There are few things in football that generate more excitement in the calendar than two annual transfer windows. Even the most distant rumors generate millions of views on websites, TV and social media, while confirmed deals can sometimes be eaten by the club’s fans. happy as a trophy.
For managers and head coaches, the January transfer window often offers a valuable opportunity to upgrade, strengthen or downsize the roster for the second half of the season. But for owners and executives, it can be a very long month, especially when they’re pressured by employees to make big investments.
In the weeks leading up to the January 31 “Dead Date” there will be a number of owners actively avoiding their manager, be it a chance encounter in the club canteen or in stadium corridor after a game, for fear of being disturbed about new arrivals. . Indeed, while boss-employee small talk during the regular weeks of a season is often intimate, conversations can take a different turn when a transferable business opportunity presents itself.
Today, the gradual implementation of refurbished sports structures – removing much of the team’s planning from the manager and handing it over to the sporting director or similar – means that the manager don’t tend to pressure owners to spend as much as they used to. But sometimes that means their displeasure is voiced in the mass media.
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In August, Scott Parker is said to be sacked for publicly concerned about the quality of Bournemouth squad (despite a 9-0 defeat first Liverpool at Anfield three days before he was sacked would not have helped his career). Tottenham Hotspur Coach Antonio Conte, meanwhile, has repeatedly made thinly veiled comments about the ability (or lack of it) to achieve the club’s goals with the squad at its disposal. Similar dissatisfaction with Lien MilanHis transfer plans are believed to be part of the reason he leaves the Serie A champions in 2021.
There is little that worries bosses more than the fact that those in charge of first-team work allude to a lack of transfer spending. While a manager’s reputation suffers most of the time, they often join a club after intensive meetings where transfer limits and project setups – not to mention pros and cons of the current lineup – the general is established. So openly questioning ambition at best leaves a sour taste, while at worst appears to lack loyalty to the project and is likely to break trust.
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The introduction of an athletic director can be a stepping stone between a manager and the board, with the role helping to ease the stress and responsibility of hiring away from the manager role. As one would expect from an industry that has experienced huge leaps in professionalism over the past decades, most of the top clubs today approach transfer windows on the basis of battle meetings. The strategy is meticulously planned with the involvement of all key stakeholders (including the manager) ahead of the summer and winter transfer windows. But the nature of football – with a string of sudden negative results frequently affecting long-term planning – must allow for a certain amount of flexibility.
Although club structures vary, the most common setup today is for the head coach to report to the sporting director on all matters related to squad planning and the transfer business. . However, while some people happily follow the pattern (which is always agreed upon before the appointment), others don’t always follow the script.
If the explanations for the lack of arrivals offered by the athletic director are not satisfactory, the owner or the president is often the next stop for the coach. In cases where transfer negotiations are protracted (not uncommon given the relevant figures) or when a potential new deal that was previously unknown during the search for an agent is found direct markup, an independent minded boss wouldn’t object to asking for an update from the top, which doesn’t always work well.
While some structure should theoretically prevent that kind of unplanned communication, a club – like any other business – is made up of people, with Strong personalities often feel less inclined to follow established chains of command.
However, conveniently ignoring the management levels creates friction, one could argue that having a famous coach — with charisma, unwavering confidence and experience. The experience of persuading wealthy owners to spend money on them — creates a certain dynamic that can lead to (albeit somewhat coincidentally) the emergence of signings that strengthen the team. From a pragmatic point of view, the main goal is to amass a competitive roster. How one gets there is less important.
Ultimately, harmony benefits all parties. Not only does a club seem more coordinated and professional, but it’s also easier to work efficiently to complete deals with less stress. Happy employers may be more generous, while managers who are notoriously whiny and demanding may find job offers begin to dry up as potential future employers support them. favor a less demanding relationship.
