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How easy is it for football managers to adapt their 'natural' style?


trousers
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As we all know, Mr Cortese has today outlined his vision for the future in terms of the playing style he wants to see:

 

We are also committed to developing a style of play that is compelling to watch - a style that ultimately becomes known as the Southampton Style

 

Without wishing this to decend into a Pardew 'pros vs cons' slanging match (Bob Hope anyone?), having never been a football manager, or close to someone who is, I am genuinely interested in how easy it is for a football manager to adapt his management style to fit a playing style which isn't necessarily natural to him.

 

I know I'm simplifying things here, and am possibly showing my naivity (just for once) but I see two basic styles of management: those who build on solid defences and are, generally speaking, more conservative and less gung-ho on the attacking side (i.e. the type of manager who is happier to win 1-0 than 4-3) versus those managers whose philosophy is to go all out and attack and not worry as much about the defensive side of things, within reason (i.e. the manager who is quite happy to win 4-3 week in week out).

 

To illustrate my point, I would put Pardew in the more cautious category and, say, Keegan in the more gung-ho category.

 

My interpretation of what Cortese would like is a style that is closer to the latter than the former (?)

 

If people agree with me (which is obviously a long shot!), how easy do people think it will be for Pardew to adapt to meet Cortese's requirements?

 

One thing is clear, for Cortese it's not just about winning, it's also about how we win.

Edited by trousers
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Im not sure if I necessarily agree with your sentiments. But if what you say is true - it is hardly unprecedented. One only has to look at Chelski to see that success is not the only brief for those that see the club as their 'baby'.

 

Mourninho, was the clubs most succesful manager and still did not satisfy the owner due to the more cautious approach you outlined being taken.

 

That said I'm not wholly convinced that it is possible to categorise managers simply into the types, and am unsure Pardew fulfills the criteria you have suggested. We have been a very attacking side for the majority of the season - smashing 5 against sides like huddersield and bristol rovers away would suggest we are more of an attacking side.

 

This is ofcourse my humble opinion. And I am also not a football manager (except for in the game), this is jsut my interpretation of how I see things

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I don't think Pardew would still be here (or indeed take the job) if he thought he either couldn't accommodate the request or if it matched his own approach to the game.

 

The one thing about this now public requirement from Cortese is that to play 'the beautiful game' requires a fair bit of money, so I expect some quality signings to be made in the summer, whether we believe the squad needs them in certain areas or not.

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Im not sure if I necessarily agree with your sentiments. But if what you say is true - it is hardly unprecedented. One only has to look at Chelski to see that success is not the only brief for those that see the club as their 'baby'.

 

Mourninho, was the clubs most succesful manager and still did not satisfy the owner due to the more cautious approach you outlined being taken.

 

That said I'm not wholly convinced that it is possible to categorise managers simply into the types, and am unsure Pardew fulfills the criteria you have suggested. We have been a very attacking side for the majority of the season - smashing 5 against sides like huddersield and bristol rovers away would suggest we are more of an attacking side.

 

This is ofcourse my humble opinion. And I am also not a football manager (except for in the game), this is jsut my interpretation of how I see things

 

I think Mourinho being a gobsh:te may well have had more to do with his downfall at Chelsea...

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I think Mourinho being a gobsh:te may well have had more to do with his downfall at Chelsea...

 

He was a gobsh!te before he came to england. Don't appoint someone like that if you don't like it.

 

Still you can say what you like about him personally, the fact still remains he was their most successful manager

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  • 3 months later...
As we all know, Mr Cortese has today outlined his vision for the future in terms of the playing style he wants to see:

 

We are also committed to developing a style of play that is compelling to watch - a style that ultimately becomes known as the Southampton Style

 

Without wishing this to decend into a Pardew 'pros vs cons' slanging match (Bob Hope anyone?), having never been a football manager, or close to someone who is, I am genuinely interested in how easy it is for a football manager to adapt his management style to fit a playing style which isn't necessarily natural to him.

 

I know I'm simplifying things here, and am possibly showing my naivity (just for once) but I see two basic styles of management: those who build on solid defences and are, generally speaking, more conservative and less gung-ho on the attacking side (i.e. the type of manager who is happier to win 1-0 than 4-3) versus those managers whose philosophy is to go all out and attack and not worry as much about the defensive side of things, within reason (i.e. the manager who is quite happy to win 4-3 week in week out).

 

To illustrate my point, I would put Pardew in the more cautious category and, say, Keegan in the more gung-ho category.

 

My interpretation of what Cortese would like is a style that is closer to the latter than the former (?)

 

If people agree with me (which is obviously a long shot!), how easy do people think it will be for Pardew to adapt to meet Cortese's requirements?

 

One thing is clear, for Cortese it's not just about winning, it's also about how we win.

 

In light of recent events, some very astute observations there Mr Trousers.... ;-)

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