Dennis Wise: a visionary of the modern game

[Jimbo 175]

More than the odd eyebrow was raised when Dennis Wise chose to walk away from a promising managerial career at the high-profile Leeds United for an office job with Newcastle United in January, but the former Chelsea midfield player should have been hailed as a visionary. Wise was certainly ahead of his time in recognising that the trappings of the managerial office are not what they once were, a view confirmed by this week's remarkable events at Newcastle, West Ham United and even Manchester City.

 

Wise calculated that a seven-figure salary for scouting and signing players was a better bet than a considerably larger one for the far more onerous job of turning them into a winning team, a rationale that makes suggestions that he is in line to replace Kevin Keegan seem rather spurious.

 

Wise may be many things but he is certainly not daft, and through conversations with his friend Tony Jimenez will have concluded that the best way to ensure a lengthy stay at St James’ Park is to remain as part of the back-room team despite Keegan’s belated attempt to oust him, where he can wield power without having to take responsibility. For most managers these days the situation is reversed, as they are the first to take the blame for decisions they have not been party to.

 

The most intriguing question is which other managers and former players will follow Wise’s lead into directorships, or other fancy job titles? Keegan, Alan Curbishley and even Luiz Felipe Scolari have discovered to their cost the limits of managerial influence, while Mark Hughes’s joy at being handed Robinho may soon be tempered by the knowledge that he is about to be given other players he has not selected or, as happened to Keegan and Curbishley, lose those he wanted to keep.

 

Of the top ten Premier League clubs only Manchester United, Arsenal and possibly Aston Villa are run on traditional lines, with the manager the single most important person in the player recruitment process. The influence wielded by Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger has taken decades to accumulate and will not be seen again, while Martin O’Neill is fortunate to be working with the far-sighted and sensible of the new breed of owners, Randy Lerner.

 

The theme music to that 1990’s classic television programme Fantasy Football League began with a Barry Davies commentary asking who would be a football manager? It may not be long before that question is no longer rhetorical.

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

Did the fat pig write that?

[Jimbo 175]

Matt Hughes, he should stick to UFC tbh.....

[peasepud 59]

[NJS 4446]

As I've said on N-O - this twat is the one responsible for the story that Keegan's list had Ronaldinho and Henry on it - he's obviously to Wise what the cunt Custis is to Allardyce.

[@yourservice 67]

http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/index.ph...8435b5e22307c65

[peasepud 59]

http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/index.ph...8435b5e22307c65