How to get a manager to resign

Alan Curbishley

Unfair

Just a few weeks ago Kevin Keegan won his case for unfair, or constructive, dismissal against Newcastle United. That verdict was reached when the tribunal heard that Newcastle had bought a player into the club that Keegan was not consulted about and didn’t want.

Now, Alan Curbishley has won his case for unfair, or constructive, dismissal against his former employers West Ham. In this case, West Ham sold two players, Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney without Curbishley’s agreement.

Contract

It would seem that in both cases the managers in question had a clear contract stating that they would have the final say in all transfer dealings at then club. In these cases the two managers had little choice but to resign.

Following the decision made by a Premier League managers’ tribunal Curbishley made his position clear,

“I am obviously delighted with this result. I very much enjoyed my time at West Ham and never wanted to leave, but on joining the club I insisted that my contract contained a clause confirming that I would have final say on the selection of players to be transferred to and from the club. The club completely ignored my contract when selling Anton Ferdinand, and when George McCartney was then sold, the club having given me assurances that no players would be leaving the club after the sale of Anton Ferdinand, I had no alternative but to resign. My authority and integrity were undermined and my position was made untenable. I now wish to put this entire matter behind me.”

The Chief Executive of the league managers’ association, Richard Bevan, reacted to the verdict,

“Naturally we are delighted with the outcome for Alan but, at the same time, sorry that he wasn’t able to continue at West Ham United, a club that has played such a prominent part in his professional career both as a player and manager. The findings of the tribunal demonstrate the critical importance of respecting contracts which need to set out the roles and responsibilities of the parties in clear and unequivocal terms.”

Surely that isn’t rocket science is it? If you give a contract to a manager and tell him that he will have the final say on all the comings and goings of players, don’t buy or sell players that the manager doesn’t know about or hasn’t agreed to.

Results

With football being a results business it is hardly difficult to come up with reasons to sack a manager if the board and club want him out.

Are the clubs trying to force the managers’ to resign so that they don’t have to pay up long and lucrative contacts? If so, let us hope that the compensation awarded is a lesson to all.

Rafa

Am I just being mischievous or with Rafa Benitez only a few months into a long and lucrative contract at Liverpool, I wonder if can expect some player movements at the club that he doesn’t seem to know about?