How About a Director Of Football

[PFKAKTF FOX]

The search for a new manager has seen a series of rejections and denials from all the main candidates, we now appear to be in a position where we have exhausted our main list of targets, and were we now to appoint a manager it would be a compromise appointment and would not be the right man for the job.

Rob Kelly has done a very good job with players, in his role as caretaker manager, he has worked well with them on the coaching side and his matchday performance has been excellent, he seems to have shown that he has the ability and tactical know how to get results with this group of players. The doubts over Kelly, are as he has no previous managerial experience, how would he cope with all the additional responsibilities associated with a full time management role.

I think I may have the answer, appoint Kelly as Head Coach / Manager, whatever they want to call it, he is probably the best candidate available and would unite the club, he could continue at what he is best at and that is working with the players on the training ground and matchdays, all the adminstration side, such as transfers and contract negotiations could then be dealt with by a Director of Football, all Kelly would need then would be to appoint a coach or coaches to assist him.

The club would benefit as they could appoint an experienced ex manager for the role and they could act as a mentor to Kelly, maybe somebody like Graham Taylor, Roy Evans, Bruce Rioch, Jim Smith etc. This would provide Kelly with an experienced head to assist him through difficult times, it gives the board a safety net, whilst also allowing the board to appoint a young and upcoming manager.

It is obvious that we are not in a position to appoint one of the bright young managers currently appearing on our wish list, but we may have the opportunity to develop one of our own, and maybe this might just be the way of doing it.

 

[Melton Fox]

Do you mean pay a manager to do a managers job, and overpay "one of the ol' boys" to keep him in work

 

[PFKAKTF FOX]

Do you mean pay a manager to do a managers job, and overpay "one of the ol' boys" to keep him in work

No rather than appoint somebody like Holloway, keep Kelly and let him continue to work how he is now but employ an experienced head to show him the ropes and provide a safety net. Remember Kelly has done pretty well so far and could be an excellent coach, tactician and matchday manager, let him concentrate on winning football matches.

Perhaps the reason Kelly isnt keen on being a manager is because of all the admin, as for paying him to be a manager, not necessarily,you wouldnt require an Assistant manager, just coaches, so you could take the budget for employing the Manager and his Assistant and split it between the two.

I just believe this is the way to go forward, we cannot attract a ready made manager that fits the criteria, so why not think out of the box and find a solution that gives us that benefit. I know one thing I would much rather have Graham Taylor as D of F and Kelly as Head Coach, than make a panic appointment like Peter Reid or Ian Holloway.

 

[alex]

I'm sure it must have, but has a Director of Football position bought any success in this country?

 

[rocketman]

I would like to see RK given the managers job untill the end of season . With experianced back up like Brian Kidd , who as been out work for a bit ( and would be cheep ). With all the rejections we are getting , I've a gut feeling we will make a bad appointment . Let's wait till the summer , when we can attracted a higher profile manager. RK as got the boat steady and the players seem to want to play for him .

 

[PFKAKTF FOX]

I'm sure it must have, but has a Director of Football position bought any success in this country?

It does seem to be working at Spurs, but also ask yourself this, how many times does a Manager and Assistant Manager combo not work, the game has changed and the clubs need to change with it, it works on the continent and it did work here in the first season under Adams.

Now is the time to try and re-introduce it, we have in Kelly a man who if given the opportunity has proved that working with the players on the training pitch and match days that he can get results, so why change that, but it looks like the full responsiblilty of all managerial duties is something that Kelly does not appear to fancy, he has admitted his best work is on the training field and as the last 2 league games have proved this appears to be correct, although I think he is also making a telling contribution in the dressing room and the dug out on match day. So lets keep it that way.

Then we bring in somebody who is experienced at the managers job but maybe is a yesterday's man in terms of tactics, preperation and coaching but would take the burden off Kelly, allowing him to do his best work, he can then mentor Kelly. For me it is the perfect scenario.

 

[Boy Genius]

It does seem to be working at Spurs, but also ask yourself this, how many times does a Manager and Assistant Manager combo not work, the game has changed and the clubs need to change with it, it works on the continent and it did work here in the first season under Adams.

Now is the time to try and re-introduce it, we have in Kelly a man who if given the opportunity has proved that working with the players on the training pitch and match days that he can get results, so why change that, but it looks like the full responsiblilty of all managerial duties is something that Kelly does not appear to fancy, he has admitted his best work is on the training field and as the last 2 league games have proved this appears to be correct, although I think he is also making a telling contribution in the dressing room and the dug out on match day. So lets keep it that way.

Then we bring in somebody who is experienced at the managers job but maybe is a yesterday's man in terms of tactics, preperation and coaching but would take the burden off Kelly, allowing him to do his best work, he can then mentor Kelly. For me it is the perfect scenario.

It seems to me to be the best way forward. We are getting the results at the moment and the club must keep the momentum going. Any upheaval could upset what has already been done. Leave Kelly to work with the players, because at the moment that is upmost in priority of importance. No manager with a wealth of success has done it alone, there is always someone behind him splitting the duties. MON was not very often seen on the training field, where as Brian Clough was, so good managers excell in different areas. Rob Kelly's is obviously on the training field and working closely with the players.
Keep Rob Kelly and get somebody to work alongside of him is the way to go for now. Maybe the board have already identified this.

 

[DesertFox]

So a director of football would need the usual attributes... knowledge of this league, good record of buying young prospects, currently out of work....

It's all pointing to getting Levein back! :icon_roll

 

[Boy Genius]

So a director of football would need the usual attributes... knowledge of this league, good record of buying young prospects, currently out of work....

It's all pointing to getting Levein back! :icon_roll

Levein and english football dont mix

 

[highland fox]

Directors of Football are a waste of time and money IMO,especially at a Championship Club

 

[KLFox]

I would like to see RK given the managers job untill the end of season . With experianced back up like Brian Kidd , who as been out work for a bit ( and would be cheep ). With all the rejections we are getting , I've a gut feeling we will make a bad appointment . Let's wait till the summer , when we can attracted a higher profile manager. RK as got the boat steady and the players seem to want to play for him .

I would agree with that, I saw in the paper that Kidd is looking for a coaching role at the minute.

 

[Graz]

I don't really like Directors of Football... a bit of a too many cooks scenario usually I think.

 

[Hazzman]

Directors of Football are a waste of time and money IMO,especially at a Championship Club

Spot on, too many ideas spoil the broth.

 

[PFKAKTF FOX]

Spot on, too many ideas spoil the broth.

But my suggestion is opposed to appointing an Assistant Manager, this would enable Kelly to concentrate on the playing side of the club, and the D of F would concentrate on the administration side. Remember Kelly is not an experienced manager and would benefit from the assistance and somebody to mentor him.

 

[Biff]

But my suggestion is opposed to appointing an Assistant Manager, this would enable Kelly to concentrate on the playing side of the club, and the D of F would concentrate on the administration side. Remember Kelly is not an experienced manager and would benefit from the assistance and somebody to mentor him.

no director of football for me.man management the key not management management.

 

[PFKAKTF FOX]

But listen to Kellys' interviews, he enjoys the coaching side of the game and has stated that is what he feels he is best at, so what would be the point of appointing another coaching specialist who would only take away from Kellys' strengths.

What we need, if we are serious about appointing Kelly then we need to appoint an experienced head alongside Kelly, somebody who can take the burden of the admin side of the job and allow Kelly to concentrate on his strengths.

 

[highland fox]

somebody who can take the burden of the admin side of the job and allow Kelly to concentrate on his strengths.

Get him a Secretary then

 

[PONTUS KAAMARK]

If was the road we went down I think an experienced assistant manager to Kellly would be the best option. Someone who can take a bit of the flack.

 

[DesertFox]

I don't often disagree with you A-Z Fox, but I'm not sure that even two really good coaches would = one good manager. Rob Kelly has clearly done a fantastic job so far, but he himself probably doesn't know if he'll make it as a manager long term or if he'd even want to be in the spotlight. Some people are born coaches, such as Kidd (who didn't cut it as a manager), and the likes of Tony Parkes at Blackburn, who ended up as caretaker manager something like five times but never wanted the job full time.

IF Kelly wants to give it a go, I think he'll get that chance now, at least until the end of the season. In some ways though it would be a shame, because he is very well respected as a coach but the pressures of full time management would inevitably lead to him spending less hours on the training pitch, where he is most effective and what he loves doing most.

Tricky one, really... but feck it - who cares at the moment? :icon_razz

 

[Melton Fox]

I say bring back the old days.

One Manager who wears his suit, based in the office and the players fear him. The players really don't really need to see him apart from disciplinary hearings, appraisals, matchday etc.

Before you see the manager you should be shitting yourself. The Manager isn't one of the lads. Respect Him!!

One Assistant Manager to help the manager with the day to day activities of running the club (2 places at once and all that). This man should be seen as the managers successor, so the players must also be shitting bricks when summoned to him as well

One Coach responsible for coaching the team, wears his track suit, and is one of the lads etc. He must be seen to be part of the management and is also directly answerable to the manager. He must also command respect.

This would sorts the bastards out