Barney Ronay’s account of the rise of the ‘most important man in football’ is interesting, entertaining and frustrating. Ronay’s book is useful as introduction to football managers such as; Herbert Chapman and Major Buckley, but it does not lay down solid foundations of the football manager.
We are told that the football manager is used as the scapegoat for the direction of the club when it is going wrong, however, this is the most in-depth comment made on power structures in the football club, despite a brief mention of the Bosman Ruling of 1995. To conclude that the football manager is the most important man in football surely his power relationship would have to be analysed – instead we are told of the old school socialist managers who based football ‘supergroups’ based on community – Busby, Stein, Paisley and nothing further is really discussed.
During the book, it is insightful, in a novelty fashion, but there are major issues in the fact that it is only English and Scottish (mainly Celtic and Aberdeen) football discussed – leaving a huge gulf of football nations left out of the argument. The largest discussion on the foreign manager is Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho, as well as a few paragraphs on the early foreign influx of managers in the English leagues.
This book is fun and enjoyable, but at times it would be interesting to see a more insightful and committed argument, as the chapter on Don Revie is the most interesting and well written piece in the book, and maybe with a little more discipline the entire book could have been lifted.
