RICHARD LEE: Rosler and Rodgers prove there is no rhyme or reason in football... one minute they are about to be sacked the next they are landing top jobs
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Brentford goalkeeper Richard Lee returns for his latest Footballers' Football Column and looks at the departure of Uwe Rosler from Griffin Park to Wigan. Lee also looks at how football can change very quickly, from being on the verge of the sack to getting a bigger job weeks later. Lee also asks if loyalty exists in football and says that despite Rosler's departure, Brentford are a club on the rise.
I wrote my last piece seven weeks ago when we were due to face Colchester at home in a game which was rumoured to be crucial to the future of our manager, Uwe Rosler. The rumours that circulated were that a defeat against Colchester may well have signalled the end of his term with Brentford.
Around 70 minutes into the game and we trailed 0-1. A chorus of 'You're getting sacked in the morning' was being recited by some of the Brentford faithful where many had given up hope. A negative vibe engulfed the stadium.
Fast forward seven weeks to the day and we've since picked up seven wins and a draw. In case you were wondering - yes, we beat Colchester thanks to a late comeback and the solitary draw came from a tie away to league leaders, Wolves.
Moving on up: Uwe Rosler left Brentford to take the Wigan job
Changing times: Rosler was appointed Wigan manager after impressing at Brentford
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- JASON EUELL: I do miss playing football... but the chance to develop the next Shelvey or Jenkinson gives me my buzz now 21/12/13
- STEVE HARPER: My testimonial was a chance to say thank you... and also show one or two people at Newcastle what you can do if you engage with the fans 16/12/13
- MATT TAYLOR: Kinnear's reputation is unfair, he's a brilliant manager and gets the best out of his players... and he never got my name wrong! 16/12/13
- MICHAEL JOHNSON: The match-fixing scandal is a big wake-up call for all... I know players who were approached... and it's great to see my old club Derby doing so well 11/12/13
- RICHARD LEE: Rosler and Rodgers prove there is no rhyme or reason in football... one minute they are about to be sacked the next they're landing top jobs 10/12/13
- VIEW FULL ARCHIVE
Of course Uwe didn't get sacked, far from it. In fact, he has now been installed as the manager of Wigan Athletic. Football certainly moves fast.
So in the face of this complete turnaround of events, has anything actually changed to fuel this rise from the (almost) ashes? Or is it more a circumstantial chain of events that would have occurred irrespective of any changes at the club? It's an answer that's hard to pin down...
Are we to believe that Uwe's undergone a transformation in the past few weeks, making a full 180 from the manager who was expected to pick up his P45 just a few weeks ago?
Had he have been sacked after the Colchester game, he would undoubtedly have been looking in the lower leagues for another opportunity - and yet almost instantaneously he now finds himself as the manager of one of the top Championship clubs.
It's a turnaround like this, one that's commonplace in the industry, that demonstrates just how volatile and unpredictable the world of football really is. And for some, this volatility can just as easily tip you the other way. Take, for instance, Andy Scott and his sacking from Brentford.
Just a few weeks prior, 'Scotty' looked certain to join a big Championship club. Now however you can find him struggling with Aldershot in the Conference.
Similarly Aidy Bothrooyd was tipped to be the next England manager when he helped relegation favourites, Watford defy the odds to win promotion to the Premier League. He's now under pressure as manager of a troubled Northampton Town in League Two.
My last example is Brendan Rodgers. He left Watford and was despised by many for going back on his word to join high-flying, Reading.
The general consensus while at Reading was that Brendan wasn't quite up to the standard there. Fast forward several years and he's now regarded as one of the most sought after and respected managers in the UK after jumping from the successful ship that was Swansea to join Liverpool.
Which makes me more aware than ever of the lack of rhyme or reason in football, and despite all the stats, statistics, eye-watering contracts and conflicting theories - is football largely just a game of luck? And if so, is it a case of striking when the iron's hot?
Somewhat unsurprisingly the offer of a 'bigger' club came and Uwe made the decision to take Wigan up on that offer. The question subsequently posed is quite simply in regards to whether that was the correct decision.
Changing times: Andy Scott was tipped for big things when at Brentford but a run of bad results and he was sacked
Has he left Brentford too soon perhaps or is his timing spot on? And if it is the correct decision then why are some so quick to term such moves as 'disloyal', 'self-serving' and 'greedy' when in any profession it is deemed not just acceptable but expected?
If Brendan's example is one to go by, then surely the answer is yes, he has made the correct decision - accept it, move forward and seize the day (or job in this matter). After all, football is a fickle business where things can turn irrevocably sour, apparently just moments after seeming so sweet.
Such debates also beg the question as to whether loyalty actually exists in football or whether this is simply a word callously thrown around when circumstances look set to change or someone appears ready to leave.
Did Uwe receive the same loyalty in return when we were losing to Colchester and a large section of the crowd were calling for his head? Hardly. And yet you can guarantee that it'll be these same fans who will lambast him for upping sticks and leaving now that all is going smoothly once more.
England contender: Aidy Boothroyd was once tipped for the national team job but is now at League Two Northampton
The conclusion is simply this - True loyalty does exist for every true fan. The reason that fans feel so passionate when they feel that they've been wronged is that the club is them, and they are the club - which makes it near impossible to not take things personally.
By this I mean, they take ownership of their club and subsequently connect themselves to it on a deeper level. They themselves show loyalty - they stick with the club through thick and thin, genuinely wanting the best for the club so therefore expect this sincere loyalty to be mirrored by others.
So when their club is achieving to a high level, the fans will happily welcome in newer and better players, and justify saying goodbye to heroes of yesteryear, yet will claim it hurts or disappoints when one of the current 'stars' decides that he needs to ply his trade elsewhere to fulfil his own personal goals. The question often asked being,
'How could he do that to us?'
Loyalty: Richard Lee says that the fans are the ones who offer true loyalty
Unfortunately for all die hard fans the truth is that all players and managers have their own individual agendas. Ultimately each club is simply a vehicle by which one can achieve his personal goals.
And if truth be told, fans use each player as their vehicle to achieve their goals - be it sporting entertainment of a weekend, pride, whatever.
Yes we gain an affection for each other, but inevitably it will end in heart break for either the player or fan - at some point one will reject the other.
I personally want to wish Uwe well. He did a fantastic job at Brentford FC and will no doubt be missed. He was certainly quite emotional as he broke the news to us and we as a team are all very aware of what Brentford meant to him.
There was a very important difference in his situation than most which some may not be aware of; his family lived in Manchester and he was forever on the M40 in an effort to spend as much time with them as he could.
Changing times: Brendan Rodgers struggled at Reading but is now doing well at Liverpool
Even after late away games on a Tuesday evening he would often make the long journey north to spend sometimes less that 24 hours with his family.
So when we heard that Wigan were in for him we were aware that this one could be a tough offer to turn down, despite the fact that by his own admission the job isn't finished here at Brentford. Loyalty to one's family can demonstrably overpower any loyalty to a football club.
The danger for Brentford now is with regards the potential of losing our current assets, and I don't just mean the playing squad.
We arguably have the best setup in football; an ever improving training facility, superb scouting network, excellent physiotherapists, highly knowledgeable fitness coaches and one of the best youth setups in the country. Naturally it wouldn't surprise me if Uwe were to come back and try to poach one or two members of what I consider to be a world class staff.
New role: Mark Warburton is set to be named as new Brentford manager
Positive: Richard Lee is positive about the future of of Brentford
However I think he'll be unsuccessful here if he did try and I'll explain why; Mark Warburton was given the task of initially creating the setup that you now see, and he worked very closely with Uwe during his time to ensure that the platform was firmly in place.
It's for this reason that it doesn't surprise me to see that Mark Warburton has been given the job, he may have been under the radar to some extent over the past couple of years but us players are well aware of the influence he has had both on and off the pitch.
He's yet to manage at first team level and hasn't had a career as a player but then neither had Brendan Rogers before he took over at Watford, or Jose Mourinho for that matter!
I've known Mark since our days at Watford together and knowing him as I do I would certainly say that he has all the credentials for the role - he is every bit a student of the game, very intelligent and highly motivated.
And ultimately by installing him the great news for all associated with Brentford is that it mean that the quality of player arriving will still be every bit as high and the structure undoubtedly will remain intact.
With this being the case, I genuinely believe there is little to fret about right now. The news that planning permission has been granted for a 20,000 all seater stadium is further proof that Brentford is very much a club on the rise, and as we rise there will naturally be people associated with the club who move on - in my mind this should be deemed a huge compliment to the progression of the club.
Eventually there will no doubt come a day when we are the poacher as opposed to the 'poachee' and at the rate at which we're advancing, I wouldn't expect that day to be all that far away.
Good luck Uwe - all being well, we'll see you next year.
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Gazzarati, Cardiff, 2 weeks ago
Sorry, but this is a laypersons objective opinion on stratgic management. Just because some one is a footy player doesn't mean they know it all when it comes to managers and coaches. After all, not all people who work for the NHS are consultants are they? Cast your memory back to a certain Brian Clough, who most pro's consider the greatest manager. He had some very serious failures along the way, but that's due to clash of his management style and the players receiving it. But if you get that combination right you get the results. Bit like using the right grade of fuel in your car. Another good example is Mark Hughes, he has had some shocking setbacks, but he is doing great at Stoke, and that's no luck. Luck don't get results in the Prem, class and right plans do ;-)