Juggling club and country management.

I'm Brighton manager, into 3rd season now, got them into Championship and am in relegation battle with about 10 games to go.

I noticed the Nigeria manager had been sacked, and with about 4 months to go til World Cup 2010 and them having qualified for it, I thought this might be an exciting challenge so (not expecting to get it) I applied and was offered the job after a coupla weeks. I felt the chance to manage a team at the World Cup was to good an opportunity to pass up so I took it.

Now how do Fm-ers who like to play as realistically as possible view this? IRL a manager probably could not juggle trying to keep a club up while getting to know an international squad and preparing them for a world cup.

I hope you understand it was exciting a challenge to pass up, and also I am seriously considering resigning with Brighton at the end of the season regardless of whether I keep them up or not, in which case it makes it more realistic.

Discuss.

I'm Brighton manager, into 3rd season now, got them into Championship and am in relegation battle with about 10 games to go.

I noticed the Nigeria manager had been sacked, and with about 4 months to go til World Cup 2010 and them having qualified for it, I thought this might be an exciting challenge so (not expecting to get it) I applied and was offered the job after a coupla weeks. I felt the chance to manage a team at the World Cup was to good an opportunity to pass up so I took it.

Now how do Fm-ers who like to play as realistically as possible view this? IRL a manager probably could not juggle trying to keep a club up while getting to know an international squad and preparing them for a world cup.

I hope you understand it was exciting a challenge to pass up, and also I am seriously considering resigning with Brighton at the end of the season regardless of whether I keep them up or not, in which case it makes it more realistic.

Discuss.

hey metro in my main save I started as Ireland manager(reached semis of euro 08) and managed Aston villa to Europe. then in 09 i left both for the arsenal(won the treble then the league) and france managers positions on the same day,

I left france for brazil and at this stage i decided to be a full time international coach. Won the WC with brazil.I'm at man city and ireland(again)

I find that managing both jobs is a good idea as there are long stints of inactivity as a full time int manager.

I would stick wth both, as I'd get bored without club management.

Perhaps it wil stand better on it's own now, as I've heard there have been lots of improvements to the international side of things on FM08.

In terms of realism, I would say don't leave Brighton in the lurch at such a crucial point of the season, and don't make your final decision until after the World Cup. After that you'll know where your heart lies, and noone would mind you combining roles on a short term basis.

And you'd kick yourself if you resigned, and then Nigeria sacked you straight after the WC.

On the other hand, if you're considering leaving Brighton anyway, then at the end of the season, and with something else to keep you occupied in the mean time, it might be a good time to leave.

Oh no don't get me wrong, I'd never leave Brighton in the lurch, I'm definitely staying with them til the end of the season, and if I'm honest with myself I'd find it hard to leave that job, I'm very attached to them.

Nigeria is more likely to be short-term than Brighton when I think about it. The Nigerian board only expect me to 'be competitive' in the group stage, where I'm pitched with SPain, Morocco and Ghana, so I'm fairly confident of meeting that target.

Wonder if there's any way that this easier enables me to get some of the Nigerian players into my Brighton team?

If I'm interpreting this right you are questioning the realism of having a club and international job at the same time?

On reading the post I would question the realism of a manager whose CV includes:-

1. 3 years of club management experience

2. No International management experience

3. Most notable achievement: Getting Brighton promoted to the Championship

4. Battling relegation in the Championship

actually being offered the job with a top African nation who have already qualified for the World Cup.

Unless you are Nigerian (or have Nigeria as a second nationality) and set your experience as 'International Footballer' (i.e. the game views you as a previous Nigerian international) then in my opinion it's pretty unlikely you would be offered that job with your current football CV.

If I was going to quit either job for the sake of realism it would be the Nigeria one (which I wouldn't have accepted in the first place on the grounds of realism). That's my opinion on it, and isn't a sarcastic swipe at your concept of realism so please don't take offense

No that's fine, and as I said, I did not expect to get the job at all, so that was surprising, and yes in real life it would be unrealistic.

My question is whether it would be realistic that a manager could sustain the effort and time needed to put into each job? Obviously with us, it's simply a case of not clicking continue until you are ready. If only real life worked like that...

But then Steve McClaren getting the England job (Most Important Job In The World TM) on his qualifications was unbelievably unrealistic.

He must have been set at international footballer. That is unrealistic to believe the national team appoint a international star to their coach. Teams like Nigeria notoriously appoint foriegn coaches as well. A lot of international teams have appointed international with limited or no management experience, eg Klinnsman and Marco Van Basten.

It is realistic if you think of your management game as that of an international legend getting into mangement, not as a semi-pro work horse trying to make a career in management.

I don't think I did have it set at International. I will check.

I'm still not convinced it's realistic for someone to juggle higher(ish) league management and country management at the same time.

If people can think of some examples of managers managing for club and country at the same, at a good level with both, I'd be really interested in hearing them.

And remember, Steve McClaren shows that anything is possible when you PANIC and grab the nearest Englishman.

I suppose in terms of realism you have to consider the fact that you would be traveling alot. Away games AND home games are going to take a lot of to-ing and fro-ing. Specially seeing as you're based in England.

So you can make a case for picking one over the other based on the above I suppose. Honestly though it's not something that would stop me I'm really enjoying the International management in the game. I'm managaing Witton in the Premiership and Scotland. For mine though I am a top flight manager and Scotland had just failed to qualify, rather dismally, for Europe.

Suprised you got the Nigeria job considering* but, it could be a really fun one. There are lots of gaps with no matches but you could fill that with scouting and attending games. I'd reccomend staying with Brighton as well though. In real life I don't see a manager ditching his team at that point in the season for any job. The fans would hate them.

Stick with them, see if you can save them from Relegation, even if its only a parting gift!

*You could claim they are shaking things up. Picking a lesser known manager with certain talents. For example you have experience pushing for promotion, I imagine working with a limited budget (which could translate to working with a limited national pool) and now have the experience of a tough survival scrap. There are ways to justify it all

Obviously it isn't realistic to manage a club and a relatively major country at the same time. If you want realism don't do it. If you just want to have the most fun you can in your game then go for it.

Personally I have often found that when I take on an international job as a club manager I find internationals an irritation and can't be bothered picking the squad and all that when I just want to get on with my club management.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> My question is whether it would be realistic that a manager could sustain the effort and time needed to put into each job? Obviously with us, it's simply a case of not clicking continue until you are ready. If only real life worked like that...

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Off the top of my head I can't think of any managers that managed club and country at the same time but I'm sure someone with an encyclopaedic knowledge might enlighten me. I'm guessing in the real world it would probably depend on how the calendars of the nation and club pan out that would affect this. I seriously doubt it would be a possibility, especially an African team given the collision between African Nations Cup matches and the English footballing season, not to mention how fans of the respective club/country would react to having a part-time manager.

As for Steve McClaren I think politics played a bigger role in him getting that job than his qualifications (Scolari rejecting the job because of press intrusion and the FA being overtly public in their interactions with him; McClaren's relationship with the FA bigwigs from being assistant to Eriksson etc. etc.). That arguments for another time and place though

Oh no question it was all politics...perhaps I could argue the same in my game, perhaps I have a Nigerian wife? Who knows.

Anyway, do not fear everyone, I am NOT leaving Brighton til the end of the season at least, I may just be with Nigeria for the World Cup then leave after that, as there is little to no fixture congestion atm, only 1 Nigeria friendly before the WC starts.

To be honest I'm looking to manage in this world cup for my reputation more than anything, I definitely see myself as a club manager first and foremost.

I'm a bit like Alex Ferguson in that, I always say I'm going to resign from Brighton at the end of each season but can never bring myself to do it.

Just been reminded by my brother - a walking football encyclopaedia if ever there was one - that Kevin Keegan was (albeit briefly) Fulham AND England manager. And both of those jobs are definitely higher profile than Brighton and Nigeria respectively.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Wonder if there's any way that this easier enables me to get some of the Nigerian players into my Brighton team? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I have found that any players that you give their 1st cap to will have you as favoured personel and will go to your club more easily. In my save, at man city i have 3 brazilians 2 of whom i called up to spain when i was spain manager and 1 who won the wc with me with brazil.

Guus Hiddink did PSV and Australia at the same time and I think Dick Advocaat did South Korea and Zenit St Petersburg at the same time.

Thanks Flanno and Nomis.

Makes it feel a bit more believable.

I think Ukraine for a long time were managed by the manager of Dinamo Kiev, might be wrong though.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Gilaventi:

I think Ukraine for a long time were managed by the manager of Dinamo Kiev, might be wrong though. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I was thinking that too gilaventi cant think of his name though. I remember him in old CMs

Didn't Kevin Keegan remain Fulham manager till the end of the season after taking the England job at the start of the year. Around 98/99?

If so...more justification to stay on for at least a while

I'm managing Liverpool. In July 2010 I was offered the Brazil job, and turned it down.

They offered it to me again in summer 2011. This time I've accepted to see how it goes.

I am looking forward to developing closer ties with some of the players in the hope of signing them for my club (I already have Alves, Marcelo, Fred and Lucas).

Yep I've decided.

Brighton is my key club for now, I will finish the season with them, then go and enjoy the World Cup with Nigeria. Unless something very exciting or unexpected happens, I will probably resign with Nigeria after the WC, hopefully with an increased reputation.

I then either want to take Brighton to the PREM (will take at least 2-3 seasons) or move onto managing a PREM club/club with more money if good offers come along.

Currently 21st in Championship, with 10 games to go, 3 points clear of relegation. Horribly scary.

I was also manager of nigeria while a club manager (African nations wil always take you it seems!). But I had to leave as the african cup was on that year.

I didn't want to be managing both at the same time as I believe te game allows you to control both. For me, this was too unrealistic however so I left Nigeria.

This was discussed the other day and I believe that you shouldn't be able to do this. Maybe you should have to leave your ass man in charge while you galavant off to Africa.

Guus Hiddink manages/managed PSV whilst managing South Korea/Australia/Russia didnt he? Sorry cant remember very well