Emenalo quits Chelsea!

This topic contains 126 replies, has 22 voices, and was last updated by  nine nine nine 6 years, 4 months ago.

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  • #1556999

    nine nine nine
    Moderator
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    liquidator, great points about Marina getting all the flak on the back of Zola being a club legend and that would apply to any of the Chelsea great taking the role.

    Tbh I’m not sure how accurate the Zola rumour is I would be more inclined to believe that the club are assessing the role and where they take it from here and that there may well be no appointment until the Summer and perhaps no appointment at all or a lesser role might be unveiled. Cheers 999

    #1557193
    Chelsea.man
    Chelsea.man
    Participant
    • :
    #1557267

    nine nine nine
    Moderator
    • :

    Chelsea Man, we will never know the truth mate but the first team squad would have had little to nothing to do with Emenalo.

    Where we go from here now though is far more important than anything else and we may not know that until the Summer.

    #1557319

    alanp
    Participant
    • :

    Pagan – I believe that one of the reasons for having a technical director is to ensure that the new manager plays in a suitable style, you don’t appoint Pulis to oversee a Guardiola built team.

    I would have thought we need someone in quick if we are going to be active in the market in January, I doubt Marina is stupid enough to believe she understands football to the reuired depth to do it without expert input.

    #1557963
    notnice
    notnice
    Participant
    • :

    Besides getting involved in transfers and youth team players, what exactly does a technical director do? I am only asking cause I been asked that question as well and am never too sure how to answer it. If its only player involvement then it should not be a Technical Director title.

    #1558000

    nine nine nine
    Moderator
    • :

    Not nice , that’s clear of the problem mate it’s all very hazy and can be different from club to club here what they were saying back in 2004:director of football debate
    By Andrew McKenzie

    Harry Redknapp
    Redknapp quits as Portsmouth boss
    Harry Redknapp has quit as manager of Portsmouth.

    Redknapp said his decision was not a result of his row with chairman Milan Mandaric over the appointment of Velimir Zajec as executive director.

    But his position seems to have been undermined by the arrival of the former Panathinaikos director of football.

    Pompey insist Zajec will be an executive director, not a director of football, but the controversy caused over the Croat’s role has re-ignited the debate in England.

    The system is common in Europe but still stigmatised in England, and has now threatened to cause a crisis in two Premiership clubs after Tottenham coach Jacques Santini quit in protest at the role of sporting director Frank Arnesen.

    Why has a management structure caused so much angst in English football, and could it ever work in this country? BBC Sport tried to find out.

    WHAT IS A DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL?
    Former Leicester director of football Dave Bassett said: “You’re a buffer. The director of football is answerable to the board but there to assist the manager. He’s experienced in football and there to help the board members who don’t have that experience.

    Micky Adams (left) and Dave Bassett
    Adams and Bassett had their ups and downs with Leicester
    “It means the manager is left to look after all the professionals at the club, the teamwork, tactics, fitness, medical side and picking the team.

    “The director is responsible for the budget to be spent on wages and makes sure it is adhered to. He should be above the academy level to ensure that the money on youth level is not being overspent.

    “Secondly the director of football has to be involved in the selection of the manager so that when the manager gets the job he knows the director of football is fully supportive because he selected him.

    “That means to some extent the director of football’s head is on the line because it was his decision.”

    WHO HAS TRIED IT IN ENGLAND?
    Contrary to current opinion, Tottenham were not the first.

    In 1969 Sir Matt Busby stepped down as Manchester United manager and appointed Wilf McGuinness as a chief coach.

    He assumed the title of general manager but the move lasted just four months before McGuinness was sacked and Busby stepped back in.

    More recently Lawrie McMenemy held the position of director of football at Southampton during the reigns of Alan Ball, Dave Merrington and Graeme Souness.

    McMenemy said: “I think I was the first to have that title. I’d finished with England and Southampton brought me back on to the board. They asked me to take over as manager but I didn’t want to.

    Lawrie McMenemy (left) and Graeme Souness
    Souness was the third manager to work under Lawrie McMenemy
    “We decided to bring in a younger person on the provision I would work with them. As I was already a director they invented the name director of football.”

    Since then a number of clubs have attempted a similar set-up.

    Bassett stepped into the role of director of football to allow Micky Adams to become manager at Leicester – leading to promotion to the Premiership in 2003.

    Kenny Dalglish moved upstairs to become director of football at Blackburn and later filled the same role with Celtic.

    Despite Dalglish’s ultimately unsuccessful partnership with John Barnes, Scottish football has embraced the role more than its English counterparts.

    Dick Advocaat had a spell as director of football at Rangers alongside Alex McLeish and Aberdeen’s fortunes have turned round since director of football Willie Miller teamed up with Jimmy Calderwood.

    Inverness’s recent success has come under the watchful eye of Graeme Bennett, while Hearts have plans to bring in former USSR coach Anatoly Byshovets as director of football.

    WHAT ARE THE POSITIVES?
    Bassett believes more clubs could have avoided the recent financial problems had they adopted a European look.

    He added: “In my opinion if I’d been a director of football at Leicester for longer than I was they wouldn’t have gone into administration and if Leeds had a director of football they wouldn’t be in the state they are in.

    “The director of football would ensure that the right work is done. He knows how to operate the market in terms of transfer fees and whether a club is paying the right money for a player.

    “The old English manager used to be involved with everything.

    “But the game has moved on because the manager has a lot more work to do with things like the media now.

    “A director of football can oversee and make sure everything is operating correctly – whether it is the scouting, the budget or whatever.”

    WHAT ARE THE NEGATIVES?
    Despite relative success in the role at Southampton, Lawrie McMenemy believes that a director of football can have its pitfalls.

    He said: “I remember one game when we first got together and we went to Norwich. I was in the directors’ box and it was torture. I could see one of their players needed to be marked more tightly but I didn’t know what to do.

    “I couldn’t shout down so I came out the box, stood at the back of the tunnel and signalled to our trainer that we needed to get tight on the Norwich player. I think Alan Ball wondered what I was up to.

    “He maybe looked at it as a bit of interference and I can understand that, but I just couldn’t help myself.

    “No matter how well you get on with each other, if you’ve both been managers there will come a time where you would have done something a bit differently.

    “You have to sit down and talk it out together and you have to be seen not to be interfering.”

    DOES IT WORK ELSEWHERE?
    Italian journalist Giancarlo Galavotti of Gazzetto della Sport newspaper said: “The system in England is exactly the contrary to Italy.

    “In England for over 100 years it’s all about the manager but in Italy we have a general manager or a sporting director.

    “It is an established fact that the transfer market is the domain of the chairman and the general manager.

    “The coach has to do with whatever the chairman and general manager bring in. They may be able to say ‘I want a striker or a defender’ but it is up to the chairman to decide who they get.

    “The involvement of the chairman historically has been of primary importance throughout our history.”

    Everyone has to want it to work. The moment Frank Arnesen was given the job the media said it would never work
    Former Kidderminster director of football Jan Molby
    At Barcelona Frank Rijkaard works in tandem with president Joan Laporta and technical director Tkixi Beguiristain.

    Real Madrid’s transfer dealings are largely looked after by president Florentino Perez and sporting director Emilio Butragueno.

    The popular argument is that the system works on the continent. If it’s good enough for Real Madrid why shouldn’t it work for Tottenham Hotspur?

    But if almost every club in Europe runs on such a system, does that not mean that for every great success there must be disappointments? For every AC Milan there is a Lazio.

    While Tottenham were making plans to bring in PSV Eindhoven’s Frank Arnesen as their director of football last season, PSV had already made the decision to scrap his role and go to an English system after problems between Arnesen and coach Guus Hiddink.

    FC Utrecht have also opted to change to the English system, while Louis van Gaal had full control of the successful Ajax side of the mid-1990s, but he was very much the exception to the rule.

    COULD IT EVER WORK IN THE PREMIERSHIP?
    David Pleat has his doubts whether the title of director of football will ever be accepted in England.

    Former Spurs firector of football David Pleat
    Pleat left his post as Spurs director of football in the summer
    “The public are being sadly misinformed about the roles and responsibilities and reporting lines of the director of football,” he said.

    “Unfortunately it is probably a job title that will have to be dispensed with even though there is a great need for that type of figure in a club nowadays to take the burden off the head coach.”

    But former Liverpool and Denmark midfielder Jan Molby, a former international team-mate of Frank Arnesen and until recently the director of football at Kidderminster, is more confident.

    “It’s tough to make such changes,” said Molby. “It took a while for foreign managers to catch on, now French managers are all the rage after what Arsene Wenger has done at Arsenal.

    “There are still a lot of old fashioned managers in England. But if Spurs make it a success it will no doubt help.

    “Everyone has to want it to work. The moment Frank Arnesen was given the job the media said it would never work.

    “It depends on the person in charge. Frank Arnesen has no ambitions to be a coach, he is happy on the business side. I know him and I know how he works and he won’t interfere.

    “Perhaps because David Pleat was previously a manager he might have had ambitions to coach and that can be difficult.

    “Frank is more interested in the business side and one thing he has never done is interfere with the coach.

    “If people are happy with their roles you will have no problem.”

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    #1558004

    nine nine nine
    Moderator
    • :

    ….and here’s a more updated opinion from Dan Parnell at Manchester Metropolitan University:

    What exactly does a Sporting Director do? And why does the role arouse suspicion and even hostility in this country?

    Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo (above, right), better known as Monchi, is revered in Seville. English football has never had a Sporting Director who comes close to him in terms of public affection. We asked Dr Dan Parnell, who leads research on the Master of Sport Directorship course at Manchester Metropolitan University, for his lowdown on the role:

    What does a sporting director do?

    Dan Parnell (right): “There has been some confusion about the role. I think a big reason is the title, which can shift from Director of Football to Technical Director to Performance Director. Many profess to know exactly what a Sporting Director should do, but often the specification is designed and developed ‘on the job’.

    There remains no definition of the Sporting Director in academic literature. The following offering aims to give an insight into how the role should work.

    Dr Dan Parnell from MMU
    Dr Dan Parnell from MMU

    The Sporting Director is the person responsible for the overall performance of the various sporting departments, which include first team, Under-21s, academy, scouting, medical and sport science. This responsibility ties hand-in-hand with the Sporting Director’s role, which is to develop and deliver the strategic plan towards achieving success in the club’s sporting aims. The Sporting Director should report directly to the Owner and/or Chief Executive Officer.

    The key priorities for the Sporting Director are:

    Support the first team and head coach
    Maintain and manage a positive working relationship with the owner
    Employ the best people within budget as department heads
    Oversee the implementation of the club’s DNA and identity a suitable playing philosophy across all teams, from first team to Academy.
    Implement and maintain a scouting network
    Manage the movement of players in and out of the club
    Oversee the academy and development teams (extending to community foundations for talent identification)
    Oversee the performance departments including medical and sport science
    Oversee the training ground
    The Sporting Director is the custodian of the club’s sporting performance and must have:

    Football industry knowledge
    Business and financial acumen
    Ability to lead and develop a high performance culture
    Ability to develop and deliver a strategy both strategically and operationally
    Understanding of – and the ability to deliver – good governance
    Ability to manage change and innovation
    Ability to manage research (monitor and evaluate) on relevant performance measures
    They are the person employed by the owner or board to be the guardian of the club’s future, to protect their investment and bring on-field success through effective leadership and decision making in the short, medium and long-term.”

    Do you think it’s a good model for a club to have? If so, why?

    “Clubs need to develop a competitive advantage. Through the Sporting Director position, they can develop a strategy to improve both on and off-field performance success.

    The increased finances in football have brought great rewards for all involved, including owners. Yet, with great reward, comes great risk: relegation for one,. Gary Neville was quoted as saying “the era of the gaffer is over”. Yes, too right. Things have changed and where they haven’t, they need to if owners want to protect and strengthen their club’s position.

    Owners and investors are seeking a new breed of football person who can protect multi-million pound investments but also bring further success and rewards. Yes, the first-team head coach is integral to this, but clubs need a Sporting Director to fulfil a strategic role.”

    Is it fair to say there has historically been resistance to the sporting director model in England?

    “There has been a huge amount of resistance to the Sporting Director role in the past – and there still is even now. This is because of a lack of understanding about the role and also a lack of trust I think.

    I’ll address some of these. A Sporting Director is not someone who picks the team, takes training or chooses the tactics employed. This is the domain of the head coach. It could also be argued that the head coach should have the final say on signings. There is no benefit in forcing an unwanted player on a head coach.

    One of my students, who had worked in elite football for more than 20 years, highlighted an issue with using the Director of Football title, as opposed to Sporting Director: “The Director of Football term undermines the manager directly. Who is in charge? It cannot be the Manager, as the Director of Football has the final say – they are the ones who direct football.

    “The title should be Sporting Director and this role should be responsible for the strategy of the football club from the first team, through the U21, academy, scouting and recruitment, medical and sport science – and in some cases extended to in some cases the community foundations of football clubs who can play a part in recruitment and talent identification.”

    A Sporting Director is someone who, along with their recruitment staff, will present to the head coach the best options for a particular position in addition to all relevant due-diligence material (video, data, stats etc) and the head coach will select his preferred choice. However, as the Sporting Director is the custodian of sporting performance and has the final veto on all sporting matters, he does have the authority to block a signing.

    Mistrust of the role could be the result of previous Sporting Director appointments that were not suitably qualified or experienced.

    It is my belief – a belief that is shared by many within the industry – that the right person can actually provide the head coach with their best ally and ensure everything around the first team is geared for success.

    Compartmentalising the role in relation to the head coach, the Sporting Director is there to implement a strategic scouting network throughout the UK, Europe and even Worldwide in some cases, to identify and recruit the best players within budget.

    It is the responsibility of the Sporting Director to ensure the club is at the forefront in terms of best practice, best recruitment and most effective strategies. This will allow the head coach to spend all his time on man-managing the 25-30 players in the squad, taking training, picking the team and selecting the right tactics.”

    Is it changing now? Do more clubs have a sporting director?

    “There is a definite growth in the interest and adoption of the Sporting Director role. The smartest will be learning from colleagues in Europe and from the success stories in England. Recently, we have seen Celtic, Rangers, Arsenal and Norwich scouting for their Sporting Directors (with varied expectations and understanding).

    Clubs approach the recruitment of a Sporting Director for a number of reasons, including as a figurehead (ie a club legend), a technical director (ie to advise a weaker head coach) or a go-between (ie linking scouts, transfers and deal making).

    The Sporting Director should not – and cannot – be viewed as a chief scout or head of recruitment. Their role should be much more significant, reporting directly to the chief executive and looking after recruitment strategies and the delivery of the club’s sporting strategy.

    Yet the role seems to be defined by recruitment at the moment. We must remember that for every Kante there is a Kramaric. It is imperative that a Sporting Director highlights the full breadth of work they undertake alongside the immediate demands of success.”

    Are there examples where the role has worked particularly well?

    “Many commentators cite examples in Europe or in others sports. However, we have seen many different, yet quality examples in England – like Brian Marwood at Manchester City, Dan Ashworth at West Brom and Les Reed at Southampton. Many others in the role are fighting day-to-day to deliver strategic goals amidst a culture hesitant to change as well as poor leadership and governance at executive and owner level.

    Recently, Norwich outlined a clear expectation of what their Sporting Director would be tasked with. This transparent approach is welcomed, and no-doubt many will be hoping to see Stuart Webber lead the Canaries on to success.”

    How do you train sporting directors on your Master of Sport Directorship course at MMU?

    “Over the past couple of years, I have been fortunate to lead the research module, Sporting Directorship in Practice, as part of Manchester Metropolitan University’s Master of Sport Directorship (MSD). MSD is a two-year, part-time executive level course aimed at professionals who want to gain a unique qualification that prepares them for the role of Sporting Director.

    Our students’ insight, expertise and experience have helped shape and develop my understanding of the Sporting Director role. They are eager to stress that the position should not just be someone who has had a playing career or been high profile. It should be someone capable of leading an organisation.

    Former England cricketer Ashley Giles was a student on the MSD course
    Former England cricketer Ashley Giles was a student on the MSD course

    The course has been developed in response to need for sport businesses to gain a competitive advantage and the demand for skilled professional, within business acumen and high quality leadership skills to drive positive change and greater performance in sport.

    Our students study in part-time blocks, consisting of seminars and high quality guest speakers that make up our masterclass programme. Our students undertake learning that combines the latest thinking on leadership practice, sports governance, innovation and change and research in applied settings.

    One of the strengths of the MSD is our high-quality students, who share best practice, collaborate and enhance one another’s learning experience. Here are some of the students from our first of three cohorts:

    Joel Roberts, Asst Head Coach England Women u23/Next Gen. Senior Scout for an EFL Club and consultant
    Lee Darnborough, Head of Scouting at Norwich FC
    David Moss, Assistant Head of 1st Team Scouting, Celtic FC
    Michael Appleton, 1st Team Head Coach at Oxford United
    Steve Round, Sporting Director at Aston Villa
    Becky Easton, Professional Football Players and Previous Assistant General Manager of Doncaster Belles.
    Dave Parson, Head of Performance at the ECB
    Ashley Giles (right), Sporting Director at Warwickshire County Cricket
    I could carry on this list, as each and every student on the cohorts is reputable, successful and has, or is, operating at the top end of sport. You can read

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