On a Roll to Managerial Stardom?

It is a ritual almost as old as time itself. One that instantly drums up interest, one that immediately stirs up rumour and counter-rumour. The breeding ground of gossip and the instigator of all manner of speculation. Before a manager has even had the chance to take down his family photos, clear up his clutter and vacate his desk, the bookmakers have done their work. The odds have been set. The favourites have been installed, the outside candidates have been established and teams of cameramen have already been sent off scurrying around for any clues they can gather that may solve the conundrum. The managerial merry-go-round is usually frantic, but in recent weeks it has gathered dizzying pace culminating in three international vacancies, three Premier League posts vacated and subsequently filled, and yet more managerial posts looking insecure across Europe. All this activity only makes the ‘Next Manager Odds’ book increasingly prominent, fuelling what is now an intriguing aspect of the football sphere.

Indeed these days a manager does not even need to have left his job for the speculation to begin. Betfair, for example have had a book on the next Manchester United manager for several months now. And though looking solely at bookmakers’ odds when trying to gage a manager’s chances of securing a particular job can prove misleading, as a source of information they cannot be ignored. With an abundance of inside knowledge and some simple common sense, the shortlists they draw up never stray too far off the scent, and do generally offer decent insight as to the main candidates. It is with this in mind that one cannot help but take notice of one man in particular that has, perhaps surprisingly, been linked with a number of high-profile jobs of late.

Jurgen Klinsmann, the baker’s son from the south German district of Baden-Wuerttermberg, is widely considered as one of the four primary candidates for the England job by FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick, completing a shortlist that also included Jose Mourinho, Marcello Lippi, and Fabio Capello. I’ll let you spot the odd one out. The aforementioned trio have won between them almost every major trophy going and rightly fit the ‘world class’ bill of coaches, a criteria that Barwick has been so at pains to point out is compulsory to take the nation forward. Twelve Serie A titles, two Premier League honours, two La Liga championships, a Champions League winner’s medal each and a World Cup, amongst other trophies, is not a bad record between those three. Meanwhile, good old ‘Klinsi’ as he is known in Germany, has overseen just 12 competitive fixtures. So exactly what is it that enables him to be thrown in with such esteemed company almost without scrutiny?

Well first things first, in 2006 Klinsmann guided his country to within 30 minutes of a World Cup final in his first coaching role. Clearly an impressive achievement, the feat is made all the more creditable when one considers that going into the tournament the confidence of the host nation was at an all time low. Few in Germany suspected they had any chance of progressing to the latter stages even with a favourable group draw, and many feared the potential of embarrassment on their own soil. After a 4-1 thrashing by Italy in the build-up to the tournament Klinsmann’s own position was repeatedly brought into question not only by the national press but also by concerned government officials, who tried to summon Klinsmann to an emergency Sports Committee meeting to question his ideas. He was under such pressure that even German Chancellor Angela Merkel felt compelled to weigh in with a public vote of confidence in his methods. A third place finish delivered with attacking flair was therefore deemed a huge success by the nation as demonstrated by a mass parade in Berlin after the tournament, attended by half a million satisfied fans.

Such an achievement obviously contributed to building Klinsmann’s reputation, but it is equally his forward-thinking approach to coaching that has made him stand out. If there is one thing this Californian dreamer can not be accused of it is being old-fashioned, and his first act as national team coach was to place large emphasis on youth. Within six months of taking the job Klinsmann handed nine players their debuts, and in a friendly against South Africa in 2005 he named Germany’s youngest defensive line in over 50 years. Despite criticism of this experimenting, the likes of Thomas Hitzlsperger and Per Mertesacker have gone on to become regular fixtures in the national team, and several others remain involved with the squad, the promising full back Marcell Jansen to name but one.

Since moving into management Klinsmann has also consistently questioned the status quo of professional coaching, and he clashed several times with the German Football Federation on how to move things forward with the national team. An example lies in his attempt to hire the technical director of the national hockey team, which was considered far too drastic by the DFB and subsequently vetoed. He places a high value on the input of specialist coaches and dieticians, and pays great attention to the philosophy of football, the game as an artform. ‘I was overambitious as a player and I am not sitting in the sun all day now. I work, prepare and educate myself,’ he said of his current situation in America. He may live in idyllic Californian surroundings but his obvious passion for the sport still shines through.

Such a visionary way of thinking is nothing new to Klinsmann, who even as a 17-year old at Stuttgart defied his paymasters’ instructions by hiring a sprint coach to improve his acceleration and balance. This conviction in his methods, this ‘my way or the highway’ approach is almost as stubborn as his unrelenting hunger to succeed. Klinsmann’s playing career took him around Europe in his quest for honours, and as well as league titles, UEFA Cups, European Championships and of course a World Cup winners medal, he received over 100 caps for his country and was awarded several individual honours including the English Footballer of the Year in his first season at Tottenham.

However such a burning desire to achieve meant he never really settled at one particular club. Five years at Stuttgart as a youngster was the longest Klinsmann ever afforded one club, and it would often take no more than a few years before he sought pastures new. This can surely be attributed to his ambition. It is said that it took him just a few months at Spurs before he realised they would not challenge for the major honours he so craved, and proof of his nomadic tendencies can be seen in the contract he signed with the North London club – a one year deal with a two year option that he eventually chose not to exercise. In quitting Germany after just two years in charge he appears to have carried this trait into management, and such a perception may well work against him if Barwick or any other prospective employers envision a long-term project.


Despite Klinsmann’s obvious credentials however, it is still significant that such a lack of experience might be overlooked. Steve McLaren for example, was thought (and perhaps proved) too inexperienced for the England job when he took over, and yet he is a veritable Guy Roux or a Ferguson when compared to Klinsmann, having managed well over 250 games. There is a saying in Germany - ‘Übung macht den Meister’ which is more or less the English equivalent of practise makes perfect, yet as far as coaching goes Klinsi appears to have bypassed such a mantra almost without any kind of questioning. As well as his relative inexperience, critics have argued that many of the foundations that contributed to his achievements with the national team were actually laid by his assistant manager and successor Joachim Löw. Indeed since taking the reins of the German national team Löw has produced a better record than Klinsmann, winning 14 of his 19 games in charge, and has steered them to Euro 2008 with almost consummate ease.

Nevertheless it is not just England that have been batting their eyelids at Klinsmann, with chairmen from here to Australia showing some form of interest. Chelsea touted him as a potential replacement for Jose Mourinho, and his name has been linked with several other clubs around Europe. He is currently thought to be on the shortlist to replace Giovanni Trapattoni, whose managerial position at Red Bull Salzburg looks precarious. Klinsmann may see a hint of irony in replacing the man that, during their time together at Bayern Munich, substituted him so many times it culminated in one of his defining moments – the normally placid striker storming furiously off the pitch, launching an angry tirade at Trapattoni, and then proceeding to smash a hole in an advertising hoarding, Temuri Ketsbaia style. Whether a job in Austria would appeal to him remains to be seen. What is clear though is that with managers being given less and less time to establish themselves in an increasingly pressurised environment, it will not be long before the baker’s son from Göppingen gets the chance to sink his teeth into one of Europe’s top jobs, and only then can his promising reputation be truly put to the test. The proof is in the pudding as they say.