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football management
How to be a successful football manager
Listen to a manager's view
football management
How to be good ...

Read this article about football management and put the paragraph headings in the correct place.

How to be a successful football manager

There is very little job security in the world of football management.  Nowadays football managers are hired and fired at an increasingly frenetic rate.  In England, managers keep their jobs for an average of just 1.7 years.  So what do you need to make it as a successful manager?

1
If your players don’t respect you, you’re sunk.  You may have been a top-level player yourself, or you may have a good track record already in management.  Both these factors will help, but ultimately it’s the way you deal with the players that matters.  Listen to them and explain what you’re doing, and they will respect you in return.

2
An experienced manager will be more likely to cope with a losing streak and not panic.  Of course you can gain experience by starting out managing a non-league or lower division side, and work your way up.  Or you can do what an increasing number of people are doing, and enrol on a football management course.  A growing number of universities and business schools are offering different courses that can give you the training you need to manage a club.

3
There are some top-flight managers who are known for ranting and raving at players, but most successful managers are more diplomatic.  You need to be able to explain to players why they are being dropped, for example, without bruising their egos.  Get on well with your players and they will be on your side.

4
An insecure manager will blame the referee, the pitch, the fans, in fact anyone but himself, for bad results.  Successful managers are confident in their own ability and able to inspire their players to perform better.

5
You’ve been studying the opposition for weeks, it’s an important game and you’ve picked what you feel is the best team.  Then it all goes wrong and at half time you’re losing badly.  A good tactician is able to see what is going wrong and make the necessary changes.  You have to be able to think on your feet.

6
The bottom line is that if the team doesn’t win, you’re in trouble.  Hit a bad losing streak and you’re almost certainly going to be sacked.  That’s the reality in football today.

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