One of the greatest arguments in the soccer world is “Who is the GOAT between Messi and Ronaldo?” However, another popular debate among soccer enthusiasts is “Who is more important – the players or the coach?”
When a team performs poorly, some blame the coach for their tactics. Others argue that the players underperformed. This article highlights the importance of football managers and their crucial role in determining game results using historical data.
What does a soccer manager do?
A soccer manager is responsible for putting a team together, overseeing their tactics, and for game-to-game player selections. Football teams hire them to develop strategies and make critical on-field and off-field decisions. They spend hours on game analyses, developing tactics, scheming gameplays and managing players.
Usually, what sets successful managers apart from unaccomplished ones is the ability to comprehend their players’ strengths and weaknesses, and use these to achieve team success. So, a gaffer works closely with coaches, physicians and backroom staff to create a system that accommodates players – particularly the special ones.
Besides the players and staff, a manager works closely with football club owners and makes strategic decisions alongside them. If on a national team, the manager works with the country’s football governing body that works under FIFA to achieve set goals and objectives.
What’s a manager’s role in team success?
The manager’s role in setting up a successful team cuts across various responsibilities. First, the football manager creates a system in line with their players’ strengths and weaknesses. The system must also be well communicated to every player, so all of them can operate on the same page.
Moreover, the on-pitch success of the team depends on a lot of factors that come into play behind the scenes. For instance, a coach’s man-management skills will go a long way in keeping every player happy and valued. This will in turn boost confidence and help the team achieve good results.
Also, the manager’s tactical approach and planning are a major influence on the team’s overall success. Many football lovers praise great managers like Sir Alex Ferguson, José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola for their successful tactics that guided successful footballing eras across their generations.
The accolades and trophies didn’t come by chance. Their tactical skills and game plans over the years are what set them apart from many other soccer managers. However, their greatness doesn’t eliminate the fact that they also had some bad days or even underwhelming spells at work.
For instance, history has it that some Manchester United fans asked for Sir Alex to be sacked during his early days at Old Trafford, due to a run of bad results. Even José Mourinho was recently sacked by Roma after winning their first trophy in 14 years. The reason he got the axe was also poor game results.
If the same coach who went all the way in Europe the previous year suddenly experiences a bad spell a year after, could it really be a manager issue? That remains a question that’ll be answered as we go.
Can soccer managers influence match results?
Every Man United fan reminisces about “Fergie’s time” and how influential Sir Alex was in turning around potential bad results during games. The same can be said of Pep Guardiola and his effective tactics that make his teams dominant over whoever they play against.
But before analyzing whether managers can influence game results, let’s look at a typical match day for the average football manager and his team of coaches.
Developing match tactics
The manager is solely responsible for their team’s tactical approach on match day. This includes developing the day’s game plan, formation, playing style, and how to play with and without the ball.
The same tactics will be the focus of pre-game training and analysis to help players prepare adequately and comfortably execute on the pitch on match day.
Selecting the team
Training sessions are not for solely for game preparation. They also help managers put together their best team and substitutes. The selection process is also based on factors like match sharpness, fitness, players’ strengths against their opponents, and the opponents’ weaknesses. The selected lineup is then publicly disclosed one hour before the game.
In-game management
The reason you see managers standing by the sidelines and screaming instructions at players is because they want to influence the game as it unfolds. During the game, the manager makes necessary adjustments to have an edge over the opponent.
For example, if they notice the opponent has figured their tactics out or is dominating the game, they can tweak the formation and tactics, or make substitutions to find balance. Managers also motivate players when the game is not going their way.
Adapting to situations
Adaptation is also part of the in-game management role managers perform on game day, and hoping the manager takes a risk when a team is behind is par for the course for any sports fan, especially if they have a wager riding on the outcome of the game. Quick and effective decision-making can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat – and save an accumulator. For instance, Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid won the UEFA Champions League match against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in 2022 – Los Blancos managed that miraculous turnaround because of Ancelotti’s adaptability.
The coach set up the team in a defensive shape, despite their usual attacking style. This was to align with the expectations that Manchester City were a better team at dominating possession.
What’s the role of the players?
Despite the numerous impressive tasks that managers go through to create a team and help it maintain good records, some analysts believe that the players’ impact cannot be underestimated.
Managers indeed matter in the whole grand scheme of things. However, it’s left to players to execute all the tactics and strategies they’ve learned on the field.
Players’ performance and decisions during the game determine the outcome. Sometimes, they can be different from the manager’s instructions, which is why some argue that players are the ultimate deciders of what happens on the field during a match.
In other words, much more than coaches or managers, the game outcome depends on the players. However, this does not change the fact that coaches and managers can influence results. The only difference is that their influence is indirect in the form of game preparedness, psychological or mental impact, and adaptability.
Conclusion
The debate about how much influence football managers have over match results won’t go away any time soon. Some believe managers are more important because they make the players. For instance, coaches like Pep Guardiola are famous for identifying talents and helping them develop.
Others say it’s the players who get on the pitch to kick the ball, so they determine match results. However, because managers focus on pre-game and in-game tasks like team selection, tactics, substitutions and game management, there’s a belief that their impact is limited.
At the end of the day, players are the ones who put in the work or otherwise, and grind out results. If a striker gets chances and doesn’t score goals, there’s hardly anything a manager can do.
Ultimately, both players and managers play a role in affecting what happens in a game, but more pressure is on the manager for their team to perform well or they’ll be asked some pertinent questions by their employer.
