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The Psychology of the Managerial Merry-Go-Round

Thesoccershrink

Active Member
Nov 17, 2004
740
62
As a result of more than thirty years in the practice of psychology I have articulated Rankin’s Rebound Rule. The rule states that after a break-up of a relationship you will look for a new partner who has the exact opposite tendency to the one you disliked most in your previous relationship. So, for example, if you were previously dating a woman whose bossiness and control drove you nuts, you will seek out a passive woman in your next relationship. Not only will you compensate in this way, you will overcompensate, overvaluing this particular variable, almost to the exclusion of other considerations, thus potentially sowing the seeds of destruction in your next relationship.

The rule holds for relationships of all sorts, not just potential WAGs, including football club managers.

Martin Jol was an affable manager with charisma and a great rapport with his players. When results started to go south, somebody had to be blamed. It must be the manager’s fault and because his strong suit was man management the poor form must be the result of his being too affable with the players, so the faulty logic went. Yes, that was it, Jol was not only a nice guy, he was too nice a guy. There wasn’t enough discipline, not enough fitness – life was too easy for the players.

Psychology thus dictated the need for a new manager who embodied the opposite of Jol’s perceived flaws – a disciplinarian and a fitness fanatic who was less concerned about getting on with the players than shaping them into an effective team. Enter Senor Ramos.

But in focusing almost exclusively on Ramos’s famed discipline and fitness methods something hugely important but obvious was overlooked at the time. Ramos is Spanish and doesn’t speak English.

It may seem as if we live in a multi-cultural world but, leaving political correctness behind, it is much more mono-cultural than we might like to believe. Yes we’re tolerant of other cultures but we inevitably identify and gravitate to our own and are much more willing to be influenced by it rather than foreign ones.

The essence of the Spurs dressing-room is British. Of course, there are some foreign players, but it is a predominantly British team. The players speak English. It would be one thing to introduce a completely new way of doing things -- especially more rigorous fitness and discipline -- it is quite another to have a foreigner implement this change. It is understandable for today’s highly paid, famous, players to have some cynicism and even resentment at demanding new changes and this is only going to magnified when the new boss doesn’t even speak your language. There’s no chance for personal conversations or any rapport to be developed that might make the new regime understandable and palatable.

Bringing in an interpreter, even the affable Gus Poyet, isn’t a solution. Suppose you’re dating a Russian girl who can speak no English and on every date she brings along a male friend as an interpreter. I’d argue that your relationship with your Russian girl isn’t the same as it would be if you were left to talk to each other rather than through a third party. A third party simply puts another barrier between you and the girl (or the boss), highlighting the detachment and distance.

As evidence of that fact that even football managers will gravitate towards the culture they know, I give you (quite happily actually!) Arsene Wenger who has built his success around a phalanx of French-speaking players and Rafa Benitez who has introduced Spanish speaking ones into his squad. Ramos was only going to be successful in my opinion by bringing in several Spanish-speaking players and changing the dressing room culture.

I’m not saying that the fitness and disciplinary methods Ramos introduced were wrong, merely that he was not the one to introduce them successfully because selling them to the team was not possible from one who was so detached and removed from the players and their culture. Moreover, while I applaud the Alvarez attempt to introduce updated health and nutrition information to bear, many of the ideas in this field are speculative, without scientific proof or not really significant in a practical or a statistical sense. Imagine Jonathan Woodgate’s or Ledley King’s response to a foreign manager with whom they cannot speak, telling them they’ll be better players if they don’t have ketchup. Credibility becomes a serious issue.

And so to Harry. Is his appointment an overcompensation to Ramos’ detachment and foreign lineage? Absolutely – but it is an overcompensation that was vitally necessary. Harry can actually have a personal relationship with the players, will gain their respect because of his own achievements and he knows the Premier League and, of course, the culture. Who knows, in time Spurs might outgrow what Harry has to offer, but right now there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s absolutely the right man for the job.
 

Woody10

Reality is only an illusion that occurs due to a l
Jun 8, 2003
405
0
Thats scary, just went back over a few relatonships and i reckon your onto sumin there!!

Seriously tho, i rate Redknapp very highly but im always thinking of him saying "this a great job before i retire" which to me suggests retirement is at the forefront of his mind and will happen sooner rather than later!

Its not rocket science to realise success has either come with bottomless wallets or a manager that has been at your club for a shed load of time and knows, controls, runs everything football wise.

Harry's not gonna be around in 5 years me thinks!!

Haven't got an answer to my dilemma but just wondering peeps' thoughts?!?!
 

RogerTCB

Well-Known Member
May 14, 2005
682
328
Weird article. It makes one point and makes it badly - right or wrong - and takes 11 paragraphs to do it. Insightful analysis that was not.
 

spursLA

Raising the 4th generation
Feb 3, 2005
417
122
OK, so in reaction to the Spanish speaking disciplinarian we have gone to the hyper-English, puts his arms around the younger players, Harry Redknapp. So can you predict what will be 'Arry's downfall? Insufficient knowledge of the European game leading to failures in the UEFA cup? Transfer policy focused on less-talented players from the Championship? Key players suffering ketchup overdose?
 

puppa_toni

Active Member
Dec 19, 2004
483
189
Interesting read, thank you. I am certainly enjoying the banter from Redknapp. Did anyone else hear harry's response when asked about wenger's comments on stoke, "sorry didn't see it, i was looking the other way" Legend.....
 

dontcallme

SC Supporter
Mar 18, 2005
33,986
81,917
Interesting article and similar to something I've been saying but more as a media ploy to gain interest rather than psychology regarding the players.

Jols strongest attributes were his man-management and communication abilities. When things went downhill he was written off as tactically inept (wrongly imo).

Ramos was then sold as a disciplinarian and tactical genius. When this went wrong he was sold as uncommunicative and poor at man-management. Now we have to hear from the players how good Harry is with the players.

Harry is tactically much better than given credit but as his most easily recognised attributes are communication and transfer dealing these are what we're being constantly fed by the media and "experts".
 

C0YS

Just another member
Jul 9, 2007
12,780
13,817
bad artical explained one point, which actually dosent work ultamatly. His views on Jol, Ramos are slightly wrong in my opinion and the writter makes presumptions which have no evedence to support it
 

SpurSince57

Well-Known Member
Jan 20, 2006
45,213
8,229
Well, one accusation levelled against Jol was that he was 'too close to the players'. We can't be having tha, can we!

The one flaw is that it was long before 'results went south' that Levy was persuaded to replace our most successful manager in years with a flavour-of-the-month flim-flam merchant.
 

db1

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2004
1,119
697
For fucks sake- it wasn't a poor article, but rather another idea out there as to what happened. An interesting one too. Thanks shrink.

I think I need your help on the relationship thing too, jus split from girl after 6 years and i'm a wreck and would love some analysis/ideas as to why i'm so screwed up especially as I ended it.

Thank goodness my team isn't depressing me lately.
 

Stu

Member
Aug 6, 2003
290
10
Thought proking article as always, I think that the main reason we went for Ramos though is the fact he was one of the most highly rated managers in Europe that we had a chance of getting.

Ramos probably added 10% to the team with his fitness and eating plans but as a knock on effect took away 80% in moral.

In Harry Redknapp I feel we have a manager that the fans can relate to mjust like with Jol and I feel a buzz again being a Spurs fan I haven't felt that for a while.
 

N17Jack

Well-Known Member
Jun 11, 2007
1,258
1,306
I dont care about that brain altering stuff. Arry is a winner and therefore is good. Oneday couldnt win anything therefore was bad. I Luv arry I do.
 

kingofspurs

Member
May 15, 2007
195
0
Interesting article, thanks thesoccershrink...perhaps the argument is a little overblown, but there is definitely a shred of truth in there, especially regarding the total lack of direct communication and personal relationships between Ramos and his team. Harry coming in has put pay to that -his approach is perfect for an under-confident team.
 

Ulspur

New Member
Jan 13, 2005
8
0
Interesting, if we go back further we had Hoddle the uncommunicative tactical genius who alienated players, to Jol who was good at man-management, to Ramos, to Harry. Swinging from one type back to the other. If Harry gets a good tactical coach working for him maybe we can get the best of both worlds.
 

Dave-F

Amused, bemused and confused. Where's the coffee?
Feb 26, 2004
2,709
715
Levy destablised the club by bringing in Ramos through the back door because we lost to them. Basically, he got greedy. I don't think it had much to do with reacting to the personality of the different managers. I just hope Levy has learnt. I also hope Harry will stick around long enough to win us the FA Cup (at least!) and put things into place for his departure so we can move forwards (as he has done at Portsmouth).
 

eddiebailey

Well-Known Member
Oct 12, 2004
7,452
6,672
Missed this "artical". A different take on the situation, and thought provoking because of it. Good one.
 
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