Quote:
Originally Posted by Barrie Yates
Nothing against Coleman - just a couple of questions for you -
Do you seriously think he has the experience to be an International Manager?
I agree that he probably could not do worse than the last 2 or 3 incumbents - but where would that leave Stanley if he left?
Give us the benefit of your knowledge, name your ideal English Manager.
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Not at all. Never suggested so.
However if you'll allow it, I would like to turn the question around. Do you think that any manager in the upper reaches of the Premier League could do the job that John Coleman does down here in the basement?
Personally, I seriously doubt it, with the main reason being the reliance upon backroom staff that is not available for lower league clubs. Whether it be a comprehensive worldwide scouting network, the best sports psychologists or the world's best tea lady; this luxury undoubtedly takes a lot of weight from the shoulders of managers in the Premier League. Allardyce has been well known for his reliance upon his backroom staff since the Bolton days. I would wager that even S'r-Alex would struggle without his non-playing troops.
I'm not saying for one minute that John Coleman is in the same caliber as Ferguson or any of the top level managers (yet). However, I do think that people are often too quick to shrug off the talents of English managers in the Football League when thinking of options for a 'good enough home-grown manager'. For me, it isn't totally inconceivable that Coleman or one of his peers in the lower leagues be mentioned in one of the next rounds of contenders for the national job in around ten years' time.
