Sean Dyche is the latest in a string of English coaches decrying how English coaches do not get the credit and coaching opportunities they deserve. His comments are valid, but some of the blame lies within the English football mentality.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche called out football pundits for the double standard in how they appraise foreign coaches compared to English coaches. If Antonio Conte employs a particular training method, he’s “amazing…incredible.” If Sean Dyche does the same thing? “Dinosaur.”
England’s new manager Sam Allardyce has often sought to clear the record about his perceived image. He famously said that if his last name was “Allardici,” he would be working at a top four club.
Both Dyche and Allardyce have a fair case to support their claims. Far from being the rationalizing of the left-behind, their comments accurately point out how the media treats them and their peers.
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English managers rarely get the chance to sit at the top nowadays, particularly outside of England. Gone are the days when England had a strong presence in the later stages of the Champions League. That ended at the turn of the decade once Pep Guardiola vanquished Sir Alex Ferguson. Since then, Spain and Germany have dominated the European scene both tactically and technically.
Manager billets at top clubs are scarce. Securing one of those posts is especially difficult if your resume only includes playing and working in England. Foreign managers outstrip English managers in the depth of experience any Premier League contender needs.
But just as importantly in our media- and image-driven football industry, the foreign managers bring with them trim designer suits, dark-rimmed hipster glasses, scarves draped over their shoulders and sophisticated accents. So when they do the same things as Sean Dyche or Sam Allardyce, they add a certain amount of gloss and glamour that Gruff Sean and Big Sam cannot.
This is not to say that Dyche and Antonio Conte are peas in a pod. There is a very discernible gap in quality. Mauricio Pochettino, Conte and Guardiola have handled multinational dressing rooms before. They’ve handled the pressure at the very top of the league.
There is a thirst for foreign coaches who are always tactical geniuses. There’s still a thirst from the populace for foreign managers and foreign players. They’re a bit more snazzy – let’s see what this Belgian manager or this Argentine manager can do. – Sean Dyche, Telegraph
How many English managers can claim that? How many English managers can claim to have produced teams which can match the continental style of football let alone beat them? You’d have to go many many years back to Sir Bobby Robson to name an English coach who did well in the continent and got jobs at the top clubs of the time.
Steve McClaren, after his disastrous stint as England manager, went abroad to redeem himself and revive his career. He won the Eredivisie with FC Twente and became the first Englishman to manage a German club in 2010. Ambitious English managers should emulate David Moyes’ and Gary Neville’s moves to Spain.
McClaren, Neville and Moyes all had a rough go of it in La Liga and the Bundesliga, but it surely was a learning experience for each of them. Managing in countries where tactics are more sophisticated and acute, getting to know how to handle players from other cultures and learning the footballing culture of other countries are necessary experiences to become a top-flight manager.
As for young players, England’s academies are on par with those from Germany, Spain or any other country. However, in order to complete their footballing education, English youth should be open to playing out of the country and gaining the experience they cannot find domestically.
Many a promising youngster has disappeared down the path of comfort and complacency that staying in England offers. It is easy to settle for the wages that the clubs pay talented youngsters just to keep them around. It is easy to go on loan to a familiar environment lower down the leagues. It is easier still to fall for and believe in the hype created around a promising performance or two, and think that you’ve already made it.
We lament that foreign youngsters get more playing time and are signed for many millions while English youngsters are ignored. They are ignored because they don’t have the experience their contemporary German, Spanish or Dutch counterparts have.
Chelsea have had their share of bad experiences with loans to lower league clubs and Premier League clubs. Nathaniel Chalobah and Josh McEachran spent frustrating months at Burnley, Swansea and in the Championship. These talented midfielders almost lost their way, but recaptured momentum once they headed abroad to Napoli and Vitesse, respectively.
Chelsea have increasingly preferred to send their most promising prospects, both English and foreign, abroad. Lewis Baker, Dominic Solanke and Isaiah Brown spent last season on loan at Vitesse. Baker has returned to Chelsea after a strong season at Vitesse.
Unlike English top flight clubs, mid-table clubs in Spain and Germany can not afford to buy quality. They are much more willing to give young players a chance and are always open to getting players on loan. Real Betis, Granada, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Mochengladbach – to name a few – are eager to exploit the Chelsea talent pool. Hopefully, Chelsea can find more reliable partners and more reliable pathways for young players.
England is a country of football passion, not tactical nous. It is a country playing catch-up to Spain, Germany and soon Italy. The English game lags the continent in terms of tactics, player quality, international success and domestic success. While Sean Dyche and Sam Allardyce make valid observations of their critics, retreating further into the safety of English football does not offer coaches, players or the nation a promising path forward.