08 Oct 2025 14:32:45
ED001.if you're about. was listening to Gerrard chat to Wio . was wondering how come real top level players don't make great managers . they've played in every system under great managers . you'd think they'd know what to do, but looks like they're championship managers instead . n who do you think would make good or great managers from the Liverpool set up. can only think of Milner n Hendo. because they're think skinned n seem that type of person to cope with the pressures of being a top manager.
{Ed001's Note - because they expect players to be able to do things which are beyond them. When Glenn Hoddle was managing Swindon, he would be expecting passes to be made which the players did not even see. It was ok when he was player manager, but when he moved into just managing, even at England level, players just could not do what he thought was easy.}
08 Oct 2025 15:43:05
Dalglish, Cruyff, Guardiola, Beckenbauer, Deschamps. They might not have all been great managers but they won a few things.
Brian Clough was a very player, as well, I believe.
08 Oct 2025 15:57:35
Zidane, Cruyff, Guardiola, Deschamps, Anchelotti. They will probably be considered among great players who succeeded as managers.
08 Oct 2025 16:40:54
Ed1. Not dissagreing with you at all. But i watched most of the games he was in charge.
They played some of the best football i have seen at Swindon, since i started watching them from 77/ 78 onwards. Some of these players he did make better in his short time as manager. One or two like Nicky Summerbee were pretty good anyway.
He had them playing through teams with some amazing passing.
Mitchell, Steve White and certainly Ady Vievash were league 1 journeyman but they all played their part in a very good team for a year.
Sorry Ed1 im not trying prove anything other than what i saw that year.
Also i think that year saw one of the greatest comebacks. Swindon were 4 - 1 down with about 25 mins left, and Swindon scored 5 goals to win 4 -6.
{Ed001's Note - I agree with you, they did, but the players will tell you that there were times when he would be telling them to do stuff in training and they simply couldn't do it. They couldn't play the pass or see it at times.}
08 Oct 2025 17:29:36
Similar story with Roy Keane.
08 Oct 2025 17:43:26
The thing you are omitting with Hoddle at Swindon is he was player manager so of course they played some good football, they had a player way above that level playing for them.
08 Oct 2025 19:17:49
Listen to a podcast with a player who played under Rooney and literally said same as what ed said - in training and tactically was expecting the players to be able to hit and do things beyond their means. Even said was part of the tactics - eg be able to hit a cross field ball on the turn etc.
08 Oct 2025 19:23:31
Thanks for the reply Ed001.I agree with that. must be frustrating for them knowing how to play but obviously players can't do what they did . n for the posters who mentioned Cruyff etc . they are few n far between considering how many top players there has been.
{Ed001's Note - and Cruyff himself always said he was not a natural talent, he had to work at it constantly. That is the main difference.}
08 Oct 2025 20:25:19
ED001.What Cruyff said reminds from the quote what the golfer Gary Player said . the harder i train, the luckier i get.
09 Oct 2025 00:47:17
Some great players do make great managers.
They're different skillsets. That's why you don't need to be a top player to be a top manager. It's also why a top player doesn't mean you will be a top manager.
But if you have the characteristics to be a top manager combined with the right personality, right opportunity etc. then no doubt an ex-pro can be a top manager.
09 Oct 2025 10:05:47
If these ex players are trying to coach their players into playing and executing things that they did w/ o the technical level of said players to see if they are even good enuff then, they are approaching football coaching/ management the wrong way.
Even at your job. If your manager is trying to make you do things you are clearly incapable of doing rather than checking if you have the actual ability to do them, he/ she is a poor manager and leader of men, IMO.