Top Ten: Caretaker Managers
Nick Grey
Posted on: 20 August 2010 - 14:11
Football
In the aftermath of Martin O’Neill’s abrupt departure from Villa Park, the appointment of Kevin MacDonald as Aston Villa manager was seen as a stopgap measure, but a comprehensive opening day victory at Villa Park last weekend appear to have raised the possibility of the reserve team manager taking on the job on a more permanent basis.
A steady hand at the tiller, the caretaker manager requires effective motivational skills coupled with a down-to-earth disposition. Typically unambitious, such men seem happy to step out of the limelight and return to their former responsibilities once the position has been filled. A man synonymous with the role, Tony Parkes took temporary charge six times during his career at Blackburn and more recently at Blackpool without ever holding a full-time managerial position.
However there have been occasions when caretaker managers have proved successful to the extent that they are given the job on a permanent basis. Sport.co.uk looks at those who have stepped into the breach at times of crisis and proceeded to hold their own in the top job.
Tony Barton (Aston Villa)
No caretaker manager’s reign has been more glorious than that of Tony Barton. Within months of Ron Saunders’ abrupt departure in 1982, Barton had guided Villa to the greatest achievement in the club’s history with victory over Bayern Munich in the European Cup final. Two years later and the 1981 champions had sunk to mid-table obscurity, Barton’s position became untenable and, like Benitez more recently at Liverpool, Europe’s most prestigious trophy was not enough to save him.
Stuart Gray (Southampton)
Not one of the success stories among ‘have-a-go caretakers’, Gray’s stint as full-time manager lasted barely the length of time that he had spent in temporary charge . After getting his foot in the door at Southampton when Glenn Hoddle jumped ship to Spurs in March 2001, Gray took over the role permanently in June. The following season however, chairman Rupert Lowe was alarmed to see Saints christening the new £32m St Mary’s Stadium with relegation form and by October Gray had been replaced by Gordon Strachan.
Steve Kember (Crystal Palace)
Kember has been on hand to take over at Selhurst Park on several occasions. In 1981 he helped the club avoid relegation to the third tier of English football and repeated the trick 20 years later after Alan Smith was sacked. Then after performing caretaker duties following the forgettable reigns of Steve Bruce and Trevor Francis, Kember was finally given the job in his own right in 2003. After winning their first three games, the season went downhill very quickly for Kember and Palace. Promised ‘a job for life’ less than two years earlier by chairman Simon Jordan in light of his heroics as caretaker manager, Kember was sacked by the club by Christmas in his first season.
Glenn Roeder (Newcastle United)
Following the dismissal of Graeme Souness in 2006, the former West Ham boss took over with Newcastle languishing in the bottom half of the table, but in the space of just three months he had put the Magpies in contention for the European places finishing seventh. However once the Toon Army’s UEFA Cup adventure was over, there was soon trouble on Tyneside again. With Newcastle finishing in the bottom half again (notably below Middlesbrough for the first time in Premier League history), Roeder resigned at the end of the season. At a time when the fans waged war with chairman Freddy Sheppard and with a squad paralysed by injuries, it is fair to say Roeder may have succeeded under more favourable circumstances.
Ricky Sbragia (Sunderland)
Sunderland were expected to bring in a foreign coach following the departure of Roy Keane in 2008, and many thought they had when the name Ricky Sbragia was announced. A Scotsman of Italian descent, the former first team coach’s temporary appointment was an instant success as the Black Cats enjoyed four-goal thrashings of West Brom and Hull. Sbragia’s achievements were rewarded with an eighteen month contract, although he chose not to see it out, tendering his resignation after overseeing Sunderland’s Premier League survival on the final day of the season.
Malcolm Crosby (Sunderland)
Indeed this was not the first time Sunderland, when faced with the task of finding a new manager, have seen fit to promote from within. Crosby took second division Sunderland all the way to the 1992 FA Cup final and it was this surprise cup run that allowed him to take over full time. Sadly his achievements were soured by defeat to Liverpool at Wembley, and he was sacked the following season after a poor run of league form.
Paul Hart (Portsmouth)
Hart made the step up from director of youth operations to caretaker manager in February last year following the sacking of Tony Adams. A two-year contract followed in the close season, but an abysmal start to the new campaign saw Portsmouth lose their opening seven games. At this time Fratton Park was a revolving door of foreign owners, with spiraling debts leading to a transfer ban and the players not being paid. The financial turmoil at the club was clearly having an effect on matters on the pitch, and Hart struggled to do a seemingly impossible job. Thus it was inevitable, yet a touch callous, that the board came to ‘relieve him of his duties’ in November.
Chris Hughton (Newcastle United)
After an unsuccessful run of big names at the Newcastle helm, perhaps a relative unknown was exactly who was needed for the St James’ Park hotseat. Furthermore with Mike Ashley trying to sell the club, Newcastle endeavoured to remain a blank canvas and not bring in a new manager. Thus Hughton was appointed as caretaker manager in the close season, but after scooping the first two Manager of the Month awards of the season, the former Spurs defender was quickly confirmed as full-time manager. Newcastle regained their Premier League status at a canter, but Hughton is not getting ahead of himself and his targets are shrewd: “Survival is not a word that we like to use, but we are realistic to know it will be a very tough season.”
Peter Houston (Dundee United)
When Craig Levein left Dundee for bigger and better things after Scotland came calling last December, caretaker manager Houston was the first to admit that the job looked beyond him after a humiliating 7-1 defeat at Ibrox in only his second game in charge. However he went on to confirm the club’s highest ever finish in the SPL, guiding United comfortably to third place behind the Old Firm and earning himself a three-year contract in the process. A disappointing defeat at home to AEK Athens last night will do little to dampen spirits at Tannadice, but Houston will be expected to follow up on last year’s achievements in the league this season.
Neil Lennon (Celtic)
After March’s 4-0 defeat at St. Mirren was enough to see off Tony Mowbray, reserve team coach Lennon was asked to take over as caretaker manager. Celtic then proceeded to win all their remaining league games and Lennon was given the full-time managerial role in June. Although Celtic have already been dumped out of the Champions League, last year’s SPL runners-up continued their faultless domestic form with a win (albeit a narrow one) at Inverness at the weekend. Time will tell whether the Northern Irishman can lead Celtic to reassert their league dominance.