hi im 15 and im wundering if u have to be a gd footballer to coach or manage a football team. im an ok football player but i've always bin more interested in the other side of football rather then playing it although i do like to play it wit me m8s. i worried tht u have to be a really gd footballer to even have a chance of coaching n id rather find out sooner thn later.

Its not about being great at playing because that wont help you manage, you have to know football.

some professional players fail to become a good manager or coach because they dont understand the game but as long as you understand the game, the rules and are willing to learn more then nothing is going to stop you becoming a football coach.

I agree, you do not have to be any good at playign football at all to succeed in coaching whatsoever

thnx lads really happy bout tht cuz ive bin rly annoyed wiv ppl sayin u have to be gd to coach or manage so im really pleased i finally know.

unfortunately for us all: football is corrupt!!

People such as you and I work really hard to improve and achieve qualifications and they actually mean something when you earn them!

Ex-pro players (cant name them) literally turn up and FA assesors literally give them coaching badges just because of who they are!

When people say you dont need to be a pro player to coach they are right - to an extent!
However these ex-players dont know as much as their CV's make out and it prevents coaches such as us progressing to the very top!

Ever heard of the phrases "Jobs for the boys" or "glass ceiling", it applies in football too!

No you do not need to be great at playing, but on the other hand you do have to have some idea of how to play the game. The only way you will get this is by becoming involved perhaps in disabled football or coaching kids at 8 to 10's. You also need to have a coaching qualification these days even to work with kids and need to have a CRB check. The best bet is to contact your local FA ask about geting on a course, believe me it is easy, they show you all about coaching.

You can then watch others and learn, also schools need coaches so do clubs to help out, but these days you do need that qualification, it's called the leaders course.

been a qualified coach and an ex semi pro footballer i would say it helps if youve played football.Ive worked with lads at Bradford City who have never played and it comes across in there coaching as they dont seem as confident in what they are talking about.
Good Luck anyway

Wenger wasn't a very good player. But he's a World class Coach & Manager.

just because you manage a world class team doesnt neccesarily make you a world class coach!

I think Wenger's success is a lot to do with his backroom staff and especially his scouting network! Yes he is the manager but how much does he really coach!

Also Wenger played a handful of times for Monaco!

In comparison to his playing days and his coaching days, I think you'll find he's a far more successful coach.

How come Arsenal weren't as successful when Wenger wasn't here? He changed the Club around at the flick of a switch Shipley. He's a genius Coach and irreplaceable at Arsenal. And of course he Coaches. He trains, keeps fit & spends every minute on the training ground with the players. He made the Arsenal style of football that is on display now, and it's one of the most attractive styles you'll see.

maybe you should post with a lot less bias! Just cos you like Arsenal (from a distance) doesn't mean your right!

He didnt coach the players to success, he got a whole new squad!! FROM HIS SCOUTING NETWORK!

also how do you know he spends every minute on the training ground and keeping fit? Are you there to see this first hand? No your not even in London, let alone in England so a really big fan you are!!

Im an Academy coach at Aston Villa, im not saying im the fountain of knowledge but I know a little more than the average glory hunting football fan, so try and construct your argument better so it is based on more than just a rant about your favourite team!

- I'm biased.
- I'm not a really big fan because I'm not from England.
- I know less than you because I'm a glory hunter.
- I ranted about my favourite team.

Thanks for all the information Shipley, I've learnt a whole lot of new things about myself.

Firstly, it was not a rant about my favourite team. I basically made a point of how you don't need to be a fantastic player to be a fantastic Coach. Wenger wasn't a very good player, but he is a very good Coach. If you don't agree with my opinion, then that's OK by me.

Secondly, I am a huge fan of Arsenal. I've loved the Club all my life. You know nothing about me, but judge me because my location tells that I'm in Belfast. For all you know I could be Pat Rice in disguise. So don't act so immature.

Thirdly, I've read a lot about top Coaching in the Premiership and have heard some highly detailed reports about the top Coaches in the Premiership especially and Wenger is always talked of as being the best alongside Ferguson. I know my fair deal about coaching also, as I've worked with some great ones myself. Also, I've watched lots of video footage of Wenger coaching the Arsenal players through various sites. So please, don't act a walt by telling me what you know & what I don't.

I have found that, in coaching my sons at U8 through to U12 level, I have become a far better (though much older) player!

When you have a bunch of 18 kids just waiting for you to make a Little Johnny up when demonstrating the lofted pass, you find that you concentrate just that little bit more and get it right more often than not.

Each week you find yourself practising those basic skills that you are drumming into your team - stuff that you yourself have neglected since you left school - and this rubs off into your adult game. How should you address the ball? Where should your standing foot be for the driven, lofted or short pass? With which bit of your foot should you be hitting the ball? You can easily ignore these technicalities when playing but kids need to be taught them.

Don't worry about how good a player you are now. Work hard at your coaching, pass it on to the kids and you will find that you will naturally become a better (and fitter) footballer.

Wenger up there with Ferguson

Thanks for that Pat! I suppose as you have watched a few coaching videos you are right!

Well Done!

Ladies, Ladies
Your both right and both wrong.
Firstly, Wenger was the primary manager to change football so drasticly. Weve all heard how he brought the whole diet priniciple into the game. I agree that hes not yet up there with Fergie, but he's not too far off. However, i have read his biography and many people have quoted him as a great coach. But shipley i am interested what role you do at Villa. What sort of things do you do? what is money like (hope not too personal) what oppurunitys do you have to progress.

opputunities soz

firstly Wenger only introduced diet into the game at Arsenal! Many then Premiership clubs (Aston Villa, Leicester City, Manchester United, Newcastle to name a few) had employed expert dieticians during the early 80's! Looking further afield, French, Spanish, Dutch and particularly Italian clubs have had very strict policies on players' diets in place for decades before Wenger!

Also of course people in Wengers personal biography are gonna call him a great coach! If they said he was poor it wouldnt get printed!!

Im an Academy coach at Aston Villa FC, I am head coach of the U11 boys team but also coach all the players trialling who are aged 7 and under. (players cannot be signed until they are . Im a Level 2 coach and am about to be examined in a few weeks on my UEFA 'B' (Level 3) award! In terms of opportunities I'm not entirely sure, but im happy in my current role and I can still play semi-pro and study for my degree at the same time! I always put playing above coaching but I'm thinking ahead, cann't be many Level3 coaches in their 20's so im quite employable!
If you need any advice feel free to ask, its why I'm here! As long as your not gonna start a rant based on nothing about West Brom and then tell me you seen a few videos and live in Siberia!

the cool guy in shades is meant to be 8! academies cannot sign players until they are 8!

Hi cshipley how did you manage to get into the role that your in now with Villa? Also how would you advise people who dont have contacts within a pro club to get into a academy coach position like yourself?

Thanks

Well when a vacancy came about at Aston Villa I sent in my CV. I've played Academy as a junior so that always helps too! At the time I was Level 2 qualified, a member of FACA and had worked both here and the USA. It was a pretty good CV in all fairness for someone my age (only 22 then). As I play semi-pro too that always helps because it seemed like all we spoke about at the interview was the playing side. Unfortunately kids on here telling each other you dont have to be a good player to be a professional coach is a bit false and deludes many people. Obviously there are exception but very rarely!

My advice, take one step at a time.
Get your Level One., get a few years experience coaching kids, get level 2 (takes 6months), coach teenagers or write to your local pro clubs for community coaching, keep your eye out for vacancies or send out a few CV's. It is very difficult to get into but if you build up your awards and experience sooner or later you will be just what someone is looking for. Also if your quite academic go to uni and get a sports management (or similar) degree, it always looks good!

good advice that cshipley. reminded me of a thread about managing tiny international teams to get in the back door. For me it is going to be a long slog and I know it, but coaching is something I have long term plans for, there is nothing i would like to do full time more than wake up knowing im doing a job where i will get imense satisfaction.

It being my 30th birthday, I am still relatively young and would be happy doing it till way after Bobby Robsons age. Teams will look for the best person for the job, even if it is an international team like afghanistan, it is a bit naive to think that an international side is going to snap you up just like that, it is naive to think anyone other than the local pub team is going to want your services, after all there are plenty of coaches out there, and as Brian Clough pointed out, being a coach and being a manager are two very different things.

Getting as much experience as you can along the way from your level 1 upwards to eventually the UEFA Pro Licence, and as mentioned getting some sort of degree to go with it is ideal. Meanwhile coaching at a junior team or whatever will help get confidence and experience at coaching. Then if you are very lucky, you may land a management position one day or get in at a youth acadamy. I would imagine an acadamy like at Aston Villa, or any club with one will be great help, not just for the coaching experience but the contacts and of course being able to learn from more expereinced coaches along the way.

Either way to get to a proffessional league management, even many semi-pro none league sides would take years of a proven track record. More than likely those jobs will be snapped up by ex-pro's from the lower leagues, so you really would have to proove you are the Jose Mourinho of Sunday League to make the step up.

If anyone thinks they are just going to walk into football management should be prepared to understand there is a big difference between championship manager and the real thing. It only takes a few minutes to install championship manager.

Do you have to be a good player to be a coach? Its not essential but it would be an advantage.

mourinho, wenger, luis van gahl. never great players themselves so it can be done and it can be done successful just like these have proven. al tho alex ferguson was a player (not a great 1) never played for his country and hes successful so even being a low class player you can still be successful as a manager

All of those you mentioned were professional footballers! So unless you area Professional and have played higher it's fairly harsh to say they were not great players! Ferguson had a better than 1 in 3 strike rate for gawds sake!

Next you'll be telling me Aidy Boothroyd wasn't a pro...!

I think it would be fair to say that if talking about great scottish footballers then Alex ferguson's name would not really trail off the tongue regardless of his strike rate. However, case in point with regards to modern football in this country at least. The more high profile, famous, talented, successful you were as a player then the less likely you are to succeed at the same level as a manager. Steve Bruce, Bryan Robson, Kevin Keegan(apart from 1 second place finish), Stuart Pearce, Sammy Lee. Its only a matter of time before Roy Keane adds his name to that list. I am not suggesting that the aforementioned are not / were not good managers only that they have not succeeded in managing at the same level at which they played.

An interesting point is that those players mentioned all went straight into management at big clubs that. It would seem that in itself could hold an answer to that problem. i.e Dennis Wise cutting his teeth lower down may well serve him better in the long run and the same with Paul Ince - Maybe that should really be the way forward.

In summation, being a good coach/manager has very little to do with being a good player.