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10
11
— News —
43
The number of league games which Lee Clark’s Huddersfield
went unbeaten between January and November 2011, beating
the record set by Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest in 1977-1978
The average amount of
money spent by supporters
of visiting Champion’s
League teams during their
trips to games against either
Manchester City or United,
according to figures released
by Visit Manchester.
£776
almost £100m spent
on sacking managers
Cost of managerial dismissals places
huge strain on football’s finances
Clubs in the top four divisions of English
football spent in excess of £99m on
changing managers during the 2010/11
season, according to LMA data.
This figure combines the costs incurred
in paying compensation, legal fees and
‘double contracts’ (where one manager’s
contract is honoured for a period after
he’s been replaced by another), but does
not include the cost of fees to agents or
the expense of hiring and firing backroom
staff to work with the new managers.
The traditional ‘sacking season’ begins
in October and carries on until the end
of February; the LMA’s figures show that
25 clubs changed manager in that period
during last season, with more than 100
coaches losing their job in the same period.
The figures for the length of manager
tenure are equally worrying, with the
average tenure of a manager in the npower
Championship now having fallen to
below 12 months. The figures are only
slightly better for the other divisions, with
npower League Two managers lasting, on
average, for 1.33 years, npower League One
enjoying 1.67 years and Barclays Premier
League managers lasting 2.07 years.
Managers who lose their jobs take an
average of 1.63 years to be reemployed,
while almost half first-time managers never
find a second management position.
the
manager
WINTER 2011
asides
with
Mark
hughes
1. WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A MANAGER?
When the role was thrust upon me after the resignation of the then
Wales manager, Bobby Gould. Myself and Neville Southall were
given the job for one game against Denmark and although we lost I
really enjoyed the experience. I felt that with my playing experience I
could offer something, so I applied for the job and got it.
2. Which manager has influenced you most?
People won’t be surprised that Sir Alex Ferguson is the manager
whose drive, work ethic and presence has influenced me the most.
3. Who’s the best player you’ve WORKED with?
I have been fortunate to work with many great players; Ryan Giggs
and Brad Friedel to name just two. But as a football technician,
Tugay stands comparison with anyone I have worked or played with.
4. What was the best advice you ever received?
Be the best you can be.
5. What’s the best ground you’ve experienced?
As a manager, I’ll never forget the atmosphere that more than
70,000 Welsh fans generated when we beat Italy 2-1 at the
Millennium Stadium in a 2004 European Championship qualifier.
6. Who was your boyhood hero?
I was a Wrexham fan and used to watch the likes of Joey Jones,
Mickey Thomas and Bobby Shinton at the Racecourse Ground.
7. Maradona or Messi?
Messi is the best player in world football and everyone should try to
see him ply his trade live at some point in the near future if they can.
He has a rare talent. Only time will tell if he will be as revered as
Maradona (who I played against when he was at Barcelona) because
he was able to carry his national team almost single-handedly to
World Cup success. For all his talent, Messi currently struggles to
influence the current Argentina team to the same degree.
The former Wales and Manchester
City manager takes our test