Sven, Gazza and Cloughie - The top 10 unexpected managerial appointments
With Garford’s publicity hungry chairman taking a surprising gamble on Paul Gascoigne and Leicester bringing Sven back to the English game, it feels like silly season for unexpected managerial appointments.
MirrorFootball’s Richard Arrowsmith remembers some other managerial selections that came straight out of leftfield...
1) Claude Anelka to Raith Rovers, 2004
Having made a fortune as an agent hawking his bother around Europe and agitating for moves every other week, the elder Anelka offered clubs £300,000 for a chance at management. Raith accepted the money but paid the price with one win from eight games before Anelka reverted to type and sulked off.
2) Paul Gascoigne to Kettering Town, 2005
Gazza’s previous foray into management ended after the club’s chairman cited ‘37 separate incidents’ of drunken behaviour, which was worrying since his appointment only lasted 39 days in total – we assume he took a couple of days off with a hangover.
3) Brain Clough to Brighton & Hove Albion, 1973
After winning the title and taking Derby County into Europe, Old Big Head presumed he was indispensable. He wasn’t and a feud with directors led the mighty to fall from taking on Juventus in the European Cup to losing to lowly Walton & Hersham in the FA Cup with Third Division Brighton.
4) Bobby Moore to Oxford City, 1980
England’s iconic captain was a prime example that great players don’t necessarily make successful managers. Even with the help of a fresh-faced Harry Redknapp (hard to imagine, we know) as his assistant, Moore led Oxford to only the second relegation in their history before trying his hand in Hong Kong.
5) Dr Jozef Venglos to Aston Villa, 1990
Venglos was the first manager born outside of Britain to take charge of an English club but could easily have just been trying to clock up air miles. Having previously worked in places like Austria and Kuala Lumpur, Venglos barely escaped relegation before continuing his nomadic tour in Oman, Turkey and Japan.
6) Arsene Wenger to Arsenal, 1996
‘Arsene Who?’ was the headline when the little known Frenchman moved to Highbury from the outer reaches of the Japanese League. An entire nation of little Englanders remained skeptical until Wenger’s new fangled methods transformed Arsenal from a dull defensive side into successful style merchants.
7) Christian Gross to Tottenham, 1997
Having seen their rival’s success in appointing an unknown foreigner from football’s wilderness, Spurs brought in a manger from the Swiss League. It turned out to be a Gross miscalculation and the Travelcard brandishing buffoon was soon sent on a return journey.
8) Diego Maradona to Argentina, 2008
In his prime, the greatest player in the world but, over time, an unpredictable, overweight addict - verging on insanity. That didn’t prevent Maradona from becoming his country’s national coach where he scraped through qualifying before arriving at the World Cup dressed like a pirate going to a job interview.
9) Don Revie to United Arab Emirates, 1977
When the former Leeds manager failed to inspire England to success he sought pastures greener – with cash that is – in the Middle East. The FA heard of his defection through a national newspaper and Revie was charged with bringing the game into disrepute, although his 10-year suspension was later overturned.
10) Steve McLaren to England, 2006
‘Second Choice Steve’ won the England job when the FA decided to buy British again (at least after Scolari turned the role down). McClaren beat an uninspired short list but after dithering over Beckham and then failing to qualify for Euro 2008 he was left out in the rain.
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