Experience wins the day for managers

IT APPEARED a few years ago that football management was becoming a young man’s game. The events of the past couple of weeks, however, have shown there is still a demand for those with experience in abundance.

In the past week, Steve Bruce and Steve McClaren, both 55, got back on the managerial merry-go-round at Aston Villa and Derby County respectively.

Villa have been a basket case over the last year or so, and seem to have had more managers than victories. Tim Sherwood, Remi Garde and Roberto Di Matteo were unable to turn their fortunes around.

They need a safe pair of hands, and they couldn’t have chosen much wiser than Bruce, who has achieved four promotions to the Premier League in his managerial career.

Yes, two of those promotions came with Villa’s arch-rivals Birmingham City, but Villa fans will surely forgive that past association if he brings them winning football.

It’s true that Derby had an experienced manager in Nigel Pearson, 53, but he never really settled at the Rams and his short stint in charge proved disastrous.

With some people wondering if the club had changed their name to Derby County Nil, the appointment of ex-England manager McClaren should at least see them hit the net on a more frequent basis.

The previous week, the ‘godfather’ Neil Warnock made his customary return to management at Cardiff. The 67-year-old will be seeking a record-breaking eighth promotion and who would bet against him?

Leyton Orient’s new boss Alberto Cavasin is seven years Warnock’s junior at 60. By comparison, new Newport chief Graham Westley is a young pup at the age of 48 but has packed plenty into his managerial career.

Experience is clearly something not to be ignored.