Exiled Bull considers the dilemma facing our popular physio
When Jamie returned “home” with his magic bag under GT, I bet he never considered that one day he could be the man making the big decisions.
He and his family have a big decision to make. To twist or to stick.
The safe option is to do nothing and hang in there as the physiotherapist. It’s a skilled profession for which there are always openings, stress levels aren’t too high and hours reasonable. Jamie currently has a job which is as safe as any get in football, with the handy bonus of no commuting.
Question is, will he be happy with that now he’s crossed the Rubicon and seen life on the other side. If he doesn’t jump now, with this never-to-be-repeated chance , will he regret it for the rest of his life?
Becoming a football manager means more money, and more status.
Bizarrely, others have already trod the magic -sponge route – Nigel Atkins, once of Scunny, now of Southampton, plus Les Parry at Tranmere. Holding the top job also means more expectations, more pressure ... can he deal with that? Can he handle being the disciplinarian? Can he handle telling players with three kids and a big mortgage that they’re out of a job? Would players respect him on the training ground? Even at this modest level, I imagine the “put your medals on the table” one-upmanship scenario is occasionally acted out.
Lots of questions, which Jamie needs to answer himself honestly. Also, “WHO does he know”? At this level, contacts are as important as football knowledge. One well known football manager once candidly explained, “the secret to this game is signing good players.” Where could Jamie recruit?
Young Jamie hasn’t worked with many managers, or at a senior level either, both of which are CV problems, though admittedly, Russell Hoult has done both Following his umm... sometimes lively off-field history, some doors may be slammed in his face. Conversely, other people at his dozen or so clubs will remember what a damn good keeper he was ... and a good bloke to have a pint with.
Jamie and his family would have to cope with longer hours, and following the inevitable sack, what next? It’s easy to just say ‘go get another job as a physio’ but not so easy to do. There’s so much anxiety in the game (just read either of Gary Nelson’s seminal books on the subject), and any manager might be very suspicious of a physio’ who just might think he can do the manager’s job better than the manager himself. I’m aware of cases where struggling managers have deliberately shipped out senior players to prevent the club having a ready-made replacement if he was to get the sack.
Maintaining trust between the two post holders are vital.
It’s conceivable that Jamie’s boats may already be burned, which would be damn cruel. Couldn’t see a problem if either Steve Guinan or Jimmy Harvey got the hot seat, but what of those from “out”? Yes, the club owner can insist that the manager will work with Jamie the Physio but only at the expense of giving the manager “a get out of jail” card. Imagine the Board room conversation ...“We lost that game because that physio told me our striker was fit when he clearly wasn’t ...” It happens. Believe me.
Big decision. Glad it ain’t me. Let’s hope that Jamie makes the right decision for himself and his family.