Sports in 1

By: Poorit “Sports in 1” Lertpaitoonpan

There are many managers who have high profile in European league but are tested immediately when joining the club in the big 5 league. Erik Ten Hag and Ruben Amorim are good examples, both brilliant managers who succumbed to pressure and competitiveness of English Premier League.

However, there are even stranger leap especially in the Premier League itself, something that is strange when you think of recruitment aspect.

When looking for players in the Premier League, some scouts look for “Premier League proven” player, those who have experience in the league and understand the playstyle and physicality of English football.

However, “Premier League proven manager” doesn’t always get the tick box when making that leap into “Big 6” clubs.

Good example is Graham Potter and Thomas Frank.

Graham Potter was a young and promising coach at Brighton, in charge of transforming relegation-fodder team into prominent squad. However, his time at Chelsea is abysmal to say the least, especially in the Premier League: 7 wins, 7 draws, and 8 losses, remark as one of the worst stints of any Chelsea managers.

Thomas Frank was also a very sought-after coach during his time at Brentford, a strong mid-table team that can occasionally beat the top of the bunch every once in a while, being renowned for his adaptability. Despite starting strong with Tottenham Hotspur, the team hit a rough spell, with record in Premier League now standing at 7 wins, 6 draws, and 9 losses. Currently, he is on a very hot seat, while sacking is not imminent, it looks inevitable.

Both coaches’ reputation took a massive blow during these stints, as it proves that they seem to crack when in charge at the top echelon of football club.

Is the spotlight at the top class that bright?

Yes, when you join the big club, you are now at the big boy tables, every move you do is watch like a hawk by rowdy fans, every behavior will be mocked or ridicule, like when Frank was spot with an Arsenal cup.

Furthermore, it’s win/loss record will matter tenfold. When look at previous Point-per-match for both Potter and Frank before joining the “Big 6” clubs, they are at the range of 1.03-1.55 point-per-match.

When you manager mid-table or smaller clubs with lower expectation, you are optimal with that. However, with ambitious clubs, they call this mediocrity. Moreover, they often lack patience to stick things out and hope for a turnaround.

Hence, the tales of these two remark cautionary tales for top-of-the-line football club. They shouldn’t go for manager just because they have short stint of good record. They should seek manager that fit the profile of the team and fit the system they want to play.

Reference

Chelsea transfer news: What was Graham Potter’s record at Chelsea? | Transfermarkt
Graham Potter – Performance details: National leagues | Transfermarkt
Graham Potter: Is former Chelsea boss a good fit for West Ham? – BBC Sport
Thomas Frank – Performance details: National leagues | Transfermarkt
Tottenham analysis: What is Thomas Frank’s style? – BBC Sport