Originally Posted by
Tuerto
He wont have to start on the bottom rung, but he may have to start with the younger age groups-From 14 to 18, as a sort of apprenticeship and so that he can define his own style without to much pressure-Incidentally, anyone from 16 upwards is on a Professional contract at a football club. Here's the thing, he has to learn how to be a coach, It isn't just about understanding football, you've got to know how to get your message across to players, get them to enjoy the sessions and the players have to feel like they're getting something from the sessions, it's a form of teaching, and i bet every one of us can remember the teachers in school, college etc who we responded positively towards because they were good at implementing what they wanted us to do-Good Coaching, that's not an easy skill. When i was 14 years old i was coached by jimmy Mullen, i loved his sessions as did plenty of other lads. He went on to manage Burnley, Blackpool and was Ian Porterfields assistant at Aberdeen. I also played Rugby as a schoolboy and was coached by a bloke called Geraint John, he ended up coaching Canada and was performance director at the WRU, i'm sure that both of them gained invaluable experience in coaching youngsters, it would've helped them develop and it would've answered a few questions on whether or not they wanted to progress with their coaching. Having 20 years of experience as a player doesn't count for alot if you want to go into a profession where communication skills are key.
You may well be right, Sol might be able to coach at the top table straight away and become successful, although i doubt it, coaching is much much more than just being a good footballer and having been coached yourself, you have to have a philosophy, an eye for detail and the ability to to get the players to believe in what you implement, that takes time to perfect.