Goalkeepers turned (successful) managers?

[Shaggy]

A colleague has asked me to come up with successful goalkeepers-turned managers and I cannot think of ONE!!!

Okay well I got Kevin Blackwell and Dino Zoff, but we’re thinking primarily British & Irish keepers, and Blackwell doesn’t exactly represent the level of success we’re after.

Anyone?

[tsb]

Steve Staunton

[Joe King]

They aren't any.

I was watching Sunday Supplement or some drivel a few years ago and they talked briefly about goalkeeping managers. They claimed goalkeepers don't make good managers because they are either mad or haven't had as much schooling and tactical training as outfield players.

[kingfunk]

"Why are goalkeepers so rarely effective managers? Which ex-keeper has the best management record ever?" muses Mike Shearing.

It's partly a numbers game. With ten outfield players to every keeper, there's a far smaller pool of potential candidates. It's also worth bearing in mind that keepers tend to have longer playing careers. In England alone, John Burridge, Steve Ogrizovic, Neville Southall and Dave Beasant have all made top-flight appearances after the age of 40.

The most successful keeper-manager ever is surely the late Raymond Goethals. Born in Brussels in 1921, Goethals enjoyed a modest playing career between the sticks for minor Belgian clubs Daring and Racing de Bruxelles. However, as Xavier Lizin points out, there is nothing modest about his coaching CV. In 1993, Goethals guided Marseilles to victory in the Champions League final against a Milan side that included Marco van Basten, Franco Baresi and Frank Rijkaard.

It was the crowning moment of Goethal's managerial career. As coach of Belgium, he had led his country to the 1970 World Cup n Mexico, the first time they had qualified for 16 years, and also to a third-place finish in the 1972 European Championships. He reached two consecutive European Cup Winners' Cup finals with Anderlecht, winning the trophy in 1978, and also tasted domestic league and cup success with Standard Liege. His career as Marseilles manager, meanwhile, included three successive league titles and, two years before the historic win over Milan, a European Cup final defeat to Red Star Belgrade.

A respectful nod also goes to former United States manager Bruce Arena. While Arena's greatest claim to fame as a player is a solitary appearance in the US goal for a 2-0 loss to Israel in 1973, his accomplishments as a coach are considerable. His DC United side not only won the first two MLS championships and the 1998 CONCACAF Champions Cup but beat Brazilian side Vasco da Gama over two legs to win the Interamerican Cup. In 2002 Arena also led America to the last eight of the World Cup while, in April 2006, the US achieved a best-ever Fifa world ranking of fourth.

Dino Zoff is worth a mention too. After captaining Italy to the 1982 World Cup, aged 40, Zoff turned to management, leading Juventus to the Uefa Cup and taking Italy to within a whisker of victory at Euro 2000, only for France to overturn a 1-0 deficit with seconds remaining, a result that prompted his resignation a few days later. Still, not bad for a goalie.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007/sep/19/theknowledge

[wavydavy]

Only goalie I can think of who was sucessful was Peter Taylor and he was only assistant to Cloughie.

[Exiled_red]

They aren't any.

I was watching Sunday Supplement or some drivel a few years ago and they talked briefly about goalkeeping managers. They claimed goalkeepers don't make good managers because they are either mad or haven't had as much schooling and tactical training as outfield players.

Sounds about right

[jono]

Mike Walker, former Everton and Norwich Manager was a goal keeper. He was brilliant at Norwich.

[carheex]

They aren't any.

I was watching Sunday Supplement or some drivel a few years ago and they talked briefly about goalkeeping managers. They claimed goalkeepers don't make good managers because they are either mad or haven't had as much schooling and tactical training as outfield players.

I think that's a load of old bollocks. Some of the best manager's that the game has seen have had very little schooling, tactical training or even playing experience. The real reason that there haven't been many/any goalies who have made it as a manager is that there are far, far, FAR less goalies than outfield players, so the the law of averages and probability dictates a much lower number. Obvious really.

[fah-q]

Far fewer goalies not far less.

[carheex]

Far fewer goalies not far less.

Please accept my sincerest apologies!

[Exiled_red]

I think that's a load of old bollocks. Some of the best manager's that the game has seen have had very little schooling, tactical training or even playing experience. The real reason that there haven't been many/any goalies who have made it as a manager is that there are far, far, FAR less goalies than outfield players, so the the law of averages and probability dictates a much lower number. Obvious really.

Yes, but if you assume that a goalkeeper is as likely to go into management as an outfield player; then looking through all the managers who have played football then about 9% of them should have been goalies. We're struggling to name any.

[Joe King]

I think that's a load of old bollocks. Some of the best manager's that the game has seen have had very little schooling, tactical training or even playing experience. The real reason that there haven't been many/any goalies who have made it as a manager is that there are far, far, FAR less goalies than outfield players, so the the law of averages and probability dictates a much lower number. Obvious really.

You're assuming every outfield player wants to become a manager. A lot of goalkeepers simply just end up becoming specialist goalkeeping coaches.

[fah-q]

Please accept my sincerest apologies!

Apology accepted sir.