Saturday, April 4, 2009

Does Success As Player Translate To Management For Shearer?


There have been a number of great athletes who have taken on management and coaching after their career was over, and have been mixed results.

Former England star Alan Shearer is the next great player to take his shot at management as he takes over at his former club, Newcastle.

The challenge for most great players who turn to management is initially a lack of patience for their players who don't possess the same skill set that they had as players - be it their athletic ability or drive to compete.

Guus Huddink, who guides his Chelsea team against Shearer's Newcastle today, feels that Shearer will need more than being a talented player to find success in management. Reputation will guarantee very little on the sidelines.

"It depends on your religion and whether you believe in Messiahs," said Hiddink.

"It's not always when you are a top, top player that you are guaranteed to be a top manager as well."

"Top, top players think because of their talent everything is going to happen automatically. For them having the talent, it's rather normal."

"But for most players who are not that gifted, you have to help them out in practice in a different way and it's not guaranteed."

Shearer was a tremendous example for his peers as a leader on the field and in the locker room, and hopefully that will translate as he embarks on the start of his management career, much as it had recently for Roy Keane and Bryan Robson.

Former Newcastle goalkeeper Shaka Hislop told ESPN Soccernet that the Magpies' locker room has tons of support for Shearer.

"It's a little bit risky given Alan's lack of managerial experience but I think it's the right decision. I've spoken to a number of senior players at Newcastle United and they felt that Alan Shearer was the right appointment and had been feeling so for quite some time.

"He definitely has the makings of a good manager - he's a student of the game and a winner; he'll bring that a Newcastle team who have forgotten how to win and forgotten how to be resilient. In the long term I think it's a great appointment. Alan is all Newcastle United and I believe he will be the right man.

"He's a winner through and through - you saw that as a player. He's a very focused man and will go into this job with his eyes wide open. I think he'll deliver."


Newcastle is in the thick of a challenge of trying to keep from being relegated out of the Premiership, so Shearer will step right into the thick of things this weekend.



http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=633121&&cc=5901

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