Looking back at previous manager hunts taking place when the current man in charge decides to leave for the bigger and better, it all turned out pretty well, but one appointment made a horror show appear as it all ended in meltdown.
The first change to report about is the one most similar to the Enzo Maresca situation, happening a long long time ago, back in 1971. Frank O’Farrell had taken Leicester up and a certain Sir Matt Busby came calling, O’Farrell listened and liked what he heard and decided to join Man Utd.
Leicester approached Jimmy Bloomfield and he is possibly the best manager ever at this club, looking at the players he brought in and how he played the game, and he managed to keep Leicester in the top flight over all his years in charge, staying until 1977, moved out or leaving without having a new option. Not really a settled affair, being one of the strangest decisions done at the club since it happened.
A few years later Jock Wallace jumped ship and moved back to Scotland. Gordon Milne came in and took Leicester up to the top tier. He worked on limited funds and kept Leicester in the top flight during his time, being pushed upstairs in 1986, another massive error from the club administration.
Brian Little is another good manager with success at Leicester moving on to Aston Villa. Then his successor Mark McGhee decided to join Wolves when Leicester were the top team of the 2nd tier, a job taken over by Martin O’Neill. We all know what happened under the N Ireland legend. Everyone were talking about management experience from the top flight, but that was not a bullet point for probably the two best managers at the football club in modern time.
Another time a manager walked out of the club, doing it without the club deciding, was Martin O’Neill’s departure. Leicedter decided to appoint Peter Taylor. A good start turned into a show of horror. Rapid changes and no clue on how to bring the project forward, he was sacked before the club was relegated back in 2001.
Micky Adams and Gary Megson later also left the club, not being sacked. Megson went to Bolton and Premier League, Adams decided to step down with lack of inspiration to continue.
The appointments of Jimmy Bloomfield and Martin O’Neill became great successes and it can be done correctly, both in jobs before they signed, snapped up from other clubs, being fresh and not out of the game, when coming in. The next are that both were midfielders in their club career, that will give them a a special way of understanding the game, and having a special eye for all the details. Jurgen Klopp and Sir Alex Ferguson were both forwards, so no offense, but still midfielders tends to have a special eye. Both Bloomfield and O’Neill had not peaked as managers and the hunger of getting to the level and growing with the team, made them progress along the ride. Their approach to football looked a bit different, Martin O’Neill had a much more direct and harder style, and he managed to win trophies, Jimmy Bloomfield did not, with a more romantic approach.
Again what we know at this point is that Carlos Corberan is the only candidate to have a link, having the same agent as Enzo Maresca, and a former companion of Marcelo Bielsa during their time at Leeds. Looking at his past, he should tick most boxes, and one interesting candidate to consider.
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