Manager crisis - or not?

30 April 2002

Today's Express & Star carries an alarming story about Albion manager Gary Megson being poised to walk out on the newly-promoted club. It seems he called a "crisis meeting" with the Board of Directors, but was reportedly seen speeding away in his car only 15 minutes later. There follows the usual stream of old news dragged up again about fallouts between him and Thompson, criticisms over the scouting system, moans over the handling of the list of players to be retained and so on. It also talks about young goalkeeper Chris Adamson being offered a new 12 month contract, but says that Megson didn't know anything about it. The day after promotion, reports suggested that Megson was complaining about having no say in out-of-contract players being retained, so this latest development fits perfectly into that category of displeasure.

So should we be worried? We've had to suffer "Mesgon to quit" stories for eighteen months now and we're perhaps getting more immune to them than we ought to be. If true, the latest reports would seem to suggest that things have reached breaking point between the manager and the Board, but are we to believe that they are any worse now than they have been for several months? And what are the problems, exactly?

Well, in simple terms, it all appears to be down to control. Megson made a telling comment at the recent Capital Gold Forum along the lines of "When you go into a pub, and the landlord's name is above the door, he's responsible for everything that goes on inside. When you go into a football club, you expect the Manager to be responsible for everything too". However, he qualified this by saying that he didn't want anything to do with finance, he didn't understand it and it was handled very well at Albion anyway. Nor did he have any problem with contract negotiations, which were also done very well at the moment. What he did say that there were a couple of issues that needed to be sorted out this summer, and that the club has a different way of doing things - not necessarily a good or bad way, but not what he was used to.

At many clubs, the manager is indeed responsible for everything that goes on - from the results on the pitch to the temperature of the pies. In many clubs, the manager is the most senior member of the full time staff, and has to do everything. As clubs get bigger and more successful, however, it gets harder and harder for the manager to handle it all - and in the top British clubs and the majority of Continental clubs, more and more staff are brought in to handle the various aspects of the Club's operation. A full time Chief Executive has overall control, and reporting to him are the manager (whose role is really that of a first team coach), the scouting system, the youth system, community relations, stadium operations, ticketing, catering, commercial operations and so on. Players are financial assets that must be handled in the way that is best for the club, and the manager has less of a say in contract negotiations - but has full and complete control over the first team, because he's judged by its results.

The two issues Megson did reveal as needing resolution were the scouting system and the youth system. He believes the scouting system should be under his full control, while Thompson has made no secret of the fact that he believes it should be a system owned and operated by the club itself, operating for the managers benefit. Both admit that the current system (Megson's dad and a couple of friends) is not good enough, and that it needs to be improved - but the problem seems to be "how?" As far as the youth team is concerned, Megson admitted that he tried to stay away from it, but expressed the view that we should have Academy status, which we nearly achieved several years ago but were denied by a change to the regulations that meant that a 60x40 indoor facility was needed in order to qualify; this in turn requires space, time and money to put in place.

A further reported issue of concern for Megson regarded proper training facilities - although he knew full well that the club have spent the last year developing the 46 acre plot of land by Aston University's sports ground for use, adding drainage and building changing rooms, and would surely have known that they would be ready for the start of next season. The retaining of out-of-contract players has also been an issue, with suggestions that the club wish to retain certain players that Megson would rather get rid of. The suggestion here seems to be that when a manager no longer wants a player, he wants to get rid of him straight away - but that the player is still an asset to the club and still has value, so the club are keen to try and make the most of that asset in the same way that you don't scrap your old car when you buy a new one because you know somebody else, somewhere, will want to buy it.

We seem to be stuck, therefore, with a Manager that wants to have personal control over a number of areas, but a Chairman that believes they should be under the Club's control. And as we know, both are very strong minded and unlikely to back down. Perhaps the latest events are an example of both parties trying to mark their territory. Perhaps Megson is trying to find an excuse to walk out and make himself available to fill one of the inevitable top level managerial vacancies that will appear over the coming months, without the difficulty of potential employers needing to approach Albion and agree to a compensation package. But given the nature of Megson's disagreements, would he be any better off at any other Premiership or large Division One club?

Unfortunately, for Albion, the loss of either Megson or Thompson would be a large step backwards after so much has been achieved this season. Let's hope they can resolve their differences and continue to work together for all our sakes.

Update (17:00) Radio WM are reporting that Megson has "walked out" - no statement has been forthcoming from the club as yet. Whether WM are suggesting that he has resigned or whether they are simply referring to Megson "speeding away" in his car remains to be seen. It seems hard to believe that talks were concluded within 15 minutes - unless Megson has made an ultimatum and left the board to discuss it. News from the Hawthorns is that they have been locked in discussion since Megson left and have yet to emerge.

Previous Stories:

  26 April 2002:  Season ticket price freeze!

  26 April 2002:  Civic reception still on

  23 April 2002:  Megson dismisses quit rumours

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