Forgotten bosses need more help...

LMA CAN PLAY GREATER ROLE

MY NAME was one of eight on a list of candidates to be elected by League Managers Association members as the new chairperson when voting opened last month.

Emma Hayes, Darren Moore, Martin O’Neill, Alan Pardew, Hope Powell, Gary Rowett and Chris Turner also offered their names to the voting members.

In the LMA spirit of facing forwards with a clear vision, I know that my name is mere tinsel on the Xmas tree.

The membership will unquestionably vote in a more renowned and celebrated candidate.

It wasn’t my belief that I could possibly win.

My purpose in being part of the process was to try to encourage an even stronger support structure for those members who are currently out of work.

This is one area in which I strongly believe the LMA could improve and I wanted to create a platform upon which I could express that.

Changes

Take, for instance, simple things like the annual meeting for in-work managers where they are briefed on rule changes and protocol alterations.

Any manager who goes into a job during the season (and there are many) misses out on this opportunity and, therefore, on vital information – you can feel like a complete outsider to your job.

The LMA could, and ought, to fill this void.

Take the concept of ‘beauty parades’. It is common in business for suppliers to be able to pitch to clients on a ‘speed dating’ basis where they are given short windows to present their case.

The LMA could easily orchestrate scenarios whereby chairmen/club owners are given the opportunity to hear out, say, 20 managers across a 60-minute fast track period after which they can set up meetings with interesting candidates.

I guarantee there would be different appointments if this type of broader forum was created.

Take the matter of managerial coaching. Yes, there are generic opportunities for learning from the LMA, but I’d like to see a mentor programme for managers to be led towards the future by those people best qualified to help them; the club ownership group.

Important

Building up links here and enabling a broader spectrum of the managerial talent pool to gain ‘real’ guidance is important.

I’m totally aware this is a narrow agenda and the LMA is led by a quite brilliant chief executive who has transformed the organisation into a fantastic entity with a strong sense of direction. Richard Bevan is a brilliant person and leader.

However, I do believe those most in need are a little left behind and I couldn’t let the moment pass without raising my hand to remind football of the forgotten. Those that have invested time and energy into their qualifications, who may not be as widely connected as some and who need a hand to re-initialise their careers.

There are more of these people than is immediately obvious. The forgotten should not become lost.