Are all footy managers a little different to the rest of us?
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe says he is missing football matches already despite his side's struggles , so are all managers slightly different to the rest of us?
With his team stuck at the wrong end of the Premier League, and a do-or-die battle against relegation looming, you would probably think Howe would be grateful for some time away from the spotlight to work with his players.
The Cherries’ clash with Crystal Palace was called off on Saturday and all football has been suspended due to the current coronavirus outbreak until April 4 – and possibly even longer, leading to an unexpected break for the managers.
The enforced lay-off will give Howe and the rest of the managers across the leagues a chance to get their injured players back fit for the battle ahead – yet it appears to be unwanted, which i find a little strange.
Every season managers complain on a regular basis about how much football their players are expected to play – how there is no break from the unrelenting schedule faced by players and managers in the top flight.
You might have thought that any extra break would be welcomed by managers as a chance to regroup and recharge their batteries, although maybe they can only do that when they are allowed to jet off to Spain or somewhere for a bit of sunbathing, and a ‘staycation’ in the early chilly spring weather doesn’t really count.
Top-flight football has always been full of characters at the top level in management, but Howe has never really fallen into that bracket and remains a studious type of a figure who has enjoyed unprecedented success at what remains a small, unfashionable club on the south coast with little football pedigree.
Yet with his team battling a relegation that could have serious ramifications for the club, given the opportunity to take a breather from the action, Howe is missing it after just a week off.
AFC Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe feels suspending Premier League was the ‘right decision’ https://t.co/Bokp1HUdtD pic.twitter.com/gQxEubcZA1
— Daily Echo Sport (@BmthEchoSport) March 16, 2020
“It’s strange, it’s only been a few days but already I’m missing football,” he said.
Maybe it’s time the rest of us recognised that actually, in truth, managers are a little different to fans when even the sensible ones appear to miss their weekly round of torture.
