I was reading a respected journalist recently, who was praising the virtues of Fulham manager Roy Hodgson. Indeed, the author in question even went as far as to suggest that if and when Senor Capello decides that the England job is not for him, either when Old Trafford comes calling, he is sacked after losing in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, or the most implausible of the three, England lift the Jules Rimet Trophy, that the 61 year-old well travelled and respected boss would be a good option to replace him.

However the thing that hit me the most from the article, was the fickle fate of football management as it seems you could be dubbed the best thing since the new designer England shirt one day, and only have the delights of reporting on Dagenham v Accrington for Sky Sports News the next. For Hodgson, the defeat of Manchester United after a number of their players acted like a bunch of three-year-olds after being told that there was no ice cream left, saw his reputation rise to new heights. However, defeat against Liverpool this weekend would no doubt see it fall again as the press bring up his Blackburn experience and warn Fulham fans not to get too excited about renewing their passports for a bash at the inaugural Europa League next season.

In giving the matter further thought, the manager who sprung immediately to mind is Alan Pardew. It was not so long ago, of course, that Pardew was dubbed the new saviour of English Football — i.e. an English manager who could one day be the national coach. Considering the former Reading, West Ham and Charlton boss is now out of work, I’m sure most fans would forgive him if it was discovered he was keeping a voodoo doll of Steven Gerrard, Javier Maschareno, and Carlos Tevez as he cries himself to sleep over what may have been.

Pardew was, of course, just 60 seconds away from winning the FA Cup in 2006 with West Ham until Gerrard’s typically dramatic intervention. He then followed that up with the ill fated signing of the Argentinean duo who had excelled in the World Cup just weeks before in what was seen as a managerial masterstroke. Rightly, the press were quick to praise Pardew and links to bigger clubs were mooted. But, how the mighty fall and after leaving the happy Hammers just months later. The failure to keep Charlton up and the perception of ruining a club tagged as the model way to run a club financially has seen his star far at a dramatic rate. Add to the charge sheet an ill advised comment on Match of the Day 2, which has saw him removed from the show shortly after.

I’m positive Pardew won’t be the last of so-called “manager genius” to fall on his face in spectacular fashion; just look at Paul Jewell, another linked with the England job that has seen a promising career fall away. More recently, Tony Adams status in the game and managerial hype has taken a battering, and he too may never reach the levels of his playing career unless he rebuilds his reputation fast.

What should give Pardew, Jewell and Adams comfort is the fact that managerial reputations can be rebuilt. Continuing the England theme, Steve McLaren is receiving rave reviews since taking over at Dutch side FC Twente and a second successive appearance in the Champions League is highly possible.

Closer to home, a minor revolution is taking place down on the South East Coast at little known Dover Athletic, under former Gillingham boss Andy Hessenthaler. It was Hessenthaler that did a stellar job taking Kent’s only football league side to their highest ever place, a 11th place finish in the Championship, on a shoestring budget. Inevitably, links to numerous higher profile posts followed, including West Ham before Pardew got the nod back in 2003.

A move away never materialised and Hessenthaler saw his reputation fall after a poor run of results that led to his sacking. A route back into the league was blocked despite numerous interviews. His only option was to relearn his trade in non-league with Dover Athletic, which he has done with great effect and is once again being touted as one of the best young managers in the game.

Those that follow the non-league game will know that Nigel Clough has taken the opposite path, with a decade in the non-league game before taking the route into the league – making his move when his star was at his highest and Derby County came calling. Derby, who surely can’t go any lower reputation-wise, have Clough pegged as the man to halt the pitiful decline; the next great hope. His sensible and measured approach should see him have a long and successful career. But if he’s smart, I’m sure he’ll take a look at managers from the past and remember that things can change in the blink of an eye.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There seems to be the general consensus in the world of football today that football clubs in general have never been stronger in this dreadful economy. Companies like Sky and Setanta are paying a king’s ransom for viewing rights, while current players complain when their weekly contracts are less than £80,000-a-week.  Whilst most of the big clubs have more than enough money to see themselves through the storm, there’s still a slight chance that could change if clubs continue to spend money like it’s going out of style.

As we all learn to adapt in these terrible times of recession, sooner or later a large football club could surely find itself looking into the abyss with the spiraling wage bills, combined with a lack of people coming through the turnstiles and wonder if they’ll be able to see themselves through the storm. If you need a good example of a great club in trouble you needn’t look any further than Valencia’s great demise.

That’s why as a football supporter I am being drawn more and more to the most spectator friendly league in Europe — Germany’s Bundesliga. Though television companies are constantly singing the praises of the Premier League, attendances are dropping with prices at clubs such as Chelsea and Tottenham hitting over £250 for a family of four. When you factor in transportation costs as well as the entertainment or lack thereof of the actual match, you all but price yourself out of every attending a match.

For the Bundesliga – where football really did come home after producing the most successful World Cup of all time in 2006 – its popularity has been increasing with the powers that be realising that the most important people in the game are the supporters themselves rather than the pampered £150,000 a week players. The average attendance for a Bundesliga match in 2008 was 40,880 compared to the 35,269 in the Premier League; the atmosphere is second to none with supporters having the option to stand on the terraces and have their beer topped up for you from the numerous vendors dotted around — plus there’s not a prawn sandwich to be seen.

So I’m sure you’re wondering why I’d rather travel to Germany to watch a game than save my hard-earned pennies and stay closer to home? Let’s start with the geography — no fewer than six top flight clubs: Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach, VFL Bochum, Schalke 04, Bayer Leverkusen and 1.FC Koln are located within 4 hours of Calais. That’s not too bad when you consider people drive similar hours each weekend to see their club play.

Then of course there’s the German efficiency which makes it simpler and of course cheaper to attend a match. The average prices for the Bundesliga is only 19 Euros, and if you are fortunate enough to find yourselves on the hallowed Sud Tribune of Borussia Dortmund as I was recently (the biggest terrace in the world holding 30,000 swaying souls), it will cost you approximately 10 euros (cheaper than my local non-league side) for an atmosphere of singing and dancing, as well as the obligatory filling up of beer from the vendors for just a euro.

It is all about creating an atmosphere and an ambiance that will continue to grow with future generations as it is seen to be cool to go to football matches in Germany. Transportation to the ground and back is all free and comes with the price of your ticket you purchased, therefore making the overall event extremely reasonable.

Put it this way: When I wanted a ticket for a Fulham match where I would have to become a member at considerable cost before being able to buy a ticket, it seemed to put everything into perspective. When you add in the travel cost of getting up to London from my home in deepest Kent plus the ticket, it turned a questionable decision into an impossible one.

The football on show in the Bundesliga is also more exciting, and though admittedly the best players in the world are not drawn to it due to the wages, the league is the most exciting in Europe with no fewer than five teams being separated by 4 points at the top compared to a division which is basically done and dusted by the end of February. You can see why people are finding the propaganda from the media that the Premier League is the most exciting league in the world a bitter pill to swallow.

Football is about the fans and what they can deliver to the experience, and having spoken to German fans while at the games, they are amazed that I travel to watch their sides instead of the so called big four in the UK. I give them the same answer each time: I come to the matches each time because the clubs make you feel like you’re part of something bigger. You never feel that at most clubs in the Premier League. In the end people yearn for that kind of thing, and that’s why you can count me among the rare few that have changed my allegiance to a far superior product.

Matthew Gerrard is a former Premiership supporter who now spends his time (when he can) on the Süd Tribune at Borussia Dortmund.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News