Becoming a manager

[pleno1]

What would you say the chance for somebody to come through the game and manage at a really high level these days?

History

Very big footballing upbringing, always captain of school teams, captain of Newcastle city team, played for county, Southampton Academy, Blyth Spartans conference team. Other amatuer and semi pro teams at a young age, played in Gibraltars premier division which is suprisingly competitive and now play at decent standard in Hungary.

Got 3 FA qualifications when I was 16-17 and did a 2 year Diploma in sport and exercise science.

Feel like i have a good grasp of the game, have a very exact way of how i believe football should be played starting from the defensive W and compact midfield with very intense pressure and have a lot of good training sessions that are specific for the needs of those teams. Have always took training or been very involved in the strategy if most teams ive played for and study training materials a lot every week.

im obviously not trying to manage Manchester United overnight, but would be perhaps willing to sacrifice playing to give managing a go.

One pro is that I play poker professionally meaning i can plan my job around football and always have time to prepare etc.

What would you say would be the absolute furthest i would be able to get in 5 years?

[Dubai]

With no contacts zero chance.

[Longines]

With luck, a level 10 club?

[pleno1]

my theory was that if you can get to say 2 league below the conference then you can impress in each league and either win promotion or try and impress and get a chance in a team in a higher league repeat etc

im obviously not saying to be a premiership manager but perhaps high competitive league.

[theprawnidentity]

I don't know, it depends what settings you have it on.  I put it on easy and I was at Man Utd with a £180mil transfer budget after 3 seasons.

[pleno1]

hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahah

 

[Tal]

level?

FYP

[theprawnidentity]

FFS.  Looking to buy Football Manager 2014 now.  Is that the best one?

[nirvana]

I don't know, it depends what settings you have it on.  I put it on easy and I was at Man Utd with a £180mil transfer budget after 3 seasons.

Ha, v good.

Think you're on your way as you've already mastered speaking in the wrong tense

"Have always took training.."

[Tal]

Q1. Your team just got beat by a controversial penalty. In your post match interview, what do you say?

a) It's just variance
b) Wugwug? The ref was a mole awaya nd couldn't see anything
c) At the end of the day, the lads have worked their backsides off tonight and to have come here - which is always tough - and get a decision like that to lose the game...well, I'm as sick as a parrot for 'em. I really am.

[redarmi]

The game is changing.  If you were really, really serious about this I would suggest that becoming very familiar with all of the new analytics that are flying about would be a good start.  The game is still dominated by ex players with the old boys network at the moment but there is some evidence that the new stats guys are having some impact and getting very good with a lot of the new technologies (prozone, opta etc) and stats might get you a foot in the door somewhere.  Even then you are a massive price to be fair but maybe a slightly shorter price.

[relaedgc]

I don't know how 'in-depth' your statistical analysis of Poker goes, but if you're prepared to transfer that same depth to Football, I honestly think it can only stand you in good stead. I still think Football is disproportionately filled with 'old buddies' or however you want to call it, whereas I think it's fair to say that experience coupled with a statistical analysis of what you're trying to achieve is a more sound method.

That being said, like anything, it's getting your foot in the door. I don't necessarily think it would work, but it can't hurt to talk to some of the poker playing ex-footballers, such as Tony Cascarino, Steve Watts et all, and see if they can offer some kind of suggestion or 'way in'. Once you get your shot, the rest is of course up to you. I wouldn't have thought it'd be unachievable to get in below the Skrill South/North divisions. E-mail a couple of the clubs and just ask, even? I am sure eventually one club will answer you - hopefully at an executive level, and at least offer you an honest appraisal of where you stand if they were looking?

[Ant040689]

The best bet imo, undoubtedly, would be to offer your services for free to x amount of clubs saying that you are prepared to help them out in training sessions in a sort of skivvy role. The payment for you being the experience you are gathering from just being in the training environment.

Fly off a letter to a 100 odd clubs and I would say at least one will come back keen on taking an eager, free, pair of hands to help set up the cones, then you have the platform to impress/network etc. 

[paulhouk03]

Wonder wt odds bookies will give us for Pleno to become England manager

[DungBeetle]

As Dave said it's very hard without either contacts or not having been a former player.

I guess the only avenue that is possible, and that needs a lot of luck, is to get all the coaching badges and somehow get a youth coaching role at a L2 team who still has a decent youth set up.  Then shine there and start working with first team.  Then manager gets the boot and get a caretaker role for a while and win 4 on the bounce like the guys at Scunthorpe have.  Can't think of any other way to get in.  And even that needs all the starts to allign.