Michael Vaughan syndrome hits football
Monday, 13 July 09, 08:37 AM · Comments(0)
By Michael Sinnerton
Students of the Game would like to apologise for its recent lack of blogging but has had huge problems with internet connection in the last few days. The situation is hopefully on the way to being resolved although at a cost, please contact sinno14@hotmail.com to make a donation (job offers may be accepted).
Anyway...this weekend has seen ‘Michael Vaughan syndrome' hit football. This little known condition occurs when people are rewarded through no fault, and certainly no success of their own.
Case in point one: Frank Arnesen
Arnesen has been promoted to the role of ‘sporting director' at Stamford Bridge having worked as chief scout and director of youth development at Chelsea. His promotion comes on the back of less success than your average Newcastle manager.
Youth players who have come through the club into the first team since 2005: 0
Chelsea paid Tottenham £5-8m for Arnesen and he has helped bring the likes of Mikel (not cheap) and Kalou to Chelsea but Mourinho among others have blamed him for a lack of youth development. Arnesen was also filmed "tapping-up" Middlesbrough youngster Nathan Porritt, offering him £150,000 over 3 years to join Chelsea. Another classic blunder saw Tom Taiwo and Michael Woods sign controversially from Leeds for an out of court settlement believed to be around £5m. Woods has made two substitute for Chelsea in the FA Cup and Taiwo has been loaned to Port Vale (4 appearances) and now Carlisle having had an unsuccessful trial with the Seattle Sounders.
Case in point two: Tony Adams
Adams is somewhat ludicrously being linked with the Southampton job having picked up 10 points in 16 games in charge at Portsmouth (24 points in a 38 game season). He has been unsuccessful at Wycombe (relegation in 2003) and had some vague managerial experience in Holland. Adams should go back to basics as a coach or an assistant manager before being offered a huge job like Southampton. That top players can just walk into these jobs is incredibly frustrating and very few are successful immediately (unsurprisingly).
Case in point three: Tranmere/John Barnes
This is not a story from the last week but if you don't know what's been going on at Tranmere recently you should have a quick read of Gregg Roughley's amusing article on the guardian website. For those of you with less time a quick review is that John Barnes and Jason McAteer have been appointed as the management team in a desperate attempt to draw crowds (Liverpool fans who can't afford Anfield tickets). Ronnie Moore was sacked after doing an excellent job and Barnes installed.
Barnes' managerial record makes Brian Robson look like Sir Alex Ferguson. Wonderfully unsuccessful spells at Celtic and as a presenter on Channel 5 has led the wonderful winger to Prenton Park. The omens don't look good.
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