepers, in Cech and Cudicini)

Only Ferdinand, Gerrard and Rooney would get into a Chelsea squad obviously adding their English players.

It really does highlight the weakness in our National Team!

[gaz-baz]

gab ! ! what the hell has gone wrong with youre brain... you wouldnt put van persie in the starting 11 ? ? ?
clichy is undoubtedly better than cole...
and even to stretch this demented arguement out further, i stake that the current arsenal XI would give a decent beating to the england 11

[martin westley]

i have to agree with gab on the arsenal england thing. im not an arsenal fan but here is how i see it.

almunia (dont rate at all and he is suspect when he plays.) wouldnt get anywhere near an england team with an sense

sagna is very over rated for me. i would play richards, johnson or neville ahead of him.

clichy. well him and cole are about the same level but i think i would poss go for clichy.

gallas and kolo wouldnt get in ahead of rio and terry and would be behiind gallas wouldnt even been in a squad of 400.

cesc would walk it and i think he would work well with gerrard.

who ever said song well your wrong song only plays for camaroon because of the lack of players of any class.

adebayor. i like him but i would use him as a sub

RVP would start with rooney.

rosicky, nasri, eduardo and maybe even bentner would be floating in and out of the squad...... they would all play for scotland tho