Soccer Mangers: What are they good for?

Not a lot, it would seem, says Vincent Browne in the IT:

Based on data the authors and others have assembled, Soccernomics claims: “The vast bulk of managers appear to have almost no impact on their teams’ performance and do not last very long in the job. They seem to add so little value that it is tempting to think they could be replaced by their secretaries, or their chairmen, or stuffed teddy bears, without the club’s league position changing.” Jamie Carragher, the recently retired Liverpool defender, is quoted as saying: “If you assemble a squad of players with talent and the right attitude and character, you’ll win more football matches than you lose, no matter how inventive your training sessions, what systems you play, what team talks you give.”

I find this merry-go-round of managers fascinating.