Is Sacking the Manager the Best Option?

Contributed by Todd Hebden.
Director of Operations, USA Sport Group.

Team losing? Sack the manager, that always works…or does it?

When everything’s going wrong for a team and the fans are calling for the managers head and second guessing every move, the finger never seems to be pointed at the players on the field; it’s the man that pulls the strings who’s inevitably held to task. If in doubt, axe the manager, that seems to be the mantra of most sports teams. Years ago coaches and managers were afforded a little longer to bail out a sinking ship but the landscape has changed; no excuses, just results.

So does firing the manager actually have the desired result and save a team from relegation, or at the other end of the table, propel a team to the title? To find some semblance of an answer I took a look at how teams fared in the English Premier League after their manager was fired. By using the average points per game (PPG) a team achieved under each manager we can estimate where a team would have finished in the table if they’d have kept the same manager until the end of the season, or where they’d be if they’d had their new manager from the start of the season.  You’ll see each of the four teams that changed managers during the season (Chelsea, Sunderland, Q.P.R. & Wolves) displayed 3 times in the table below: Their actual position as they finished, plus the two hypothetical positions: one for each of their two managers.

Physical Preparation for Soccer

Contributed by Grant Findlay.
Regional Director of Education, USA Sport Group.

This article is taken from United Soccer Academy's Physical Preparation curriculum as a guide to the physical preparation and soccer-specific conditioning of young soccer players.

Introduction

Soccer is regarded the world’s most popular and widely participated sport and is enjoyed by players of all ages and abilities, from both male and female. What’s more, there is nothing more exhilarating than an attacker who explodes through a defensive gap, checks, turns, and side-steps to avoid desperate, defensive lunges and fires the ball into the back of the net... Or, in contrast, a defender who defies gravity by launching themselves into the air, generating enough ’air time’ to intercept a crossed ball and redirecting a header into the path of a supporting midfielder to set up a swift and decisive counter attack. The incredible explosive athletic ability of a goalkeeper diving at full stretch to deflect a shot around the post is also an awesome sight.

Roy Hodgson: England’s New Era

Contributed by Emma Booth.
Regional Director, USA Sport Group.

Roy Hodgson was appointed manager of England this week, due to start the job on May 14th after the Premier League season has completed. Many were shocked at this surprise announcement, as other managers had been regarded as favorite to take over the National Team. However, Roy it is, and I for one are happy with the selection - an English manager, with International experience, and a nice guy to boot. He can also speak very good Swedish from his time managing in the Allsvenkan League, which may come in handy psyching out the opposition when June 15th comes around. But what managerial credentials does he have? What made the FA choose him over any other manager? Let’s have a look at his managerial experience.

Top 10: Manchester Derbies

Contributed by Emma Booth.
Regional Director, USA Sport Group.

Today is one of the biggest soccer games in the Premier League for a very long time. The top two clubs who are vying for the title meet each other, which will pretty much decide the winner of the 2011/2012 season. It’s Manchester versus Manchester, Blue against Red, and emotions are running high on both sides of the city. This is the biggest derby in Manchester history, but there have been plenty more for both fans to look back on to whet the appetite. Let’s take a trip down memory lane, and remember the top 10 Manchester Derbies since City reclaimed top flight status in 2002. Here’s my list, let’s see if you agree!

#10: City 3-1 United
January 14th, 2006
City were 2-0 up at half time, with goals from Sinclair and Vassell, and when Ronaldo got sent off in the 66th minute, it looked to be all over. Van Nistelrooy scored 14 minutes from time, to give United some hope, but Fowler killed the game off in the 90th minute.

#9: United 1-1 City
February 9th, 2003
United had taken the lead through van Nistelrooy on the 18th minute, but Shaun Goater leveled the game with 4 minutes to go. Goater also scored a second goal, but it was disallowed due to a handball in the buildup.

Bad Chelsea or Bad Barca?

Contributed by Tom Lake.
Area Manager, USA Sport Group.

Bad Chelsea or Bad Barcelona?

So after the remarkable game we witnessed on Tuesday in the Champions League semi final, I have seen and heard plenty of comments about the quality of play from both teams.

I have heard Chelsea made no attempt to win the game, and played ‘anti-football’ in order to get the result they needed. While this may be an opinion someone has, I think it is completely inaccurate and an injustice to Chelsea’s performance. Chelsea set their team up to frustrate and deny space in their half, and to try and attack on the counter attack using a strong center forward in Didier Drogba. Both of Chelsea’s goals were fast moving attacks that Barcelona would be proud of, and whilst riding their luck with the penalty appeal, I feel they deserved the result they got. Does this make Chelsea ‘bad’ for playing for a result? In my opinion, no.