Managers, like players, lose touch and ability as their careers age

Celta Vigo sacked Rafa Benitez on Tuesday, and the Champions League winner is out of a job again. Since having domestic success with Valencia and continental triumphs with Liverpool, the Spanish manager has constantly rotated jobs. Since departing Liverpool at the end of the 2009/10 season, Benitez has worked as manager of eight clubs. That includes stops at Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Newcastle, Everton, Napoli and Chelsea. Each of those clubs wanted to capitalize on Benitez’s past success. However, they succumbed to overly high expectations and early dismissals.

Benitez is yet another example of a club looking too closely at past successes rather than seeing how a manager adapts to the modern game. Rafael Benitez will always be an iconic manager. He led Liverpool to one of the most historic nights in the history of the UEFA Champions League with a squad that balked at the talent of Milan. That success earned him jobs for the next 10 years. Brief success with Chelsea, where he won the Europa League as the interim manager in 2012/13, eventually led him to disastrous spells at Real Madrid, Everton and now Celta Vigo.

Several factors connect managers and their age with success, or lack thereof, on the pitch. Oftentimes, managers retain their tactics throughout their careers. New managers and coaches develop tactics to counter those philosophies. For example, Rafael Benitez will play more defensively against strong opposition. Dependency on wingers to hit out on the counter in these games proved a strong tactic early on in his career. Despite managing elite players at top clubs, the shift of successful clubs transferred to attacking styles like Jurgen Klopp or possession-laden tactics like Pep Guardiola.

Benitez is not alone as other managers fade with age

This same fall from stardom as a manager is not exclusive to Rafa Benitez. Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal have struggled to maintain previous successes despite regular stops at other clubs or…

Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/managers-like-players-lose-touch-and-ability-as-their-careers-age

Author : Kyle Fansler

Publish date : 2024-03-12 22:26:12

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