In the past 8 years Munster Rugby have had 4 different coaches and won 0 competitions. I can’t help but wonder if there is a correlation there.
Each manager is unique, they have their own opinions and ways of working. More importantly they have their own philosophy on how to play rugby.
A philosophy that the manager has to communicate to their players and the players have to enact.
Therefore it’s going to include trial and error and it’s going to take time.
Now the results are most likely going to suffer as the team goes through this transition period.
And when results are poor, there is pressure from the fans and higher ups.
You see it all the time in the Premier League. Managers are allowed shorter and shorter grace periods and the pressure for short term results is immense.
This is the crux of it. The manager needs time to implement their strategy, but all the stakeholders are impatient.
So I think the manager who can buy themselves time by managing expectations both above him and externally is the one who wins. Their ability to keep the boss’ finger away from the trigger and create patient fans could be the reason they stay employed.
After all, building a team for long term success requires time. Look at Sir Alex Ferguson for example. One of the most successful football managers of all time didn’t win a competition in his first three years at Man United.
Thomas Duggan 